COVID-19 REFLECTIONS: Don’t Bottle It Up, Vent It Away

I know what you’re thinking: what in the world crisis is going on these days? I get it, and trust me, I understand your frustrations. With the corona virus outbreak, every day we’re getting new information that’s more overwhelming than anything. At this time, people’s livelihoods are affected because of the closing of jobs, limited resources, and being unable to be around the people you love the most because of social distancing. 

Everyone is frustrated. That’s something that can’t go away. Everyone is also fearful because we have no idea what is going on or what will happen next. It’s a lot to deal with, and something that’s also getting affected the most is our education. 

As a college student myself, I’m more of a hands-on person, which means I learn the best when I’m in the classroom doing the work and seeking help from professors during their office hours. Unfortunately, with everything that’s been happening, it was announced yesterday over the news that all schools in Indiana are suspending in-person classes for the rest of the semester, which means all of my classes from here on out will be online. 

I see many problems with this. First, for some of my classes, I had tutoring, which means I was already trying to work on bringing my grades up, specifically in my science classes. However, now that I’m no longer doing in-person classes and we have to practice social distancing, I no longer have access to the proper tutoring, which means I’m completely on my own at this point. I have my professors through email, but they have so many other students to keep up with as well as their personal lives and their children to look after and keep safe, which means they won’t be available at my every need and call. 

It’s times like this where instead of staying to ourselves and bottling up everything, we should vent it away and leave it where it is. Stress levels are high. No one knows the future of their financial standings. This is a tough position to be in for everyone, and it’s affecting every part of our lives. It’s what we do as American people. 

My heart and prayers go out to everyone that has been affected by this virus whether it’s health-wise or financially. Since this is a place of venting, I would like to hear some of your frustrations. Don’t be afraid to say what’s on your mind, let’s talk about it. 

I hope everyone does their best to stay healthy and safe. Keep your children close and make sure you’re checking on your loved ones. These are trying times, but do not be discouraged. We will get through this, and once we get to the end of the tunnel, our sun will shine brighter than ever. I believe in you and me.

Faith Smith, Valparaiso University ‘22

Bachelor’s Degree Addiction

Three seconds to think, GO! You graduated high school, now what? College! Ok, get a bachelor’s degree. Times up. You’re in college… but so is everybody else. Hmm, interesting. 

Let’s begin here. “They” have been promoting the necessity of going to college so well that the thought is second nature. Ask any child, maybe 10 years and up, what do you do after high school and it’s likely to be the same answer our elders have- get a degree. It says, in so many words, that you can’t be taken seriously in this world without one. So many entry level positions that are easily mastered with maybe a week or two of on-the-job training are requiring these four-year degrees. Guess who eats it all up? We do. We accept this for law, and we pass up all the other opportunities out there. We have associate degrees, trade degrees, certifications, licensures, etc. There are more ways to survive than four-year degrees. These are pursued, sure, but they’re like the ugly friends in the group- they don’t get that much attention.

Making yourself go to college (and finishing), has its perks for sure, but at what risks? How will you pay for this degree? Is this option suitable for different lifestyles and family sizes? What was your mental health like before and after “higher-ed”? Will you finish? Wh-

* BREAKING NEWS: BACHELOR’S DEGREES ARE BEING VIEWED AT THE BOTTOM OF THE TOTEM POLE*

Then there’s that. This part is what kills us. We are foraging for these degrees so frequently that it has become the new norm and employers aren’t impressed. You start to stand out less and your goal has become their minimum expectation of you. Just when you thought you had “surviving” figured out. So, back to the biggest question we started with: now what? 

How do we calm a person from fearing they won’t be good enough without a bachelor’s? Do we need policy change? Do we need to change high schools as an institution? Do we change higher education? (This is a separate conversation by itself)

What does no fear and no fret look like for you?

Takira Brown, Roosevelt University ‘21

Scholarship Guide: How to tell if it’s a scam…

If you’re concerned that the scholarship that you found is a scam, go through this list.

No Provider Contact?

Always check to see if the scholarship website or paper application lists the provider’s contact information. There should be a physical address, email and phone number available, just in case students have questions about the program or required documentation. If the email bounces or you cannot reach an actual person by telephone, the program may be a scam.

Application Fees?

In most cases, free money should be free. Period.  Some literary competitions may require a small fee, but these programs usually involve large manuscripts and the fees are used to pay for experts in the field to review and select winners. Whenever a provider requires a fee, ask what the fee covers. If the provider cannot give a reasonable explanation for the expense, don’t apply. Another red flag is any provider that requires a credit card to process the application.

Fishy Website?

Most scholarship programs are hosted on the provider’s website or through a scholarship management system. Be wary of any program that includes outdated information or resides on a website that has typos. Websites that direct students to various broken links or are overrun with advertisements are another indication that the scholarship may be bogus. Legitimate programs will include current information on eligibility, rules, deadline dates and have a link to the application (online or paper). 

No Past Winners?

If a scholarship has been offered for more than one year, the provider should include information on past recipients, or have an address (or email) listed where students can inquire about previous winners. Legitimate providers are always happy to share this information and promote past winners. Students should also inquire about the selection process, such as how winners will be chosen and when they will be notified. If a provider is unwilling to give this information, don’t apply.

Guaranteed Scholarship?

Any scholarship or college counseling service that guarantees students will win an award is not legitimate. The only ‘guaranteed’ scholarships available are offered when colleges give awards to students who meet specific criteria. These types of scholarships are typically merit-based (grades / test scores) or need-based (income). Scholarships take time and effort, and if you are willing to do the work, you’ll typically have the best results.

Scholarship Guide: Time Management

How are you going to manage your time applying for scholarships? How many scholarships are you going to apply for? 

Set a goal for how many you want to apply for. If you want to win 5 scholarships, that might mean applying to 30!!

Here are some ideas for how you can manage your scholarship applications:

1. Spend 1 full evening every month (4-5 hours) applying for scholarships, working on their essays, etc.

2. Spend 2-3 hours per week. Whenever you sit down to work on scholarships, start a stopwatch and just stop it when you need to. When you pick back up, restart it.

3. Make it a routine. You can spend time on Tuesday & Thursday to research and bookmark scholarships that you want to apply for, and then work on applying and submitting them on Monday-Wednesday-Friday.

4. Keep track of your progress using a Scholarship organizer! Here is an example of a spreadsheet you can use to help track your progress as you go.

Whatever you do, work out a routine that makes sense for your schedule and doesn’t stress you out. If you know you can’t commit to working on scholarships every day, subscribe to some newsletters and scholarship blogs so that you can look through them when you have time, like when you’re on the train.