Holiday Gift Giving on a College Budget!

Are you finding yourself hard-up for cash during this holiday’s season? Not to mention, with the stress of finals, who really needs to worry about what to put under the tree on in the stockings. Well I’m here to tell you, gifts can be bought on a college kid’s budget, and your friends and family will love them just as much as the gifts in that overly priced magazine they stuffed into your little resident hall mailbox last week.

I’m sure you know about pinching a penny during the regular school year, but what about during the holidays? It can be tempting to go overboard during the holidays. With Thanksgiving beginning to be seen as Black Friday Eve, it’s all about spending that hard earned money. But as college students, we can’t always afford to “make it rain.”

This season, if your Northwest bill it still showing a significant balance, and you can’t see a way to swing buying gifts, try your hand and being crafty. It’s not hard to make a little something from the heart, just like you did when you were little. And rest assured, your friend or loved one will appreciate it just as much. Or perhaps write an individualized letter. A page long letter or poem telling your family and friends thank you for all the things they’ve done may not be worth as much as the recent Powerball jackpot, but it will no doubt be close to value in their hearts.

But rest assured, crafts and words from the hearts are not the only “cheap gifts” to give. There are tons of websites available with amazing deals around the world. Amazon, Etsy, and Half.com as well as eBay can prove to be vital allies during the holidays. With one cent auctions and great shipping deals the whole family can be bought for without your wallet/purse screaming too much.

And don’t forget your local businesses. It’s always a good idea to shop local, and oddly enough, some of the best and unique gifts can be found. Remember, the holiday season, while it is good to open up that expensive electronic, it’s not all about the gifts and presents. It really is the thought that counts, and if all you can afford if a hug, rest assured, that will most certainly be enough. Don’t let the worry and stress of being short on money keep you from enjoying the holidays. It was never meant to be about the presents anyways.

Have a happy and safe holiday season!

Garrett

Join SSS with TRiO Gives Back...

Do You Know YOU Are A TRiO Student???

(source: http://www.coenet.us)

I’m sure you’ve seen TRiO signs, like the one posted above, around the SSS office and on our website, but do you know what that really means?? Likewise, you know that you’re a member of SSS, but did you know that you’re actually part of TRiO as well? Unless you were also a part of the Upward Bound program as well, you may not have. The information below, taken from its webpage, details what exactly TRiO is and the opportunities it provides for the students it serves.

TRiO is a nationwide, federally-funded organization of projects committed to providing educational opportunity for all Americans regardless of race, ethnic background or economic circumstance.

TRiO programs are designed to help low-income and first-generation Americans enter college, graduate and move on to participate more fully in America's economic and social life. TRiO projects are funded under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 and are the TRiO Programs because there were initially three (TRiO Educational Talent Search, TRiO Upward Bound, and TRiO Student Support Services). While student financial aid helps students overcome financial barriers to higher education, TRiO programs help students overcome class, social and cultural barriers to higher education.

Who is Served

More than 2,700 TRiO Programs currently serve nearly 866,000 low-income Americans nationwide. Many programs serve students in grades six through 12; other programs serve current college students. Twenty-two thousand students with disabilities and more than 25,000 U.S. veterans are currently enrolled in the TRIO Programs.

Evidence of Achievement

Students in the Upward Bound program are four times more likely to earn an undergraduate degree than those students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in TRIO. Students in the TRIO Student Support Services program are more than twice as likely to remain in college as students from similar backgrounds who did not participate in the program.

If you would like any more information or are maybe even interested in getting involved with TRiO, stop by the office and ask one of our mentors or full-time staff!

STRESSED OUT??!!

How can you manage your stress?  Here are a few suggestions to help get you through:

Avoid stressful situations: Give yourself a break, if only for a few moments daily.

Change how you react to stress: Focus on one troublesome thing and manage your reactions to him/her/it. It is advisable to do this in moderation, in order to see what method does and does not work for you.

Avoid extremes: Why hate when a little dislike will do? Why generate anxiety when you can be nervous? Why rage when anger will do the job? Why be depressed when you can just be sad?

Set priorities: Don’t overwhelm yourself by fretting about your entire workload. Handle each task as it comes, or selectively deal with matters in some priority.

Set realistic goals: Reduce the number of events going on in your life and you will be able to focus more of your time on what needs to get done.

Take control of the situation: Look around and see if there really is something you can change or control in the situation.

Manage how stress affects you: This is a long range strategy of adapting your situation, and the effects of stress in your life. Try to isolate and work with one “effect” at a time. Don’t overwhelm yourself.

Discover new relaxation techniques: Learn how to best relax yourself. Meditation and breathing exercises have been proven to be very effective in controlling stress. Practice clearing your mind of disturbing thoughts.

Change how you see the situation: Stress is a reaction to events and problems, and you can lock yourself in to one way of reviewing your situation. Seek an outside perspective of the situation, compare it with yours and perhaps lessen your reaction to these conditions.

Figure out what’s most important: Don’t sweat the small stuff. Try to prioritize a few truly important things and let the rest of the details sit on the back burner.

Sleep: A lack of rest just aggravates stress.

Exercise: Work off your stress with physical activity, whether it’s jogging, tennis, or gardening.

Favorite classes and creating a schedule...

When I create my schedule, I look at all the classes I still have to take. Once I figure out what I want to take, I see what times the class is offered and write them down. After I get all my classes wrote down with all the times they are offered, I start to see what it looks like on Microsoft Excel so I don’t overlap classes. This gives me a visual of what my week will look like. I try to find the classes that don’t have class on Fridays, so I can have an extra day off during the week to get caught up on homework, projects, and studying before the weekend gets here.

My favorite classes would have to be Literature for Elementary School, Preschool and Elementary Nutrition Education, Child Development, and Classroom Behavioral Management.  I enjoyed these classes because of the teachers that I had.  They knew how to get the students engaged and involved and want to learn more from that class.  For example, in Literature for Elementary School, I had Dr. McCall for my teacher, and for one of the in class assignments, she read us a book while we filled out the worksheet.  Also, this class we were able to read children books and brought back the memories of my parents reading books to me when I was younger.  The teacher can make any class fun to be in by the way they present things.  If you like a teacher for one class, see if they teach other classes and get into them so you know you will enjoy the class.

 If you need any help creating a class schedule, looking up instructors, or help with your degree audit, visit the SSS office!  Any of the student mentors can help you with your schedule and would be more than happy to help!

Good luck!

Homecoming Week 2012 - Get Involved!!!

Homecoming 2012
Superheroes & Villains

October 28 - November 4, 2012

As most Northwest students know, next week marks the start of our Homecoming Week. It is a week long celebration that has events starting October 28^th and continuing through November 4^th. It features athletic events, entertainment, and plenty of opportunities for everyone to show their Bearcat spirit. Below is a list of the week’s events, followed by tips to staying safe so you can make the most out of the Northwest Homecoming experience.

Schedule of Events

Monday, October 22 – Friday, October 26

§  Royalty Voting – Computer Voting on CatPaws

Sunday, October 28

§  Hanging of Banners @ Noon – Student Union

§  Bearcat Soccer vs. Missouri Southern @ 1pm – Bearcat Pitch

Wednesday, October 31

§  Bearcat Volleyball vs. Central Missouri @ 7pm – Bearcat Arena

Thursday, November 1

§  Variety Show @ 7pm – Ron Houston Center for the Performing Art

§  Royalty Crowning @ 9pm (end of show) – Ron Houston Center for the Performing Art

Friday, November 2

·        WALKOUT DAY – No classes!!

·        5K Registration @ 8:30am – College Park Pavilion

·        5K Start Time @ 9:30am – College Park Pavilion

·        International Flag Raising Ceremony @ 2pm – Joyce and Harvey White International Plaza

·        Variety Show @ 7pm – Ron Houston Center for the Performing Art

Saturday, November 3

·        Parade @ 9am

·        Bearcat Football vs. Emporia State @ 2pm – Bearcat Stadium

Sunday, November 4

·        Presentation of Awards @ 11am – Charles Johnson Theater

How to Stay Safe…

Homecoming week is looked forward to by all Bearcats. It is a time for much celebration, and for many, it means celebrating a little too much. The main word of advice I can suggest for Northwest students and alumni who plan to go out during Homecoming is moderation. Be aware of your surroundings, be aware of other individuals, and be aware of what you are doing.

As always, police officers will be patrolling our campus…probably more than usual. To a certain extent, you are responsible for your own safety, so don’t overindulge in alcohol and be respectful of the police officers that you may encounter. Homecoming is a time of fun, celebration and seeing old friends, but being smart about whom you are with at all times. Controlling your actions is the key to a successful Homecoming weekend.

Need Cash??? We May Have Some For You...

In high school, we never really understand just how much college will cost us. It seems to be the biggest stress each semester. Luckily, there are so many sources that have multiple scholarships.

Student Support Services offers scholarships that are available for JUST our members.  These scholarships range from $500 all the way up to $2,000.  Your chances of receiving a scholarship with SSS are higher, due to the fact that we only serve 180 students – fewer students to compete with as compared to Northwest’s general scholarships.  All of the SSS scholarships are awarded in the Fall and are NOT automatically renewed.  More information as well as applications can be found on our SSS website at:  www.nwmissouri.edu/services/sss.  Deadlines will be in the Spring, so be looking for email reminders!!

Another financial resource to take advantage of is the SSS Grant Aid program- Grant Aid is federal funds that were given to our program to be disbursed to students who qualify.  In order to receive Grant Aid, you must meet the following requirements:
    1.  Be a first or second year student (your Freshman or Sophomore year)
    2.  Be Pell eligible (according to your FAFSA)
    3.  Have unmet financial need
Grant Aid does not need to be repaid (Grants never do), so this is a HUGE opportunity to take advantage of!  Grant Aid is automatically renewed as long as you meet GPA and participation requirements.  The amount may vary from year to year, but it is definitely worth looking in to!!  Grant Aid is awarded each semester and if you meet the qualifications listed above, download the application from our website at:  http://www.nwmissouri.edu/services/sss/pdf/applications/GrantAid.pdf

Fastweb is a scholarship oriented website. It allows you to view scholarships ranging from major oriented to trait oriented. It is an easy site to maneuver around. All you have to do is come up with a user name and a password and answer a few questions regarding yourself.  The questions allow the website to personalize some scholarships they will attach to your “suggested list.” Here is the link to Fastweb!  http://www.fastweb.com/

Of course there are other site that have this all you have to do is type the word “scholarships” in the search engine of Google or Yahoo. Here is a list of just a few I came across,

http://www.scholarships.com/

http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/

http://www.college-scholarships.com/free_scholarship_searches.htm

Northwest also offers many scholarships. If you go to the second floor of the Administration Building they have a billboard FULL of scholarships and a list of due dates. There is also a list on the Northwest homepage ( http://www.nwmissouri.edu/finaid/scholarships/index.htm ).

These are just a few places where you can look for financial aid. Of course, there are more resources out there that are willing to help you.

Good luck and remember it may be time consuming now but you will enjoy not having to pay back all the money you had to take out in loans because you didn’t fill out all the scholarships you could have.   If you need help with financial literacy or scholarship applications, please contact Brenda in the SSS office at 660-562-1259.

Now you have a jump start for next semester!!