Decision Day is one of the most rewarding days of the school year. It is the opportunity for seniors to celebrate their futures while reflecting on their hard work, determination, and perseverance. It can also be a great way to get juniors, sophomores, and freshmen to think about their own futures. However, planning for Decision Day can be quite stressful since we want to make this event special for our students. How do we do that? Here are a few ideas and suggestions.

Consider your students. What do they enjoy doing the most? Are they outgoing, energetic? Are they more laid back and reserved? Answering these questions will help you decide what activities to have at your Decision Day event.  Some advisers have held ice cream socials, barbeques, and formal luncheons at their schools. Others have hired DJs, had mini-carnivals, and brought in marching bands. Whatever works for your kids, do it!

Involve the entire school. Past advisers have held door decorating contests for the underclassmen; some have had teachers wear college t-shirts on the day of the event. Allowing your school to take ownership of the event will only help to create a college-going culture.

Ask for donations. Many businesses and community organizations will be willing to donate items for this cause. Try writing a formal donation letter to send to area businesses that already support your school. Additionally, ask the staff, faculty, and parent groups at your school for donations. Some may be willing to donate prize giveaways; others might donate time, food, and other forms of support. Anything helps!

Be organized. Decision Day is much easier for you and everyone around you when things are under control.

Think it through. Make sure that you are considering all necessary items and procedures. You may not remember everything, and that’s okay! (I forgot to buy forks for the cake that I purchased, but my seniors made the best of it by having a cake eating contest.) However, once I started planning the details of my Decision Day event, I realized that there was a lot more going into it than I  had originally thought would. Because this will impact your time and budget, make sure you think through the logistics as thoroughly as possible.

Be cognizant of the fact that school budgets are being cut. While most staff and faculty will be supportive of this event, many schools cannot afford to do what you might be able to do for your seniors. You’ll certainly want D Day to be a fun and memorable day for your seniors, but it also shouldn’t be too flashy or over-the-top.

Lastly, and most importantly, have fun! As I said before, planning Decision Day can be stressful. Because we want this event to be enjoyable for seniors, it’s easy to get wrapped up in the things that don’t go as planned. However, know that your seniors truly appreciate what you have done for them and will have fun at your Decision Day no matter what.

Have you held your Decision Days yet? What kinds of activities would you suggest? What resources have you found to be helpful? Share your ideas!

About Laura:

I am a second-year college adviser with the Missouri College Advising Corps, serving in a first-year partner school. I graduated with honors from the University of Missouri in December 2009, obtaining degrees in Business Administration and International Studies. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, baking, spending time with family and friends, and dancing like a fool in my living room.  This photo was taken in Durnstein, Austria.   I was in Austria for a mission trip over the summer, but we took one afternoon to visit Durnstein and play around a little bit. (And eat lots of high fat ice cream - amazing!) The water behind me is the Danube River. I took my shoes off and hopped in at the shoreline, just to be able to say that I stood in it. It was cold! :-)

Quite frankly, the spring semester can be just as stressful for us as it is for our students. We are running non-stop from the moment we walk into our schools until the moment we leave. Our days are filled with helping seniors and their families file the FAFSA , apply for scholarships, and sort through housing applications, assisting juniors in registering for the ACT or SAT, reaching out to underclassmen, and planning Decision Day. With all of this activity, taking a break isn’t even a thought that crosses our minds.

However, that thought needs to cross our minds. We want to take care of our students and families, but we need to remember to take care of ourselves, too. I’ll be the first to admit that it seems like a selfish idea. With so much going on, how can we afford that break? I’m often at my school from sunrise to sunset, and I know I’m not the only adviser who is now lacking Vitamin D. But even though this is this case, I know that I cannot afford not to take a break every once in awhile. You can’t, either.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not suggesting that we take weeks off of work to go on exotic vacations. It’s just mere fact that the quality and effectiveness of our work has great potential to deteriorate under stress and exhaustion. No one can argue that we all want to go that extra mile for our students and families, but we also have to give ourselves permission to take a step back from time to time. After all, we really can’t help our students and families to be on top of their games if we are not on top of our own.

 Here are a few suggestions to help you unwind:

 One or two minute breaks:

1. Listen to your favorite song on YouTube or Pandora.
2. Take a short walk around the hallways.
3. Get out of your office to converse with a colleague.
4. Take a moment to check your text messages, Facebook, or Twitter.
5. Get out of your chair and stretch.

 One half hour breaks:

1.  Eat lunch away from your desk. If that isn’t possible, shut your door and take that time to eat lunch in the privacy of your office. It’s a strange feeling to have students staring at your lunch, anyway.
2. Weather permissible, take a walk outside of your school.
3. Look at your calendar and schedule time for yourself in the near future. Maybe you’ll set aside time to spend with family, plan an evening out with friends, or simply make a date with a good book. Just give yourself something to look forward to.

 Half day breaks:

1. Run personal errands. Even though errands aren’t always fun, checking things off of your to-do list is a stress buster.
2. Try new things. Is there a new restaurant that you’ve wanted to try? Maybe a Pinterest creation looked like fun? Take advantage of this time!
3. Sleep. Naps are always good.

 Honestly, you may feel guilty for taking some time away from work, but you owe it to your students, your families, and yourself. Your mind will be clearer, you will be more refreshed, and your work will be much more effective.

 What are your favorite ways to de-stress? Leave your comments below!

About Laura:

I am a second-year college adviser with the Missouri College Advising Corps, serving in a first-year partner school. I graduated with honors from the University of Missouri in December 2009, obtaining degrees in Business Administration and International Studies. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, baking, spending time with family and friends, and dancing like a fool in my living room.  This photo was taken in Durnstein, Austria.   I was in Austria for a mission trip over the summer, but we took one afternoon to visit Durnstein and play around a little bit. (And eat lots of high fat ice cream - amazing!) The water behind me is the Danube River. I took my shoes off and hopped in at the shoreline, just to be able to say that I stood in it. It was cold! :-)

Have you ever watched the television series “Community”? If so, you would have a pretty good idea about how I once pictured community colleges in my head.  Although I had never stepped foot on a community college campus, I thought that community colleges had no social activity, non-existent academic environments, a hodgepodge of unmotivated students, and very few, if any,  vigorous course offerings. Needless to say, I didn’t think very highly of these institutions.

After spending my first year with NCAC as one of the few advisers at a community college, my preconceived notions about community colleges have changed quite drastically.

I am discovering, however, that a lot of students still seem to hold an array of misconceptions about community colleges. A few of my students have even described community college as being a “glorified high school”. Maybe a community college isn’t the right fit for those particular students, but they certainly aren’t bad for ALL students, right?

If we are speaking realistically, not one of us can say that 100% of our students will find their best fit institution in a four-year college or university. But with so many wrong ideas about community colleges floating around, students who may find a wonderful fit in a community college don’t really know what they are in for.

Here are a few of the biggest misconceptions that that I have come across:

Misconception #1:  Everyone is admitted to a community college.

Actually, that is a true statement. However, not everyone is automatically admitted to more specialized programs at a community college. The community college that I served in my first year as an adviser has specialized programs in the allied health field, the largest and most popular being an RN program. This RN program has a completely separate admission process that includes a six-point ranking system. Nearly 300 people apply each cycle; roughly 65 of those 300 are chosen. Some of the factors taken into consideration include having taken and passed the proper rerequisite courses, what cumulative GPA was received in those classes, and what health care experience the candidate has. Oh, did I mention that this ranking process is used to determine eligibility for the TEAS test?  Regardless of how great their ranking may be, students will absolutely be denied admission into the RN program if they did not pass the TEAS.

The truth is this: Anyone can be admitted to the community college itself, but there is no guarantee for admission into the specialized programs that a community college offers.

Misconception #2: Classes at two-year institutions are easier than classes at four-year institutions.

Look at it this way: Would a class taken at a two-year institution be transferable if it did not meet the standards and rigor of the equivalent class at a four-year institution? I don’t think so. 

Misconception #3: All credit from classes taken at a community college will transfer to a four-year institution.

The truth behind this is probably one of the hardest things to explain to students. A good amount of credit from classes taken at a community college will transfer to four-year institutions, but  certainly not all of it. Most two-year institutions have general transfer degrees and articulation agreements with four-year institutions. Both of these are great options for transferring to a four-year institution. However, community colleges also have more specialized degrees available. These degrees are made for getting students through school and into the workforce quickly, generally
into an entry-level position. Because these degrees require classes that can rarely be found at a four-year institution, they do not transfer very cleanly at all.

If the thought of transferring ever crosses your students’ minds, please guide them towards receiving a transfer degree or a degree with an articulation agreement built around it, and tell them to work closely with an academic adviser at their chosen two-year institution. It will save your student a lot of time, money, and headaches.

Although I can think of several more misconceptions surrounding community colleges, I think you get my point. Part of our job is to speak the truth about community colleges, because if we are being honest with ourselves, a fair number of students will find that their best fit is at one of these institutions.

What other preconceived notions do you find your students hold about community colleges? How can we speak truthfully about community colleges in our schools? Be sure to leave your answers to these questions in the comment section!

About Laura:

I am a second-year college adviser with the Missouri College Advising Corps, serving in a first-year partner school. I graduated with honors from the University of Missouri in December 2009,  obtaining degrees in Business Administration and International Studies. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, baking, spending time with family and friends, and dancing like a fool in my living room.  This photo was taken in Durnstein, Austria.   I was in Austria for a mission trip over the summer, but we took one afternoon to visit Durnstein and play around a little bit. (And eat lots of high fat ice cream - amazing!) The water behind me is the Danube River. I took my shoes off and hopped in at the shoreline, just to be able to say that I stood in it. It was cold! :-)

353 seniors. That number is absolutely daunting to me. As an adviser in a new partner school, I am quickly learning how far behind my students are in the college-going process.  Each day, I find myself having in-depth conversations with seniors about an array of topics: how to find the “best fit” institution, filling out college applications, searching for scholarships, preparing for the ACT/SAT, fee waivers, playing athletics in college, taking campus tours, etc. How can I possibly do all of this work with 353 seniors?

And then, the answer hits me: freshmen, sophomores, and juniors need to be prepared so that future college advisers aren’t in the same boat that I am in.

The conversations that I am having with current seniors should also be happening with current juniors. Sophomores need to know how important it is to keep their grades up, enroll in challenging coursework, and be involved in extracurricular activities. And even though freshmen are still adjusting to being in high school, they need to realize the impact that the next four years will have on their future.

With this realization, I ask myself a new question: how can I ensure that I am being a resource to the entire school?

To be perfectly honest, it isn’t easy. My main focus needs to be on the senior class, but I can’t use that as an excuse for not trying my best to prepare the 1,000 other students at my school to the best of my ability. These conversations don’t need to be quite as in-depth as they are with seniors, but they do need to take place. Here are a few suggestions for advising the entire school about college:

Freshmen and Sophomores:

1. Have a goal setting session. Introduce them to resources that might help students figure out what they want to do and what education is required to reach that dream. There is a good chance that their goals will change throughout their high school years, but being exposed to resources that can assist them in the process of setting and realizing new goals will be incredibly beneficial.
2. Talk about extracurricular activities available at your school and how participating in extracurricular activities will benefit students in the future.
3. Invite college admissions counselors to your school to speak about the admissions process. Some colleges even have early outreach programs that will tailor presentations to a younger audience.
4. Use classroom/meeting time to have the students do a college admissions scavenger hunt. By asking them questions about what a particular college’s costs are, what that institution requires for admission, and what scholarships are offered, you will be teaching them how to navigate websites that they will need to use in just a few years.
5. If possible, encourage your school to administer the PLAN test to sophomores.
6. Arrange for current seniors to talk to current underclassmen about where they are in the college-going process and what they wish they would have done differently in their freshman and sophomore years to prepare themselves.

 Juniors:

1. Invite juniors and parents of juniors to all of the college events and meetings that you have planned for seniors.
2. Organize a group of juniors to serve as peer educators or “college ambassadors”.  Allow these students to help you plan, promote, and present college-related workshops and events to the underclassmen at your school.
3. Host a resume writing event. Putting academic records, extracurricular involvement, volunteer work, honors and awards on paper will make the application process go much more smoothly.  
4. Have conversations about the ACT/SAT. Give students practice exams during study halls.

 School-wide:

1. Host college spirit days, if possible.
2. Keep a list of college summer programs that your students may be interested in. Make that list available to all students.
3. Underclassmen may be eligible for some of the scholarship opportunities that pass through your offices. Make these scholarship opportunities a big deal.
4. Involve underclassmen in Decision Day planning and activities.

I hope that this helps you to take an all-school approach when college advising.

About Laura:

I am a second-year college adviser with the Missouri College Advising Corps, serving in a first-year partner school. I graduated with honors from the University of Missouri in December 2009, obtaining degrees in Business Administration and International Studies. In my free time, I enjoy traveling, baking, spending time with family and friends, and dancing like a fool in my living room.  This photo was taken in Durnstein, Austria.   I was in Austria for a mission trip over the summer, but we took one afternoon to visit Durnstein and play around a little bit. (And eat lots of high fat ice cream - amazing!) The water behind me is the Danube River. I took my shoes off and hopped in at the shoreline, just to be able to say that I stood in it. It was cold! :-)