JLV College CounselingCombat senioritis before it is too late
Waiting for Time to Pass by Richard Phillip Rucker licensed under CC BY 2.0
Senioritis is a real thing for many graduating high school seniors. The Merriam Webster dictionary defines senioritis as, “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.” It is easy to have the high school “finish line” within reach and say, “I’m done,” and neglect or not try as hard to complete assignments or study for tests. However, students need to address senioritis before it has a negative effect on their future.
Most signs of senioritis are easy to spot. Common signs of senioritis can include lower grades, not completing assignments, and cutting classes. Other signs can be spending much more time with friends, laziness, and finding it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. If parents and students are paying attention, they should be able to spot these symptoms early enough to work towards curing the student’s senioritis.
There are many reasons students start experiencing senioritis during the second semester of their senior year. For some students, they feel burned out after pushing themselves very hard the previous few years in hopes of creating impressive applications for admissions. Once acceptance letters start coming in, the student may feel it is okay to slack off. Other students get so caught up in senior year excitement and activities, such as prom or graduation preparation, that they neglect their schoolwork. Whatever the reason, students and parents should pay attention to the signs of seniorities and address them quickly.
Senioritis can have negative effects on a student’s future. Every year colleges rescind offers of admissions, place students on academic probation, and change financial aid offers due to changes in the students’ file. Changes in a student’s file can include lower grades and disciplinary issues, which are sent to the colleges after graduation. Since colleges do not receive all information about their accepted students until the summer, they can make changes, including taking admissions offers off the table, in the summer after students have turned down offers to other colleges. Having colleges changes their decisions or financial aid offers in the summer can be very disappointing to the student, and depending on how late the change comes, can really limit their options.
If parents or students notice symptoms of senioritis, it should be addressed immediately. It is a good idea to figure out what is causing the senioritis and make changes if necessary. If senioritis has already made changes to a student’s record, it is recommended students meet with their teachers or school counselor to discuss their concerns and create a plan to address the issues. This will include determining if the change is large enough to notify the admissions committee at the college or colleges the student is considering attending.
The second semester of the senior year is still very important in college admissions. Even after admissions decisions are delivered, many colleges can change their mind, and tell students so in their acceptance letters. Therefore, students should continue taking their education seriously and work towards their goal of attending college.
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UC to require all students to be vaccinated by 2017
Syringe and Vaccine by NIAID licensed by CC BY 2.0
The University of California will soon require all students to have vaccinations. According to the Friday press release from the UC, all UC campuses have experienced some sort of vaccine-preventable diseases in recent years. By requiring the vaccinations, the institution hopes to prevent breakouts like they have previously experienced.
The new vaccination requirement will take place in 2017. Students will be notified of the upcoming requirement in the fall of 2015. Students entering UC campuses in the fall of 2016 will be expected to have their vaccinations and enter the information into the university’s electronic medical record platform. By fall of 2017, all students attending UC campuses must meet vaccination requirements. If students do not meet the vaccination requirements, they will have a hold place on their registration.
The University of California previously only required hepatitis B vaccinations, with some campuses having had more requirements. However, this new announcement will require all UC students to have a list of vaccinations. The new requirement will add vaccinations for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella (chicken pox), meningococcus, tetanus, and pertussis (whooping cough). Students will also need to be screened for tuberculosis. The Cal State system has required many of these vaccinations since 2002.
The vaccination requirement has been in the works for a year. However, the UC felt the issue was more pressing given the recent outbreak of diseases once thought to be eradicated in the United States, such as measles. “I’m really excited that there’s support and momentum for this new immunization plan,” said Dr. Gina Fleming, medical director for the UC Student Health Insurance Plan. The plan was developed based on recommendations from the California Department of Public Health.
The UC said there were two barriers to vaccinations in the past. First, the cost of vaccines made it difficult for all students to get vaccinations. However, with the Affordable Care Act, insurance will cover the cost of vaccinations. Second, student health staff had difficulty obtaining and verifying vaccination information. UC now has a new electronic medical record platform that four campuses will be piloting this fall, and the remaining campuses implementing the platform by the fall of 2016.
“The University of California is committed to protecting the health and well-being of our students,” said Mary Knudtson, executive director of the UC Santa Cruz Student Health Center and chair of the UC Immunization Policy Committee. “Therefore, all of the UC campuses are implementing procedures to ensure that students are educated about, and receive, vaccinations to prevent potentially dangerous illnesses and undergo screening to identify those who may have infectious tuberculosis.”
UC will allow for exemptions for medical and religious purposes. UC officials will be discussing how to handle and validate exemptions in the coming months. According to Fleming, “we need to be mindful of the populations we’re serving.” Fleming also shared that other vaccinations may be added later, such as meningococcus B.
The UC system is not the only one discussing vaccination requirements for students in California. State Senators Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) and Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) will be introducing legislation that is aimed at increasing the number of children who are immunized in California. The proposal would restrict parents from obtaining “personal belief” exemptions from immunizations for their school children. The legislation would still allow for medical and religious exemptions.
Kohl’s Cares is seeking nominations for their scholarship program
Kohl’s Cares would like to recognize children between the ages of six and 18 for their dedication to volunteer work. Kohl’s Cares is currently accepting nominations for their scholarship program in which students can earn up to $10,000 in scholarship money. According to Kohl’s, “winners will be chosen based on the benefits and outcomes of their volunteer service.”
Students must meet the following eligibility requirements to be considered for the program:
- Student must be between the ages of six and 18 years of age as of Mar. 15, 2015.
- Student must not have graduated from high school yet.
- Student cannot self-nominate. Students must be nominated by someone who is 21 years of age or older. Parents can nominate their children.
- Students must have volunteer experience within the last 12 months.
- Associates of Kohl’s Department Stores, Inc. and/or Associates’ immediate family members (parents, stepparents, children, stepchildren, siblings, step-siblings, or spouse) are not eligible.
The official rules are available at the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship program website.
Nominations can be made online. In addition to being 21 years of age or older, nominators must submit the following information for their nomination to be considered:
- Student information. Nominators will need to submit the student’s full name, age, date of birth, address, phone number, email address, school name and address, and the student’s expected high school graduation month and year. If incorrect information is provided, it may disqualify the student.
- Parent or guardian information. Nominators will need to supply the parent or guardian’s name, phone number, email address.
- Primary volunteer activity information. Nominator will need to share in depth information about the volunteer work the student has performed. The essay should include the type or purpose of the activity, hours invested, any items collected or money raised, number of people affected, and the outcome of the project.
Nominators can nominate multiple students, but must submit a new nomination form for each student. In addition, students can be nominated multiple times as long as different individuals submit nomination forms on their behalf.
The Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program will separate nominations into two age groups: ages six through 12 and 13 through 18 years of age. The following are the prizes students can win if selected:
- Local winners. Each local winner will receive a $50 Kohl’s gift card. There will be approximately 2,300 local winners selected.
- Regional winners. Each regional winner will receive a $1,000 scholarship that will go towards higher education. 180 regional winners will be selected.
- National winners. Each regional winner will receive a $10,000 scholarship for higher education. In addition, Kohl’s will donate $1,000 to a nonprofit organization on behalf of each national winner. There will be ten national winners.
Scholarships can be used to pay college expenses such as tuition, fees, room and board, books and supplies, transportation and other education-related expenses. The scholarship will be paid in the month of August upon higher education enrollment. The scholarship check will be mailed to the student and will be made payable to the recipient’s institution.
Nominations will be accepted until Mar. 13, 2015. Winners will be notified in May 2015.
See the official rules and learn more about the Kohl’s Cares Scholarship Program at the scholarship website.
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SJSU invites Michelle Obama to speak to first-generation college students
San Jose State University has sent a formal invitation to First Lady Michelle Obama to attend and be the keynote speaker at their inaugural First-Generation Scholarship Luncheon. The event will take place on Feb. 25 in the Student Union Ballroom on the SJSU campus. As an advocate of higher education for all students, including first-generation college students, Michelle Obama is an inspiration to many students at SJSU. According to Amanda Aldama, First Generation College Student Programs coordinator, the White House is currently reviewing the event and the First Lady’s schedule.
In an attempt to get Mrs. Obama’s attention, GENERATE, the First-Generation College Student Program at SJSU, created a video. “We have followed the model of several other campuses who were successful in securing her attendance by making an invitation video,” said Aldama. Their video incorporates SJSU students into a video message Mrs. Obama recorded over a year ago for the “I’m First” project. In the video, Mrs. Obama shares her experience as a first-generation college student, and with every phrase, the SJSU video cuts to a student saying, “I Relate.” Aldama added, “It is our hope that, if this video gets trending, as it did for other campuses, then she may say yes.”
SJSU launched the “I Relate” campaign in 2013 to inform prospective and current students about the achievements of first-generation college students at SJSU. According to the “I Relate” website, more than half of all new Freshman and Transfer students are first-generation college students. GENERATE mission is to “foster connection, belongingness, skills and academic success for the first-generation college students of San Jose State University.” Some the resources GENERATE offers include workshops, campus events, peer mentors, and faculty mentors.
Michelle Obama receives many invitations every year to speak at events such as the SJSU event. Increasing the number of students who attend college has been a goal of the Obama administration since before they took office. An example of Mrs. Obama dedication to education is her “Reach Higher” initiative. The initiative is “to inspire every student in America to take charge of their future by completing their education past high school.” Last month, President Barack Obama proposed free community college education for all students. GENERATE, as well as SJSU, is encouraging everyone to view the “I Reach” invitation video in hopes of making it trend to catch the attention of the White House.
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