Education & Employment: Take Advantage of Your Resources!

So- I know a lot of you are wondering... "Where has Miss Building Blocks been hiding?" The answer is short and very much true!

I have been dealing with the hectic schedule that most college students deal with, so don't think that I am any different because I have time to blog. I'm actually at work browsing the web, and will soon be doing my homework. But enough about me, let's talk about you!

My post today will explain to you the value of resources, which I know a lot of you may or may not take advantage of. But this is sacred information for any and everyone!

Let's first discuss middle school. In middle school, most students are only concerned with one thing- and that's going to high school. Bigger and better things right? Of course! But you must remember that there are things in high school that you'll encounter, that middle school doesn't teach you, or doesn't make exactly 'readily available' to you.

So here's a few things to take advantage of in middle school that can prepare you for the future!

Join the National Junior Honor Society, if grades permit! Ask your school counselor if there are any scholarships (yes, for COLLEGE) that you can get your hands on now. Don't be afraid to ask someone to be your mentor. They prove to be very beneficial in the long run. And if you have a hard time finding one, ask me! I provide E-Mentoring through this blog. Email me at missbuildingblocks@yahoo.com for more information! Also, if you're having an issue with your attitude, ask your teachers if there are any programs that you can get involved with to better your communication skills. When I was in middle school, I was a Conflict Mediator. I helped students through their tough times and altercations, which in turn enabled me to be able to deal with my own internal issues!

Now, let's take a look at high school. If you haven't already done so, take advantage of an organized sport such as basketball, football, even GOLF! Pick up the skills necessary to be successful in these sports, and it can take you far. It's never too early to invest in your life!

In high school, there are a plethora of opportunities for you. Sports, pep club, all sorts of academic based programs such as Academic Games, Poetry Club, Drama Club, School Newspaper, National Honors Society! Seriously, the opportunities are endless.

For education's sake, please, please, please take advantage of test prep courses and materials. At my high school, our counselor's office had free practice ACT & SAT test booklets. You can also purchase book aids at local bookstores, such as Borders or Barnes and Noble. If you are in high school and short on cash, use Half.com! You can usually find good quality books for cheap!

Begin your search for scholarships IMMEDIATELY! Read my earlier posts about scholarships, and even find featured scholarships on my blog!

In high school, some things are handed to you! However, in college, things are the exact opposite.

Professors, faculty and staff expect students to be hands-on. They expect a great deal from you, that's why it's important to gain these skills before entering an institution of higher learning. Do not for 1 slight second believe that your professor is going to point you out and ask if you need help. You do have a handful of professors like that, but they are limited! Your instructor has office hours, email and phone, and those are the best ways to reach them. NOT DURING CLASS TIME. Not only is it rude to ask a billion questions during lecture, but it also takes away from the other students' learning experience. Be cordial, short and to the point. If you can't get the help you need from your professor, begin your search!

Do not wait until the midterm to decide that you need a tutor in math! It does not work like that. College is progressive, therefore you need to learn the foundation immediately in order to be successful in your courses.

Don't forget to meet with your academic advisor at least one semester. They can usually guide you toward the classes that you need to take, your expected graduation, etc. Keep regular correspondence with them.

Take advantage of the library. Check out supplemental information if you need to, videos, CDs, etc.

I mean, really I could go on about using your resources! But, I'll leave that up to you, the reader. Be sure to leave Miss Building Blocks a comment whenever you find a resource on campus, or in high school that you didn't know existed!

Take advantage of Technology!

Education & Employment: Scholarship #1

Yes All! I'm back, and in full effect! As promised a few weeks ago, I will be providing soon-to-be high school seniors (or whomever will benefit) with scholarships on a weekly basis.

So, here's the information for my first scholarship:

Writers of the Future

Amount: $500-$5000

Deadline: The Contest has four quarters, beginning on October 1, January 1, April 1 and July 1. The year will end on September 30. To be eligible for judging in its quarter, an entry must be postmarked no later than midnight on the last day of the quarter.

Applicable Majors: Science Fiction, Fantasy Writing, Horror Writing, Speculative Fiction

Scholarship Information: The Writers of the Future Contest is open to amateur writers. Your entry must be a new short story or novelette with a science fiction, fantasy, horror or speculative fiction theme, that has not been previously published. Poetry and children's literature cannot be accepted for this contest. There are four quarterly deadlines each year (September 30, December 31, March 31 and June 30) with three prizes per quarter of $1000, $750, $500 and a yearly grand prize of $4000 is offered.

For more information pertaining to this scholarship, follow this link: Writers of the Future

You can find this scholarship, and other scholarships pertaining to your major at FastWeb!!!

Education & Employment: What is a Scholarship?

For all of my readers who aren't aware of the word 'scholarship' and it's meaning, this post is being written to inform you of the benefits of scholarships and how some of them work!

Summarized, a scholarship is a form of financial aid that isn't granted through the federal government. Scholarships are awarded to help you pay for college expenses, i.e. room and board, meal plans, books, tuition & fees, etc. They are awarded to just about everyone, from athletes, volunteer students, students with high GPAs and standardized test scores, etc. The list goes on and on. Some scholarships are gender based, some are academic based (meaning you must be, say, a student majoring in a business related field in order to receive the funding). There are even scholarships for those students who wish to study abroad for a semester or two! There are partial scholarships, "full-rides", etc. I mean, the opportunities are endless!!!

What I do realize is that some students don't have access to this type of information. They are completely uneducated about the benefits of attending college, better yet, having it paid for by someone taking an interest in you! Students don't know how to get to these resources. Yes, there may be a list compiled in your counselor's office. However, that only represents a few of the thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands of scholarships available to you.

Again, I suggest you all do your research! Yes, some of you may be scouted by recruiters who want you on their football team. But for others, that's not it. In Michigan, we take the MEAP test (I'm sure they've changed the name by now) in the 8th grade and the 11th grade. If you successfully pass the test in the 8th grade, you receive a $500 merit scholarship towards your college education. In the 11th grade, if you successfully pass, you receive a $2500 merit scholarship if attending college within the state and $1000 if attending outside of the state. Maybe your state has a similar test. If so, take ADVANTAGE of it, and study if you feel that you need to.

If you aren't having luck with finding them, there are sites that will help you. You can build profiles, display your likes and dislikes, interests, goals, etc. and they will match you up with scholarships based on your profile. Not only will they match you up with scholarships, but colleges, internships and jobs, as well as volunteer opportunities! How neat is that... Here are two of the sites that I frequent the most and find to be very beneficial- FastWeb and Scholarships.com. I even found my first job on FastWeb!

Many local businesses and organizations offer scholarships that you may not know about. Ask around! Search the web, use your resources to your advantage! Trust me, it pays off!

So.... Guess what?! I'll be posting scholarships on here about once a week, if time allows. Sometimes more than once, if I have a busy week ahead of me! If there are any majors or concentrations that you would like to know scholarship information on, just drop your comment here along with the major/concentration or email to missbuildingblocks@yahoo.com and that'll be my next scholarship post! Until then, I'll just post scholarships on random, yet useful, interests! STAY TUNED!

Why Building Blocks?

First and foremost, I feel the urgent need to introduce myself and my reason for starting Building Blocks.

I am a 20-year old college student residing in the state of Michigan. Because I am just beginning, I currently only have access to resources in the state of Michigan, but will eventually venture out to access information for those of you in neighboring states. I have been compelled to believe that young people need me! Not per se, but as a guide... as a mentor... as a go-between.

Building Blocks, as stated before, is a blog for young people between the ages of 13-18. On this site young people will not find solutions, they will find GUIDANCE.

So that my viewers can better understand my site, I will break down for you the blocks that I believe need to be built in order to evolve into a responsible adult.

Here's the Building Blocks that this site is built around (P.E.A.R.L).

♥ P-ursuit of Happiness
♥ E-ducation & Employment
♥ A-dvancement
♥ R-elationships
♥ L-ife Issues

Each day of the week will build on a different block, in no particular order.

My site is aimed towards those individuals who are interested in making an investment in their future (not only financially, but emotionally and physically as well).

They are implemented into each post, on a weekly basis. They are structured to provide the most insight into what I believe is the problem for most young adults: inaccessibility to the resources that should be available to them!

At Miss Building Blocks, I am dedicated to providing the most up-to-date, reliable information pertaining to, but not limited to:

• Finding Scholarships and Grants
• Resume Tips
• Time Management
• Relationship Advice
• Establishing Credit
• Greek Life
• Tutoring
• THE LIST GOES ON

I would like to thank you for visiting, encourage you to subscribe and tell all of your friends, and check out my biweekly polls at the bottom of my page! I hope that this information is useful to all of you!