Month: April 2018

Support the library’s mission to engage our community in literacy and learning.

Everyone knows that volunteering is important, but actions speak louder than words. I’ve volunteered at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh – Brookline for over six years. If anyone is keeping track, that’s since the fifth grade!

Since I walked elementary school hallways, I’ve always had one goal in mind: to help others. This can be attributed to my faith, my parents, and most importantly, my personal experiences and morals. I’ve never been afraid to ask for help, but to balance that, I’ve never been afraid to help others. That’s why I encourage everyone to find their volunteering niche.

Not only can volunteering help others, but it can also help you discover yourself. I used to be timid, shy, and quiet. I couldn’t even bring myself to ask at the library if they could use my help. Instead, I had my dad ask the librarian behind the desk that was taller than my head. After gaining volunteering experience, I’m a more well-rounded person. I can hold a conversation, I’m not afraid to approach unfamiliar people, and I’m definitely not shy anymore.

Through helping children find books, complete homework, and learn computer skills, volunteering at the library has led me onto a career path that I may not have considered otherwise: teaching. I’ve held a passion for teaching throughout high school, and I look forward to helping the children of Brookline with different tasks each week.

A barrier for many people in today’s fast paced world is time, but my advice is not to let the amount of free time that you have available dictate whether you help others. You don’t have to go through a lengthy application process to help someone out. Small things matter too, like cleaning up around your community. Many organizations are flexible with volunteer schedules and availabilities. I try to volunteer every Monday for two hours, and sometimes that schedule doesn’t work due to school activities, or having to work—and that is okay!

Libraries have a lot going on behind the scenes. Volunteer needs may change from time-to-time at different library locations, but there are always ways to get involved. If helping kids is not for you, there are many other opportunities. Teen volunteers help out with everything from planning library events, supporting a gender and sexuality alliance, shelving books, making displays, and more. High schoolers who aren’t interested in formally volunteering are also welcome to hang out at any CLP Teenspace, a creative neighborhood space where teens can explore their interests.

If you’re interested in supporting literacy and learning at Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, visit their website to learn more. You can also connect with the Volunteer Coordinator via email at volunteers@carnegielibrary.org.

Adjusting to post-secondary: If you’re expecting High School Part II, you are in for a surprise!

I’ve always enjoyed learning how things work. I consider myself mechanically-minded and I was good at math, but I also enjoyed art. I wasn’t sure at first what to focus on in post-secondary, but after touring a few schools and learning more about different programs and fields, I discovered that becoming a mechanical draftsman would offer a career in which I could actually blend all of my interests and strengths. This profession requires mathematical knowledge, an understanding of how things work, and strong visualization skills.

Once I enrolled in Pittsburgh Technical College, I was excited to start a new chapter in life. But many aspects of the transition weren’t quite what I expected. I guess to some extent I anticipated that post-secondary would be just like high school, only with larger course requirements. That simplistic expectation was far from the truth—continuing your education after high school isn’t much like high school at all!

I was surprised to learn that courses through my program were organized in a way that actually fit my schedule. So, I didn’t have to worry about finding a job that would accommodate my school schedule, instead I could line up classes at times that fit the other parts of my life.

It’s also important to recognize your own responsibility in completing your program. Yes, there are advisors to help you be aware of the course requirements, but there are also a lot of areas where it’s up to you to make choices about what to study. The decisions you make will determine how you grow as a professional, so this is a key time to consider what topics are most important to you and your future plans. You will also have to manage your course load, whether it’s deciding how many credits to take each semester, if you’ll attend in the summer, or what classes to take when—no one gives you a plan to follow, it’s all up to you.

The biggest barrier for me to overcome was allocating the right amount of time to particular tasks. I also had to work on my ability to order tasks from most to least important. Sometimes tests happen the same week a paper is due, and if you have a job or participate in extracurricular activities, those may dominate your calendar on occasion too. Somehow you must prioritize your time to meet deadlines and accomplish all that needs to be done.

Once you graduate, the hard work really does pay off! For me, it was a surreal feeling when I graduated to realize that a few key choices were what led me to getting a spot directly in the professional world as a Mechanical Draftsman for Bloom Engineering Company. Having spent a few years in the field, now I’m working toward a new goal by heading back to school, this time studying business administration.

If I could offer any advice to students heading off to post-secondary schools in the fall, it would be to take it seriously! It may not be easy at first, but giving education 100% of your effort is a vital mindset in order to be successful. Stay focused on your studies, even if it means missing a party or two to study for an exam or finish up an important project. It may seem like a sacrifice at the time, but it will definitely make a difference in your end results!

Make sure that understanding financial aid and student loans are on your college-readiness checklist.

As you’re thinking about which post-secondary school will be the best fit for you, make sure to consider the cost and how you will pay for it. The cost to attend post-secondary full-time ranges from about $4,000 per year to over $60,000 per year for the most expensive schools. Of course, depending on the school, your tuition payments may not cover rent, utilities, food, and other living expenses.

You should compare the cost of schools not just by the tuition that they list on their websites, but also by considering the financial aid for which you may be eligible. Use the College Scorecard, which tells you each school’s average “net price”—the amount students and their families pay or borrow after grants and financial aid are factored in. Some schools that may appear to be too expensive may actually have lower than expected net prices. For example, Harvard College’s 2017 tuition, room, board, and fees is $63,025 per year, but its average annual cost is $17,882. This is because Harvard provides generous financial aid to students whose families have low or moderate incomes.

Most post-secondary students end up borrowing money in the form of student loans. But before you borrow—and in order to borrow as little as possible—you should make sure you exhaust all other potential methods of paying for post-secondary. For example, grants and scholarships provide money that you don’t have to pay back. Apply for federal Pell Grants, state grants, The Pittsburgh Promise scholarship, and other scholarships. Ask your family to contribute; they may be able to get the American opportunity tax credit to offset tuition payments, which could mean up to $2,500 in tax credits or $1,000 in tax refunds per year if they owe no federal income tax.

Apply for Pell Grants and federal student loans using the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA will ask for basic information about you and your family in order to determine which loans you qualify for and whether you qualify for Work-Study jobs. The schools you apply to will also use the FAFSA to decide how much financial aid to offer you. Once you have your acceptances and financial aid offers, visit the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau’s website to compare the offers.

Minimizing the amount you have to borrow to pay for school should be a factor in your school choice. Millions of Americans have defaulted on their student loans, and millions of others have seen their loan balances grow after graduation because of illegal conduct by private student loan servicers. Since student loans generally cannot be discharged in bankruptcy, any student loans you borrow will follow you—and anyone who cosigns your loans—for life. If you have trouble repaying your loans, debt collectors can garnish your wages or take your tax refunds. All that said, the majority of college students graduate with some federal student loans. The important thing to ensure is that you pick a college and a major that help you get a good job and repay your loans.

Learning all that you can about financial aid and loans will help you compare all your options to make an informed decision. Best of luck to all of you and your families as you prepare for your future!

Campus visits help you make informed decisions about which school is the right for you.

For sophomores and juniors, the time has come to start thinking about where you’ll be after graduation. With college fairs and brochures aplenty, the information overload has begun. Although choosing a school can be overwhelming at times, there are things you can do to make the process easier and more enjoyable. Campus visits are the best way to find out if a school is the right fit for you. Getting a glimpse of what it may be like to attend a school by actually being on the campus can make all the difference.

There are a few questions you may want to ask yourself first before choosing which schools to visit:

• Does this school offer my major?
• Do I want to attend a large or small school?
• How far do I want to be from home?
• Would I rather be on a rural or urban campus?
• Does this school offer extracurricular activities that interest me?

Schools can vary in many ways. Really look at each school and figure out which one speaks to your interests and preferences the most.

Spring of junior year is a great time to begin scheduling visits, if not sooner. Even if you are unsure of your major, it is a good idea to get started. Take advantage of the time you have off for spring break and other holidays to visit schools, especially those requiring lengthier travel. Although there is no magic number of schools you should see, it’s a good idea to check out at least your top two choices.

Although many students will visit schools with their family, there are other options available.

• Check with your guidance counselor to find out about tours being offered through your school.
• Inquire with community organizations and programs to learn about campus visit opportunities.
• Check school websites or call their admissions departments to schedule a visit or find out about open houses and other events.
• If you have an older friend or cousin on a campus, ask if you can visit them to get perspective from someone you know and trust.

There is no better way to get a truer feel for the culture and community of a school than being on campus. The campus you choose will be your home for up to four years. Get out there, take a look around, see what the school has to offer YOU.

Weekdays, when classes are taking place is the ideal time to visit. You will get an idea of an average day on campus. If you are able, take some time to walk around by yourself and visit the library or student union to see if you can imagine being there full-time.

Talk to students to get their opinion on things. Once you’ve been accepted, the school may invite you to spend the day and visit overnight. This is a great way to connect with students and faculty and even sit in on a class.

Once you are there, inquire about what the school is known for or what they excel in. Ask what makes them stand out from other, similar schools. Page 19 of the print edition provides a list of questions for you to photocopy and use to keep track of each school. This will help you stay organized and make comparisons. Taking pictures can also help you recall your experience.

Be sure to ask about extracurricular offerings during your visit. If you are interested in a particular activity, such as drama, band, or sports, ask to speak with a director or coach. You can ask to meet with students who participate in these activities, as well, to get the student perspective.