Category: College & University

As a parent, you’ve probably taken on the role of doing most of the practical planning as you prepare to send your child off to college or university. Unfortunately, this often means more than simply finding maps, restaurants, and setting up appointments with college representatives. Now, if you’re one of the lucky parents that isn’t doing all the planning, good for you. However, if you are the practical planner, it’s important that you don’t overlook one important factor: Finances. Here are five financial questions about college and university that every parent should know the answers to.

1. How much does College or University Cost?

This question is very broad, but one that shouldn’t be underestimated. Each college and university will have a different total of tuition. However, knowing the general cost of admissions will help you get a better idea of the total amount of money needed to invest in your child’s future. It’s important to revise your questions to more specifics if the answers you’re receiving only pertain to tuition. After all, there are many additional costs, and all need to be considered. Here’s what your total estimate should include:

• Tuition
• Books
• Room and board
• Fees
• Transportation
• Living expenses
• Supplies and equipment

2. What Financial Aid Programs are Available?

Even if you can afford the total of college or university for your child, a little bit of financial help is always appreciated. Ask about the financial aid available. While the financial aid officer won’t be able to give you a definite amount without the specifics, you can get a good, general estimate of what you will have to pay. Additionally, financial aid deals can often be negotiated to get the best possible award. Some of the most common types of financial aid programs that can help with this paramount investment into your child’s education include:

• Grants
• Scholarships
• Student loans

3. What if my Financial Situation Changes?

The world can be quite unpredictable, and that’s one word you never want to hear when it comes to finances. When you invest in your child’s post-secondary education, it’s not only for the first year – or even the duration of their enrollment. Depending on the financial help you’ve opted for, you could be responsible for that amount until it is fully paid off. Ask the college or university what will happen if your financial circumstances change while your child is attending their school. Some will give you some time to appeal, whereas others will re-evaluate the financial aid. Some things to inquire about include:

• Loss of employment
• Death in the family
• Significant injury or illness

4. What Happens with Financial Aid After the First Year?

Each year provides the perfect opportunity to readjust things as needed, depending on the financial aid you’ve been awarded. Some are only one-time-only awards, whereas others remain throughout the course of enrollment. Discuss the different avenues that are available for your child’s financial aid after the first year to see if there are any better options. Maybe they have to maintain a certain average in order to keep the financial aid, or stay in a specific major. Additional things you may want to consider include:

• What could stay the same
• What could increase
• What could decrease

5. How can my Child Graduate Early?

While this may not seem like a financial question right off the bat, you must remember that the longer your child is in school, the more money will be required. Generally, the fewer years it takes the graduate, the less borrowing and tuition increases you have to endure. Again, this depends on the school, major, and courses they’ve enrolled in, but it’s certainly worth asking. Once you have the information needed, you may want to take the time to discuss the following with your child:

• If they take longer to graduate, the loan borrowing potential could run out
• Tuition and loan costs could increase over time
• If your financial circumstances change, your child may have to become more responsible for the finances of his or her schooling

Post-secondary education and finances – two things that go hand-in-hand with one another. However, with the right questions you can feel more confident about this significant yet important investment you’re making for your child’s education and future.

College and university – two terms often mistaken for the same thing. But the reality is that, although they are similar, both have their own set of distinct purposes that separate one from the other. From learning styles, degree values, courses, and much more, there are some major differences between college and university. Evaluating the characteristics of each can help you find the best option to advance your education – so as you begin to explore the available opportunities for your postsecondary education, there are some things to consider.

What is College?

There’s a common misconception that colleges are less valuable than universities, but this couldn’t be farther from the truth. Colleges are simply different from university programs, and depending on the educational and career path you’re pursuing, college could very well be the better option for you. In fact, college is more career-oriented than other options, and as such, they typically offer more hands-on training – and that’s only naming a few reasons why people choose college over university. Here are a few of the major distinctions:

• Education and training in trades, apprenticeship, language, skill upgrading, entry-level and vocational positions, etc.
• Hands-on learning
• Full and part-time study opportunities
• Smaller class sizes
• Three levels of certification
  • Certificates
    • Takes 1 year to complete
    • Sometimes required for employment
    • Typically taken to advance in their field
  • Diplomas
    • Takes 2-3 years to complete
    • More general than certificates
  • Bachelor (Associate) degrees
    • Takes 3-4 years to complete
    • Training for entry-level positions and vocational fields
    • Some courses can be considered (and transferred) at par for a 4-year university education

What is University?

There’s no denying that universities are different from colleges, with one of the main distinctions being that universities offer more academic and professional programs. For example, you can attend college for nursing, but in order to be a doctor, you would have to go to university. The education and training tends to be broader than college, and focuses more on critical thinking and independent learning. You also have the option to major, minor, and specialize in different fields, depending on the courses you take. For example, you can major in Psychology but specialize in Social Work. There are also many other programmatic differences that set university apart from college:

• Specialization in different programs with a major and minor
• Education and training are less hands-on
• More diverse classes and programs
• Larger class sizes and enrollment
• Three levels of certification
  • Undergraduate (Bachelor’s) Degree
    • Takes 3 years to complete
    • Involves a major field of study
    • Qualification for entry-level and management positions in their field
  • Master’s (Graduate) Degree
    • Takes 1-2 years to complete
    • Qualification for those with high level of expertise in respective field
    • Study is completed with a thesis
  • PhD (Doctoral) Degree
    • Takes 4-6 years to complete
    • Master’s degree must be completed prior to obtaining PhD degree
    • Most advanced level of degree
    • Qualification for being an expert in respective field

Neither college nor university is better than the other. It ultimately comes down to the actual career path you’re pursuing. Additionally, the education and training is provided differently in each setting. It’s important to evaluate and understand the differences between college and university, and research the different programs available. Doing so can help you decide which option is best for you to pursue. Both are reputable, prestigious ways to advance your education, and can land you that dream job.

Perfecting Note Taking for University

There is no doubt that the standard of note taking expected in high school in comparison to university is incredibly different. Teachers provide more group time and are more attentive if a student is distracted in class. Professors on the other hand have so many students to cater to that they seldom ask students to get off their phone and pay attention. Because of this they are also incapable of monitoring the notes that are written by their students.

Melanie Timmons, a first year student at Ryerson says that she cannot believe how vast the difference is, and how she was never expected to stay fully alert for two hours taking notes. This is why it is important to develop note taking skills in high school; this is what the student will use to study from.

There are a number of note taking methods that are useful to university students for example:

• Summarizing the notes in your own words: don’t copy what a teacher says verbatim, it will make it hard to follow along with the teacher and it will also be difficult to find important elements of the class when studying
• Use abbreviations: it is helpful to use abbreviations in class, especially big words when the professor is still talking. If it helps write a legend in your textbook what each abbreviated word means
• Ask a tutor: if the student finds that it is hard to get the essential parts of the class written down, sit with a tutor and they can discover what method would benefit the student with their learning style
• Using symbols: it may be useful for a student to use symbols on a computer or writing on paper. These symbols can also be used to draw attention to certain parts of the text so they know what will be useful to study for upcoming tests
• Make sure to attend every class and if one was missed it is always possible to ask a peer and to read their notes immediately to make sure they are easily understood