Dang, you got an 84 on that Calc test? Good luck getting in YaleVardStanNceton or ColumWillBrownReedMudd [hmm, smashing college names doesn't work as well first names].

Many of you probably applied E.D. to schools already. Some of you probably took a test and didn’t do well on it. Now you’re freaking out because Stanford only accepts 4.48 students.  Students by the way who have never once gotten below a 99% on any test since kindergarten [those kids didn't do well on their coloring tests]. This is so false. My friend David got into Stanford when he got like a 75 on his physics test.

Tip to be gained: Don’t stress out over everything!
Other tip: Don’t slack in school just because you applied ED. I was an abuser of procrastination when I was in your shoes.

Another tip: Don’t put all your money on your ED school, you might not get in. Now using the business lingo I’ve learned: Hedge your bets by allowing yourself a margin of safety. [It feels pretty cool knowing what those finance guys are saying]

I didn’t apply ED to any school because well most of my schools didn’t have an ED option, and I’ll tell you something for those of you who are starting to pick or starting Apps [you guys have better started!! don't procrastinate]. You may be easily distressed as well. Yeah you might feel like time is running out, and in all technicality it is running, but I won’t say running out because that’s too pessimistic.  But hold on to your wits, Little Wing. Don’t you get pessimistic. So here is my piece of wisdom I have fought so hard to learn. Take life a step at a time. Don’t try to have an all night session for your paper. Or write your CommonApp essay RIGHT BEFORE IT’S DUE.

My friends were a huge factor in helping me get my things done in an orderly manner. They got me this picture frame that said “Procrastination: Hard work pays off later. Laziness pays off now.” You really don’t want a bad later.

So you know go to your advisor and ask him or her to help get your transcript ready to send off. They can be really slow sometime. And for those of you who haven’t found a school; try leafing through some College magazines. Or if you have a person you admire [Akio Toyoda for me] why don’t you see where they went to school and check it out.

May your lows keep you humble and your highs keep you tied,
- Duylam

Time. It is what we all want more of right?

Right now I am really wishing I had more time in my life because I am one busy person right now! I am going to college full time, I work at Sears part time, I have to volunteer 40 hours before December 12,2009 (I still have 20 hours to do) and I am a mom full time.

For the past month it feels like I am always on the go because I always have something to do or somewhere to be. This can sure get exhausting at times because I feel like I never have down time. To try to keep track of everything I keep a planner with me at all times so that I do not lose track of what I am supposed to be doing.

For those of you who are having time management problems or who are not able to get everything done in one day I suggest you try using a planner and not only to write down your homework assignments but everything else you have to do to.

I have a planner that has space for you to write out what your doing every hour and that is what I do. I know that probably sounds very weird and some people are thinking “who wants to plan out every hour of their day?” but it really does help a lot. It shows me what times I have open to do other things or if I need to fit something in that day. It might not work for everyone but it would not hurt to try because if it does work you might find yourself to be a much more organized and possibly more efficient person.

That’s how I felt last year at this time. The leaves were falling off the trees, the air had a bite, and the sun was setting earlier.  The election season was over, and I had spent the last few months putting off thinking about college in favor of work and the campaign.  Fall had come, and it didn’t wait for me.  I had done most of what was expected so far thanks to the guidance from a caring teacher, but I hadn’t even begun to consider what schools to apply to. In fact, all I had really done was take the ACT with writing.  The deadlines were coming though, and I had made sure in advance I hadn’t missed any.

An important conversation that I had with one of my mentors earlier that year left me with an interest in Liberal Arts colleges.  After leafing through a book with overviews of schools throughout the country in the days following the election though, I had a good idea of what institutions interested me.  This is a practice I highly recommend to all of the high-schoolers out there.  In fact, it was the Insider’s Guide to Colleges that first informed me of Occidental College’s existence.  That Oxy wasn’t even on my radar before is important because it shows the importance of broadening the scope of your horizons.

When applying to schools, listen to others but also think for yourself.  What you want is important, and it is your education on the line here.  Many high school students aren’t getting fantastic advice in their schools.  In my case, I was lucky to have it from one teacher and a whole host of mentors outside of my school.  If you feel the same way, I would recommend looking around the other regions of your life for advice.  The internet is a tremendous resource as well, but I recommend using your informed instincts there as anywhere else. Just don’t be afraid of rejection.

Finally, the last bit of advice I have is this: Get your applications done in plenty of time so you can make sure it is done correctly.  I can’t stress this enough.  All the mysterious people you are sending your application to will see are the words in front of them. Make sure that it’s you that they can see, and take the time to be certain. You won’t regret it.

The Wellesley (Ma.) Townsman recently interviewed Duylam and Jesse about obstacles they overcame to become first in their family to go to college and their involvement with the Opportunity Scholars blog. Read the article here.

I got my first midterm back. I’m excited, I’m hoping for the best. Then I look at it- a horrible grade.  A horrible horrible grade.  This means I’m a failure. Here I am, so many people think I’m smart, so many people believed in me. By getting this bad grade, I’ve let everyone who believes in me down.

There are two ways this can go: I can hide in an abyss of the library and study my butt off, and feel bad about myself, or  I can ask for help, seek out resources, and improve. I can still mess up, that’s a fact of life. But it’s what I do after something goes wrong that determines what happens in the situation.

This may seem like common sense to you- of course, when you’re in trouble, you ask for help, we know this. I see you rolling your eyes. But this translates to more than just college, this isn’t just about when you get to college. There are so many steps to be taken before you get there. There are so many steps that you, your parents, anyone you may know may have not been exposed to yet. You are all intelligent and have tons of potential, but that doesn’t mean you aren’t allowed to ask for help. Nor does that mean that if you can’t figure something out that you or others perceive to be easy, that you can’t ask for help. In order to achieve what you want, in order to get what you all are  deserving of- an education- to help yourself and your families, you have to realize that you should NOT go it alone. Asking for help does not mean you are incapable or that you are unable to figure something out. To the contrary- asking for help is a sign of inner strength, for it shows that you know yourself and will go after what you want, and you are willing to learn and grow from experience.

So next time you have a question about an application question, or the steps to signing up to the SAT, or anything relating to what will help you succeed in the future, don’t be afraid to ask for help. Your family, your friends, your school, and Center for Student Opportunity (CSO), including us scholars, are here for you. We’ve been through it too.

Good news! I finished my philosophy paper! It felt great finally submitting it. You know what else was great? I had some pecan pie for the first time on Tuesday; it was delicious AND I had it a la mode. I had it at the Faculty Dinner where you invite a professor, advisor, or proctor to eat dinner with you to get to know them outside of the classroom or lecture hall. My friend and I decided to invite our 2 professors from our Anthropology course. It was great! The four of us ate dinner and got to talk about our backgrounds. It was a fantastic way to get to know them better. It’s important to get to know those that teach you.

So anyways, I know what’s on your mind. It’s November. The first round of applications are due in a few weeks, you must be excited. Even if you are not a senior in high school, be aware that it won’t be too long until your applications are due.

Hopefully, you seniors are prepared to work REALLY hard on those applications and get those personal statements in order. If you do not have anyone to help you at home, try talking to your counselors or teachers at school about helping edit your personal statements. They can give you some very useful tips on how to structure your essay and how to make it better. Do not be afraid to ask! They want you to go to college and if you approach them and show that you’re really serious about it, they will help you out.

And for all those juniors, sophomores, and freshman out there- remember, it is never too late to get ready. Develop those relationships with your teachers and counselors early. Talk with them, connect with them, and get to know them. Not only will they be able to give you advice on school and personal things throughout high school, if they actually know you they’ll be able to write you a personal recommendation letter that is actually genuine and not superficial.

Also, the more they know you, the more they will be able to help you decide which college is right for YOU. There are a TON of colleges; it just comes down to choosing which ones to apply to. Get on top of this, guys!

So, quick recap:

–Develop relationships with your teachers and counselors EARLY

–If you need help with personal statements, other essays, or even just understanding a concept – go to your teachers and counselors for help, they will like your proactive approach and see that you’re really putting in the effort

–Start looking for colleges that are right for you. Do not just look close to home- branch out and look for colleges all over the country. There are lots of private schools that will help pay your tuition!

P.S. Save the Myspace and Facebook for AFTER you finish your homework. Trust me.

Personally…the college process was daunting to say the least.  My dad never finished high school…my mom never made it to college.  Throughout school, my main focus had been getting high grades…extracurricular activities…establishing good relationships with teachers and peers…all the “normal” stuff.  When it was time to start applying to college, I had no clue where to start.  I’d done all the ground work, with no idea how to make the rest happen.

“Seanna…I don’t know what you’re worried about…any college would be lucky to have you…”

“You must be really excited…where are you applying…?”

“All that hard work is about to pay off…your mom must be so proud…!”

For months, the constant repetition of things that were supposed to be encouraging and motivating, only made me feel more confused and overwhelmed.   And while my mom was very proud, she was unable to help in many ways due to her lack of personal experience.  Oftentimes, neither of us knew the next appropriate step.

I didn’t realize that college fees could be waived, and that many schools only required either the ACT or SAT.  The prospect of applying for financial aid kept me up at night…I was in the proverbial tunnel with no light at the end.  And although there were plenty of counselors and mentors available to help, I felt that I should already know the answers…that I should not have to ask…

So here’s the big picture that I was missing…and here’s my advice to all those setting out with college applications…

You DO NOT have to know everything…asking questions is more than just okay…it really does help.  The people that offer assistance know what they’re talking about―the right steps to take, and even better…they WANT you to succeed!

Obviously, I did figure out the application process, managed to conquer my fear of financial aid, and even made a final decision!  So here I am, halfway through my first semester, and I realize now that allowing others to help from the start, rather than waiting until I was engulfed in essays and scores could have made the process much easier.

In fact, I’ve learned that reaching out is not a sign of weakness, but instead…a sign of strength.

I don’t like being a sore loser, so horrah for the Yankees. How about that Matsui?

Hey guys, me again [I hope someone actually reads my blog haha]

As the days roll by, I find that I’m becoming more and more enveloped with promoting this blog, and getting CSO’s message out. Why? Why…well it used to be because I was a scholarship winner and I was excited about blogging. I still am of course, but the answer to “Why?” is becoming, for lack of a better word, clearer and more meaningful.

As a son of immigrant parents, I am my family’s “golden child”. My family has sacrificed their own comfort just so I can live unchained by the limitations of Vietnam. Guess what? I’m just one out of thousands and thousands of kids with the same story. Your life could be based off the same platform as mine – a family who believes in their seed.

So this brings me back to the question “Why blog? Why promote this when you got the scholarship?” Because I got to eat some pie, and everyone else should eat too. What I’m trying to say is that there are plenty of other people who want to “eat” and now that I have my piece I need to help them eat. Because I understand what it’s like to be without pie, and I understand what it’s like to have a family who believes in you, and I understand that you sometimes feel like Atlas carrying the weight of the world, and I understand what it is like to stay up at night wondering how you’ll ever get out of this hell hole. We’ve all shared the same hunger pains,  &  we are tied together, while we may not know each other, by a shared value and struggle. What I’m saying is sometimes we all need a helping hand, or maybe someone to help light that next step in your path and I want to do that. So when you read my blog know that this isn’t because CSO. It’s because we all need somebody and when there isn’t someone to help the world seems to be at its darkest.

So yeah, we were all put at the bottom. We’re all near the ledge, but just take a leap of faith and let your eagle wings spread,

Duylam

Have you ever heard the saying―“Out of the frying pan, and into the fire…”?

That’s pretty much my motto for the week, since I’m gearing up for mid-terms this Thursday and Friday―one in math and the other in Latin―while also maintaining my other classes…work…exercise…etc.  A few nights ago, I was sitting at my desk conjugating A-stem verbs (unsuccessfully, I might add)…and I realized that I was still in my volleyball gear from class earlier that day, kneepads and all.

Test weeks always feel like a blur to me…from one mode of studying to another.  And sometimes, I still have to remind myself to take a break and relax, whether that’s through volleyball, dancing, or even playing with my rats, Mike & Ike.

During my senior year of high school, I often forgot to let myself sit back and enjoy the year.  I was always working…or studying…or searching for scholarships.  And when I look back, I recall moments that I wish I’d simply had more fun…times that I wish I hadn’t been thinking of that upcoming History test over the Nazi Regime or the Psychology paper over chemicals correlated to addiction.

Those tests were one of many…but the movie nights and dances that I missed…were not.  Now I realize that this may sound like the old “live in the moment” and “smell the roses” lesson…but bearing those things in mind can help you create a balance that is necessary for good health and emotional well-being.

As you work on college essays, applications, high ACT and SAT test scores; keep in mind that many great schools also want to know that you’re involved in other activities…things that you enjoy.  Pomona was an especially good fit, because they weren’t interested in me as yet another high school test score, but rather, me as a person—with goals and passions and faults.

So…to sum this up…in the midst of all that senior-year perfection you’re constructing so that you bedazzle nationwide admission-ers, don’t forget to let loose every so often…shake your hair in the wind…smell the roses…dance & sing…have fun…just because…

“The best way to prepare for life is to begin to live.” Elbert Hubbard