St. Patrick The Easter Bunny Spring Break And You.

March in the USA has many opportunities for students to celebrate. You may have observed just about a week ago the numerous celebrations of St. Patrick's Day on or around your campus.

If that day was not explained it's origin is this.

During the 1840's there was a famine in the country of Ireland. Many Irish people emigrated to the United States. They brought with them their habits, customs and celebrations. Principle among these was St. Patrick's Day. In Ireland, largely a Catholic country, the day is dedicated to the man who brought Christianity to Ireland. Traditionally he is known as Patrick and St. Patrick's Day is a religious holiday in Ireland.

Once here Irish Immigrants continued celebrating  this day and a great deal of alcohol use was associated with this celebration.  While alcohol is no longer an indispensable part of any St. Patrick's Day celebration you probably have noticed that many advertisers use the St. Patrick's Day theme , characterized by rich green coloring, to sell their products.

This practice by advertisers will continue for two additional celebrations which will occur this week.

First, Easter, a traditional observation of the beginning of Spring, always celebrated on Sunday, is just about here. Easter has become symbolized by a figure of a happy rabbit known as The Easter Bunny. Children in the USA are sometimes told if they are good they will awaken to find a basket full of candy from the Easter Bunny on Easter morning. Advertisers have adapted the Easter theme, a rainbow of colors and a figure of a large happy bunny to sell their products.

Finally, simultaneous with the arrival of Spring many American schools schedule a break from the regular class schedule, usually a week.  This break is known as Spring Break and again many advertisers adopt the theme of College Spring Break to sell travel packages, excursions and opportunities for students to getaway and party.  You have probably seen the posters on campus featuring fit, healthy, attractive students on a beach during the day and in a club at night and partying, partying, partying.

These holidays, as close together as they are, can add up to a kind of " March Madness" for International Students who have not fully experienced American Culture. To help you understand
Planet College International has provided these posts.

Please click through and learn more. Happy Easter.

Enjoy your break.

What About IBR?

 Because Winter break is coming, a time to earn for most students and, of course a time to spend, Planet College brings you this reminder.

This is about Income Based Repayment, IBR.

If you have been using loans to fund your education and you are approaching graduation either this term or Spring then re-payment is looming on your financial horizon.  Briefly, loans are the temporary use of some product or service with the expectation that the property or service will be returned along with compensation. When the product is money the compensation along with returning the borrowed money is called interest. Interest is the fee, usually expressed as a percentage, for using the money. Most loan rates are expressed as annual percentage rates meaning the total due on the loaned money is figured yearly.

Interest is a kind of rent.

Here is a simple example. If you needed a thousand dollars to go to school and some person or organization said " We can loan you the thousand dollars you need. We will charge you ten per cent interest annually."  Ten percent of a thousand dollars is a hundred dollars. They would be saying that after you have received the money you would owe them a hundred dollars a year in addition to the thousand dollars you borrowed until you paid them back. If you paid them back within one year you would have paid them eleven hundred dollars.

Those are the basic principles and the basic procedure.  There is more to it but that is the basis your lender is working from.

So. What about IBR?

Lenders who deal with a large number of people develop a variety of programs which are intended for specific types or groups of borrowers.  One group is graduates with loans who do not initially earn large salaries.  Individuals in this group often have, relatively speaking, large debt. That means large loans to repay but a small income  from which to repay .  With this in mind some lenders have developed a program which bases the debtors payments on their earnings.  This program uses income as reported by the former student to calculate their monthly payments. This program has two purposes. One, to get the lender their money, two to assist the former student in dealing with their loans.  Simply put, the sooner you pay off your loans the less you will pay total.      ( And you will get to keep more of your income to spend on things you really want.)

Cold Calling For Spring.

This link from a Planet College post a while back might be some small consolation if you are too broke to engage in the usual festivities this coming break.

Another take on Spring Break can be found here.

The explanation is part of a longer interview with a screenwriter who currently is enjoying some success.  That link has  more detailed exposition about how, as a student, the writer spent one spring break calling for possible internships opportunities.

From his calls he got an interview, went in and did get an opportunity.

From that opportunity he has gone on and is now, several years since,  enjoying some success and some recognition.

There was definitely some preparation and possibly a bit of luck in that the interviewer and the writer had similar interests. Clearly, none of this would have happened, had this student not used this 'opportunity' - the opportunity presented by the fact that he was too broke to go anywhere - to cold call to see what he could find.

"Cold calling', a term derived from direct sales, is often daunting for anyone, even experienced sales professionals.  The 'cold' in cold calling comes from the fact that the caller is unknown to the potential customer, i.e. no introduction, no warm-up.  Still, often, this is the only method available to contact prospects and experienced canvassers will use it in spite of the potentially 'chilly' reception.

Examples such as these, where 'cold' calling has paid off for the cold caller, are typical of the kind of
self-help examples which are used to encourage people to move forward in their careers.  This entry is no exception.  The combination of preparation and luck which resulted in opportunity for this student are not the usual results of cold calling.  But, what would have happened if he had not tried?

Wait less wait list

If it is easier now to park if your driving to campus, snow not with standing, and the class you wait list became available sooner than you thought and the lines in the dining hall are a little shorter and your classes are not completely filled to overflowing, then it is probably spring term or winter term on some campuses.  After break fewer students return.  This is traditional on most campuses. That is why there seems to be less waiting and fewer students.  Because there are fewer students.  Some students have simply found other things more pressing. Some need to work full time to save for their next attempt and some will never be back.

But you are.

You signed up again and showed up again for another term. And this is one less term you will be in school in the future.  The basic axiom repeated by some on campus, "Live like a student now so you don't have to live like a student later" has a very good chance of being applied to you. Keep up the effective behavior. Nothing persists like persistence. And as of now you've got it.

Turkey trap, repost.

This is a re-post from a couple of years ago. It is still true and it will always be true.
The Turkey Trap.
The work load for most students on Planet College accumulates during the course of the term. Papers, projects, portfolios all pile up with due dates, at least at the time of the assignment, seemingly distant. Many students defer working on one or more of these with an optimistic, "I'll do it over break." Break comes, usually Thanksgiving or Spring, a good time is had by all. On the returning journey back to campus many students awaken from a pleasant mid-flight snooze with the sudden awareness,"Oh. My. God. I've got a paper due for my ten o'clock class and I haven't even started it." Sound familiar? Probably. I call this The Turkey Trap. Don't fall for it. If you're an average student, next time you hear your self say, "Oh, I'll do it over break." Get real. You will not. That is what break is for. A time out. Kick back. Party. School? Fugggaadddaboutit. Take a break.

And about the paper. Do what so many busy students will do: Ask for an extension.

March Madness. Basketball? Spring break?

What is your definition of March Madness. For many students on Planet College it is not basketball nor is it Spring Break. It's mid-terms.

Are you ready? Are you prepared? Do you even know?

Your courses this term probably involve some type of mid-term project. Often this is a test. This test is a good opportunity to find out exactly how you are doing.

If you got to class some morning late as usual and found the rest of the class poring over a sheet with questions and you reaction was, " Test? Nobody told me there would be a test." you are probably somewhat out of touch.

If however you at least knew there was a test you are on track to pass that class. If you were prepared, i.e. had studied, then your chances of passing the class are above average.

Wherever you are and whatever you have been doing, mid-term and the tests that usually go along with them is a good opportunity for you to assess your progress so far.

If you are not sure how you are doing. If this is all not that clear it might be wise to talk with your instructors. A brief visit with them, especially if you are iffy about their particular class, can help clear up your status as a student this term.

Can you walk?

Can you walk through your school's graduation ceremoney next spring? Can you? Do you know. Before you leave campus for break check with your school's graduation office. Or check with registration or you department's office. If you've been working on you major for a while you may be closer can you think. You could walk that is at least go through the graduation ceremony even if you still have a few requirements. Go find out. Right now. Makbe you can walk.

Screwin' around.

Screwin' around can become one of the favorite pastimes on Planet College. We've all done it. What is your favorite form? Video games instead of the lab report. One more Nine-ball game when you were supposed to be at class ten minutes ago. The list is endless. It can go on and on. It can assume many forms. Yes, even taking unnecessary courses to avoid declaring a major. One of the favored forms of screwin' around is coming up real soon. Spring Break. Authorized and even organized, raucous and loud, sometimes fairly costly. And you know what? It is all necessary. A certain amount of frolicking, procrastination and even outright irresponsibility is built in to our human selves. Most of us just have to goof off some time to some degree. When, however is it too much? Only you know. You know you are doing it. And you know when you are overdoing it. Screwin' around is often a necessary release of tension. A relief from the boring day to day drudgery that life on Planet College often can be. Give your self some slack when you just have to screw around. But. Don't give yourself too much slack. Keep your eye on graduation. With a degree. Get your diploma. Then? Well, then you can screw around as much as you can afford to. Right now? Keep the screwin' around to a minimum. Just graduate, baby.

The Turkey Trap.

The work load for most students on Planet College accumulates during the course of the term. Papers, projects, portfolios all pile up with due dates seeming distant. Many students defer working on one or more of these with and optimistic, "I'll do it over break." Break comes, usually Thanksgiving or Spring, a good time is had by all. On the returning journey back to campus many students awaken from a pleasant mid-flight snooze with the sudden awareness,"Oh. My. God. I've got a paper due for my ten o'clock class and I haven't even started it." Sound familiar? Probably. I call this The Turkey Trap. Don't fall for it. If you're an average student, next time you hear your self say, "Oh, I'll do it over break." Get real. You will not. That is what break is for. A time out. Kick back. Party. School? Fugggaadddaboutit. Take a break.