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A+ Test Prep and Tutoring Newsletter |
March 2011 |
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Why Are College Freshmen so Stressed Out?* | ![Stressed Out College Student](http://mystrongmedicine.files.wordpress.com/2010/09/studentstudying1.gif) The mental health level of college freshmen is at the lowest level it has been in 25 years, according to a survey conducted by the Cooperative Institutional Research Program at UCLA's Higher Education Research Institute. In the Fall 2010 survey, "The American Freshman: National Norms," involving more than 200,000 incoming full-time students at four-year colleges, the percentage of students rating themselves as "below average" in emotional health rose. At the same time, the percentage of students who said their emotional health was above average fell to 52 percent, down from 64 percent in 1985. University counselors say that the survey results reflect what they see in their offices: depressed students using psychiatric medication, often prescribed before they came to college. Brian Van Brunt, director of counseling at Western Kentucky University and president of the American College Counseling Association, testifies: "More students are arriving on campus with problems, needing support, and today's economic factors are putting a lot of extra stress on college students, as they look at their loans and wonder if there will be a career waiting for them on the other side." In fact, many findings in the survey emphasize the degree to which the poor economy is weighing on students. Whether it is parental unemployment, the inability to secure a summer job, the increased need to take out school loans, or the importance of receiving financial aid, the students' responses pointed to high levels of stress as a result of the current economic situation. And, if the obvious stressors of the recession and the pressures of high school weren't enough, there are other reasons we are seeing an increase in depression in college freshmen. Dr. Dan Gottlieb, in a February 7, 2011 interview on WHYY radio, discussed two of them. One reason could be that students are not having the college experience they had expected, and they are having difficulty coping with the disappointment. In addition, there are dramatic changes that occur in the brain during adolescence and post-adolescence, and this can have a great effect on one's mental and emotional state. And Dr. Gottlieb added that children are highly susceptible to absorbing their parents' stress -- financial or otherwise -- which can increase their own worries about college debt and job prospects. Not all of the stressors are external. The decline in emotional health can also be correlated to pressure that the student puts on himself. At the same time that first-year students' assessments of their emotional health were declining, the ratings of their own drive to achieve, and of academic ability, reached a record high in 2010. About three-quarters of the respondents felt they were above average. Combine this with economic worries, plus a sense that this generation is likely to be less financially successful than that of their parents, and a perfect storm for anxiety and depression is created. Jason Ebbeling, director of residential education at Southern Oregon University says, "These days, students worry that even with a college degree they won't find a job that pays more than minimum wage, so even at 15 or 16 they're thinking they'll need to get into an M.B.A. program or Ph.D. program." Another interesting finding that the study highlighted is a gender gap in many areas. Linda Sax, a professor of education at U.C.L.A. and former director of the freshman study, said the gap between men and women on emotional well-being was one of the largest in the survey. "One aspect of it is how women and men spent their leisure time," she said. "Men tend to find more time for leisure and activities that relieve stress, like exercise and sports, while women tend to take on more responsibilities, like volunteer work and helping out with their family, that don't relieve stress." For as much as men and women differed in their emotional well-being, there was an even larger gulf -- 39 percent of the women, and only 18 percent of the men -- when the survey asked about "frequently feeling overwhelmed." Furthermore, women make up 60 percent or more of the clients who seek out college mental health services. "Boys are socialized not to talk about their feelings or express stress, while girls are more likely to say they're having a tough time," said Perry C. Francis, coordinator for counseling services at Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Now that we have the bad news, let's look at a few things that any student can do to alleviate stress and maintain a healthy mind and body. - Exercise: studies have shown that regular exercise boosts mood and increases energy.
- Get enough sleep: we all know how we feel on those days when we don't get enough shut-eye. Chronic sleep deprivation aggravates depression, so forgoing that extra hour of poker (or study session in the library) might mean waking up in a better mood.
- Eat well: foods that give a long-lasting energy boost, such as whole grains, fruits & veggies, and proteins, are better than the usual college diet of beer and pizza.
- Drink in moderation: alcohol abuse used to mask feelings of discomfort or anxiety only exacerbates depression and makes the problems look worse the day after.
- Use counseling resources: the counselors are there for a reason -- use them!
- Understand that everyone has concerns: Dr. Mark Reed, a psychiatrist who directs Dartmouth College's counseling office, comments: "I don't think students have an accurate sense of other people's mental health. There's a lot of pressure to put on a perfect face, and people often think they're the only ones having trouble."
*Note: This article includes several quotations from an article in the January 26, 2011 issue of The New York Times, by Tamar Lewin.
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Four + Three Tips = Your Child Excited About MATH! |
![Math!](http://www.randolph.k12.nc.us/Departments/K-5/PublishingImages/math_symbol_clipart.jpg) | MathCan Be Fun |
It's not uncommon to hear adults say that they hated math in school, but a parent wouldn't want to convey that attitude to his child. How can a parent address this dichotomy? By following the seven easy tips below, you just might be able to get your child excited about math!
1. Be an example: show your child that you are confident when completing daily tasks such as balancing a bank account, counting money at a PTA book sale, or checking the time.
2. Help your child use math every day: encourage your child to solve problems involving math outside of school. While food shopping, ask her to calculate the price of several items of food. Ask your child to add up the dollars and coins in his piggy bank to see if he has enough saved to buy an item at the toy store.
3. Familiarize yourself with learning standards: A parent should know what math skills his child should learn according to his current grade. The state's Department of Education website should have that information, in addition to the child's teacher.
4. Monitor your child's math homework: ask your child's teacher about techniques she uses to help students be more comfortable with math. Do math assignments involve problem-based or creative questioning in addition to rote work?
5. Pay attention to details: make sure your child shows all of her work when solving equations, and then checks for correct calculations and answers. Turn off the TV, iPod and other distractions, and set aside the same time every day for homework.
6. Play math games at home: beginning in the elementary years, students can learn to enjoy math through games such as chess, dominoes, checkers, and backgammon.
7. Read books that incorporate math: check out books where main characters solve a problem using math or logic. Examples include One Hundred Angry Ants by Ellinor J. Pinczes, The King's Commissioners by Aileen Friedman and Socrates and the Three Little Pigs by Tuyosi Mori.
Outside of a school setting, parents encourage their children to read by going to the library, to write by sending a thank-you note for a birthday present, and to speak by saying hello to a friend. Often, the job of teaching math skills is left to a teacher in the classroom. As with everything else, a child's abilities and confidence will improve with daily practice and encouragement -- so why not sit down to a family game of Monopoly?
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An Interview with Test Prep Book Author Charles Gulotta | ![Charles Gulotta](https://ih.constantcontact.com/fs012/1101381493284/img/36.jpg?a=1104904202986)
For this month's newsletter we were very pleased to have the opportunity to speak with Charles Gulotta, who has been a freelance writer for the past 30 years, in both corporate advertising and marketing.
Charles is also the author of six test-prep and education-related books. What he enjoys most, however, is writing essays, and so Charles has recently added blogging to his repertoire. When Charles founded his publishing business twenty years ago, he called it "Mostly Bright Ideas." If you are wondering, "Why 'Mostly'?" I suggest that you read that section of his blog, for it succinctly captures Charles' writing: humorous; wise, yet self-deprecating; constantly questioning.
How did you get started in the business?
During a period when the economy was struggling (as it is now), I found my freelance writing business was drying up dramatically. I branched out into SAT tutoring, and the books I published followed from there.
Have you always been a reader? What are your favorite books?
I love to read and have been focused almost exclusively on non-fiction for many years. I'm usually reading three or four books at once. Right now I'm in the middle of one about ravens, another about animal intelligence, and Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot. I'm also reading Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre because I'm planning to take the leap into fiction writing and thought it might be a good idea to watch a master at work. I'm trying not to feel intimidated.
What advice would you give to students preparing for the verbal sections of the SAT?
The single biggest obstacle for most students looking to do well on the Writing and Critical Reading sections of the SAT, and other tests, is their resistance to reading. If you don't read -- and read a variety of styles and subjects -- it's almost impossible to get a feel for the language. I've never met a writer who wasn't also a reader. Boring advice, I know, but it happens to be true.
Last month's newsletter featured an article about students' lack of ability to write well, and the link between reading and good writing. Do you have a suggestion for working on one's writing skills?
The thing I struggle with is that I'm constantly analyzing what I read. I go over the same sentence three or four times, studying it, trying to figure out what the author accomplished, how it was done, and how I might have approached it differently. This is a good way to improve your writing, but at the same time it detracts from the enjoyment of reading; it can also be exhausting. I need to learn how to balance the two -- analysis and enjoyment -- and if asked for advice about writing and test prep, that's one suggestion I'd offer without hesitation. And obviously it's important to know how to construct a sentence, how to spell, how to use punctuation. Everyone wants to be creative and free, but it's actually easier to do that on a solid foundation. If you're going to break the rules and be effective about it, you have to first know what the rules are.
You also write a blog. What do you like about blogging?
Getting comments is one of the best things about blogging -- concrete evidence that someone is actually reading what I've written, and with enough interest to offer feedback or additional insight. The contrast between that and traditional publishing is amazing.
I recently read an article about "mommy blogs" regarding the fine line between intimately sharing with one's readers and over-sharing very private details. What is your opinion on this? And how do you calibrate your writing when you blog?
The level of intimacy is a decision the writer first has to make. From there, readers will either go away or keep coming back, depending on whether they feel comfortable connecting on that level. Most of the people who read my blog have a blog of their own, so I'm one of their readers, too. It's a mutual process, and it's interesting to step back and watch it develop. I resisted blogging for many years, partly because it's so different from any form of writing I'd ever done. Now I can't imagine not blogging, and it's because of those very differences.
Finally, do you have any words of wisdom for those nervous teens (and parents) out there who are in the midst of the college application process?
If you're looking for wisdom, I'm afraid you've come to the wrong place. But if my son or daughter were applying to college right now, I'd say two things. First, present yourself as the unique individual you are, without trying to force it. Don't become a fictional character from a television sitcom in order to stand out; you'll end up coming across as fake, and colleges are looking for real people. Second, be curious and enjoy learning, be a good listener, and don't be lazy with your writing. Those simple things, I think, will cause you to stand out from the crowd.
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JCC Kaiserman Offers a Free College Admissions Seminar
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![JCC Kaiserman Logo](https://ih.constantcontact.com/fs012/1101381493284/img/37.jpg?a=1104904202986)
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45 Haverford Road, Wynnewood, PA 19096
Date: Thursday, March 24, 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM
A+ is teaming up with Hannah Bookbinder and the JCC Kaiserman Branch to offer this informative program for high school students and their parents.
Topics to be Presented
- What are colleges looking for in an applicant?
- How best to prepare your son or daughter for the college admissions process
- Common "Mistakes and Myths"
- Overview of college admission tests: PSAT, SAT, ACT, SAT Subject Tests, AP Exams
- Should your child consider the ACT as an alternative to the SAT?
Space is limited to 30 attendees. Call (215) 886-9188 today to register and reserve your place!
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More FREE Proctored ACT and SAT Exams!
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Free, no-obligation, proctored ACT and SAT practice exams are open to current students and to members of the community.
The following exam dates are scheduled:
Penn Wynne Library 130 Overbrook Parkway Wynnewood, PA 19096
Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011 10:00 AM to 2:15 PM
St. Paul's Church 120 N. Easton Road Glenside, PA 19038
Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011 9:00 AM to 1:15 PM
This is a great opportunity for students to take the ACT or SAT in a simulated test center environment prior to sitting for the "real" thing. Students will receive a detailed score report which includes an analysis of their strengths and weaknesses on the exam.
These free tests are offered by A+ on a no-obligation basis.
Space is limited, though, so call our office today at 215.886.9188 or 610.520.0537 to register.
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Thank you for your interest in A+ and our newsletter. Feel free to contact us at 215.886.9188 or on the web at www.aplustutoring.com.
And don't forget to visit the A+ Blog, which is updated weekly with articles relating to a variety of education-related topics including college admissions, test prep, learning disabilites, reading skills, and more.
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Daniel Ascher A+ Test Prep and Tutoring |
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