JUST in case you’ve been wondering……

Where has Joyce been, particularly on Thursdays when she promised to write? The truth?  She, as she  is known in this expert, professional persona, succumbed, which much too embarrassingly translates to, “life” got in the way.  (It does have a habit of doing so at times, n’est pas?) The details do not matter, but suffice it to say, preoccupation with love (spectacularly wonderful), duty (the “must do’s”), and a complete reversal of a three-decade perception (marked by shock; disappointment; concern for the effects of a process and its aftermath upon loved ones) can, most decidedly, shake up anyone’s reality.

I agree, it takes a while for that wise unknown author’s words to sink in, “Everything will be all right in the end, and if it’s not all right, it’s not the end.”  And, I know we all will emerge stronger, wiser, and less likely to fall victim to perceptual bias, but that (as they say) is another story.  And so, we take baby steps…putting one foot in front of another…living platitudes we once believed applied to  “others” and never to us.

So, if you, too, got knocked “off track” and your compass also clouded, what matters is the ability to sing Jerome Kern’s lyrics as loudly as possible.  “Pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and start all over again.”  So, now what?

If you think of yourself as college or graduate school-bound, you no doubt have work to do. Do you need to take, or retake, those standardized tests?  How will you prepare for them?  Do those oh-so-necessary campus visits loom as your “must do’s?”  Do you have applications to complete? Essays to write? When, oh when, do you plan to get started?  Now is the right time, and do you know what? It’s always now!

If I can prod or help you or someone you know get started, you know how to find me.  I am only one telephone call, e-mail, text or IM (203) 858-1687 away.  How good are you at tracking???

Ciao for now–

Joyce

Tips for Visiting Colleges

TO DO!!!!

• Get yourself a small notebook to use ONLY for recording notes about college visits. If you have an iPad or Smart Phone,  keep a separate note page for each school.
• Do your homework before you leave by visiting the schools’ websites.  
•  Write down any questions you have, and be sure to get them answered at each school.
•  Record your impressions of the campus, the buildings, the students, programs, and dorms.  
•  Find out if there are any famous alumni from programs you’re considering.
•  Be sure to talk with at least two students, more if you’re seriously considering the school. The campus coffee shop is a good place to go.                                                                                                                                                      
• Tell them you’re visiting and that you’re wondering how they feel about the school.
• In addition to asking them questions you have identified as important to you, ask what they like best/least about the school.
•  Be sure to identify some aspect of the school you really like so that you can refer to it when you complete your application.  

Have fun!  It’s an exciting time of life!

Joyce Singer, writergt@optonline.net