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What to Do About Back-to-School Anxiety

By U.S. News & World Report

As the summer winds down, kids often get both excited and nervous about returning to school. Many students eagerly anticipate seeing friends, sharing stories and going back-to-school shopping. But others experience growing worries as the first day approaches.

Whenever there is change, anxiety is natural. While it can be hard to see your child on edge, it’s important for parents to understand that anxiety is an inevitable part of life. In fact, if one does not feel occasional moodiness, there may be a bigger problem than situational stress, like depression.

It’s common for kids to start each semester with some apprehension. Many worry about who will be their teacher, who will be in their class and who will sit next to them. Others wonder if they are good enough to make the team, smart enough to get good grades and cool enough to be accepted. Seemingly minor things can be a big deal to an angst-ridden adolescent.

[See: 13 Tips for Getting Kids Health-Ready for Back to School.]

One of the most important things a parent can do is listen to their child’s thoughts. Mom and Dad often want to offer solutions; but, in many cases, all your son or daughter wants is to feel validated. Empathy can go a long way toward helping a student overcome beginning-of-school jitters.

The start of a new school year has also been known to make kids more moody or irritable. These elevated emotions are often the result of newly imposed academic structure. Parents should make an extra effort to ease children away from the lazy days of summer and back into academic schedules, like adjusting bedtimes so that kids get ample sleep before the bell rings.

During the first few weeks of the new academic year, it’s common for both students and parents to feel off balance. As a family, commit to staying organized. Purchase a wall calendar and hang it in a visible location. Parents should record important dates such as parent-teacher conferences, doctors’ appointments and late school starts. Students should write in big games, exam days and major assignment due dates.

Families can proactively avoid chaos when everyone is aware of their schedule. Upfront conversations about how to manage homework, school activities and free time can further minimize organizational concerns. Many kids want to do it all, causing stress as one struggles to meet classroom demands and after-school requirements. Others prefer to disengage often, resulting in an unmotivated and lethargic student.

[Read: How Parental Stress Negatively Affects Kids.]

Parents should establish realistic grade expectations and encourage their child to participate in at least one activity, while ensuring their kids aren’t overextended and seeking the right work-life balance for themselves.

Last, engage in some retail therapy to enhance your student’s mood during this stressful time of the year. Most kids enjoy buying new things, so purge the closet and head to the mall. In addition to the standard purchases of new clothes and school supplies, make sure to buy some things that will brighten up the home study area. It is the rare student that gets excited about doing math problems, but a spruced-up homework space may be just the motivation your child needs to crack the books.

In general, most kids are at least relatively ready to return to a daily schedule and improve their minds. For a minor group, however, fear and worry can exceed what is normal. If your son or daughter is overly focused on the start of school, losing sleep or is excessively irritable, contact your school counselor and ask that your child receive school support or request a referral to a qualified professional who can assist. Preemptive actions can forestall a future crisis.

[See: 12 Questions You Should Ask Your Kids at Dinner.]

The beginning of the school year is a period of adjustment for all family members. But a good start will benefit a student’s attitude, confidence and performance long after the opening bell has rung. Even if things get a bit shaky, parents need to maintain a positive attitude. Time will resolve most issues, and kids are actually more resilient than parents realize.

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What to Do About Back-to-School Anxiety originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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