What Makes a Highly Successful Scholarship Winner?

Review the following habits of scholarship winners for tips on how you can
make your scholarship quest successful.

 * Successful students always remember the five P’s – Prior
preparation prevents poor performance. Prepare for the scholarship
search early. Do not wait until your senior year.

* Successful students vigorously avoid mistakes on their essays and
applications. They always spell-check, proofread, and allow one
other person to proofread their applications and essay for errors.

* Successful students do not ignore scholarships that may be local or
those for small amounts. Scholarship amounts, even as small as
$50, can add up.

* Successful students do not rely on only one source such as the
Internet for their scholarship search. They use many resources.
Many scholarships on the Internet or in the free scholarship
searches that you find on the World Wide Web are nationally known
and are harder to win due to greater competition. Local and regional
scholarships are not found as easily through an Internet search,
although they may be easier to win because the applicant pool is
smaller. You have to use a combination of resources to find as
many scholarships to apply for as possible.


* Successful students market themselves well. In their applications,
they highlight positive aspects about their lives, especially
community involvement.

* Successful students do not apply to one or two scholarships and
wait for the best. They apply for all scholarships they are eligible to
win. They keep applying until the total they have won exceeds what
they need to pay for the college they want to attend or until they
graduate with a degree.

* Successful students are organized. They keep track of deadlines
and materials required to complete an application.


* Successful students are well rounded. They participate in
extracurricular and community activities. They write about these
activities in scholarship and college essays in a descriptive
manner. They try to benefit others as well as themselves with the
extracurricular and community activities in which they are involved.

* Successful students understand that SAT scores and grades alone
do not win most scholarships. Scholarship programs look at many
factors such as community activities, leadership, presentation of
your application package, special or unusual talents or skills, etc.

* Successful students do not look for the easy way out. It is harder for
them to believe in a scholarship scam that promises to do all the
work for them. They understand that those things for which we work
hardest often bring the greatest rewards. Hard work in the
scholarship process as a high school student could result in an
easy college life without work later, or a loan-free life after college.
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Open Society Institute/Foreign and Commonwealth Office Chevening/University of Nottingham Scholarship

Realise your potential!
8 Full Scholarships:
Each covering tuition fees, living expenses, return air fare, plus agreed allowances

Available for students who

* are from Indonesia, Jordan or Syria AND
* are nationals of, and resident in, the selected country AND
* already hold a first university degree equivalent to at least a good UK second class Honours Degree AND
* have a very good knowledge of English AND
* are classed as an overseas student for fee purposes AND
* have applied for a place to study on a full time Masters degree programme at Nottingham in September 2010 – for the LLM in Human Rights Law, MA in International Relations, MA in Social & Global Justice, MA in European & Global Politics, MA in International Security & Terrorism, MA in Diplomacy or MA in Politics & Contemporary History

Please read the attached Guidance notes for Applicants before completing and returning the scholarship application form, which is included at the end of the guidance notes

The closing date for applications is 4th February 2010 and application forms must be completed and returned to the local British Council Office by that date

Preference will go towards applicants who have not previously studied outside their home country

International Office
The University of Nottingham
C Floor, International House
Jubilee Campus, Wollaton Road
Nottingham NG8 1BB, UK

Tel: +44 (0) 115 951 5247
Fax: +44 (0) 115 951 5155
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How to Get Scholarship Money

One of the biggest challenges college-bound seniors face is how to pay for school. Applying for scholarships should be one of the first steps in their search. However, scholarship myths continue to flourish and need to be dispelled.

Myth #1: Billions of scholarship dollars go unclaimed. In reality, the number of unused scholarships is minuscule.

Myth #2: Scholarships only go to the best students. Many scholarships are awarded based on elements other than academic achievement. Some scholarships are based on the student's major field of study, involvement, ethnicity and geographic origin, as well as other factors.

Myth #3: Scholarship searches are worth paying for. This myth eventually will die as people discover the many free resources available on the Internet or in print media. In many cases, scholarship search services charging fees turn out to be a scam.

So how do students and their parents sort through the myths and get to the facts?

Start the process early, December or January for the next school year, and utilize the resources around you. To find scholarship opportunities, start with your high school guidance counselor and local library for a list of possible resources. Next, check with your college financial aid office. Most states and many colleges offer scholarships, so students should also inquire about them. Finally, the Internet and organizational Web sites are excellent places to search. Remember, this information should always be free.

"Don't count yourself out just because you are not the valedictorian, class president, or star athlete," says Kandi Teeters, assistant director, Financial Aid and Scholarship Office at Eastern Washington University. "There are scholarships available for many interests, backgrounds and abilities. The bottom line is -- APPLY. And, the more scholarships for which you apply, especially local and regional opportunities, the better your odds are to be selected."

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How to Win a Scholarship

The students that win the most scholarships may not have more positive qualities than you, but they use the following strategy to get noticed by the scholarship committees:

Get Prepared:

Get letters of recommendation from teachers, guidance counselors or leaders in your community. Choose these wisely (make copies).


Get a copy of your high school or college transcript (make copies).

Get involved in your community or in school activities or in your church. If your time is limited due to personal circumstances, working to help with family expenses is also an advantage.
hanz
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Keeping Kids Active

Anyone who's seen kids on a playground knows that most are naturally physically active and love to move around. But what might not be apparent is that climbing to the top of a slide or swinging from the monkey bars can help lead kids to a lifetime of being active.

As they get older, it can be a challenge for kids to get enough daily activity. Reasons include increasing demands of school, a feeling among some kids that they aren't good at sports, a lack of active role models, and busy working families.

And even if kids have the time and the desire to be active, parents may not feel comfortable letting them freely roam the neighborhood as kids once did. So their opportunities might be limited.

Despite these barriers, parents can instill a love of activity and help kids fit it into their everyday routines. Doing so can establish healthy patterns that will last into adulthood.
Benefits of Being Active

When kids are active, their bodies can do the things they want and need them to do. Why? Because regular exercise provides these benefits:

* strong muscles and bones
* weight control
* decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes
* better sleep
* a better outlook on life

Healthy, physically active kids also are more likely to be academically motivated, alert, and successful. And physical competence builds self-esteem at every age. Keeping Kids Active Read More..

COMMON MISTAKE PARENT MAKE

We all make mistakes as parents. There are times when everyone wishes they hadn't said something, bought something, or been so hard on our kids. Parents are only human, after all. Here are ten common mistakes and why you should avoid them.

1. Too much junk food.

Junk food is convenient. It can be used to pacify an irritable child and is used as a reward for good behavior. As adults, many of us self-medicate with food. Often, we teach our children these same behavior patterns and reward with treats. To break this habit, start rewarding yourself
and your child in other ways.

2. Not reading to your child often enough.

Reading is one of the easiest ways to spend quality time with your child. It is free, teaches valuable lessons about a wide range of topics, and fosters a strong imagination. Reading to children should be a daily habit. Begin reading to your child from birth and continue into the teen years.

3. Formula feeding.

Infants need breast milk, not formula. In the rare instances that a woman cannot breastfeed, formula is available. But, for most women, there is no physical limitation to breastfeeding. Ear infections, infant hospitalizations, and many other things could be decreased significantly in our society if more women chose to breastfeed for longer. Why start your child off on what is second best nutrition? Give them the best from the start and you will see the benefits immediately as well as long term.

4. Being too strict.

Children need guidance and need to know that the adults are providing them with security and love. They do not need drill sergeants. Too many limits and too much control will build resentment in children, which will often boil over in the teen years. Lighten up and give your child some age appropriate control over their own life.

5. Being too permissive.

The flip side of the overly strict parent is the overly permissive parent. A parent's job is to provide structure. No structure is a recipe for disaster. Children need limits in order to feel secure. Letting your child call all the shots puts too much responsibility on the young person's shoulders and not enough on your own.
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Food Allergies in Babies

Food allergy in babies may make the baby break out in rashes or cry inconsolably after trying a food. Babies may have vomiting or diarrhea due to food allergies. Most common allergies in kids less than 5 years old are to milk, eggs and peanuts. It may take a few times, before the baby gets sensitized to a certain allergen and so crying inconsolably is one of the first signs, accompanied by other symptoms that should warn the parents in time. Children may also inherit allergies that run in the family though if a child does not want to have a food, he or she is not necessarily allergic to it. The child may not simply like it.

Children may develop food allergy by consuming a food directly or through nursing where they may become allergic to something moms may have eaten. To prevent food allergies, it is recommended to introduce solids gradually in a child’s diet between ages of four to six months and pay attention to any signs and symptoms that may manifest themselves when you introduce a particular food. One should start with rice cereal, followed by barley and oat cereal and them move on to yellow vegetables, fruits, green vegetables, meats and at last, wheat. Keep a gap of five to seven days before moving on to another food, so you can watch whether any symptoms such as incessant crying, rash, diarrhea or vomiting, develop during this period. If they do, you may call the doctor.

Doctors may do tests to confirm the allergy. If the child is allergic to certain food, you may need to avoid giving it to him or eating it until you are breastfeeding the child. Milk allergies may warrant you to give non-allergenic formula or soy formula to your child and you should not drink milk during the nursing phase. However, the good news is that most kids outgrow food allergies in few months to perhaps, few years. Then, the food can be re-introduced to their diet without any problem. Read More..