Hi all! As probably none of you know, this is my last year of high school; and alongside the ever present and all consuming slew of homework and drama, I have had the pleasure of crying over university applications. While application season may be over, there are still some people floundering and crying over acceptance, scholarships, living away from home, and having to cook without setting something on fire. Since I am the best MVP there ever was, I sat down with Dalhousie Assistant Registrar, Curtis Clarke. Curtis offered great bits of wisdom that I will now impart on you, dear reader. Don’t forget that while some of these regard university, they can definitely be applied to high school as well!
Applying for scholarships
Curtis recommends that you should try for as many scholarships as you can – you have nothing to lose and a lot to gain after all! Online aids such as StudentAwards can definitely help narrow this down. Also, when answering short answers, Curtis notices that many students will answer to the smaller details of the question, rather than focus on the big picture. While articulation and detail is great, don’t forget to answer the main question!
First Year Fears
Curtis is a great human being. So great, in fact, that he completely understands the fear that first years have – especially when living away from home! Most universities offer extensive counseling on many things – your schedule, course credits, taxes, etc. This is great when first years are basically a large herd of nervous puppies who don’t know how to adult; so take advantage of your resources and ask questions!
Student Loans
Student loans are scary. Scarier than going into your basement alone or hearing something in the house when you’re home alone. But don’t worry! While it may seem daunting to pay off hundreds of thousands in loans, search and seize opportunities throughout school! Most universities aim to staff students on their campus for this sole reason, and since it’s on campus, many jobs understand that you are a student first, employee second. It may not seem like a lot, but working hard to find jobs on campus will lower your debt a lot more than you think!
The Freshman 15
We’ve all heard this one – the horrible eating since you’re an adult now and are expected to make adult choices (like broccoli). But don’t forget that while a lot of us prospective uni students are legally adults, we’re still a large herd of nervous puppies,  following each other in the hopes that one of us will know what they’re doing. It’s the blind leading the blind, basically. Curtis, wonderful soul that he is, told me that lots of universities actually have meal plans that come with living in residence – something that first years generally do. These meal plans are usually healthy and offer much more variety than your stereotypical Kraft Dinner/instant noodles/leftover takeout dinner.
So prospective uni students – ease up! It’s a big and scary world out there, but this advice might make it a little easier.
Bonus:
