When a 17 year old male turns 18 they are required to enlist in the selective service system by law.  In order to get financial aid for studies at a college or university males need to sign up to the selective service system within 30 days from his 18 birthday.

The selective service system is also used for student loans, grants, job training, federal employment, and naturalization.  If a male fails to register, he will not be eligible to receive benefits that are part of being enlisted in the selective service. 

Women are excluded from the selective service because they are excluded from combat.  So if your an 18 year old male planning to get financial aid or job training, REMEMBER to sign up within 30 of your 18th birthday.

Planning for college can start as early as your sophomore or junior year, to get started on your college plan and/or career path draft out goals.  Examples of some goals are: applying to 2 scholarships each month, study for SAT or ACT exam once a week or look into 1 college per week that you are interested in.   I was a high school senior once so I would assume that most of you have not done these things and there is probably not much time to invest in accomplishing these goals.

That's the problem of many teenagers now a days.  Students are too occupied by graduating that they forget to stay on task, most people refer to this 'illness' as  senioritis.  Symptoms include falling behind on class work, tardiness, ditching and incomplete assignments.  Senioritis can happen as early as junior year.

This is a big problem when the end of the spring semester comes, graduation becomes a question and your anxiety kicks in.  Questions like, how do I apply for financial aid, how will I afford school, will I be graduating, what will I do if I don't graduate.  Don't be that person and stay ahead, it will make your senior year remember-able and hassle free.

Loans may be an option, if you didn't apply to FAFSA.  However, loans are not free money, loans have to be paid back - you are borrowing money when getting a loan.

Everyone likes free money and that is what scholarships and financial aid is, free money that will allow you to go to college, buy books and supplies.

Make the best out of your graduation experience, just keep in mind to also be responsible at the same time, get informed on what you need in order to graduate and plan ahead to make it happen.

Have you ever wondered why students decide to drop out of high school and leave with out a high school diploma? Students have many different reasons to drop out, even though it's not a good choice at all, the reasons being. 

A bachelors degree earns an average of $51,554 annually (i.e. yearly), while a high school graduate earns $28,645 and a high school drop out earns $19,169 dollars per year, big difference right?

Making the decision whether to go to college, graduate from high school or dropping out is a decision that will impact you later in life.  It determines what kinds of jobs you can get, where you may live, what you can afford and how much you can earn. 

Here are some of the main reasons students decide to drop out:

• Classes weren't interesting to them
• Missed too many days of school to catch up
• Not motivated to work hard
• Not enough support
• Had to work full time, get a job
• Became pregnant, had to be parents
• Became the caretaker of an ill relative

Two-thirds of high school drop outs that were interviewed said that they would have tried harder if more was expected from them.

Many students leave high school because they see that they are able to make money without completing college so there is no reason for them to continue with school.   However, what they do not realize is, they're not the ones paying for the house expenses such as rent, food, bills and other basic necessities.

At the same time, its never too late to go back to school, either to get your GED or a college degree.  Here are some resources that may be helpful to you. 

San Diego Continuing Education

San Diego Community College

FAFSA (Financial Aid)

BOG Waiver for City Colleges

First impressions are crucial, they will determine how the other person will view you as a person.  First impressions are important during job interview, when you meet someone or what to write in your college application. If you want to look professional and make a good first impression follow these simple and easy steps:

1.) Talk to your counselor.
Your counselor is the first person to go to if your having problems filling out college applications.  Counselors are there to assist you and will have answers to most if not all of your questions pertaining to college, college applications, SAT I and II, etc.  Your counselor is your personal college encyclopedia.

2.) Stay in touch with your counselor.
Counselors can also give you tips on how to relieve stress.  It would not be a bad idea to keep a close relationship with your counselor, he/she would be a wonderful source of knowledge.

3.) Research and more research.
Research online for scholarships that you would be eligible to apply for.  Even then, if you find a scholarship that you are interested in but you may not fit all the criteria, you should apply anyways.  Very so often a scholarship would not be applied for. 

Websites for scholarships:
FastWeb
College Monster

4.) Start Early.
Start researching for careers your interested in, take tours of colleges your interested in, take some initiative.

5.) No procrastination. The first impression is always important and could lead to important changes in your life, you can miss great opportunities because of this factor.

6.) Listen to your parents. 
Aside from your counselor, parents are also great advisers and supporters when you need them. They can help you out when you're stressed or frustrated.

7.) Don't let your parents do your work for you. This is one of the worst mistakes you can ever make, parents are here to support you, not to do your work for you.   You learn by doing, if you don't do anything you don't learn anything, its your loss if you don't do it.

8.) Be Open-minded. This way, no body can brainwash you.  Go for what you desire and love to do.  Be open-minded to talk to colleges and universities about your career plans.

9.) Visit and Visit early. Don't be fooled.  Take some advantages over others and don't wait to the last minute to visit colleges or think about what you want to do, start to fill out applications today.

10.) Don't let the pressure get to you.  Choosing the right career is a big and thoughtful decision.  Plan a strategy to manage your time.

FastWeb helps students through the process of finding, and applying to scholarships, scholarships like essay contests, leadership abilities, culture, income and others. Fast web helps out students to prepare for college, it also helps out students to learn more about college and how it works.

Students with FastWeb accounts get daily updates regarding new scholarship matches, based on their interests, schools, major and many other criteria. FastWeb also helps out athletes, and students who want to get involved in the military.

FastWeb is a good tool for students who need financial assistance, it doesn't just match students with scholarships, it also makes good connections between students and their parents.