AP Classes: Do or Don't?

High school seniors are often faced with the difficult decision during their senior year of whether to take additional AP classes or just...well, chill.  While the latter option can be very tempting, taking AP classes will likely prove to be the most beneficial option in the long term.  Read this article that offers 6 of the greatest benefits of taking AP classes.  

For those of you who are already taking AP classes, the Houston Rockets and Rice University's Center for College Readiness have come together to offer this awesome opportunity to help Houston-area students prepare for the AP exams.  This one-day event will take place at the Toyota Center on April 1, 2012.  Registration will be available on February 14, 2012, on a first come, first served basis.  For more details about this program, check out the website at http://collegeready.rice.edu/Rockets_AP_Exam_Review.aspx. 

Don't Let Your Age Hold You Back from Your Accomplishments!

Check out this California teen who has become the youngest person to scale the 7 tallest mountains on the planet. 

New Year! New Start!

Welcome to 2012!!!  Give yourself a round of applause, you made it through 2011.  There may have been some bumps or roadblocks along the way, BUT you made it, nonetheless, and that's definitely something to be excited (and proud) about. What's even more exciting is that with the new year comes the opportunity for a fresh start - another chance to get it right.

So, what do you want to accomplish this year?  What are your goals?  Setting goals can help you stay focused and motivated as you progress through life.  Here are a few, practical tips from kidshealth.org that can help you achieve your goals this year:

1. Specific, realistic goals work best.  When it comes to making a change, the people who succeed are those who set realistic, specific goals. "I'm going to recycle all my plastic bottles, soda cans, and magazines" is a much more doable goal than "I'm going to do more for the environment." And that makes it easier to stick with.
2. It takes time for a change to become an established habit.  It will probably take a couple of months before any changes — like getting up half an hour early to exercise — become a routine part of your life. That's because your brain needs time to get used to the idea that this new thing you're doing is part of your regular routine.
3. Repeating a goal makes it stick.  Say your goal out loud each morning to remind yourself of what you want and what you're working for (Writing it down works too). Every time you remind yourself of your goal, you're training your brain to make it happen.
4. Pleasing other people doesn't work.  The key to making any change is to find the desire within yourself — you have to do it because you want it, not because a girlfriend, boyfriend, coach, parent, or someone else wants you to. It will be harder to stay on track and motivated if you're doing something out of obligation to another person.
5. Roadblocks don't mean failure.  Slip-ups are actually part of the learning process as you retrain your brain into a new way of thinking. It may take a few tries to reach a goal. But that's OK — it's normal to mess up or give up a few times when trying to make a change. So remember that everyone slips up and don't beat yourself up about it. Just remind yourself to get back on track.

We, here at STRYVE, wish you a very successful and prosperous New Year!!  

(Original article posted at http://kidshealth.org/teen/your_mind/problems/goals_tips.html)

Survey Says Sticking to One Cause Helps You Get Into College

I’m sure all of you STRYVE seniors can attest that preparing for college can be stressful.  There is more pressure, now, than ever to set yourself apart from the crowd to ensure admission into your top choice for schools – and it’s not all just about making the right grades anymore.  Increasingly, colleges and universities across the country are taking into serious consideration your commitment to the community as a decisive factor for admissions.   

This recent Huffington Post article highlights a survey conducted by Do Something, a nonprofit organization that encourages youth volunteerism, in which they surveyed admissions officers from 32 of the top universities in the country.  The survey revealed that the majority of college admissions officers prefer to see a student that is committed to one cause over a student that “dabbles in a laundry list of volunteer opportunities.”  So what does this mean for you??  Instead of signing up for each and every community service project that you come across, decide on a cause and/or organization that you are truly passionate about and commit to volunteering a few hours each month to that cause.  Do you enjoy being around small children and love to read?  Look into becoming a children’s story time volunteer at your local library.  Do you have a heart for the homeless?  Think about giving some of your time each month to a local homeless shelter.  Give careful consideration to what you are truly passionate about and enjoy doing, and then do your research to find out how and where you can put your passion into practice.  It’s not all about how many community service hours you can rack up , but it’s about your commitment and impact.  STRYVE for quality not quantity!

The Gates Millennium Scholars Program

Major Scholarship Deadline Approaching......!

For students entering college for the first time in the fall 2012, the GMS 2012 Scholarship Application online process is now open. The deadline for all submissions is Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 11:59 p.m. EST.

GMS will select 1,000 talented students each year to receive a good-through-graduation scholarship to use at any college or university of their choice. We provide Gates Millennium Scholars with personal and professional development through our leadership programs along with academic support throughout their college career.

Congratulations to Brendan McKelvy as our August Twitter contest winner!

Brendan McKelvy of Burke, Virginia was our twitter contest winner in August. All he did was follow @stryvemagazine and post #stryvemagtshirt. Did you miss this one? What were you doing? What were you thinking? Well, don't worry about it, we will do it again. And the prize may be different each time. But, you have to follow if you want to be in the know. 

Freshmen.............Meet Your Professor Before the First Day of Classes

So you're all graduated, and grown up now! You've completed that oh so lame portion of your life known as high school, right!? And you can't wait to step foot on your respective college campus for the first time and make some new friends, roomates and classmates. You probably can't wait to hit the ground running in your classes by making all A's your first semester of classes. Well, not that we here at STRYVE would ever condone cheating, but we have something that may or may not help you get one step closer to that A.

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Day 1 Chronicles

Beautiful Journey

My first day in college was very scary at first. The buildings were so big and so far a part. I was a mere number in one of my auditorium classes. I started college without any friends, and that made my self esteem begin to spiral down.  READ MORE>>

Day 1 Chronicles

A Wonderful Escape

I am from the North. A Yankee, if you will. And my college of choice those two long years ago:  an HBCU in the South.  I was excited. And maybe a little nervous.  But mostly excited. 2009 was my graduating year, which meant that that year should have been amazing for me. And while some things were, my home and personal life were a wreck. I consider 2009 to be the worst year of my life, although I am still young yet. So for me, being hundreds of miles away from home in a new environment surrounded by new people sounded like heaven. An escape from my family, an escape from certain friends, just an escape from everything.  Therefore, I can tell you with a great deal of certainty that my initial and most prominent feeling when I first set foot on my new home in the South was relief. READ MORE >>

Beating the Odds

     Someone once told me to dream with caution and to never get my hopes up, because I may never be able to pick myself back up if the fall is too great. I am twenty-one years old, and throughout the course of my life I have come to strongly disagree with this individual. I find society tends to take the easy way out, and chose to advise adolescents to do the same. Most individuals would rather walk away from their dreams, and chance at truly succeeding, than face the possibility of failure along the way. But I am here to tell you, not to listen to the majority of society. I feel every single person needs to dream big and reach for the stars, and if you happen to fail, then at least you tried and gave it your best attempt. I have proved the odds and statistics are wrong, and you can too!

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