Airplane Mode

I came across this article titled, "Leave Your Phone Behind" on LinkedIn this afternoon.  It has a great message of trying to enjoy the "in-between" moments of life, many of which have now been filled by our phones.  I've owned my share of phones over the past decade since getting my first cell phone.  Six of my last eight cell phones have been smartphones, as I even tried to use a basic talk/text TracFone twice when I was out-of-contract. No luck there. I've become too accustomed to using the BlackBerry/Android/iOS world to go back anytime soon.

However, when reading the linked article, I really appreciated the comment from Catherine J:

I switch my iPhone on airplane mode when I sleep, when having lunch with someone, when having a nap, AT the cinéma, AT the doctor.. The more we use it like an answering machine and a voice box the best it is and if we do so time is optimized!

(JZ grammar edit)

Might I suggest for those campus visits and open houses that you switch your phone onto Airplane Mode as leaving the phone behind on a long trip is not all that useful.  Yet, if you switch the phone over to Airplane Mode while on your campus visit with a parent (let them keep theirs on full mode if they want to), take a deeper look around the campus and take advantage of asking questions of the tour guide or admissions officer/counselor.  These cell phones are great, yet if constantly distracting you with buzzing of new text messages, Facebook likes, Twitter retweets and so on, it can really distract you from your college search and perhaps that one college you were looking at wasn't all that lame, you just didn't see it fully.

So, in this month of August, enjoy the in-between times and when you visit campuses, save up your instant text answers and go share your campus visit experience with your friends at your favorite coffeehouse or a PS3/Xbox battle.

College Admission Glossary

St. Edward High School over in Lakewood, OH has a very handy College Admission Glossary.  Click Here to view the glossary of terms frequently used in the college admissions process. 

Welcome to PK College Admission Connection

As a Lutheran Pastor's Kid with experience working in undergraduate (traditional bachelor's degree) admissions, I am launching this blogger site and a Twitter account @pkcac to help in the navigation of the college admissions world.  Choosing where to go to school and what to study can be a simultaneously exciting and nervous experience.  It is important to know your options and your high school guidance counseling office or college room is a great place to start.

Also, get on the websites of colleges that you're interested in and if you're able to afford the trips, be sure to visit a number of them.  Admittedly, after about three (3) college visits, a lot of the information will begin to sound the same, yet its important to get a physical feel about the campus that you're looking to call home for the next four years.

So, here are a few questions to the High School Class of 2014 looking at enrolling next year to consider asking themselves:

1. What do I want to do when I grow up?
2. What type of education do I need to enter the workforce of the position I'm looking at (None/High School Diploma/A.S/A.A.S./B.A./B.S./M.A/J.D./M.D./PhD/etc.)?
3. Do I want to go near or far away to college?
4. What major/minor do I want to study in college?
5. $$$ What is the realistic amount of money that I have available to help with college expenses or will be willing to take out on a student loan? $$$
6. How much does my career field pay on average in the first 10 years? (Important when determining if you'll take out a student loan to pay for school).
7. Do my grades and ACT/SAT scores line up with scholarships?
8. When it comes down to it, am I okay with staying local to a community/technical college first, or for those in metro areas and near college towns, attend the local university?

I'll stop here with the questions, but now that it's August 1, these are important questions to consider and hopefully you've already thought about these. If you haven't, while you're finishing up your school supply shopping for this final year of high school, start to work through these questions with your parents/guardians or another trusted mentor.

Best to you on your college search, and if you or your parents have any questions, visit @pkcac on Twitter and post a question on there.

John Zimmerman
Originally Posted: August 1, 2013