FAQS

"When it comes to financial aid I had so much help from my college tracks coach! Coach Fenise is the best and guided me through every step and every question I had regarding financial aid. The main sources for financial aid applications are FAFSA and MHEC. After doing it for two years it has definitely become a lot easier, however each year there can be small hiccups and having a college tracks coach truly helped me!" - Binaya

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"There are many different ways to apply for financial aid -- it includes many means of attaining it such as FAFSA, MHEC, private groups such as the Coca Cola foundation, and the aid the school provides. One of the main ways I would say you could apply for financial is through FAFSA, however, I would consult a financial advisor at your institution or your CollegeTracks coach to have a full view of aid that is available." - Bayron

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"It depends on the student's situation. In my case, I stay in touch with CollegeTracks, and at every financial aid cycle my coach reminds me to renew my FAFSA. After completing it, I receive an MHEC award, which has covered most of my educational expenses." - Essowe

"Doing everything at once can definitely be overwhelming especially as the semester goes by, you might feel pressure to show up for every club meeting and also find ways to prioritize studying. If you feel like in a week that you have a club meeting that you are swamped with work/exams, make sure to communicate with your club members. As someone who is on the executive board in a club it happens often especially when exams roll around. It is important to prioritize your academic life and social life! " - Binaya

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"Managing time and events going on in life was one of the biggest challenges for me from the transition from high school to college, especially because you are independent and you decide how your educational journey goes since you aren't following a traditional schedule like in high school. One of the ways I managed to overcome this challenge is having a method to organize events, classes and personal obligations in a journal or a whiteboard. Especially with having to balance multiple things like soccer team, class, familial obligations, and EMT, it gave me a way to start organizing my time and not feel exhausted at the end of it all. My advice in managing time is getting something that you can jot down dates so that you are able to map out events going on, as well as finding time to yourself because personal and emotional health is one of the biggest things I strive to keep up and hopefully can work out as well. " - Bayron

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"Managing classes, studying, and participating in clubs starts with understanding your priorities. Your primary reason for being in college is to earn your degree, so classes and studying should come first. Clubs and organizations are valuable because they help you build friendships, leadership skills, and professional connections, but they should complement your academics rather than compete with them.

From there, it's a matter of planning your time realistically. At the beginning of each week, review your class schedule, assignments, quizzes, and club commitments. Block out time for studying first, then fit club activities around those responsibilities. It's also important to recognize your limits and remember that all of this is a work in progress. Some weeks you will be able to balance everything, and some weeks you won't, often because of unexpected events that you could not have planned for. The goal is not perfection. The goal is to make sure that the weeks when you successfully manage your responsibilities outnumber the weeks when you do not.

Joining one or two organizations that genuinely interest you is often more beneficial than spreading yourself too thin across many activities. Personally, I have found it exhausting, and doing more than three club-related activities in a week is nearly impossible for me. The goal is not to do everything. The goal is to manage your time in a way that allows you to succeed academically while still taking advantage of the opportunities college offers outside the classroom." - Essowe

"There are various ways to improve your time management. One of the most impactful for me is to keep a record of all the tasks I wish to fulfill, especially on work-heavy days. For me, the heavier the workload, the more I struggle to keep track with all that I have to do. Plus, being able to check something off on a list is satisfying. To do this, you could buy a planner, write on an excel sheet, or use the Notes app on your phone. Another thing you could do is to work on an assignment in sections or for a specific amount of time. I struggle to complete large assignments in one sitting, but the longer I procrastinate, the worse the guilt and fear of completing the assignment becomes, which results in a vicious cycle. To combat this, I'll usually set a short timer of 30 minutes to a maximum of 1 hour that I dedicate to work solely on that one assignment. Then, if I'm up for it, do another session after taking a short 5-10 minute break (because commonly, after the first session, I'll realize the assignment isn't that hard anyway). Breaking my progress into sections helps the full assignment feel less daunting. I also avoid the guilt of not having worked on a massive assignment because at least I've done something within that 30-60 mins. Finally, try fulfilling work in an environment that's best for your focus. I'd suggest doing assignments in areas where other people are working, like the school library or a study room. While difficult, you should do your best to minimize distractions. I find that embracing the boredom of sitting in a quiet room with no phone to scroll on or videos to watch will motivate me to complete my assignments to ease the boredom." -- Titi

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"Studying for me is like a ritual. I don't like to rush it, and I do not like making a decision like, “I'm going to study ECON in the next few hours.” Nah. When it comes to studying, I try to decide a day ahead. And usually, it's one of the first things I do when I wake up. During that time, my mind is fresh, even fresher if I take a shower, so I take a shower before studying. I study in the lounge. Basically, I walk inside my residential hall looking for a lounge that is not occupied and not messy. In order to actually study for a good amount of time, I use a timer. Because sometimes I don't feel like reading the materials or I'm not in the mood. If I don't have a timer, it's easy for me to talk myself out of studying because I could convince myself I studied enough. However, if I have a timer on, there is no second guessing. I will know for a fact how long I studied for. I usually do three sessions of 45 minutes and 15-minute breaks if I feel I need them, or I can spend the 15 minutes wandering around or daydreaming. I usually make it a point to study no more than two courses a day." - Essowe

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"When it comes to managing time in a new environment and knowing when to do assignments for classes, it was a real challenge for me, especially since college is an environment where you are the one responsible for getting things done. But over time, I began to find a way to manage time with stuff for school as well as outside responsibilities. The biggest way of knowing when stuff is usually due is through blackboard which is a platform Montgomery College utilizes that works the same as canvas. The platform has its own calendar feature that shows all the assignments and their due dates, which is what I personally utilize to sort out times to do. I'd also say another great way to know when assignments are due or work in the class in general is through the syllabus that the professor typically posts near the beginning of the semester, since most professors will teach parallel with what the syllabus says. However, it is safe to say that for me, the best way to manage time for assignments and other outside things is through a calendar, I never knew how useful or important that would be until now in college." -- Bayron

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"It's really easy to lose track of time or put off an assignment you have been doing. Don't worry it happens to the best of us! In college, professors will give you a syllabus on the first day of class, make sure to read the syllabus as in many cases it will be placed out when every assignment is due. This way you know much beforehand when assignments are due rather than a couple days before. You can create a schedule of when to do the assignments throughout your week so that you have enough time for school, your personal life and work for other classes. Sometimes students prefer doing an assignment all at once while others prefer spacing it out. It's important to find out what works for you." -- Binaya