Kirby-taking-classes update
[email protected]
Kirby dropped his English class and didn't feel bad about it at all. I told the tale to a friend who was the chairman of the English department at UNM for years. He asked whether Kirby had taken college placement tests, and it led to that story. He was appalled. He stepped back and let his mouth drop open. Had it been a few years back, and had that woman been teaching in his department, I would't have been able to finish the story. He'd've been over at her office and all over her. He said "I haven't heard of grading like that since the 1930's."
But on a brighter note, when four weeks were gone, Kirby had a B in the math class. The other one isn't a graded situation (the college success class) but he loves it. They talk about deciding how much value an activity will have to them, and how much time to invest in it. "Is this a piano?" was one of the principles. He said they said some things just aren't a piano. I was puzzled at first, but he said if you've worked for an hour and gotten 90% of what you need to do, is it worth another hour to get the remaining 10% of improvement? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
As a lifelong perfectionist, I immediately see it as sloth. <bwg> And yet I play Neopets every day instead of writing a book. Could I do 90% of the book I envision? Apparently not. <g> But Kirby is pretty easily happy with 90% already, and now someone has reinforced that, which I think is pretty cool.
And the other day they did a(nother) learning styles profile and Kirby was shown to be someone who learns musically. He said his response to that was "Schoolhouse Rock rocks!" (and showed me with gestures)
So...
No English 101 on the table at the moment
B thusfar in math 99
happy-happy in College Success
Said he'd like to go some more in fall, but will only take things that won't be harshly affected by taking time off to go to the Live & Learn conference.
Sandra
But on a brighter note, when four weeks were gone, Kirby had a B in the math class. The other one isn't a graded situation (the college success class) but he loves it. They talk about deciding how much value an activity will have to them, and how much time to invest in it. "Is this a piano?" was one of the principles. He said they said some things just aren't a piano. I was puzzled at first, but he said if you've worked for an hour and gotten 90% of what you need to do, is it worth another hour to get the remaining 10% of improvement? Sometimes yes, sometimes no.
As a lifelong perfectionist, I immediately see it as sloth. <bwg> And yet I play Neopets every day instead of writing a book. Could I do 90% of the book I envision? Apparently not. <g> But Kirby is pretty easily happy with 90% already, and now someone has reinforced that, which I think is pretty cool.
And the other day they did a(nother) learning styles profile and Kirby was shown to be someone who learns musically. He said his response to that was "Schoolhouse Rock rocks!" (and showed me with gestures)
So...
No English 101 on the table at the moment
B thusfar in math 99
happy-happy in College Success
Said he'd like to go some more in fall, but will only take things that won't be harshly affected by taking time off to go to the Live & Learn conference.
Sandra
[email protected]
In a message dated 2/18/05 11:11:40 AM, SandraDodd@... writes:
<< But on a brighter note, when four weeks were gone, Kirby had a B in the
math class. >>
It's an A now, his math average.
<< But on a brighter note, when four weeks were gone, Kirby had a B in the
math class. >>
It's an A now, his math average.
cslkll
Is it ok to ask if you planned financially(or anyone else
out there :) for the possibility of your kids going to
college? I had never thought we would want to do
so.......but last week
dh said that we might want to start financially planning
for that. thanks. krista
out there :) for the possibility of your kids going to
college? I had never thought we would want to do
so.......but last week
dh said that we might want to start financially planning
for that. thanks. krista
--- In [email protected], SandraDodd@a... wrote:
>
> In a message dated 2/18/05 11:11:40 AM, SandraDodd@a... writes:
>
> << But on a brighter note, when four weeks were gone, Kirby had a
B in the
> math class. >>
>
> It's an A now, his math average.
nellebelle
>>>>>>>Is it ok to ask if you planned financially (or anyone elseout there :) for the possibility of your kids going to
college?>>>>>>>>
My kids have a piggy bank that dh says is their college fund. It will probably hold about $100 by the time it's full. <G>
I've always figured it makes more sense to be home with my kids now and get a job when they go to college, if they go. So we don't have much extra funds right now.
I got through college myself with loans, scholarships, and working while attending. My parents helped me out a little by giving me cash here and there.
If I did have enough money to put away specifically for my kids future, I don't think I would designate it "college fund". At this point, I have no idea what my children will need when they are 18 to 22.
OTH, people should probably consult a financial expert to decide how best to invest extra income now, for the future. I know my state offers some kind of college savings that allows children to attend the state colleges later by their parents investing what it costs now. I've not looked into the details. What would happen to the money if the child decided not to go?
Mary Ellen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
cslkll
if this partially came before, ugh....i apologize...
I am having troubles with things sending or disappearing
on me!
I have had the same thoughts too, about who knows what
the kids will want as they get older. One thought dh
has had to combat(hah) my argument is if we have a fund
designated to them, and one wants to open a business instead
of go to school, that they could have the $$ for that.
Who knows, we will see. We are paying off student loans
still in this house, so we're not looking at saving yet.
I think a designated college fund can grow tax free though,
and if it's not used for college you just pay ? penalties
on it. Not sure though, that's dh's area if interest.
--- In [email protected], "nellebelle"
<nellebelle@c...> wrote:
cash here and there.
point, I have no idea what my children will need when they are 18 to
22.
state offers some kind of college savings that allows children to
attend the state colleges later by their parents investing what it
costs now. I've not looked into the details. What would happen to
the money if the child decided not to go?
I am having troubles with things sending or disappearing
on me!
I have had the same thoughts too, about who knows what
the kids will want as they get older. One thought dh
has had to combat(hah) my argument is if we have a fund
designated to them, and one wants to open a business instead
of go to school, that they could have the $$ for that.
Who knows, we will see. We are paying off student loans
still in this house, so we're not looking at saving yet.
I think a designated college fund can grow tax free though,
and if it's not used for college you just pay ? penalties
on it. Not sure though, that's dh's area if interest.
--- In [email protected], "nellebelle"
<nellebelle@c...> wrote:
>while attending. My parents helped me out a little by giving me
> I got through college myself with loans, scholarships, and working
cash here and there.
>future, I don't think I would designate it "college fund". At this
> If I did have enough money to put away specifically for my kids
point, I have no idea what my children will need when they are 18 to
22.
>how best to invest extra income now, for the future. I know my
> OTH, people should probably consult a financial expert to decide
state offers some kind of college savings that allows children to
attend the state colleges later by their parents investing what it
costs now. I've not looked into the details. What would happen to
the money if the child decided not to go?
>
> Mary Ellen
>
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pam Sorooshian
On Mar 1, 2005, at 9:59 AM, nellebelle wrote:
your income level. If your income level is middle to high - then you
won't qualify for financial aid anyway, and you may need the savings.
If your income is low, then the savings will increase the amount your
family is expected to pay toward college expenses.
-pam
> OTH, people should probably consult a financial expert to decide howThe way financial aid works, it can hurt you to save up. Depends on
> best to invest extra income now, for the future. I know my state
> offers some kind of college savings that allows children to attend the
> state colleges later by their parents investing what it costs now.
> I've not looked into the details. What would happen to the money if
> the child decided not to go?
your income level. If your income level is middle to high - then you
won't qualify for financial aid anyway, and you may need the savings.
If your income is low, then the savings will increase the amount your
family is expected to pay toward college expenses.
-pam
[email protected]
In a message dated 3/1/2005 8:19:18 PM Mountain Standard Time,
pamsoroosh@... writes:
The way financial aid works, it can hurt you to save up. Depends on
your income level. If your income level is middle to high - then you
won't qualify for financial aid anyway
----------------
A weird thing happened this year. This is the first year we had planned to
use any of the e-bonds (savings bonds tax free if you use them for education)
but this year because I got a settlement from the insurance company of the
hotel where I broke my leg, that added enough to our income that we would have
had to pay taxes on the bonds had we cashed any anyway. Other years it
won't matter. So for people with high incomes ordinarily, no matter what their
expenses are, the tax advantage might fade away with those bonds. When we
first bought some we were quite poor.
One good thing about those I didn't know when we first got them is that it
could be me or Keith using them on education, too. So if I talk all my kids
out of wanting any college, I can go back and get a master's in a few years.
(JOKING... mostly.)
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
pamsoroosh@... writes:
The way financial aid works, it can hurt you to save up. Depends on
your income level. If your income level is middle to high - then you
won't qualify for financial aid anyway
----------------
A weird thing happened this year. This is the first year we had planned to
use any of the e-bonds (savings bonds tax free if you use them for education)
but this year because I got a settlement from the insurance company of the
hotel where I broke my leg, that added enough to our income that we would have
had to pay taxes on the bonds had we cashed any anyway. Other years it
won't matter. So for people with high incomes ordinarily, no matter what their
expenses are, the tax advantage might fade away with those bonds. When we
first bought some we were quite poor.
One good thing about those I didn't know when we first got them is that it
could be me or Keith using them on education, too. So if I talk all my kids
out of wanting any college, I can go back and get a master's in a few years.
(JOKING... mostly.)
Sandra
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[email protected]
In a message dated 3/1/2005 9:19:02 PM Central Standard Time,
pamsoroosh@... writes:
The way financial aid works, it can hurt you to save up. Depends on
your income level. If your income level is middle to high - then you
won't qualify for financial aid anyway, and you may need the savings.
If your income is low, then the savings will increase the amount your
family is expected to pay toward college expenses.
~~~
Yeah, and it can also hurt you if you have two parents living apart, because
they will consider the income of both. My oldest son got ripped off one
year. The government claimed he was still dependent on his father, but he
actually had leased an apartment in May of that year, and gotten MARRIED in June.
Student loans are considered a good investment--low interest, deferred
payments--AND you're investing in something that will only improve with age;
yourself.
Karen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
pamsoroosh@... writes:
The way financial aid works, it can hurt you to save up. Depends on
your income level. If your income level is middle to high - then you
won't qualify for financial aid anyway, and you may need the savings.
If your income is low, then the savings will increase the amount your
family is expected to pay toward college expenses.
~~~
Yeah, and it can also hurt you if you have two parents living apart, because
they will consider the income of both. My oldest son got ripped off one
year. The government claimed he was still dependent on his father, but he
actually had leased an apartment in May of that year, and gotten MARRIED in June.
Student loans are considered a good investment--low interest, deferred
payments--AND you're investing in something that will only improve with age;
yourself.
Karen
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Brenda Rose
Congratulations to Kirby thus far!
When my oldest ds was trying to decide what to do the summer before starting
4-yr. college (after community college), he wanted to work at a camp that
paid almost nothing, but thought that he probably should get a better-paying
job and save up for college. We looked into the whole financial aid thing
and found out that he would Lose money by working the regular job. So he
was a camp counselor, had a blast, and came out better off financially!
The system is wacky, and people need to check out the different aspects of
it, especially if the family is poor (like us, with one income and a lot of
children!) and will be trying to get financial aid. The really bad thing is
that if a student works for more money, everything is based on gross income,
and fin.aid is cut by that amount, but of course you don't ever have that
much in hand.
Brenda
When my oldest ds was trying to decide what to do the summer before starting
4-yr. college (after community college), he wanted to work at a camp that
paid almost nothing, but thought that he probably should get a better-paying
job and save up for college. We looked into the whole financial aid thing
and found out that he would Lose money by working the regular job. So he
was a camp counselor, had a blast, and came out better off financially!
The system is wacky, and people need to check out the different aspects of
it, especially if the family is poor (like us, with one income and a lot of
children!) and will be trying to get financial aid. The really bad thing is
that if a student works for more money, everything is based on gross income,
and fin.aid is cut by that amount, but of course you don't ever have that
much in hand.
Brenda
[email protected]
In a message dated 3/1/2005 10:19:09 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,
pamsoroosh@... writes:
If your income is low, then the savings will increase the amount your
family is expected to pay toward college expenses.
-pam
Maybe not, the FASA form we fill out doesn't ask how much you have in
savings, just proof of income currently for all adult members.
One thing I've found out through experience that no one really said, is that
PRIVATE college might be the way to go if you don't qualify for financial
aid. They have tons of money that is not bound by federal regulations about
income to give away. You need not always be an A student or a athlete to get
this funds. Always talk to the financial aid officer, even after you get your
award letter, there is almost always extra money lingering around and they
decide who it goes to.
My oldest went to a private college in NC, out of state for us. Tuition,
room and board nears 30,000 per year. She was there four years and a summer
semester. We paid about six thousand dollars out of pocket (mostly for the
summer semester) and she had about four thousand in loans. The rest was paid by
private scholarships and grants.
I've recommended this to other parents who felt panicked that their child
wanted to head off to college and they had not financially prepared, it has
always helped greatly.
We got the original award letter and I called the financial aide office just
to ask some questions. How much did they think books average? (it had been
many years since I was in college) How much do they figure an away from
home student might need to live on?
I asked LOTS of questions. I finally just said to him that I was trying to
be prepared. We wanted to give Sarah this opportunity that she wanted but I
wasn't willing for the rest of us to sit in the dark and eat peanut butter
sandwiches for four years to make it happen. I wanted to know the approximate
monthly amount I would have to budget for her to be there.
He laughed and said he'd never heard it put quite that way. He'd see what
he could do and send me a letter in a week. Her first year, he came up with
us paying $1,000.00. Not bad at all.
So, I would add to not rule out private colleges because they seem so
expensive. I would have paid more for her to go three years to a community college
in state and it would not have been the experience that she was looking for.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
pamsoroosh@... writes:
If your income is low, then the savings will increase the amount your
family is expected to pay toward college expenses.
-pam
Maybe not, the FASA form we fill out doesn't ask how much you have in
savings, just proof of income currently for all adult members.
One thing I've found out through experience that no one really said, is that
PRIVATE college might be the way to go if you don't qualify for financial
aid. They have tons of money that is not bound by federal regulations about
income to give away. You need not always be an A student or a athlete to get
this funds. Always talk to the financial aid officer, even after you get your
award letter, there is almost always extra money lingering around and they
decide who it goes to.
My oldest went to a private college in NC, out of state for us. Tuition,
room and board nears 30,000 per year. She was there four years and a summer
semester. We paid about six thousand dollars out of pocket (mostly for the
summer semester) and she had about four thousand in loans. The rest was paid by
private scholarships and grants.
I've recommended this to other parents who felt panicked that their child
wanted to head off to college and they had not financially prepared, it has
always helped greatly.
We got the original award letter and I called the financial aide office just
to ask some questions. How much did they think books average? (it had been
many years since I was in college) How much do they figure an away from
home student might need to live on?
I asked LOTS of questions. I finally just said to him that I was trying to
be prepared. We wanted to give Sarah this opportunity that she wanted but I
wasn't willing for the rest of us to sit in the dark and eat peanut butter
sandwiches for four years to make it happen. I wanted to know the approximate
monthly amount I would have to budget for her to be there.
He laughed and said he'd never heard it put quite that way. He'd see what
he could do and send me a letter in a week. Her first year, he came up with
us paying $1,000.00. Not bad at all.
So, I would add to not rule out private colleges because they seem so
expensive. I would have paid more for her to go three years to a community college
in state and it would not have been the experience that she was looking for.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Pam Sorooshian
On Mar 2, 2005, at 1:32 PM, rubyprincesstsg@... wrote:
financial assets (other than KEOGHs and other retirement plans) -
specifically mentioning cash, checking, and savings accounts.
People can look at it online - <http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/>
-pam
> Maybe not, the FASA form we fill out doesn't ask how much you have inI just filled it out 2 days ago. It does ask how much you have in ALL
> savings, just proof of income currently for all adult members.
financial assets (other than KEOGHs and other retirement plans) -
specifically mentioning cash, checking, and savings accounts.
People can look at it online - <http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/>
-pam