“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.” —Melody Beattie For many of us, this time of year offers an opportunity to give thanks and express gratitude for the people and things we appreciate and value in our lives. Taking stock and being grateful during the holidays is a good place to start, but studies have shown … Read more
Each year, the topic of teenage stress garners increasing amounts of attention. In fact, a simple Google search for “teens and stress” yields an abundance of articles with key phrases along the lines of “severe anxiety” and “growing epidemic.” The attention is not unwarranted; in 2014, the American Psychological Association conducted a survey that revealed … Read more
As many of us know, admissions to the University of California system has become increasingly selective over the years, particularly in the past decade. For instance, freshman applications at UC Berkeley have doubled in that time, and all UC campuses have now crossed the threshold of 100,000 for freshman and transfer applications each cycle. Given this … Read more
Recent studies show that between 35 and 50 percent of admissions officers are viewing students’ social media profiles. This doesn’t mean they are looking for anything embarrassing or inappropriate, but it does mean they are using it as one way of gathering more information about applicants. When we talk about a student’s online presence, much … Read more
We have all struggled with motivation at some point in our lives—from accessing it to maintaining its momentum over time. As a result, one of the most challenging aspects of being a parent is knowing how to constructively motivate your child, academically or otherwise. Many parents use external motivation to get the desired results, whether negative … Read more
