The 1st quarter is swiftly ending which means we are halfway through the first semester. Many seniors are working hard on filling out scholarships and college applications. Lots of schools in Maryland have early application with a deadline of November 1st. You could be feeling overwhelmed about the number of essays you have to write, or just overall how much you have to do. As a senior myself, I know how stressful college preparations can be. So, I have decided to give some ideas on where you can find scholarships, how to work through them, and how to balance it so you can still be a teenager. 

North Point is lucky enough to be one of the schools that allows every student to have access to a Xello account. Xello can be accessed through Clever and has many different functions that can be helpful for college preparation for all ages. Each year students have to fill out a form on Xello that matches them with a career that matches their interests according to their answers to the questions. This might be all you think you can do on Xello, but there are many other features to help prepare and keep things organized for students preparing for college. Once you’ve signed in to your Xello account, there will be a “Planning” tab where you can access a section titled “Scholarships.” In this tab, scholarships are shown that match what you have answered to these questions. For example, if you’ve mentioned your love for the arts, Xello will recommend scholarships for students with artistic skills. This makes finding scholarships easier because they match your interests and passions. Once you find a scholarship you are interested in, you can see the deadline and the link to the scholarships website, where you can apply. 

To make sure you keep things organized, you should create a table or chart in an online software or paper planner. Word and Canva have easy templates to get you started. Some students work better with pen to paper and having a physical copy of their schedule while some work best with things being online or on their phone for easy access. To organize my own scholarships, I have one document for scholarships I’ve done, and one for the ones I still need or plan to do. Making sure to keep things organized and their due dates helps you to not fall behind and end up feeling overwhelmed. 

This might all sound like a lot, but once you have a clear plan, it won’t be that bad. Along with having a planner or schedule, you should set a goal for yourself. Personally, I try to submit two scholarships every week. But everyone’s goal can be different because everyone’s lifestyle is different. You should never compare what you’ve done to others, as everyone works at a different pace.  

I wish everyone luck in their hunt for scholarships and filling out college applications. Don’t get too overwhelmed and remember to do your best!