Materials to Print

 

Need to Know Activities Guide

Session 01

 

For every activity, the focus of discussions should be on how students will apply that information or those skills to their experience in college.

 

Note: Next session, students should be prepared to work through their own goal setting for a specific goal they have, as discussed in “Steps to Achieving Goals” in the readings for this session.

This session also includes homework, for students to do with their parents and a checklist for their reference.

Note to facilitators: In each session, the timing of the activities is less than the 2 ½ hours of the session. This allows for time for transitions between activities, a short break, and time to just talk to students about your experiences, along with their questions and expectations. You may find that some activities take more or less time depending on the group, so be aware of timing and make adjustments as needed. Early sessions have more activities. If you don’t think you will have enough time, use discretion and choose the ones that best meet the needs of your group. Make sure to read over ALL session guides before starting the workshop to get an overview and to plan for the best approach. Then re-read each session guide before you meet with students. Make sure to have needed materials. You might be able to carry some activities over to later sessions if you run out of time.

 

01.               Letter of Introduction

 

Timing: 20 minutes

 

Description: This, along with “Two Truths and One Lie,” is an activity designed to introduce students to each other and the facilitators. For the session, you can choose to do one or both activities. This activity can also be assigned for homework to give students time to think about how they want to present themselves. Have the students think about their audience—professors—and what is appropriate to share. They should think of themselves in the role of student and focus their letters on aspects of that role—rather than just random facts about themselves.

 

If the group is large, students can be broken up into smaller groups to share their letters. Or call on few students who volunteer to read. This is probably not a good activity to force students to share. When students do share, you might pick out salient details and comment on students’ strengths or find common ground among students.

 

Objectives:

·       To have students think about themselves as students

·       To have students consider qualities and experiences that are relevant

·       To determine what information in appropriate to share with professors

·       To think of their writing in terms of the readers and how they will receive it

·       To introduce students to each other and the facilitators

 

Materials:

May possibly need extra paper and pens and pencils.

Students can write in the workbook or using a tablet or laptop,

 

Notes: this is an opportunity to discuss students’ relationships with professors and how they might be different from their relationships to high school teachers. It is also an important opportunity to discuss how they define themselves as students and what that means.

 

 

 

 

 

02.               Two Truths and One Lie

 

Timing: 20 minutes

 

Description: Students can make up on lie about themselves and then select two statements that are true and write each on a notecard. You can add an extra challenge by asking students to write two truths and one lie about their educational experiences. If the group is large, students can be broken into smaller groups to present and guess which item for each student is the lie. Either this activity or the “Letter of Introduction” can be used for helping students get to know each other.

 

Objectives:

·       To have students use creativity

·       To foster discussion among students

·       To help students and facilitators get to know each other

 

Materials: notecards, writing utensils

 

Notes: This activity is less focused on education than the “Letter of Introduction.” It should be an opportunity to establish a fun atmosphere.

 

03.               Questions You Should be Asking Yourself

 

Timing: 10 minutes

 

Description: Sometimes students feel pressure or just make assumptions about how their educational path should go. This exercise is an opportunity for students to consider what the really want and to determine if going directly from high school to college is their best option. Most questions are open-ended, but some could be answered with a simple “yes” or “no.” In the case of yes-or-no questions, instruct students in advance to elaborate on their thinking after providing an answer. There are no right or wrong answers, but students should take this opportunity to be honest about their goals and expectations. If you have discussion afterward, you can touch on additional issues not covered by the questions here.

Objectives:

·       To help students consider what their goals and options are

·       To help students determine what their best course of action might be

·       To help students explore issues that they might have to consider when making their college choices.

 

Materials: writing utensils

 

Notes: Students can discuss their answers with other students in their small groups if they want. This could be an opportunity for them to pose questions to facilitators to gain more insight into what college might require.

 

04.               Investigating Your College Choices

 

Timing:  15 minutes

 

Description: Students often choose a college because it has a name they are familiar with or because they assume it is within reach. This exercise will help them understand how to research information about colleges that interest them so they can pursue the best opportunities when they are ready to apply. Small groups of students who are interested in the same schools can work together. The goal here is to get students to understand how they can find information so they can research any school they end up wanting to apply to.

 

Objectives:

·       To teach students skills in researching colleges and universities

·       To help students find out about the expectations colleges have for applicants

·       To help students locate important resources that colleges offer

 

Materials: smartphone, tablet, or laptop, writing utensils

 

Notes: As students work in small groups, this is a good time to walk around, assist in finding the answers (some advance research about where to find this information is useful), and to answer questions students have. A fun way to do this is to make it a race with a prize for the first person or team to finish answering the questions.

 

05.               College-Lingo Bingo

 

Timing: 30 minutes

 

 

Description: This is just a regular bingo game, except the caller gives descriptions and the students need to determine where to place chips based on what they think the descriptions are about. For extra fun, you can have students give their own descriptions as they read off the squares covered in their Bingo row.

 

It’s nice to have small prizes for winners.

 

Objectives:

·       To familiarize students with different types of colleges and universities

·       To have fun

 

Materials: Bingo Cards; basket to hold clues; clues for caller (print page provided in this session and cut into strips for each clue); poker chips, confetti, or other markers; prizes if possible

 

Notes: This is designed to be a fun way for students to learn about different types of educational institutions so they can be more informed when they choose the colleges they want to apply for.

 

06.               Financial Aid Affinity Mapping

 

Timing: 15 minutes

 

Description: This is an opportunity for students to learn about FAFSA and how to navigate the website to get information. Students should feel comfortable and confident when they use the website to maximize their financial resources and to get answers to questions they might have. For a large group, you can put students into smaller groups to explore the FAFSA website together. Each group can produce four notecards or sticky notes, and then the class as a whole can work together to organize the information—or each member of the group can produce four notecards or sticky notes, and each small group can work together to organize the information.

 

Objectives:

·       To gain comfort navigating the FAFSA website

·       To understand about available resources and what information is needed

·       To find answers to questions about FAFSA

 

Materials: note cards or sticky notes, writing utensils,

Smartphone, tablet, or laptop

Notes: Availability of financial aid is a big issue for most students. Many consider this the number one issue they need to resolve before they can consider college. The FAFSA website and the requirements they have can be intimidating to students and parents. Helping students to understand how the system works can ease their anxiety and prepare them for the application process.

 

07.               Creating A College Budget

 

Timing: 20 minutes

 

Description: It may be early for many students to develop a final budget for college. The expectation here is not that they will have answers for everything, but that they start thinking about what their expenses will be and how they will get the funds to cover expenses. A good goal for students is to minimize the amount they need for student loans, so helping them predict expenses and find sources will improve planning.

 

Objectives:

·       To understand expenses of attending college

·       To plan for financial needs

·       To consider sources of funds to cover expenses

 

Materials: writing utensils, additional copies of budget

Smartphone, tablet, or laptop for researching

 

Notes: Students can be overwhelmed when talking about money and budgets. Many won’t have the information and are relying on their parents to figure it out. The important thing is not to pressure students but to increase their awareness so they can plan.

 

08.               The Working World

 

Timing: 10 minutes

 

Description: Many students will need to work while they are in college. Competition for jobs on and around campus can be difficult, and students with experience will find jobs early, leaving fewer opportunities for others. Students with advanced knowledge of opportunities will have an advantage. This exercise is meant to help students learn how to research job opportunities on campus so they will be prepared when they need to do so.

 

 

Objectives:

·       To understand what work opportunities are available on campuses

·       To learn where to research to find opportunities

·       To consider how work will be part of the college experience

 

Materials: writing utensils

Smartphone, tablet, or laptop

 

Notes: Not all students will need jobs, and some will already have them, but it is an opportunity for them to find out how to research in the future.

 

09. Homework: Check with Your Parents

 

Timing: Assign to students—no time this week

 

Description: Students and parents need to communicate expectations, resources, and questions. This is a good time to encourage students to discuss what their parents want to know about their next steps. Students should try to find the answers to these questions through the workshop and share them with parents as they go. During session 10, students will have the opportunity to share and address these questions to make sure they can communicate clearly with their parents.

 

Objectives:

·       To encourage discussions with parents

·       To find out what information students and parents need

·       To address questions so both students and parents feel comfortable

 

Materials: writing utensils

 

Notes: Parents will have differing degrees of involvement in their kids’ education and college prospects. Some parents will be supportive, and some will be less so. It’s important to make sure all students feel safe and comfortable with this assignment.

 

10.               College Application Process Checklist

 

Timing: Show to students for their own use—no time this week

 

Description: This is for students to keep for their own use

 

 

Objectives:

·       To keep students informed of what they need at each stage during the process

·       To help students feel control over their future

 

Materials: none

 

Notes: Draw students’ attention to the checklist and let them know if they have questions, you are willing to discuss them.

 

11.               Wrap Up: Gist and List

 

Timing: 5 minutes

 

Description: Students should be able to summarize what they learned in the session under the “Gist” column. Then they can pick out specific points that are important and list them under the “List” column.

 

Objectives:

·       To help students digest and think about material

·       To serve as a memory aid

 

Materials: writing utensils

 

Notes: This is an opportunity for students to process the information they learned and put it in their own words. This will facilitate learning and let students control their use of information. If you run out of time, this can be assigned as homework—it should only take a few minutes and will serve as a reminder for students of what they learned before moving to the next session.