Parents' Universal Resource Experts Joins Facebook

Are you struggling with a teen that was always a good kid – now making some horrible choices?

Are they hanging out with kids that are questionable?

Did you get a report card that was less than acceptable?

Have you seen evidence of them smoking or using other substances?  Maybe drinking?

Don’t be parent in denial! You are only prolonging them getting the help they may need.  You don’t want to see them get arrested – you want to see them get back on a positive road to a bright future.

Join us on Facebook - and LIKE our community of professionals, parents and educators that want to help.

Also visit www.HelpYourTeens.com for a free consultation.

The Party's Over Tip Line: Preventing Drinking and Driving

Summer is here! 

This time of year often comes with an increase in free time and a decrease in adult supervision.
It is time to remind you that there are ways to anonymously report underage drinking. Please do not hesitate to call the Party’s Over Tip Line to anonymously report underage drinking in St. Johns County: (888) 277-8477, text TIP231 plus the message to 274637 or submit online by clicking here.

PACT Prevention Coalition is working diligently to educate our community about the dangers of underage drinking and other issues surrounding today's teenagers and children.

Not all kids are using drugs or alcohol.  We often hear from our young people, “it’s no big deal, everyone’s doing it” when talking about alcohol and other drugs. This is a common misconception and is not true!

According to the 2010 Florida Youth Substance Abuse Survey, 50.3% of middle and high school students have not used alcohol in their lifetime, 75.5% have not smoked cigarettes and 74.8% have not used marijuana. Click here for more information.

Please follow on Twitter at @PACTPrevention for the latest trends, events and news about substance abuse issues in St. Johns County.

Be an educated parent, you will have safer and healthier teens.

Watch the video.

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Helping Your Teen Select their College Courses

Tips to help your teen choose the right classes.

School is wrapping up in many areas of our country.  Many high school graduates are looking at higher education and starting college.  The question is – what classes should they take, in addition to their core classes they need.  This can be a struggle, but here are some tips to help you with this process.

With so many choices, it can be hard to narrow down what courses you need to take this semester or throughout your college career. Yet there are some things you need to keep in mind when it comes time to sign up for courses, whether it’s for a full semester or just for the summer.

If you’ve never been the type who’s good at choosing courses, use these pointers to guide you through the process and help you choose courses that will best serve your major and your long-term goals.

• Know the requirements. First and foremost, you need to look at the requirements for your major. Some classes are only offered in specific semesters and may be prerequisites for other courses you’ll need to take, so getting them out of the way when you can is essential to keeping on track for graduation. If you’re unsure of your major’s requirements, talk to the department head or your academic advisor.

• Focus on classes for your major first. The first classes you add into your schedule should be ones that help you complete requirements for your major or minor. You don’t want to drag out taking required courses, so get as many out of the way as you can. You also want to make sure you’re signing up for at least one course that meets your school’s general education requirements if you haven’t already taken care of these.

• Look through the course catalog. If you’re unsure of what courses to take, look through the course catalog. Take time to mark classes that seem interesting to you and figure out which would best fit into your current schedule.

• Fill in your schedule with electives. Whatever hours you have left should be taken up with electives. In general, students who are attending full time should not take less than 15 hours of classes, so always sign up for at least that much if you want to graduate in four years. Electives can be classes that are just for fun or on topics that supplement what you’re learning in your classes for your major.

• Consider the professors. Finally, find out a bit about the professors who are teaching the courses. The most interesting class in the world can put you to sleep if it doesn’t have a great professor teaching it.

If you’re still struggling with choosing courses, don’t be afraid to ask for help. You academic advisors are there to aid you in working through issues like this and can help you to plan out this semester or all of those which you have left.

Source:  Online Colleges

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Best Books About Higher Education

Students go to college to receive a higher education, but the industry itself is worthy of study. Budgets, challenges, politics, and reform are all interesting, evolving subjects in higher education. Explore these issues and more in the following books about the past, present, and future state of higher education.

The 20 Best Books About Higher Education:

1. Higher Education?: How Colleges Are Wasting Our Money and Failing Our Kids—and What We Can Do About It: Read Higher Education? to see how colleges are wasting money and failing kids.
2. The Shaping of American Higher Education: In The Shaping of American Higher Education, you can learn how the contemporary higher education system came to be through history.
3. 10 Things Employers Want You to Learn in College: Want to complete a career-driven education? This book has valuable information on what you need to learn before you graduate and start your job search.
4. American Higher Education in the Twenty-First Century: Learn about the social, political, and economic challenges of higher education in the 21st century from this book.
5. Crisis on Campus: Crisis on Campus has a bold plan for reforming colleges and universities.
6. No Sucker Left Behind: Find out about price gouging schemes in college, plus online resources for students in No Sucker Left Behind.
7. Universities in the Marketplace: Universities in the Marketplace offers a lesson on the commercialization of higher education, written by a former president of Harvard.
8. American Higher Education: American Higher Education shares a history of the higher education system, exploring common misconceptions and explaining how modern controversies are not all that new.
9. Student Engagement in Higher Education: See how students are being engaged and connected to the college experience, including groups like LGBT students, minorities, and students with disabilities.
10. DIY U: DIY U discusses the diminishing returns of college education and the upcoming transformation in higher education.
11. The Lost Soul of Higher Education: You’ll learn about the challenges to academic freedom and historic battles in the soul of higher education in this book.
12. The Five Year Party: Have colleges given up on educating? Find out what you can do about it by reading The Five Year Party.
13. Shakespeare, Einstein, and the Bottom Line: See how colleges have crumbled under market pressures and trends, turning students into customers and schools into brands and revenue centers through this book on the marketing of higher education.
14. Academically Adrift: Academically Adrift questions whether college students are really learning once they get to college.
15. Making Reform Work: Check out Making Reform Work to learn about ideas for improving American higher education.
16. They Don’t Teach Corporate in College: In this book, you’ll learn about the gap from college education to the corporate world, and how you can learn to enter the business world.
17. Getting from College to Career: Lindsey Pollak’s book shares 90 things you should do to build experiences and confidence before starting your job search.
18. Higher Education: Read Higher Education to learn about the challenges that are faced by today’s college grads, including a slow job market, debt, and new technology.
19. The Heart of Higher Education: In this book, you’ll find a call for change and renewal in higher education.
20. How Colleges Work: How Colleges Work offers an analysis of the academic organization and leadership of universities.

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Graduation: Gifts Your Grad Can Use

We know it's not the gift but the thought that counts, but enough with the monogrammed bath towels and fancy pens!

High school and college graduates of today are looking for more practical and stylish gifts that they can get some use out of and won't be embarrassed to bring to school or their first job. So, before you hand over another copy of Oh, the Places You'll Go!, check out these 25 great graduation gifts that graduates will actually use:

College Grads

These gifts will help college grads remember the best four years of their lives and transition into the working world.

1. Briefcase: A briefcase will make them feel that much more grown up and maybe get them excited for interviewing.
2. E-book Reader: Now that the textbooks have been retired, graduates can go back to reading for pleasure with the help of a nifty e-book reader.
3. Diploma Frame: This gift will ensure that their hard earned diploma makes it on the wall.
4. Resume Paper: College grads will happily accept resume paper and any job advice you can give them.
5. Cookware: Help a college grad get on his or her feet and replace their old pots and pans with new cookware.
6. College Ring : College is the best four years of your life, so why not get your grad a college ring that will last forever?
7. Subscription to Online Job Search Engines: Give a grad the gift of finding the best jobs out there with a subscription to exclusive online job search engines.
8. Mattress: Most college grads have probably outgrown their old mattress and could use a new one from you!
9. Shopping Spree: Help a college grad enter the working world in style with a shopping spree.
10. Career Advice and Inspiration Book: Graduation can be a very confusing time. Help guide this grad with a career advice and inspiration book.

High School Grads
These gifts will help all freshman get on the right foot and make the most of their four-year adventure.

11. Laptop Computer: If you're feeling generous, get the grad the quintessential college gift – a laptop computer.
12. College Memorabilia: Send off the graduate with a foam finger, sweatshirt and baseball hat for his or her respective college team.
13. Wal-Mart Gift Card: It may sound lame, but they'll be thanking you when they use this to restock their Ramen supply or buy the latest Xbox game.
14. Digital Camera: Help your grad capture the best four years of his or her life with a digital camera.
15. Backpack : A new chapter in life calls for a new, more mature backpack.
16. iPod: An iPod is a must-give gift for working out at the rec center and taking long road trips with college buddies.
17. Brita Water Filter: It might seem like a weird gift at first, but this grad will thank you after they get a before and after taste of dorm tap water.
18. Gas Card: You won't have to worry as much about your grad breaking the bank with a gas card, which will keep them fueled while away from home.
19. Bicycle: Nothing says college more than a new bike to cruise around campus on.
20. Shower Shoes: Graduates will get plenty of use out of shower shoes and avoid freshman foot fungus too!

Both Grads
These practical graduation gifts will thrill both high school and college grads.

21. Money: Any graduate will gladly accept money, but why not shake it up with one of these creative cash displays?
22. Luggage: Whether they're moving off to college or moving for a first job, you can't give a better gift than new luggage.
23. Cookbook: Help this high school or college grad learn how to prepare something other than Ramen noodles and PB&Js with a cookbook.
24. Portable Mug: A portable mug is a practical gift for any grad and is guaranteed to get used for all-nighters or early morning commutes.
25. Piggy Bank: Not only are piggy banks cute and nostalgic, but they actually serve a good purpose and will get a grad saving every penny.

Source: Katrina Solomon of College Degree

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