The Daunting Task...Beginning

February of my junior year, I suddenly began to freak out. How on earth was I going to pay for college?

Ok, so maybe most juniors in high school aren't too worried about it. They expect their parents to pay for it, or just figure they'll have loans like everyone else. But I was raised in a family that doesn't typically have debt, and with an older brother also in college, I knew college was going to be expensive and my parents didn't have the money for both of us to go.

I've always been self-motivated, and I worked hard in school, trying to earn money for college. But, even as people said, "The money's out there; all you have to do is look for it," I was unsure.

So the summer before the beginning of my senior year, I took two days and sat at the computer, determined to organize this massive tangle of scholarships and deadlines and essays. I created my own calendar, created a color-coding system, and entered every scholarship for which I was eligible to apply into the calendar. Throughout the year, I updated the calendar, adding new scholarships and marking off those which I had submitted. I kept track of what I needed to do and what I had done and somehow managed to survive the year.

I felt at times that I was in a war for scholarships. There were all these great kids out there who had done awesome things and were going to win all these scholarships, so why should I bother? Still, I continued on, and I'm so glad I did! I applied for over thirty scholarships and was awarded eight, paying for nearly all of my freshman year at a private (and expensive) college that I love.

During the year, as I grumbled at scholarships that had annoying qualifications and confusing requirements, I declared, "I could write a book on scholarships!" Well, a book isn't exactly in reach, but I figure a blog will do the trick. I know several of my friends would love my help, and I'd love to help them.

So, this is both my daunting task and yours. Mine, because I'm committing to writing a blog and trying to convey what I've learned in the past year. Yours, because you are starting the journey I just ended. Well, kind of ended: I will still be looking for scholarships for my sophomore year of college!

Feel free to post comments and questions, and I'll do my best to get back to you!