Sydney Scott is a senior at Southeastern Louisiana University. She shares practical advice, inspiration, and tips for high school and college students using her unique brand of candor and humor.
Welcome back!
… to day 3,589,231 of quarantine! Remember March 13th? Well if you don’t, I’ll fill you in: it was the last “normal” day before the chaos that has ensued in the last several months. Since March 13th, we’ve been on what will probably go down as the longest spring break in history. But now, that spring break has come to a close and ready or not, the 2020-21 school year has arrived.
Image: Brennadoodles
Maybe you’re attending classes in person, maybe you’re Zoom-ing all day, or maybe you’re doing a little bit of both. Either way, this school year is not one anyone expected to have. As a college senior, I feel like my life is now that meme of Cardi B saying “See you next year… or not.” And while it’s pretty nice to not have to drive to an 8 a.m. lecture, I never thought I’d have such a hard time simply navigating all of the changes of this school year. Deadlines, requirements, and class schedules have changed -- not just for college students, but for you, too! It’s a challenge to keep up with all of the changes happening, so this blog is dedicated to serving as a shortlist of resources for you for this school year!
First things first.
To start, I’ll tackle the existing information put out by the Louisiana Department of Education for K-12 students. The good news? This won’t take much time. The bad news? There’s just not much information yet! While LDOE did publish guidelines as to how schools in Louisiana should navigate reopening this fall, there have not yet been any official changes to the core curriculum, graduation requirements, LEAP testing mandates, etc. While there is a possibility that there will be some changes made to this school year, there have been no official statements made in regard to major changes to the school year for high school students in Louisiana (yet).
Main point: We don’t know if this school year will lead to major changes in requirements for high school students, so look out for more information as the school year progresses (a good way to keep up with said changes is through our app, which we’ll get to in a second!).
We’re here to help.
Bottom line, we’re here to help you get to graduation with a plan for your future! We know that last semester was a tough one and the challenges that lie ahead for this school year are plentiful, too -- and that’s why we’re here to help.
Normally, we’d be interacting with students in schools, but now, all our seminars for 6th-11th grade, along with our one-on-one college & career coaching services, have been moved online. Think of CC as your virtual assistant that’s here to help you with all things college planning related!
One resource we recommend downloading is the Career Compass ASK ME! App, which is a free, interactive resource for parents and students in Louisiana! (It’s free and can be downloaded here via the Apple App store, and here via Google Play). We’ll be using our app as a hub for publishing updates to the school year, newly-published resources, guidelines from LDOE, and more! You can also use our app to access curated scholarships and get in touch with your college & career coach. While we’ve gone digital this semester, we’re still determined to help you make it through successfully any way we can.
You’ll want to save these for later…
Another resource we’ll be updating throughout the school year is this blog! You can check www.careercompassla.org/ccblog for monthly blogs by yours truly. Blog topics range from important updates for students, to tips on surviving your freshman year of college. It’s all on our website, and we’re continuing to serve up fresh, updated content to help you navigate the school year that lies ahead.
Normally our social media is dedicated to sharing student stories, but this semester, we’re dedicating it to serving as an additional resource for parents and students. You can expect how-to videos, updates on current guidelines, tips, and more! Follow us at @careercompassla on IG, or follow us on Facebook so you don’t miss a thing!
If you’re a student wanting to learn more about school-specific COVID-19 guidelines, contact your school to determine how they are addressing this challenge.
College Students: Every public college and university in Louisiana has a plan to help students amid the start of the new semester. I collected the COVID-19 response links for Louisiana’s public post-secondary schools below.
UL System -- LCTCS System -- Southern University System
LSU System: LSU Main, LSU-S, LSU Health, LSU-A, LSU-E
High School and Middle School Students: If you are a middle or high school student, contact your school office for more information.
Last thing: YOU GOT THIS!
While this school year may have gotten off to a hectic start, we are determined to make the best of it, and more than ever, we believe in you! Keep in mind that this will get easier, and you are capable of handling any challenge that this semester may throw at you. Remember that we’re here to help you navigate this school year, and we’ll be cheering for you until you cross the finish line in May. You got this!
Want more? Check us out on Instagram to see what we’re up to, and to get important updates for students during the COVID-19 pandemic. Download the free Career Compass mobile app is available for free in the App Store and Google Play. You can find scholarships, FAFSA and TOPS information, ACT and SAT reminders, application dates, important reminders, and more! Download it here.
Cover image by Pixabay.