The National Society of High School Scholars

NSHSS is committed to the pursuit of academic excellence and embodies the values of Mr. Nobel’s family tradition of peace and excellence. NSHSS supports our scholars’ growth and development in ethical action, service leadership, and expressions of self.

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Are Fast Online Degrees From Accredited College Worth It?

Accelerated online degrees offer many benefits to students who do not feel comfortable leaving their homes in the midst of COVID-19 or have a full time job.

Flexibility

For people who have a career and are looking to go back to school, it may be a daunting commitment to balance a full-time job with going to school full-time. With an online degree, you can work around your own schedule and complete work at home or even at your job if permitted.

Comfort

In stressful times, working from home can offer a sense of relief to students because of the familiarity. Some students can be intimidated by large class sizes, but being completely online reduces that stress.

Lower Tuition

When attending a four-year university, there are many added fees such as room and board, meal plans, parking, facilities costs and more. However, most online universities will only charge limited tuition costs and any additional cost for textbooks and materials.

About the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Design Your Careers (DYC)

Design Your Careers (DYC) is a non-profit organization that gives students the opportunity to showcase their skills and talents on a global platform. This community helps students to become leaders in their communities and become well-rounded individuals.

The Beginning

Founded by Rohan Mohala, the idea of DYC came to mind when a family friend shared math tips with him at a math competition in 8th grade. Rohan then thought, “why not have these people share their skills for others to learn?” The program has four categories; Imaginers, Givers, Logicians, and Players. Funds from parents involved allowed DYC to flourish for young people everywhere.

What does DYC do?

DYC encourages students to share their knowledge with others while also learning new skills for themselves. Every skill is important, and the different categories allow students to explore in ways that are different than in the classroom. Many of the key values and principals align with NSHSS, for DYC is fostering a community of young leaders and preparing them for their future endeavors. Since 2019, DYC has impacted millions of young people throughout the United States and are continuing to expand with their successful platform.

About the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Three Great Ways to Build Community in the Classroom

Having a community in the classroom is extremely important for a student’s success. Students will be more likely to work together and enjoy the environment of their classroom. Here are three tips on how to build community in the classroom.

 Weekly Class Meeting

Holding weekly meetings will give students the opportunity to reflect on the week’s curriculum. Open discussion allows for a community feel within the classroom.

Goal Focused

If goals are combined with an incentive, students are more driven to achieve the specified goals. If the students work together, they can enjoy the reward together, and community in the classroom should follow.

 Compliments

Sharing compliments increases student morale in the classroom. Students can share compliments about other students, or the teacher can share compliments about the students. Lifting each other up can be beneficial and help motivate students to keep up the hard work.

 About the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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The Best Books for SAT Preparation

While SAT preparation can be daunting for students, there are many books and guides to help students prepare for their exam.

Kallis’ SAT Pattern Strategy

This book goes over 101 topics that can be found on a standard SAT exam while also including questions taken from previous SATs, with explanations on how to complete them. Kallis’ Strategy offers fundamentals in English, literature, mathematics and science.

SAT Prep Black Book, 2nd Edition

This book helps students understand the concepts of the exam as well as provides tips on how to manage your time and limit distractions during the exam and preparation.

The Princeton Review's Cracking the SAT, 2019 Edition

This book offers a full overview of exactly what to expect on test day and how to conquer the test. The book also offers four full-length practice exams to work on, as well as access to an online practice exam with a full breakdown of all answers.

About the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Four of the Top Internships for High School Students in the Summer

There are many internship opportunities for high school seniors that can help them learn some professional skills and networking.

Kaiser Permanente LAUNCH Program This is an eight-week paid internship in the summer for high school students interested in exploring the health field.

  Microsoft High School Internship This is a great opportunity to learn more about computer science and programming. It is geared toward students that have a desire to pursue a degree or learn more about STEM subjects.

The Intern Group International Internships This is the perfect program for the students interested in becoming a world traveler and experiencing the culture of other places. This internship will allow you to choose from many fields of study.

  Smithsonian Summer Internship If you have an interest in history, art, culture, science, nature, or technology, this is a great internship to consider. You will learn valuable skills while enjoying what the Smithsonian museum has to offer.

About the  National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The  NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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International Research Scholars at Duke Kunshan University

To get the most out of their college experience, many students opt to embark on a journey abroad. Caroline Palmer, a student at Duke Kunshan University in the class of 2023, decided to go abroad for her college experience in China. For those interested in research, Duke Kunshan provides many opportunities for students looking to expand their knowledge outside the United States. Here is how Caroline got started:

Choosing a university abroad.

Caroline chose the university that best suited her aspirations. Duke Kunshan gave Caroline the opportunity to improve her language skills in Chinese and fully immerse herself in the international experience.

Reaching out to research institutes on campus.

Making connections with these research institutions allowed Caroline to start her research as early as her first semester freshman year. She was able to learn about air pollutants in China as well as global health.

Finding new opportunities.

Either internationally or domestically, taking advantage of opportunities allow students to flourish in so many ways. Back in Durham, Caroline worked on a project called “Community-based testing and primary care to mitigate COVID-19 Transmission.” Working on this project has allowed Caroline to better understand the virus.

About the  National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The  NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Three Networking Skills that all College Students Should Know

Networking can be immensely useful in your career. Making connections may lead to job opportunities in the future. New to networking? Follow these tips:   1. Be Prepared For Any Event Ask yourself the following: Who will be attending the event? What do they do professionally or in general? What questions would I like to ask? Being prepared will grow your confidence before the event. 2. What Is Your “WHY” Understanding your “why” will allow you to gain so much more from an event. Perhaps you are focused on connecting with someone to obtain a job opportunity or internship. The “why” can be many things but you must be prepared to be able to define it.   3. Questions Are Key Make sure to ask questions more than sharing about yourself. Generally, people like to speak about themselves and this will show you have an interest in them.

About the  National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The  NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Tips For Maximizing College Funding

College tuition is always a consideration for parents and students when deciding which university to attend. Below are seven tips to help secure the most financial aid possible from scholarships and other funding tools.

Seven Tips for the Most Financial Aid ● Filling out the FAFSA form on October 1st gives you a higher chance of getting more grants and potential money. ● Minimizing student assets is always key; make sure you're under the right family member’s name when applying. ● Look to understand and comprehend the facets and different strategies that go into FAFSA. ● Fill out your FAFSA forms regardless of your household income status. ● Preparation for merit-based opportunities should always be on your radar. ● Consider any and all top-rated schools if you feel you have the chance to get into the school. ● Apply for all scholarships available to you. About the  National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS) The  NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Student Stories: Three Ways to Raise Money to Attend the Yale Young Global Scholars Program

As young people prepare to apply to college, they know how crucial it is to demonstrate their character and ambition through the experiences they include on an application. The Yale Young Global Scholars Program is one such program that can help set a student apart from the rest. Still, finances can present challenges for many who aspire to join the program. Here are a few ways a student can fund their dream.

Request Donations from Local Organizations

When looking to obtain any possible donations for your scholarship, Oluwatomisin Ogunnubi recommends you take the following steps as she did: Send out letters of interest to local friends, family, social media following, and local organizations. She even stated that, “I followed the manual and drew up a list of potential donors that I could reach out to such as relatives, friends, my parents’ social media followings, etc. I sent out letters explaining my interest in YYGS and my desire to make an impact.”

Seeking funding from a private donor

Chenyu Zhang utilized his connections from a private donor to attend the YYGS program. The key element behind his success was showing meaning and passion behind why he wanted to pursue this specific venture. With that stated, not only did Chenyu give a passionate reasoning behind his seeking of funds, he had good founded reasons for seeking advice, and as a result he ultimately gained a donor.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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How to Deal with Difficult Coworkers and Overcome Workplace Obstacles

Having to adapt to a work environment where things don’t go according to plan is what most employees face in today’s world, which can cause conflict between team members. Whether it stems from miscommunication, lack of understanding, or uncontrollable external factors, working with other people always has the chance of resulting in friction. Here are some ways you can deal with difficult coworkers and overcome workplace obstacles.

Stop and breathe.

Once you realize tensions starting to rise between you and another coworker, step back and slowly breathe in and exhale to calm yourself down.

Practice and review your response.

Before talking in the aftermath of whatever situation arose, remember to think of a response to your coworker that is polite but also points out your opinion on the matter.

Focus on actionable steps moving forward.

Overcoming the issue is always the goal, so try working out your differences on a professional level. Try confiding in another coworker you trust and ask for their opinion about the situation. Finally, always try to see the other coworkers’ perspectives to get an understanding of where they are coming from.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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Looking on the Bright Side: 6 Benefits of Online High School Classes

As high school students, you might not be pleased with going from in-person to online instruction. These are six benefits of high school classes that might change your feelings about the upcoming school year.

Flexible schedule.

The prime benefit of online high school classes is the ability to appreciate a schedule that is more flexible than you would have with in-person high school classes.

Classroom locations are endless.

With online learning you can create your own learning environment by choosing where to be during class time.

Wiggle room on work pace.

While deadlines are based on the teacher’s lesson plan, the pace at which you do your work will be more flexible than with in-person classes.

Fewer social distractions.

With online learning, social distractions can be eliminated by putting your phone in another room, allowing you to focus on work – which can also give students who don’t enjoy social interactions at school a break.

New Skills will be developed.

Online courses will help enhance and build new skills that are needed in the real world.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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How to Go From Being a Good Teacher to a Great Teacher

Being a teacher means pushing your students to test their limits and exceed their own goals. You as an educator can do this by striving to be the best you can be when it comes to engaging with your class. Here are some tips to help you out.  

Positive Attitude

Always maintaining a positive outlook in whatever circumstance students present will give them extra motivation to do better each day.

Clear Goals & Objectives

Bring fresh new ideas with a clear establishment of what you want your students to gain out of a lesson plan or project. Try to be unique in the way you approach your lessons to maximize student engagement.

Adapt to Students’ Needs

Understanding that some students may not excel in a particular subject is where you as the educator need to be sensitive to the pace you set in each lesson.

Teach Holistically

Bring more factors of real life lessons into the mix; teach your students something that can be applied in their lives.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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Five Benefits of Collaborative Learning and Strategies for How to Get Started

Collaborative Learning helps students in and out of the classroom through a more holistic approach and team building activities.

Benefits of Collaborative Learning

Leadership and self-management skills shown in group settings allow for more learning opportunities in regard to managing a structural foundation for students. Exposing students to a broader range of topics where they are able to delve into various aspects can allow them to acquire skills they haven’t tapped into prior. This will enhance student relationships as they bond and learn from one another.

Interestingly, this learning style has been shown to improve memory retention. This helps solidify information longer and faster through the means of this type of engagement. Finally, collaborative learning can potentially boost critical thinking skills in conjunction with active listening skills.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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Utilizing These Five Tips to Enhance Classroom Engagement

To help in your endeavor of virtual learning, here are five tips you should consider while creating your Zoom lesson plans.

 Getting students engaged

Before you start teaching any of your material on Zoom classrooms, you should consider holding a check-in period with your students.

 Creating interactive lessons

The Zoom application has many features that allow you to teach interactive lessons. If you have any questions, you can use this article, Zoom strategy.

 Breaking out in different rooms

The breakout room function lets you create small pods where a group of students can have a group discussion on concepts, ideas, or anything on the class material.

 Taking a break

By scheduling frequent breaks, students will have less of a chance of becoming exhausted by the online learning environment.

 Receiving feedback

By gathering feedback from your students, you will have notes on what you can do to make your class more engaging and dynamic.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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Finding the balance: What is too much homework for high schoolers?

Now with online learning being the new reality for students, herein lies the question: how much homework is too much?

Based on research, it is suggested that homework that takes over two hours a night to complete can negatively impact students’ stress levels and overall balance in life.

However, a perfect answer might not exist to the above question.

Find a balance.

Educators should ask themselves what is the objective of the homework?

Is the objective to test the students’ understanding of a particular subject, or to grow a particular skill? If it falls under one of these categories, then the homework is considered to be constructive.

Though when the homework is purely to keep students occupied or learn something not yet taught, then the homework itself may not be as helpful as you may think. 

Sleep is critical.

The CDC suggests that those between 13 and 18 years old need between 8-10 hours of sleep to promote proper development.

If young people do not receive proper sleep, their risk for health issues and behavioral issues can increase, which may ultimately impact their learning.

If homework is so extensive that it impedes on a student’s sleep schedule, it is safe to say they are receiving too much homework.

The danger of academic exhaustion.

When students become academically exhausted with all the learning, and more specifically the homework, the idea of attending college becomes less appealing. Let us not exhaust students before they start college – the amount of work in college can be similar if not more work intensive. Inspire them to enjoy learning, rather than overloading them with too much homework.

NSHSS members have the opportunity to access an abundance of resources to help them through both their academic and professional careers for life. Access to information on college readiness, scholarship application tips, networking skills, study strategies, and more helps our members succeed. Furthermore, members can also learn through fellow students, alumni, educator members, NSHSS staff, and corporate sponsors.

Learn more about the National Society of High School Scholars.

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Why a Gap Year Can Do Wonders for Students

A gap year is described as an extended period of time taken off from school or work in order for a person to reflect on their current state and hopefully grow. Gap years usually include taking off from school and travelling, taking in new experiences and seeing what else one’s country or the rest of the world has to offer. Other times, it is simply used to gain some practical work experience prior to pursuing higher level education.

Students endure high stress levels during college years often with heavy pressure to succeed and do well. Traveling and understanding new experiences can help subdue some of that stress. Think about all the times you have been stressed in life, then went out for a drive and felt better afterwards; now take that scenario and amplify it. Imagine instead of that drive, it is a trip to a place that you have never been to before, a place you could only imagine in your dreams. Gap years involving travel are extremely beneficial for mental health and allow the student to bring in a wide range of new experiences into the academic setting.

About the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.

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Making a Cover Letter as Strong as Possible

When applying for a job, a cover letter can make the difference between securing the job and being passed over. A strong cover letter indicates that an interviewee has a sense of professionalism. You want to make sure that the cover letter demonstrates all your best qualities and traits, and perfectly sums you up as a potential employee. Additionally, employers want to see that you have at least a general understanding of the scope of the job and what it takes to make a difference in the field.

The purpose of a cover letter is to talk about yourself. Be specific in presenting this information. The employer wants to know what unique qualities you would bring to the organization, so don’t be afraid to talk about your experiences in a way that demonstrates your knowledge without directly saying “I’m so great”.

Every skill counts, whether it be conflict resolution, customer service, or something more specific to the job description itself. Employers want a reason to hire you, and a strong cover letter that cites your own experience and positive qualities can help achieve this.

About the National Society of High School Scholars (NSHSS)

The NSHSS provides students with lifetime access to a variety of experiences and resources including scholarships, leadership and study abroad programs, service activities, and partner offers.