For many students, the winter break can last several weeks and bring many opportunities you can take advantage of beyond a part-time job or binging Netflix or Hulu. Here are some simple things to keep productive that will help you during the difficult parts of Spring semester.

What do you want to be when you grow up? This is perhaps one of the scariest questions adults can ask students – unless you are among the lucky and know exactly what you want to be in adulthood. There is an online tool that will let you share your career selection progress in a way that highlights your talents and your skills and shows how those talents and skills may help you along various career paths.

Did you know that you could become a fully credentialed Merchant Mariner before you graduate high school? AVTEC’s Young Mariner Training Program introduces high school students to the exciting maritime industry, and assists them in developing the basic skills essential to their success and safety as a Mariner.

This article addresses some tasks that a senior in high school should be completing. It’s important to remember and write down deadlines and dates as senior year goes by quickly. Not to mention, some of these tasks will take some attention to detail.

You spent time prepping for the FAFSA and NOW you actually completed it! Yay! Now what? Within 3 to 5 business days, your Student Aid Report (SAR) is sent to the e-mail provided on the FAFSA or via postal mail (depending on how you submitted the FAFSA). The Student Aid Report or SAR gives you some basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid and lists your answers to the questions on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Happy Halloween! Have you filed your FAFSA yet? Not to scare you, but most forms of financial aid are based on a first filed first served system – so, the earlier you file the FAFSA the better your chances are of receiving aid that you qualify for. If you haven’t filed, yet, we are here to help – If you’re not convinced you need to file a FAFSA, well… perhaps this article will change your mind.

For Alaska students the FAFSA is your application for the Alaska Performance Scholarship (APS) and the Alaska Education Grant (AEG) as well as other scholarships and grants. High school students can earn the APS by meeting the curriculum requirements on this check list (download here) as well as by test score. To apply for the APS with the FAFSA you must list at least one Alaska school as a place you are interested in attending.

Have you been asked, “How do you eat an elephant?” Maybe someone asked you as you were trying to accomplish something unfathomable, a huge task. Financial Aid is like that elephant. There is so much information out there on the topic including information on grants, scholarships, loans, federal work study, etc. But where to begin? We have the ultimate tool to help you narrow down your financial aid elephant into manageable pieces.

How can you better prepare yourself for a comfortable, financially stable life? What can you do to have a great career in the future? How can you become a part of a team of skilled workers that businesses need to expand and flourish? Look to high school apprenticeship as an answer to becoming successful in adult life.

“Go to school, pay attention and do your school work” was the never-ending mantra my parents chanted during my upbringing. For some time, my naiveté allowed me to think that that is all one has to do in order to be successful in school, but there are more variables to the 3-part formula my parents instilled in me – grit being one of the variables.