In case you haven’t figured it out already, I’m talking about senioritis.

Merriam-Webster defines it as “an ebbing of motivation and effort by school seniors as evidenced by tardiness, absences, and lower grades.” (The suffix –itis actually refers to inflammation or swelling, but you don’t have to worry about that until next year, when you put on the dreaded “freshman 15.”) Whatever senioritis means to you, avoiding it is more important now than ever.

According to an article in USA Today, colleges and universities will take final grades into account to an unprecedented degree in 2009. Why? For starters, the economy is in dire straits, and schools aren’t confident that everyone they admit will be able to pay tuition. The solution? Admit more people!

There’s just one problem, the article’s authors say: “If they find they have over-enrolled their incoming class, they may be more likely to revoke an offer of admission to those who haven’t maintained top grades.” That means you have to tough it out for a few more months, even if you’ve already received a fat envelope from your dream school.

But it’s not all bad news. Finishing strong in high school will pay dividends down the road. Not only will you make sure you end up at the right school, you’ll also build the skills and work ethic that undergraduates need to succeed.

When you get to college, you’ll be expected to motivate yourself and keep up with a much more demanding schedule of classes. Sure, you’ll have advisors, but no one will put you in detention if you skip class, or send a note home to your parents if you flunk a midterm. It’s all on you.

So think of your last few months in high school as a test run. Can you avoid the urge to slack off, even when no one is watching? Will you put in the time and effort to write an excellent paper—not just a good one—even if it means missing a party or two? How you answer these questions says as much about your college hopes as your GPA or your SAT score, if not more.

Besides, it’s better to play it safe. Everyone wants to leave high school with a few good stories to tell, but getting accepted to your dream school only to lose your spot thanks to bad grades is kind of a downer.

First of all, make sure you have a neat, well-organized and proofread resume. (For examples and advice on formatting, check out Purdue University’s Online Writing Lab.) Potential employers know you’re young and don’t have much work experience, but taking the time to present yourself and your accomplishments with professionalism can set you apart from the crowd.

Your resume should include your GPA, any academic awards you’ve won, and a list of sports teams and school clubs you belong to—especially if you’ve been elected to an office, like school treasurer or captain of the basketball team. Other great entries for your resume include organizations you’ve volunteered with and community events you’ve helped organize.

But that’s not all. Do you have any special skills or certifications? Mention them. Do you speak more than one language? Say so. Are you good with computers? Let your geek flag fly! Remember, your goal is to show potential employers that you’re a valuable member of your community, a fast learner, and a helpful addition to the workforce.

You should also make sure that your voicemail greeting and email address convey a grown-up, professional image. The same goes for ringback tones—your friends might get a kick out of Lil Wayne’s latest, but your future boss probably won’t.

Now, you’ve probably heard this next part before, but it bears repeating: When you go to a job interview, dress appropriately, stand up straight, and always be respectful. If you have a cell phone, turn the ringer off. Look your interviewer square in the eye and speak clearly. Potential employers appreciate job applicants who are confident in themselves and comfortable with people, so practice your interview skills with a parent, sibling or friend if you’re feeling nervous.

It also helps to prepare answers to a few common questions, like “why did you apply for this job?” or “tell me a little about yourself.” (Trust me, you’ll get those two a lot.) You don’t want to sound like you’re reading from a cue card, so don’t over-rehearse, but a little forethought can save you from awkward pauses and nervous stammering.

Finally, try to relax and be yourself. Sincerity and enthusiasm will take you a lot further than you might think—if your resume looks good, that is!

You probably don’t spend much time in the East Room of your house, but on Wednesday your dad invited more than 100 of the country’s top teachers there to announce his new “Educate to Innovate” campaign.  After handing out some awards, he joked about putting his guests to work:

“As I mentioned to some of you, because I’ve got two girls upstairs with math tests coming up, I figure that a little extra help from the best of the best couldn’t hurt.  So you’re going to have assignments after this.  These awards were not free.”

We assume you did just fine on those math tests.

Unfortunately, you won’t always have a crowd of brilliant teachers downstairs to help you study. Of course, you could always get help from your parents, but they’ll both be pretty busy for the next three to seven years.  So what’s a first daughter to do?

Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered.  Tutor.com has thousands of certified math and science tutors available to help you with homework, studying and lab reports, 24/7.  We cover social studies, history and essay-writing too—and we can even help you prepare for the SAT when you start thinking about college.

So the next time you’re stuck on a tough problem, don’t drag your dad out of a meeting with the National Security Council.  Our tutors are just a few clicks away, and there’s no charge for military families (as daughters of the commander-in-chief, we figure you qualify) or patrons of the DC Public Library.  We hope to see you soon!

Sincerely,

The Tutor.com Team

Hello Live Homework staff, thank you for all your help and support. I appreciate all you have done for others and I. America should be proud of all of you, as well as society. When the government gives out speeches regarding educational standards, they should talk about tutoring, after-school tutors, and online free tutoring. Why? Well, not all of America’s teenagers and kids have the ability to go to a center for tutoring, or to pay tuition for tutoring, whether it’s online or personal tutoring. Everyone is thankful for this free service that the Ferguson Library provides, and hopefully other organizations do too. We all wish that not only America, but other nations as well, can have this process of “help for the people by the people” in their developing, or not-so-developing, countries. The government helps the country, but people, my great friends, are who help people. Thank You!

Whether it’s online tutoring, internet access, cultural events, or just something to read, public libraries across the country provide essential services to students, parents and entire communities. We’re excited to contribute to this effort, and we look forward to helping the next million students who work with our tutors as much as we’ve helped this one.

Luckily the folks at Unshelved, the world’s only daily comic strip set in a public library, have done a better job of synopsizing this head-scratcher of a book than we ever could.  In this Sunday’s comic, Dewey, the hero of the strip and a young adult librarian, attempts to explain The City & The City to his boss.  As the book club member who picked The City & The City, I identify with the uphill battle Dewey’s fighting—just as my fellow Book Club members must identify with Mel, Dewey’s utterly baffled branch manager.

Whoever you side with, be sure to pick up Miéville’s latest if your local library has it in stock.  Even if you don’t really understand it, it’ll keep you thinking long after you finish the last page.

JPL staffers were particularly impressed by our Career Center, where library patrons can get job search tips, download resume and cover letter templates, and even proofread their resumes with a live English tutor.  Here are a few of their responses:

• “Many patrons in our area are desperately trying to locate a job and are in our library day after day looking for ways to support their families in these economically stressed times.”
• “I think the aspect of the new Tutor.com Learning Suite that has the most value for my patrons is Proof Point, because everyone can use another ‘brain’ to test the logic of what they have written, not to mention catch sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, and spelling errors.”
• “This is a fantastic tool to have because they are talking to a ‘real-live’ person that can help them the same day and have their resumes done sooner.”
• “I was an English major and I still feel like writing a cover letter is one of the most daunting tasks in communicating with potential employers, so I know that help in that area can really benefit those who are even less confident in their writing skills.”

We’re happy to help, and even happier that JPL is already getting some use out of its new Wii.  Library staffers hosted a teen gaming night at a local church last month, and one staffer told us “It was heartwarming to see kids who did not know each other become friends during the competition.”

A few weeks later, JPL had a Wii Bowling night for patrons 50 and over—and judging from the photos they sent us, the seniors had a great time.  Another bowling event is scheduled for tonight, so be sure to stop by if you’re in the area.  Happy bowling!

To help schools minimize the threat to students, teachers and staff, the CDC recommends actively screening for flu symptoms, keeping sick students at home for up to a week, and even preemptively dismissing students with sick parents or siblings.  Drastic measures?  Maybe.  But Swine Flu killed over 500 Americans this year (and hospitalized thousands more), so it pays to be careful.

Of course, missing a week of class, or learning from a substitute while a permanent teacher is sick, can set students back dramatically—especially at the beginning of the school year.  That’s why the U.S. Department of Education recommends online tutoring to “ensure continuity of learning.”  Here’s an excerpt from “Preparing for the Flu,” a recent report from the Department:

Teacher check‐ins and tutorials: A variety of technologies (telephone, email, web conferencing) can be used to facilitate one‐on‐one interaction between students and teachers, counselors and other appointed adults (e.g., tutors) during prolonged absences or dismissals.

We couldn’t agree more.  In a school affected by a flu outbreak, sick students may lose access to many of the support systems, like friends and teachers, they rely on to help them finish daily homework assignments, write papers, study for tests, or just make sense of their healthy friends’ class notes.

Working with a certified tutor is an excellent way for students to keep themselves on the track to college, regardless of what this year’s flu season may have in store.

Unfortunately, the government released its first Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) last month to establish how the ARRA’s $7.2 billion in broadband funding will be distributed.  That’s where the bad news comes in.  According to a letter from the ALA to the assistant secretary of commerce, the NOFA “in effect de-prioritizes libraries and discourages them from applying for funding.”  Specifically, the new rules count communities as “unserved” or “underserved” only if 50% to 90% of households lack internet access, a definition that excludes most urban areas from serious funding.  This is a major departure from the original intent of the bill, and the ALA has requested changes.

To help libraries and library patrons get the resources they need, please take a moment to write your representative, your senator, and the White House, or leave us a comment explaining how your library’s free internet access helps you.  It’s not too late to make your voice heard!