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"The Home Stretch"
September 30, 2000
Laura Smith
It's finally here--your last year of high school. And you can't wait to get out of there! Sure, there are the usual feelings of terror, and uncertainty, but the desire to leave home over rules that. But where do you start looking? Do you want to enter the workforce after graduation, or continue on with higher education? If your choice is continuing your education, I have just the place to start looking.
I recommend starting your research at http://www.intergov.gc.ca/edu/on_e.html. This is a web site listing all the post secondary institutions in Ontario. You have the opportunity to investigate schools in the rest of Canada, as well. Each school has provided a link to their own web page.
Now you can investigate your chosen school from their point of view. You can decide if this is really where you want to spend the next few years of your life. Many places offer prospective students a chance to book a tour, or just drop by the campus and have a look around.
Many students are also in the position of applying for scholarships and bursaries. Most universities have a listing on their web page of the opportunities available specifically to their students. If you don't find what you are looking for in the way of financial assistance at your university, you can check out the Ontario Student Assistance Program online at http://osap.gov.on.ca/. Here you can view the paper form you'll have to fill out, or you can submit your information online. It is also possible to find out what criteria you need to meet, and how they determine the amount of your assistance.
Of course you'll miss your friends next year, but you can always keep in touch. There are many web based email accounts available to everyone. My personal favourite is Hotmail, but there are countless others out there that are good too. And of course you can still chat through ICQ. Really, it won't be that bad. Think of the new adventures you can have--that Mom and Dad never have to know about!
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