Many prospective college students want to know what to expect from the college experience before they hit campus. Does college actually match up with the idealized experience you see in movies? 

The truth about college is that it can be a lot of different things at once--exciting, nerve-wracking, adventuresome, stressful, and so much fun. 

A lot of what college will be like is ultimately up to some of the choices you make, but there are also some basically universal truths about what college is like that it’s worth learning about before you get to campus. In this article, we’ll demystify the core components of a college education for you, including academics, extracurriculars, college social life, time management, working while in school, and living arrangements. We’ll also give you five tips for getting the most out of your college experience. 

So, what is collegereally  like? Keep reading to find out!

Are you building up your vocabulary to get ready for the ACT? While memorizing obscure words won't get you too far, learning medium-level words in multiple contexts will help you out a great deal on ACT Reading and English. Besides "multiple-meaning" words, you also want to review scientific terms to be prepared for the ACT Science section.

This guide tackles the "one word a day" strategy and how you can use it effectively to prepare for the ACT. First, how useful is studying just one word a day?

The Disney College Program is a sought after paid college internship program in the U.S. Not only do you get to work for Disney, you'll also gain professional and educational experience that stands out on your resume. It's not surprising, then, that thousands of college students seek the chance to put the DCP on their resumes each year.

But, what is the Disney College Program, exactly, and how do you know if you’d be a good fit for it (and a competitive applicant)? We'll answer these questions and more for you in this article! We'll give you:

• An overview of the Disney College Program, including who it’s for and who’s eligible, how long it lasts, and what the benefits are
• An explanation of the three main components of the Disney College Program
• Three tips for deciding if the program would be a good fit for you
• A guide to the Disney College Program application process and five tips for putting together a stand-out application.

Find out all the details you need to know about the Disney College Program below!

How exactly do you take a document that's as complicated as your transcript and shrink it all down to a single number? If you're wondering how to use the final grades you've gotten in high school to determine your GPA, then you've come to the right place. This article will show you how to make this calculation, step by step. But first, what exactly is a GPA?

"Let $x$ and $y$ be integers such that ..."

"If $y$ is a positive integer, what is ... ?"

If you've taken the ACT or an ACT practice test, these types of math questions might look familiar to you. You've likely come across several questions on the ACT that mention the word "integer." And if you don't know what this term means, these problems will be difficult to solve.

Questions involving integers are common on ACT Math, so it's important to have a solid grasp of them as you prepare for the test. What are integers and how do they fit into the larger ACT Math picture?

This article will be your guide to basic integers for the ACT, going over what they are, how they change, and how you'll see them used on the test. For the more advanced integer concepts, including absolute values, exponents, roots, and more, refer to our advanced guide to ACT integers.

Beyond helping someone get an initial hire, recommendation letters can also go a long way toward assisting someone with an internal promotion. If the promotion involves moving into a position of leadership, then a great rec letter from a supervisor or colleague can be useful in showing that the candidate's ready to move up.

In this sample reference, a supervisor recommends that a Customer Experience Advisor at a glasses company move into the position of Team Lead. Read on to see how the supervisor frames her letter.

In our brave new world of ubiquitous internet, some employees work on a remote basis, communicating with teams via email and video chat. Whether they contribute as programmers, writers, or in another field, they might work from anywhere with a wifi connection.

This letter represents this remote relationship with a clothing company manager writing for a freelance web designer. Even though the manager hasn't worked with the candidate on a day-to-day basis, he can still attest to the quality of her work, as well as touch on some of the personal characteristics that he has gotten to know.

Read on to see how the remote manager weaves a strong reference for a web designer.

If you're a college professor, you'll probably write a bunch of recommendation letters for graduate programs and even jobs. In the following sample, an English professor provides a reference letter for a former student applying to teach English in South Korea.

While this professor hasn't seen his student in a teaching role, he can attest to his English language skills and passion for immersing himself in new cultures. Read on for the sample reference letter and an analysis of what it does well.

You don't have to be somebody's boss to write her a recommendation letter. You might have a coworker ask you to write one when she applies for an internal promotion or a position outside the company.

The sample letter in this article is written by a colleague for someone applying to a leadership position at another company. As a coworker and friend to the candidate, the writer can speak both to her professional skills and to her personal interests. Read on to see how the writer supports his colleague's job application.

Have you done some volunteer work or community service and want to get a letter that shows how many hours you've completed and what jobs you did? Or maybe you need a community service letter to apply for a scholarship, job, or to a particular college? Do you know who you should ask to write the letter and what it should include?

Read on to learn what a community service letter is, why it's useful, and how you can get a great one written for you.

Did you know there are over 1.5 million internships in the U.S. each year? If you work in supervisory role in a company, chances are you might find yourself writing a letter of recommendation for an intern. While you may have gotten to know an intern on a part-time, temporary basis, you can still write a personal and detailed letter of recommendation to help her through the job search.

The following sample letter of recommendation is written by an editor at a publishing company for a recent intern. Read on for the reference letter and an analysis of what it does well.

According to the Connecticut State Department of Education, there were up to 29 applicants per teaching position in Connecticut last year! Teaching's a competitive field, so a stand-out letter of recommendation can go a long way.

In the sample letter below, a principal recommends an art teacher applying to another school due to budget cuts. Check out what the principal has to say about this teacher, and then read on for an analysis of what this letter does well.

Not all of the candidates asking for a recommendation letter are full-time or long-term employees. Even if you're writing for a part-time or temporary worker, you can still give great insight into his work performance and strengths.

In the sample letter below, a restaurant manager recommends a server who worked during summers off from college. The candidate's looking to move into his first full-time job after graduation. Read on to learn what this restaurant manager has to say.

Maybe you spent the last year interning in a business and know your supervisor could write a stellar letter about your work ethic and passion for economics. Or you have a long term music teacher who can speak to your lifelong dedication to playing the piano. Or maybe you attend a school with thousands of students and feel like you've barely said ten words to your counselor or classroom teachers all year long.

If any of these scenarios hits home, then you might be considering sending a supplemental recommendation letter along with your college application. Before sending any extra materials, though, you should think hard about whether it's the right course of action. This guide will discuss when it's appropriate to send supplemental recommendations and when you'd be better off holding back.

To start, what are some reasons students think they should send an additional rec letter?

Are you tasked with writing a recommendation letter for someone and not sure where to start? While all letters should be uniquely customized to the candidate, most share a certain fixed structure.

This guide will go over this structure piece by piece to help you through the job recommendation writing process. Read on for a recommendation letter template that you can use to shape your recommendation letter. To begin, let's review the purpose of reference letters for job seekers.