Entering high school begins a sudden start of hardcore preparation for the "real world." College is the main stress of all students, especially upper classmen, so it is always a good idea to apply for as many scholarships as possible. By definition, a scholarship is a "sum of money or other aid granted to a student, because of merit, need, etc., to pursue his or her studies." Scholarships are the smartest way to raise money to pay for college, so as not to rely on student loans or skimpy savings.

There are many resources available online and in the counseling office for acquiring scholarships. There is a file cabinet in the student resource center dedicated to scholarship applications and brochures. Also, students can ask counselors for a list of websites to visit that catalog current scholarship opportunities, or find them on the school's website under the Counseling Department link. Fastweb.com is the most popular of these websites; it provides not only scholarships, but also other resources, jobs and internships, and college information. Scholarshiphelp.org is a great source to use for any questions at all that you have about scholarship-writing, from essay assistance to personal assessment. Also, the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website provides resources that should be tapped.

Be careful not to get fooled by imitations. Many pop-ups offer scholarships, but ask for a fee. Counselor Lisa Perry advises, "Don't spend money to get money."

Scholarship processes take little time to fill out and with enough completed, winning one of them is a high possibility. When applying for a scholarship, students may have to write an essay on a supplied topic, fill out a survey/resume, or be eligible for certain qualifications. It's not necessary to have the highest grade in your class, students can win scholarships on such things are being too tall or being the first generation in their family to go to college. "If you take ten minutes out of your day and fill out scholarships, you or your parents are likely to save lots of money in the future," said senior Kelsie Haley.

Altogether, scholarships aren't as scary as they seem. Don't wait to be a senior to fill them out, either. The earlier you start and the more you get done will greatly help your college budget in the future.

-Mackenzie Lawrence, Opinions Editor, senior