This month

Life lessons

• Feature — Learning about art
• Web quest — Art museums online
• Stay on track — A checklist of "to-dos"
• Take notice — Important dates
• All about AIEmail — Subscribe, suggest, review

Feature

Learning about art

The visual arts can provide inspiration for just about anyone. To broaden your horizons, take a trip to your local art museum.

Look at some of the different types of art — modern, landscape, portrait — and note the differences, including what you like or don't like about them and why. You don't necessarily have to write this all down. Just get a better understanding of what you like and what you don't like about artistic styles and methods.

If you don't have a museum where you live, search your local newspaper for listings of art exhibits. Many galleries and coffee shops have openings where you can view new art and even meet the artist. If you are able to meet an artist, ask questions about his or her artistic methods, philosophy, and influences.

You can also learn more about art at the library. There are many books that focus on different types of art and art movements. If you know of an artist you like, the chances are that there is a book that has pictures of his or her artwork. If you read about the artists you know you already like, you can learn about artists who were influential for him or her.

What do you get from this? By identifying what appeals to you, you can develop your interests and tastes. You can learn how different artists express themselves. You can also impress your friends and teachers with your extensive knowledge of art.

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Your turn

Art museums online

If you don't have any museums nearby that you can visit, you can always learn about art online. Most museums have Web sites that feature online art galleries and other fun and interesting multimedia. Learning about many different types of art is only a mouse click away. Of course, nothing can compare to seeing a work of art in person, but you can use the Internet to learn about a wide variety of artistic methods, styles, and artists.

Try visiting the following Web sites:

• The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA)
  Founded in 1929 as an educational institution, The Museum of Modern Art is dedicated to being the foremost museum of modern art in the world.
  www.moma.org
• The Metroplotian Museum of Art, New York
  The Metropolitan Museum of Art Web site features information on upcoming museum events, the Met collection, and art galleries online.
  www.metmuseum.org
• Tate Online
  The Tate galleries house the national collection of British art from the sixteenth century to the present day.
  www.tate.org.uk
• The Louvre
  Online visitors can view the museum's permanent collection of over 35,000 works and 140,000 drawings.
  www.louvre.fr

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Stay on track

Checklist for this week

For freshmen and sophomores

High school is quickly approaching. In a month you will begin your "high school experience." There are three critical aspects of making the most of the next four years:

• Be sure that you have chosen the most rigorous courses that you can handle successfully. The skills you will gain in these classes will be your preparation for the future.
• Explore school activities. The key to enjoying high school is to get involved. Choose activities that you have an interest in and go for it. You will learn organizational and leadership skills and have a great deal of fun along the way.
• Consider community activities. Finding a place to make a contribution to your community is both rewarding and fun. Don't give up your volunteer experience once school starts. These efforts keep you connected to the real world.
• Combining learning and extracurricular activities will give you the richest of high school experiences.

For sophomores

This is the year that you will start to take "practice" tests for future college entrance exams. Familiarize yourself with test formats by visiting the following Web sites:

• College Board (www.collegeboard.com)
• ACT (www.act.org)

For juniors

Your summer vacation may present a unique opportunity for you. Soon you will be choosing a college, so it is never too early to start visiting college campuses to gain information.

If your family's summer trip puts you in the vicinity of a possible college choice, take the time to make a campus visit.

For seniors

You accomplished a great deal in recent weeks as you prepared your resume. Now it is time to move on to another summer task that will save you more time during the upcoming year. It is time to start composing the rough drafts of your college essays. Here are a few pointers for crafting this important part of your college application:

• Personal: Your best essay will be the one that reflects you and your personality. The purpose of the college essay, in addition to getting a sense of your writing ability, is for the college to know who you are. Don't try to write something you think the college wants to hear. Be yourself.
• Purpose: As you write your essay, be sure to address the topic that the application provided. Follow the directions for your essay, and use it as an opportunity to relate personal insights.
• Proofread: Use spell check on the final draft of your essay. Have your parents, friends, teachers, counselor, or a neighbor read the essay. They will give you honest feedback, and they will know if it truly reflects you. They can also check for punctuation and grammar mistakes. Some college evaluators are very concerned with correct grammar and spelling, so you want your essay to be in appropriate written form.

For parents

With working teens in your household this summer, it is a good time to sit down and have some "money management" discussions. Here are a few topics that you may want to cover:

• Outline the financial obligations for which you expect your teenager to be responsible.
• Discuss how much of their summer earnings should be placed in a savings account for emergencies or unexpected costs.
• Prepare a list of all of the costs expected over the next school year.
• Review the family financial plan for college funding.
• Emphasize the fact that colleges expect students, as well as parents, to save for higher education.
• Investigate opening a checking account for your child or letting them use a debit card so that they can begin to learn about money management issues.

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Take notice

Important dates

Mark down these dates.

To get more information on the SAT or SAT Subject Tests, access useful tools, or register, visit the College Board's Web Site(www.collegeboard.com) or call (609) 771-7600.

To get more information on the ACT, access useful tools, or register, visit the ACT Web Site (www.act.org) or call (319) 337-1270.

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