My College Guide» Choosing a Major

Is Community College Right For You?

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 13:16:07 +0000

If you are like most high school seniors, you’ve spent a good deal of time exploring what it takes to find the right college. Part of this process has no doubt been learning about private loans for college, college savings programs and financial aid and grants. Just trying to understand the financial part of the college equation can be a great deal of serious work!

During this research, you may have discovered that you just can’t find a way to pay for a traditional four-year degree at a college or university. You may also be worried that your grades are not going to be good enough to get you into one of the schools of your choice. The good news is that if you fall into these categories, there are still good options.

The community college system is diverse, works well and is more popular than ever. The inexplicable and continued rise in college tuition in the last few years has fed something a renaissance for community colleges. Also if you are thinking that only large communities and cities have community colleges, then guess again. The fact is that there are more community colleges than you might imagine, and the odds are good that there is one within driving distance of you.

Community colleges offer a great, if not fantastic, value for the money. When compared to the increasingly astronomical tuition rates at private and even some state schools, community colleges are nothing short of a bargain, if not a super bargain!

Attending a community college for two years and then transferring to finish your degree can save you a massive amount of money. Plus, if you don’t have the grades or the SAT scores to get into one of your top picks or any of your local schools, this could be a second chance!

If you consistently pull good grades in a community college, you should be able to transfer to a four-year university or college to complete your degree. You will also have more time to find the right college and look into financial aid and grants as well. Thanks to community colleges, thousands of students, of all ages, who could not otherwise attend college, have the opportunity to do so.

5 Key Ways You Could Benefit from Attending a Community College

Earn credits to transfer to a four-year college or university
Save money
Have additional time to investigate how to pay for college
Have additional time to explore what major you will choose
Gain access to knowledgeable facility, professors and instructors who can help guide your education and career path

These are only some of the ways that you can benefit from attending a community college. If you think the four-year university or college route is closed to you, then you should consider community college. In short, community colleges have a great deal to offer. Community colleges help countless people every year, and they can help you as well.

The Importance of Great Organizing

admin — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:24:49 +0000

As you look to make the transition from high-school to college, you are probably feeling as though there is a never ending and maybe even growing “checklist” of things you need to worry about or check off your list. Don’t worry if you feel this way, as it is very normal and quite common.

When it comes to getting into one of your top college picks, you might not think much about your level of organization, but it is actually of paramount importance in the process. The more organized you are, the greater your chances of getting into one of your top college picks. The odds are higher for ultimate success in college as well.

If you haven’t been “much for organizing” in the past, now is definitely the time to change that. Studying for the SAT, meeting deadlines, writing essays, taking practice tests, evaluating your different college options, investigating financial aid for college tuition and direct federal student loans takes a lot of time, and that means a lot of organization is essential.

One of the single largest steps towards great organization is being willing to prioritize what is important and what is not important. Tackle this step first, and getting organized will become a great deal easier.

Sacrificing things that you enjoy doing in order to do something that you don’t like or find unpleasant is easier said than done. One trick is to start small with small sacrifices of things that you enjoy. Instead use that “recovered time” for something that relates to getting into the school of your dreams, or at least one of the schools that you like the idea of attending!

You could tackle this issue on a week by week basis. Here is an example of how you could structure your college prep organizing. You don’t have to use this exact model, but instead you can adapt this strategy for whatever works for you!

Week One-Spend more time studying for SAT

Week Two-Research colleges

Week Three-Get College applications

Week Four-Research financial aid related issues

Week Five-Make list of relevant deadlines

Week Six-Think about ways you can become more efficient and effective in how you use your time and make a list!

Each week look for ways that you can set time aside so that you can apply that time towards getting into college. As a result, you will become far more organized and also far calmer! Being organized has a benefit that few consider; being organized means less panic and that means better decision-making.

Many students “end up” at universities and colleges that were nowhere near their top picks for no other reason that a failure to get organized in advance. They had all the tools, the necessary grades, good letters of recommendation and maybe even good SAT scores, but they lacked proper preparation.

Think of getting into college like you would think about starting a business. You wouldn’t just try to open a business without preparing in some fashion, would you? You instinctively understand and know that a business, at least one with any chance of success, needs work and planning. If you invest your time in this fashion, you will be surprised by what you can accomplish.

Are Only High Paying Majors Worth The Time?

admin — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 13:32:21 +0000

You’ve probably heard a good deal about the wildly increasing price tag of a university or college degree. This is not to state that there are still not great deals in education to be found, but there is no doubt that these deals are far harder to find and require much more research than in days past.

All of this has left people wondering not just how to survive college or college dorm life, but whether or not they should attend college in the first place. Additionally, many students are also wondering if they should only attend college if they are going to major in a career with a “big pay day.” Increasingly, people are beginning to question whether or not college makes sense for everyone.

While there is no denying that the job market is far tougher than in the past, some other facts are also undeniable. College graduates still earn far more than those with just a high school degree. Those who go on and get professional degrees earn even more than those who earn college degrees. Or stated another way, college still does pay.

Yet, the world is full of people with graduate degrees working minimum wage jobs. This is a fact of life and a reflection of the current economic situation which is, unfortunately, likely to continue for some years to come. So what is a student considering college to do?

No matter what kind of college degree you get, you will be more employable than those without a college degree. This is just a fact. While you might be thinking twice about a degree without a big payoff, you’re still better off with a degree of some kind.

Not all high-paying degrees are right for everyone. After all, a job that makes you truly miserable is one that you will not do forever. Many people don’t actually stay with the careers that they are trained to do. The reason for this is that once they enter the workforce and enter their chosen career, they hate it. The money looks great on paper, but they discover after they begin the job that it’s not for them. This is definitely a factor for every student to consider and here is why. College degrees can be expensive, and professional degrees can be doubly so. The last thing you want is to be stuck with a massive college bill without a career path to pay for it.

So on one hand you are better off with a college degree, but you also have to consider how much your degree will allow you to earn when you graduate and how much your college debt will be. All of this underscores how important it is to have good advice and a knowledgeable mentor or two. Also investigating all of your options is essential.

You can find the right college for your needs and one that will help you plot out your future career. Just remember to plan well in advance, and weigh all of the choices before making a decision.

How Do You Handle College Advice When You Don’t Agree?

admin — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 18:58:11 +0000

When it comes to your college career and your career goals, more than likely there are many people wanting to give you advice and lots of it. Quite often people will put pressure on you to follow their advice, whether its friends or family. If they can’t recognize that their advice is useless or even downright bad, what are you do to in such a situation? What do you do when college advice goes beyond financial aid and grants or how to find scholarships and instead dives deeper into your decision making process?

Dealing with a pushy relative who wants to give you college advice can be quite tricky. Few of us actually state, “Hi there, find a college for me,” but the fact is that family members will try to tell you what to do and even pick out your college for you. If you have someone trying to make this decision for you, here are a few tips for handling the situation.

Tip One-Show Why Your College Pick is Better

The first option is to prove that your college selection is better than what they have in mind. For example, you can demonstrate that your preferred school is higher ranked in a particular program than the one your relative is suggesting. Keep in mind that stating, “But my school is a better party school,” isn’t likely to work very well. Don’t try that one!

Tip Two-Apply to Many Different Colleges

Whatever you do, never apply to just one or two schools, as this can leave you without a school altogether. Further, by applying to several universities and colleges, you will give yourself some wiggle room as you will be able to state, “But I did get into…”

You Can Always Ignore the Advice

Ignoring a relative’s advice on college is a lot easier if he or she is not paying for attendance. If your parents are paying for your college and they are expecting you to attend a given school but you hate their idea, you are in a tough situation. However, there is still hope. After the first year, you can explain to them in more detail why the school isn’t right for you. At that time, you can transfer to another program.

Remember that People Want to Help

You have to be the one who lives your life, and that means you need to make your own decisions about where you will go to college and what you will major in at college. With that stated, however, try and remember that the people who are giving you advice about college only want the best for you.

In the end, take in the advice and listen carefully to the logic behind it, as this is very important. If the logic is sound and based on facts, then it is worthwhile. However if the college advice you receive is really just someone’s opinion then that is a different story. Ultimately, you want to be happy with your college experience. Finding that happiness might just mean ignoring the advice that you’ve been given.

Finding A Mentor

admin — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 00:19:39 +0000

You may have never considered finding a mentor, but it can be a very worthwhile and valuable experience. All of the issues that you are currently worried about regarding trying to find the right college can be brought into greater clarity if you can find the right individual to assist you. But how does one go about finding a mentor to help with college?

If you are successful in finding a good mentor, you will be able to gain the assistance of someone that can help you even beyond how to survive college. A great mentor will be able to help you with your career as well. The first step in finding this resource is to take a mental inventory of the accomplished people that you know.

You might discover that you already know someone that is accomplished and that you think would be a solid mentor. The main thing that you want to look for is someone whose opinion you respect that you believe will give you advice you can trust.

Since we are specifically discussing how to get into college, it is best that you find a mentor that has personally gone through this process. After all, you want good advice specifically on how to survive college, financial aid and grants, how to find scholarships and other college related topics.

As you take inventory of the people that you know or have access to, consider if there is one or two people that stand out. In fact, it may be possible to have several people mentor you in different ways. This is more common than you might think, as it is a very practical approach and option.

If you are having trouble finding a mentor, reach out to friends and family. For example, you might have a friend who has a parent that is a doctor, college professor, or who has an MBA or a range of other valuable academic experience. This presents an opportunity to get some experienced advice. Since you want to find the right college, experienced advice is a must.

Ultimately, there are lots of options for finding a mentor. In addition to asking your friends and relatives if they know someone, you can always ask your teachers and school facility. Two great people to talk to are your school principal and vice principal. They will appreciate your enthusiasm. Most likely, they have also attended graduate school. The odds are that they may know someone (perhaps a retired associate) that would be willing to mentor you. You never know what might happen if you find a mentor that is a retired school superintendent or principal with thirty-five years of experience!

Quite often people will surprise you in their willingness to help. Remember that your own preconceived ideas about what is and is not possible may influence your outcomes. If you believe that finding a mentor that will help you through the process of getting into college is impossible, then you are making your search harder. Be optimistic! People generally appreciate it when young people show initiative and indicate that they are taking something seriously, especially anything education related. You can use this fact to your advantage.

Tips For Picking Your Major

admin — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 15:53:14 +0000

If you are concerned that you haven’t yet decided on a college major, stop worrying. The simple fact is that many people don’t know what their major will be when they enter college, and switching majors is very common as well. In fact, some people switch their majors more than one time!

When you want to find the right college it is good to consider what kind of college admissions counseling is available to you as well as college counseling services, in general. Thinking about your major is something that you will want to begin thinking about while in high school. However, it is important not to panic if you don’t have it figured out on your first day of college.

Many experts increasingly believe that most of us will have several different careers throughout our lifetimes. This is due to the fact that technology is forcing the workplace to change more rapidly than at any other time in history. So the career that you pick today may not be related to the field you will be working in thirty years from now.

When it comes to deciding on a major, there are two big “pulls” that most students face. The first is that most of us want to like our work. After all, forty hours a week or more is a lot of time, and it certainly adds up over the course of one’s working life! This means that having a career that you like is a big factor.

The second factor in most people’s minds is the salary that a given career offers. Yet, there is a third factor, which frequently gets overlooked, and that is job stability. It is important to note that job stability is something of an illusion despite what you may hear. Again, this is due to the fact that technology is changing the workplace landscape at a rapid pace. The idea of long-term job stability for most people, in most careers, may be a thing of the past.

Trying to balance these three factors is difficult, and students handle these issues in different ways. No one knows you better than you know yourself. You may have family pushing you towards a major that does not interest you. Don’t worry, as this is very common. Usually this is an issue of your parents and relatives wanting you to have financial stability in your life. Regardless of their motives, if you are positive that you will hate a given career path, you do need to strongly consider other options. In order to be successful in a career, or even make it out of college with a degree in hand, you must be able to tolerate the major you select.

Another issue to consider is the connection between mind and body. Our emotions do, in fact, impact our physical health due to the release of stress hormones and other factors. Thus, if you truly hate a given career path, it could impact your health, and nothing is more important than your health.

Ultimately, you want to find a major that will lead to a career that will both make you happy and allow you to earn the kind of money you want to earn. This isn’t always easy and it’s a good reason to invest some time into contemplation as well. You can also ask for advice during college admissions counseling. Many students realize that when they get to college that their concept of what a major would be like isn’t always reflected in the coursework itself. Being adaptable and flexible is a key part to knowing how to survive college.

5 Courses For Video Game Degrees

admin — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 14:00:23 +0000

If you are looking to go into the world of video games on a professional level, there are many degrees out there. However, there are also lots of courses that can help you make your dream come true. Below are just a few of the classes you may come across in the search for a video game degree.
1.   Video Game Software – There is a software for just about everything, including video game design. Learning it is a must for anyone looking to go into the field. Just a few of the more popular choices include DARKBasic, Game Editor, and Game Maker.
2.   3D – Because more and more games are being built on three dimensional models, it is crucial to know as much as you can. 3D classes can teach everything from game design to modeling and even modding. There are also courses for 2D.
3.   Mobile Games – If your preference is creating and designing games for mobile devices, there are classes for that. There are even courses that can teach you how to make games specifically for the iPhone or iPad. The courses can also teach you how to use software specifically designed to design games for the Apple devices.
4.   Animation – Because video games can be sophisticated cartoons, animation is also a common class offered when getting a video game degree. This is doubly so for those going into the design or graphics aspect of gaming.
5.   Programming – Another must for video game design is programming. Whether it be Java or C++, programming is a necessary component of video games and often has to be taken at several levels to get a degree.

Check out online video game degree options in our search tool.

This article was submitted my Sara McDowell. She owns the site Video Game Design Degree and is an avid Gamer.

How Far In Advance Should You Know Your Major?

admin — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 12:47:45 +0000

You may have parents who were kind enough to tell you what your major was going to be before you were born. Now that is a tricky situation indeed, but for those of you whose college destiny hasn’t be predetermined and prearranged, there are decisions to be made. In this article, we will explore how far in advance you should be thinking about your major.

The costs of a college education are rising dramatically faster than inflation. This means that being able to afford a college education is no longer as easy as it once was. In fact, college graduation rates appear to be going down, not up, for the first time in decades. While this is a complex topic, it is also tied into the issue of knowing your major.

There is no doubt it can be very difficult to decide what you want your major to be at the age of 17 or 18. In short, it is actually pretty unfair. For many students, the cold hard truth is that deciding your major may come down to being a financial decision.

The “financial wrinkle” in deciding your major means that it is worth the time you will invest to closely decide what career path and degree program is right for you. The odds are excellent that you will have ample advice and perhaps even considerable pressure from your parents and others. If they are paying for your college, this could prove to be another wrinkle in your equation. Yet, ultimately it is your life, and you will have to live with the decisions. So, if you just know you are going to strongly dislike a given career, this is something that you must consider in advance!

Clearly, the sooner you can decide on a major, the better off you will be. Once you are in college, you may change your mind. But there are some ways that you can safeguard against this happening and keep from spending a fortune in the process. Focusing on general requirements while taking one or two classes in your major is a good idea. The chances are good that if you are destined to truly hate a given major, you will know it or at least have a strong suspicion after a couple of classes.

Picking a major is tricky… and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise! Deciding upon a major can, in many cases, be deciding upon a career. That is a pretty serious responsibility with a lot of pressure. Deciding that you are on the wrong path early in college can be just as important as picking the right major to begin with.

Your most important question isn’t how far in advance you should be selecting your major. Instead, you should be figuring out how to take the steps necessary to make sure that you are selecting a major that will lead to a successful career and long term happiness. In the end, keep this fact in mind; experts believe that in the future, people will be switching careers numerous times over the course of their lives. So even if you do make a mistake, there may still be hope.

When is it OK to Ignore Your High School Guidance Counselor?

admin — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 12:10:59 +0000

It is important not to assume that your high school guidance counselor is some sort of all knowing oracle. Even the best high school counselor will never understand your particular situation the way that you do. Now with that said, of course, your high school guidance counselor is a great potential source of information and, of course, can offer you topnotch guidance on many occasions. Let’s take a look at some occasions where it is probably all right to ignore your high school guidance counselor’s advice.

#1-What Do Your Parents Do?

The second your high school guidance counselor asks you this question; you should put up your guard. Who cares what your parents do for a living? Your guidance counselor shouldn’t be concerned with your parents, but with you and what you want to achieve.

#2-You Can’t Get Into That School

If your high school guidance counselor tries to decide what colleges and universities you can and cannot get into, you may need to ignore this advice. This situation is especially true if you are planning far in advance. If you need to improve your grades or test scores, then focus on that goal. Don’t just give up on your dream schools because your guidance counselor recommends that you do so. After all, you could potentially transfer to your dream school after your freshman or sophomore year of college.

#3-Is College Really for You?

Don’t let your high school guidance counselor decide whether or not you should go to college. It is your decision whether or not you should go to college. Be very wary of any counselor that is attempting to make this key decision for you.

#4-This is the Major for You!

Just as you should ignore your high school guidance counselor’s advice on whether or not you should attend college, the same holds true for allowing your counselor to pick your major. You have to live with whatever major you pick, and this decision could influence your career path, your success in college and the how happy you are with your college experience. Even if you don’t know what you to do in the future, the odds are you are better waiting to make your decision than letting someone else decide for you, and this includes your parents as well.

#5-Follow Your Gut, If Advice Sounds Bad, Then Maybe It Is Bad!

You should listen to what your guidance counselor has to say on every topic, but there is a difference between listening, and following the advice given. Remember the advice you receive from your guidance counselor is advice; it’s not an order. Often students overlook this key point because the high school guidance counselor is giving advice within a school. Of course, students are taught at a very young age to listen to teachers. However, if you hear what you think is questionable advice from your guidance counselor, then just follow your gut.

Links To Learn By: The Best in College Prep for the Week of July 22, 2011.

admin — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 18:13:59 +0000

Tired of feeling like you're going to melt? Cool off with the hottest college links.

Does the heat wave currently blanketing the country have you stuck inside, unable to go out and enjoy the summer? Then make good use of it! Read through the articles below and get up-to-date on all the latest college news!

Links for incoming college freshmen…

So you’re headed off to college soon. Do you know what to bring? Find out what your future peers say you’ll need at More Than A Test Score.

Once you arrive on campus, networking opportunities will be everywhere you look. Find out how not to network like a freshman at Hack College.

Get a job writing about campus life…

As the new college year looms, lots of blogs and news outlets are looking for student talent. Check out Student on Campus for one of the many opportunities out there.

If a careeer in journalism is in your future, you won’t want to miss your chance to write for USA Today!

Links to help you choose your college degree…

Tired of getting flack about the major you chose? Worried maybe the nay sayers are right? Learn five reasons why you should never change your college major at USA Today. Then, read our article about liberal arts to find out how your degree can really pay off!

If you’re wondering if you should get an advanced degree, you’ll want to read this article about why the Master’s is the new Bachelor’s degree at The New York Times.

Random college fun…

Learn while you laugh with one of cable’s leading fake news organizations. Watch as Stephen Colbert interviews Michel Sandel, a Harvard professor at the Huffington Post.

And those are your links to learn by for this week. Remember we’re always sharing the latest college news and valuable college info, so subscribe to our blog!

And if you’re bored with summer and ready to get a head start on your college search, we can help!