Choosing a College

Tony Jacowski asked:


Don’t panic if you can’t decide on a major before you begin your first year of college. It’s not a big deal if you seem to be unable to choose your college major before you begin school.

Remember that a lot of students change their majors several times during the course of their college

education and in most cases it does not seem to affect their lives in any great way. They even seem to finish college around the same time as students who determined their major at the beginning and stuck to it throughout.

There are, however, some steps you can take to discover the ideal career path for you which will help you in choosing your college major. Think about it for a while before you rush into a decision. Your goal is not decisively finalizing a particular major; it is to narrow your interests to a few areas that can be explored more fully.

-Examine and assess your areas of interest. What excites you? What jobs or careers might hold appeal? Many college career centers have a range of tests that can help you decide some of these things.

-Examine your abilities. Determine what your strengths are, your weaknesses, and your skills. As a sort of roadmap, you can use your high school courses. Think of which subjects you were really good at, which extracurricular activities you preferred to participate in, and which things you learned from a part-time or summer job.

-Examine your work values. Do you want to do something that helps society? Are you ok with working under pressure? Do you prefer a group oriented job? Is stability a major issue? How important is status?

-Explore career options. Look at general lists of occupations, find specific occupations, and look for information and resources related to them. You can learn a lot about various occupations from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Occupational Outlook Handbook.

-Honestly evaluate your options. Look at what is realistically possible for you. You may be really interested in being a doctor, but unless you have the necessary science skills, it is an exercise in pointlessness. If you are thinking of a career path that is likely to need an advanced degree, make sure you have no future commitments to stop you from pursuing graduate study. It is important to consider the realities and face the obstacles to decide if you can get done what you intend to start.

-Narrow your choices down to a few and then focus on choosing your college major. By the time you have reached this last step, you probably have a much better idea of the majors you are definitely not interested in and have figured out a few that are of interest to you.

In your journey towards choosing your college major, use all the resources you can access:

-College course catalogs have a range of information from required courses to specialized majors.

-Professors and academic advisers have usually worked in the fields they teach and can guide you with careers and opportunities.

-Classmates and seniors at college who already pursuing their Major can be a great help.

-College alumni are people in the prime of their careers who can give you the input from the real job market.

-Family and friends can also be of great help regarding majors and career paths.

-The college career center also has a wealth of information and resources for choosing your college major as well as a career, an internship, job placement, and so on.



Brent

James Brown asked:


As high school seniors across the country near graduation, they will have difficult decisions to make on which college to attend. Some seniors will prefer to take the traditional route to obtaining a college education and will choose to attend a two or four-year degree program offered at the college or university in their hometown. Some might want to become professionals in the work place right after high school graduation and will bypass pursuing a college education for several years.

For these individuals, the college education selections can be made anytime in life and people are finding that continuing college later in life might be a better choice because some students will want to travel and see the world. At some point in those travels, they will eventually discover what type of profession would be best suited for their personality and lifestyle. Since they have had a chance to experience life a bit, they will also be more inclined to make a commitment to the college selections at their disposal and most will graduate at the top of the class.

Since the funding for college is available for traditional and online college courses, many students find that they can work and attend college courses at the same time. This type of educational opportunity offers students the flexibility they need to lead double lives for a while. There are thousands of degree programs to select from in the traditional and online forms of college and students learn that some of these degrees will put them on the fast track to advancing in the corporate world.

The online college education program selections are designed to conform with traditional degree programs. Students can pursue an associate degree through the internet while traveling around the world, and finish the educational selections with a Bachelor’s degree in a traditional college campus setting. Some students will choose to attend one or two courses in a land-based classroom because the course program of study requires certain labs to be completed before credits are earned and the online classrooms education options do not offer these facilities.

Most online degree programs could pose a problem for students who are pursing a college education in a specific specialty. Some credits for online courses will not transfer over to the traditional, land-based college degree requirements, so some students will choose to continue their higher education pursuits for a Bachelor’s degree online after they have found work in the career field of their choice using an Associates degree for an entry-level position with a company. The result of this type of college education selection will be an accredited degree that will be used as a stepping-stone to use for advancement up the corporate ladder.

Some students prefer to make college course selections by subject because they need this knowledge to maintain a career goal. The college education selections they make could focus specifically on culinary arts, or criminal justice. The student might have an interest in politics and can use courses in political science to gain a foothold on job positions available in the local Government structure. For people who are interested in performing jobs involved in social work, selecting human services courses would make them more marketable in their job search.



Alexander

Paul Wilson asked:


The dream of completing your college education or furthering your studies is no longer elusive. The World Wide Web boom has brought education to your key board. Many established and renowned universities are offering degrees in varied disciplines through online courses. Studies done by the Distance Education and Training Council in Washington and other regulatory institutions indicate that over 2.25 million people are registered for online courses at universities in the US.

Before registering for a course you need to spend some time thinking. Do I want to do a course that will further my career or learn something that I have an abiding interest in? Will I be devoted and complete the course work in time? Take a look at your schedules and find out where you will slot in time for study.

Online courses offer great conveniences, flexibility, and a world class education brought to your computer. While choosing a college consider the following:

• What are the basic qualifications you need to be eligible for a course are there any tests you need to take.

• Is the college reliable? Does it have the required accreditations?

• How large are the classes? When the class strength is smaller then each student will receive more time from the instructors. On the other hand a large enrollment indicates success of the course. So you need to carefully weigh all the different aspects.

• Research blogs and other online messaging centers to find out about the opinion and experiences of students who have satisfactorily complete courses or are disgruntled. Read surveys and analysis about online education. Ask the college for referrals. Examine alumni success. Find out what percentage of students successfully complete the program and how many work professionally in the field of study.

• Study the online curriculum as well as suggested time-frame carefully. Find out how many students have been able to complete the course work within the given time. Determine whether the coursework meets your educational needs and career goals. Check how current the course work is and whether the textbooks and study materials are relevant.

• Ask if the university has a 24/7 customer service program and whether you will be eligible for any technical help regarding the software or programs you will need to use. Many universities assign a personal advisor to students one who will answer questions willingly and take care all nitty gritties like enrollment procedures, course work submissions and so on right until graduation.

• Check out the credentials for the faculty, their qualifications and training to conduct an online class room with ease. Otherwise it may be a question of the “blind leading the blind.”

• Read the offer document carefully and ensure that the course is 100% online. Some universities are known to use mail, videotapes, and on-campus programs as part of “online course” work. Ask how long the online program has been in place and are there any rough spots they have encountered. Read carefully the institution’s ethical standard document, most reputed schools have a policy readily available for review.

• Check thoroughly the institutions financial history and current position. Make sure you are not registering with a fly-by-night operator.

• Find out what the accreditations of the university are. In the US accreditations come from Middle States, New England, North Central, Northwest, and Southern Western. They have a membership program as well as a system wherein each others accreditations are acknowledged.

• Most important ask about fees and financial aid. Find out what the tuitions fees are and whether any other costs like lab fees, technology fees and so on are to be paid. You will also have to cost expenses towards maintaining your computer and its peripherals like scanners, printers, and fax modem, as well as Internet costs and provider fees.

Surf the World Wide web and visit directories like : http://www.collegenet.com/ ; http://www.usnews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/rankindexbrief.php ; as well as http://www.forbes.com/onlinecolleges.html among thousand other sites. See official sites like http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool/ and http://usinfo.state.gov/usa/infousa/educ/edlinks.htm and http://www.ed.gov/index.jhtml . It is an important decision to be made and should be made with knowledge and concrete facts.

About the Author : Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for Online Colleges, the premier website to find top ranking colleges online directory including topics on public colleges, private colleges, online college, college course online, information on college costs, financial aid, degrees awarded, enrollments and more. He also freelances for the premier Dating Service site.



Ricky

Allysa asked:


I have no idea what to do with my life. I have no direction, no strong interests in any particular career, i therefore can hardly choose a major, and picking a college that would best educate me for the future is impossible when my future appears so blank. Is it a bad idea to start off going for general studies and just hope something comes to me? How do i choose a college then?

Jerry

doubss asked:


Weber State seems to be more personal with a better connection to your professors because of smaller class sizes but it seems too unknown; whereas Utah State is larger and not as personal, but is obviously better known just because it’s clearly a state school. I’m not sure what I want to study so I’m going undecided so thinking about which offers the best in the degree I am pursuing doesn’t really work.

Erica

Jorge C asked:


choosing a college to study.

Harry

Gene Grzywacz asked:


Getting ready for college is much more than choosing the school, roommate and what hotspot is your favorite. There are many things to consider and one that is commonly overlooked, sometimes for years. Many students spend their younger and teenage years boasting what they want to be when they grow up, but when they get to college they can not make up their minds. For some, this is a panic because there are only so many basic classes that a student can take before it begins costing them. Even sometimes a few of the basics are specific or may not be required for a particular degree plan. There is nothing wrong with being undecided in the beginning, however as your college career advances, you need to make decisions about how you will spend the rest of your college life. Here are some of the basics about an undecided major and tips on choosing which degree plan to pursue.

Asking yourself a series of questions can assist in deciding on the exact path in college. There are many and even specialties in certain fields so really examining your knowledge as well as desires will assist in this important decision. You probably have narrowed the question down to maybe a specific field or may be struggling with more than one field. Could it be possible to combine the two, sometimes this makes for an excellent and highly demanded employee. Consider the following:

What is your passion - sometimes your passion may not be clear until you accidentally stumble upon something. This is present in stories such as the young lady that had always dreamed of being a teacher. As a child, she would line up her dolls and teach them the lessons she had learned that day at school. This was her plan and nothing could stand in her way, until a tragedy in the family. After her grandmother was diagnosed with cancer and she watched as she withered away, she had a notable thought. Watching how the medical profession, primarily the nurses made her grandmother comfortable and held her hand through the many long procedures changed her life forever. After very little thought or consideration the college application changed and today she is a successful nurse working in the Pediatrics field. Holding the hands of countless children while they too undergo some uncomfortable, but necessary medical treatments, is the happiest she has ever been.

Positive Attributes - Regardless of training some people are just better at some things than others. It is wise if you choose what you want to be when you grow up around something that you excel at. If you are a math whiz then you may want to consider business, accounting or some form of engineering. If it is people skills that you possess, how about a counselor, social worker or some other community helper. Generally, these individuals have exceptional listening skills, empathetic and have always been drawn to lend a helping hand. What about those that are excellent at getting the point across and are great at teaching. A teaching degree or some other form of educational career such as a diagnostician or administrator would be great. If running to the side of an injured or sick individual is your passion then pursuing a nursing degree is an exceptional idea. Nursing is not only about patching a boo-boo or holding a hand, it is about saving lives, educating patients and most of all making them feel better. Nurses are in high demand because of the nursing shortage in the United States, and God bless the nurses of this world!

Job Assessment or Placement - If your job placement assessment turned out like mine then you are in the wrong field. Keep in mind that just because your scored out at a particular field, does not mean that it is your life’s career. Be careful with only using this test, because it is not 100% guaranteed. You must follow your heart and keep to something that you can feel good about doing. Because you are good at doing a particular job does not mean that it is something you want to wake up to for the next thirty years or so. Choosing a career field is a big decision and must be based on a variety of things, not just a test.

Your Parents & Their Accounting Degree- some career fields work better for some than others. You can not and should not base your career choice on what your parents have in mind for you unless it is something that you want to do. All too often college students fall into a trap of going to school for someone else and then hating their job for the rest of their lives. It is very important that you pursue the career field that interests you. A job should be a passion, something that you are ready to go and do, not dreading a forty-hour workweek that seems like hell.

Staying Undecided - It is perfectly acceptable to remain in an undecided plan until you have made your decision. There is not a huge rush to make a decision after you receive your acceptance letter. In fact many students enter one department and change two or three times before graduation. The important part of getting a college education is the fact that you are bettering your life regardless of the academic path you choose.



Zachary

Dhiraj Bandurkar asked:


Online College Degrees

In today’s competitive world, a degree is the surest way to climb your career ladder. A degree helps you to get closer to your goals and is a representation of your knacks and skills. It is hard to imagine a successful career (entrepreneurs excluded) without a degree. Therefore a degree is a must in order to lunch into a great career where your skills are properly utilized. But at times, many of us do lag behind due to the absence of a college degree. The reasons can be many for not getting a college degree but the reciprocations are more or less the same.

To ensure that you never face such circumstances just because you don’t have a college degree, many universities in the United States and Europe have come up with online college degrees, which help you get a valid college degree while you work. Sometime such online degrees help you to complete your college education while you earn for it. This is very essential with the growing cost of quality education. So in today’s scenario the online college degrees offer more flexibility and time to complete a specific program while you are managing your job.

While the online college degree programs offer a wide variety of courses with complete flexibility, you need to be absolutely sure about some of the facts and information regarding them. Here we share a few important tips with you that will help you decide on the online college degree program in a better way.

Rather than deciding which online business degree is right for you, it is always better to decide what your career goals are or what your current job calls for. For example, if in case you want to start your own small business, then a degree in marketing is what you can count on. Similarly, if you are currently working as a manager at your place of business then a leadership degree may get you the skills you need to get a promotion and a raise in your present job.

After deciding on the program you want to pursue the second important part is to choose the right university. The university you choose should be accredited so that the degree you obtain has value in the business. Secondly, the staff and the faculties at the university should be experienced in the program you choose so that you can be absolutely sure of the guidance you will get there.

An online degree is the surest way of completing your education. It is quite easy as you don’t need to visit or attend the college. A four-year college degree can be fairly easy task to complete on the Internet. And if you have prior credits to transfer or relevant work experience then you can complete the degree as less as in six-month time. This helps you a lot in your career. So completing an online college degree is the best way to add some edge to your career and to get more compatible with the increasing competition.



Todd

Kristie Lorette asked:


There are thousands of colleges to choose from, so how do you choose which one is right for you? The truth of the matter is that colleges and universities have a lot more in common than they have differences. When it comes down to making a decision on where you will spend the 4 or so years of your life studying, it really comes down to where you will feel the most comfortable. Colleges and universities do not specialize in particular subjects, so as long as a college offers the major you are interested in, then it can be considered as an option.

So if all of the colleges are pretty much the same then what factors should you take into consideration?

You should choose your college or university based on the things that are important to you. Some things that you may want to consider or take the time to think about are:

• What size college/university and classes do you feel most comfortable with?

Some people feel more comfortable in a more close-knit community and learn better in a smaller class environment. If you feel this way then you may want consider smaller private colleges. Others feel more comfortable in a big city and don’t mind large classes and/or a large campus with a large number of students. If you are one of these people, then you may feel more comfortable at a larger college or university, maybe one that is located in a big city.

• In what geographic location would you like to attend school?

There are colleges and universities all over the country. Since you have to live and interact in the environment and location that the college is located, you may want to consider geographic location and the weather. Maybe you would like to choose a college that is relatively close to where your family lives. Adversely, you may wish to choose a college or university that is not located near your family. Weather conditions are another thing that you should take into consideration. If you hate the snow and cold weather, you may not be happy at a school that is located in the northeast or the Midwest where snow and cold weather are common occurrences. Keep in mind that you will be living at undergraduate school for a 4 year period, maybe longer if you go on to grad school, etc. Pick somewhere where you feel like you fit and can live for the next few years of your life.

• What type of institution would you like to attend?

Do you prefer a private, public or state school? Are you interested in going to a religious school? Does the college offer the academic program in which you are interested?

Many colleges and universities offer the same or similar programs, but if you know what you would like to major in, then make sure that the schools you are considering offer your area of study. Also, if a particular school is one of the top schools in your major of study, you may want to take this into consideration. For example, if you want to study international business and one of your college choices is rated as having the most graduates in the US from the college of business, you may want to take this into consideration also.

• What does campus life have to offer you (extracurricular, social events, etc.)?

While you are primarily at college to study and earn your degree, there are a lot of student activities available at most colleges and universities. You may want to consider what types of activities are available to students and if any of the activities are things you are interested in participating. Maybe you are a water polo enthusiast and one of your college options offers this as a student sport. Depending on how important this fact is to you, this may move this particular college ahead of some of the others on your list.

• Is the college offering enough financial aid to make it affordable?

You may have 3 colleges on your list of options. One college is offering you a full scholarship, while the other two are not offering nearly as much. Is the college giving you a full ride your first choice? Or would you really prefer to go to one of the other two colleges for a different reason? Money is a factor of almost all major decisions, but it is not usually the only factor. Cost should be taken into consideration, just like your other reasons for wanting to attend that particular school.

• Do you feel comfortable and safe on campus?

When you make the campus visits to each of your school choices, how do you feel? Do you feel like you belong there? Do you feel like you fit in? Do you feel like you could spend the next few years of your life living in this community, going to class everyday, working, shopping, playing, etc., there?

When you are considering your college options, weigh the pros and cons of each choice. List each of your college choices and literally write down the positives and the negatives for each school. See which school has more pros than cons, and which school has more pros than the other options. Another thing that you should take into consideration is your priorities. Take a look at the schools that fit the criteria that are most important to you. Even if this school doesn’t have the most pros but it is the only institution that fits your #1 priority, then this is something that you are going to have to take into consideration. The bottom line is that when you come across the school that is best for you, you will know it.



Lawrence

Andy West asked:


Online colleges are becoming much more common, not to mention much more accepted by the education industry and employers alike. But since there are now so many online colleges to choose from, how do you know which school would be the best choice for you?

Choosing an online school or an online degree program is not the same as choosing between traditional universities. Since you don’t commute to campus, and since you don’t use the same student services that you would if you were attending classes in person, your needs as a student are entirely different. Here are a few criteria you should use when determining whether an online college is right for you.

Is the degree program what I need?

Because of the nature of an online school, there is less focus on the college experience and more focus on the quality of education. There are now many online colleges offering a range of programs, so you should not have to sacrifice the exact degree you want in order to enjoy the convenience of online education. Be sure the degree program meets your needs both as a student, and as a future employee. You want to be sure your degree will support your efforts to pursue the career you have in mind!

Does the school offer quality instruction from quality instructors?

Once again, the main criteria you ought to be looking at should be the quality of education the school offers. Ask to see the syllabus and get the names of the textbooks for the classes in your degree program; this will help you ensure that the courses are going to actually teach you what you need to know in order to pursue your career.

You should also ask about the instructors in your degree program. How does the school determine whether an instructor is qualified? Do the instructors have advanced degrees and/or plenty of experience in the industry they are teaching? Make sure your teachers are qualified enough to give you the education you need to support your entrance into your career.

What kinds of student services does the school offer?

Just like traditional universities, good online colleges should offer student support services in case you need help getting the degree, and the career, of your dreams. How will you get extra help if you need it? Instructors should be easy to reach via the course website or email. Some schools also offer tutoring services, where students proficient in a subject assist others who need extra help.

Another of the student services you should look for is job placement or job search assistance. This isn’t a new idea, although Traditional universities have taken it a step further in order to offer their students a little more reassurance: Traditional universities have long offered students and graduates assistance in their job searches. For example, a traditional university’s career services center might have collections of job and internship listings for students and graduates to browse through, as well as someone on staff to help students and graduates write resumes and practice their interviewing skills.

Online colleges offer similar career services, just tweaked to better fit the online format. For instance, some virtual schools have searchable websites, or sections of their websites, that list local job openings in the industries related to the school’s focus. Many online schools offer resume building help. Some even guarantee job placement after graduation. Reviewing how online colleges can prepare you for your future employment can be a deciding factor on which online college to choose from.

Making an Informed Decision

As you can probably imagine, deciding which online school is right for you typically takes some time and research. This is appropriate, since you want to be sure the money you are forking over for your education is not wasted! Take the time to investigate the online colleges you are considering, and make sure that the one you ultimately attend is the best possible option for you and your career.



Lester