If you decide to pursue a bachelor’s degree, there are various decisions you have to make, decisions that would really have a great impact on your future. One of these is your choice of major.
Why choosing a major is important
Choosing a major is very important because this will determine the discipline you will spend a lot of time and energy studying or mastering.(1) Aside from this, your major will have a significant effect in the job opportunities that would be coming your way in the future. If you still want to pursue a graduate degree, your major in college can also determine if you can easily enroll in the graduate school that you want.
The do’s of choosing a major
It is important that you find sufficient information to help you decide for the major that you would take. You should also determine what field you are really interested in. You should consider your passions and your skills in choosing the major that you would be concentrating in. It is also helpful if you visualize yourself several years from now as a professional in your chosen field.
The don’ts of choosing a major
In choosing a major, it is really important that you look for sufficient information to help you decide for the field that you have to pursue. However, you have to ensure that you are not overwhelmed by the information you find.(2) Although it is an advantage if you ask your friends or parents to help you decide what major to choose, it is still your own preference what you should prioritize in the end.
One of the important requirements that you have to submit is the personal statement for college. You have to include your reasons why you chose a specific major in your personal statement for college. To help you in writing one, you can read sample personal statements. You can look for these personal statement samples at online sources.(3)
(1) http://www.stanford.edu/~susanz/Majors.html
(2) http://www.temple.edu/studentaffairs/careercenter/students/workshops/documents/ChoosingaMajorpacket.pdf
(3) http://www.blinn.edu/advising/success_strategies.htm
Although colleges and universities have almost the same process of admitting applicants, it is still helpful if you research information about the specific school where you are planning to enroll to. Among the information you should read to broaden your chances of getting admitted are tips on writing a personal statement. Aside from this, it is also better if you gather information regarding the usual questions being asked during the interview. Being well informed about these little things will increase your chances of being admitted to your dream school. The following are tips on how you can gather inside information on a school’s admission process.
* Read forums, student blogs, and message boards online
The Internet is an excellent venue to gather information about the admissions process of various schools and colleges. Online message boards will also give you an idea about the admission process of a specific school where you want to enroll to. If you want to know the opinion of a school’s current students or those of your fellow applicants, you can go to student forums online. You can also post questions regarding the admission staff, the interview, and the questions frequently asked by the admission officers at forums and blogs.
* Ask students, admission officers, and alumni
Aside from the various blogs and message boards, you can also access first hand information about the application process from people who are currently studying in the school where you want to apply. Other sources of relevant information are the alumni of your dream school. It is also helpful if you get information from other applicants who are either passers or non-passers. This way, you will have an idea about the mistakes you have to avoid when you do your own application. The admission officers are also among the best people whom you can inquire about the admission procedure.
Another helpful thing you can do aside from asking people is practicing admissions exams online. It is also a great aid if you read an excellent sample personal statement essay and use it as a guide in writing your own.
College and graduate school students are prone to sickness and fatigue because of the workload and demands of their academic life. This is why student health insurance packages and policies are very important. Aside from the protection a student health insurance gives, it also lightens the financial burden of the students in case they get sick. The student health insurance is also an alternative for those who are not covered by their parents’ insurance. The student health insurance is so important that in some states in the US, this insurance is required for every full-time student. Students can get health insurance from a private insurance company or from the school itself.
How to get a student health insurance
Each school has a certain set of requirements to make one eligible for a student health insurance. The usual requirement for a student health insurance is that the student should be within the age range of 17 to 29 years old. There are two options for those who are interested in getting a student health insurance policy. Students can actually get one from the college or university where they are currenly studying at. Another option is to get the insurance policy from a private insurance company. An insurance policy provided by a school is much cheaper than an insurance policy granted by a private company. A student health insurance from the school or university may come as a group package or as individual packages. An individual insurance package is ideal for those who have a special medical need. One of the most important things to do when choosing a student health insurance is to analyze and make sure that the insurance policy covers the basic expenses.
A student health insurance is just one of the things you have to be knowledgeable about when you are planning to apply to a college or a university. Other important things you have to keep in mind are the admissions exams and personal statement. You can practice the exams online to prepare you for the actual exam. For the essay, you can read a well-written sample personal statement essay to give you an idea on how to write one.
For some, a student life centered solely on academics is boring and at the same time stressful. Many students enjoy being in a relationship; it keeps them motivated especially during difficult times. This is of course great, as long as the students maintain the balance between their studies and personal relationships. However, maintaining the equilibrium between these two is not very easy; your studies may demand a great deal of your time for reports, papers, and other academic requirements. If you are one of those students who are juggling academics and a romantic relationship, below are some tips on maintaining your personal life without putting your academic performance in jeopardy.
* Time management
Time management is among the important secrets of people who preserve their romantic relationships without sacrificing their studies. Planning and scheduling your academic work will give you a chance to explain to your partner that you will be spending some of your time studying, writing term papers, and preparing for exams. By planning and scheduling your activities, you will achieve balance between your social and academic life, which is very important to help you get through your student life.
* Communication
It is really important that you maintain the lines of communication with your partner no matter how busy you are. There are various ways to show your partner that you have not forgotten him or her even though you are very busy. You can spare a short time to call, email, or text your partner in between study sessions. The few minutes you spend communicating with your partner will also help you relax and have a break from a tiring study group session.
However, before you worry about balancing your academic and social life, you have to make sure that you are going to be admitted to the school that you want. The application process in many schools include the passing of the entrance exam and the submission of a personal statement. To guide you in writing your personal statement, you can read a sample personal statement essay on the Internet.
There are various factors that affect the parents’ and students’ choice of school. There are some who take into primary account the tuition rates and other expenses when choosing a school. For some, the accessibility of the school is the most important factor to consider. However, there are others who believe that prestige is the most important thing to take into consideration when choosing a school. Below are some of the reasons many parents and students opt for a prestigious university or college.
* Prestigious schools offer a higher quality of education
This belief may not hold true to every prestigious school. You can expect, however, quality education from many prestigious schools because a school’s reputation is usually earned by providing high-caliber education. In many prestigious universities and colleges, you will find various top-tier programs to choose from. A reputable school is also teeming with excellent professors who are masters in their own fields.
* Prestigious schools will open various career opportunities
Although some prestigious schools are expensive, some parents still send their children to reputable colleges and universities because they believe that this is a good investment; a degree from a prestigious school will secure a bright career for their kids. This doesn’t mean, however, that the school is the only factor considered in order to have a good employment. Personal merit is still the deciding factor for a bright career. A degree from a prestigious school, however, gives a student an edge over the other applicants because there are still various companies that prefer applicants from a reputable school.
Applying to a prestigious school can be quite challenging yet rewarding. Aside from having to pass the entrance exams of the school. It is also necessary to submit a personal statement. To have an idea on how to write this, you can use a sample personal statement essay online as a guide in writing your own.
Having to foot the bill for your living expenses and school fees is one of the most challenging parts of college life. Even those who are already working while pursuing their graduate studies may also have trouble with money. As they say, higher education is never cheap. But even on a tight budget, you can still fulfill this dream of yours by exploring different options for financial aid. To help you finance your studies, why not apply for student loans? Listed below are different types of student loans.
Types of federal loans
Federalloans come in three popular types: Stafford loans, Perkins loans, and Plus loans. Stafford loans are commonly obtained through financial institutions such as credit unions, banks, or even government agencies. Based on your financial need, you may apply for subsidized or unsubsidized Stafford loans. For low interest rates, another good option is the Perkins loan. The Plus loan, meanwhile, helps parents support the college education of their children. To qualify, the credit history of the parents should first be evaluated.
Other sources of student loans
Aside from banks and credit unions, private lenders can also be a source of student loans.Though you may easily qualify for these, the only downside is that loans offered by private lenders usually have higher rates.
If you’re already working, you may also ask your employer if the company has a financial program for employees who want to finish college or pursue graduate studies. Some employers may cover a percentage of the tuition in exchange for your service or prolonged stay in the company.
Quick tip when applying for student loans
Always look at the fine print. Read the terms and conditions carefully. Know what you can afford to pay and how you can cut back on other cost. Ideally, you should look for lower interest rates or better payment schemes. Just remember that the approval of student loans depends on your financial capability and credit standing.
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Preparing for either medical or law school is not easy. Intense preparation is necessary for you to be able to go through the rigorous demands of your college major. Some schools offer pre-medical and pre-law courses to help students who are thinking of going to medical school and law school, respectively. Do students who took up a pre-med course in college have an advantage in getting into a medical school? Well, not necessarily. There are instances when a college student who has a non-science major decides that he or she wants to go to medical school. Still, it is best that you take up a related major to be equipped with the prerequisite skills and knowledge needed in these graduate programs. Listed below are some ideas to help you choose which majors to take if you decide to go to medical or law school.
Majors for medical school
Investing knowledge in science classes is vital to earn a degree in medicine. Having a major in Chemistry, Physics, or Biology is best for people looking to get into a medical school. The logic into taking up these majors is that the theories and experience including the training gained is directly relevant and used in medical school.
Majors for law school
There are a wide variety of majors that high school students wanting to enter law school can look into. You can choose to take more popular majors that directly correlate to preparing you as an effective student in law school. These majors include Criminology, Political Science, Philosophy and Psychology. Having a major in these fields is an advantage because some areas of study in law school relate to human behavior and political structures as well as require thorough research and critical analysis.
If you do decide to enter medical school or law school, what’s more important is your openness to new things. Even though you have a BA, not a BS, but you want to go to medical school, you should be prepared to diversify your skills and to catch up on your readings. Remember that when you get accepted to a medical school or law school of your choice, you have to spend some time and effort in learning new things.
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Sexual harassment does happen in many educational institutions. This is a serious circumstance that these institutions of higher learning vow to eliminate. According to studies conducted by the American Association for University Women (AAUW), 60% of both male and female students have experienced being sexually harassed at the college or university institutions where they study. Here are some tips that you can follow to avoid being sexually harassed.
Be aware and alert at all times
Being fully aware and alert is vital to being able to avoid sexual harassment. But before you can avoid it, you have to know what it means. Thus, it is essential to know that sexual harassment is any form of unwelcome sexual behavior. It is very relevant to have a broader perspective on sexual harassment. Just browsing the internet will be very helpful in finding out the more common forms of sexual harassment.
In the school setting, the perpetrator can involve schoolmates, friends, strangers, and even school employees (staff, teachers). You have to arm yourself against people who are causing you to become uncomfortable because of their verbal and nonverbal gestures that are sexual in nature. And more importantly, when you become a victim yourself be sure that you know who to seek advice from and where to reach them.
Pointers to avoid sexual harassment
* Know your surroundings. Being aware of the people around you and the places that surround you is vital. Just the same, it is also important that you avoid unfamiliar faces and places where your friends or acquaintances may want to bring you. School life often involves many extracurricular activities outside the school campus. Gather enough information about these activities before you decide to join them.
* Assess the manner in which you dress up. Dressing up is one factor to getting attention; it is always best to know how to dress to invite wanted attraction and not unwanted attraction.
* Sexual harassment also includes joking and teasing. When you avoid such behavior, you will surely avoid sexual harassment.
* Let people around you know how you feel about sensitive issues such as sex. Seek help especially from your school or educational institution if you think you have been sexually harassed.
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The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis can be applied in various areas needing performance evaluation. For example, it is used to plan and assess the possible behavior of a business venture. It is basically a tool in determining, analyzing, and interpreting the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats relevant to a project. Similarly, this method can be used to assess your status in school to help you find the right academic career to pursue. To do this, refer to the notes below:
Learning how SWOT analysis works
To conduct a personal SWOT analysis effectively, know by heart how it is done, why is it done and the manner in which the findings are interpreted. The process requires answering to a set of questions that are relevant to your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. For your SWOT analysis process to suit your situation, the questions need to be designed to your academic objectives. Browse online for relevant materials on personal SWOT analysis for help in conducting your analysis. Formulate your questions in such a way that it focuses on your personal traits, experiences, training and education. Enumerated below are some helpful questions:
1. Strength – Which are my most exceptional skills?
2. Weakness – I am having difficulties in writing which part of an essay or a paper?
3. Opportunity – I am interested in the programs offered by which college or university?
4. Threat – To get my college degree, what factors stand in the way?
Knowing yourself better
The best way to answer and get an efficient result is to answer the questions as honestly as you know yourself. Remember that the data you put in this process will be the same data that will be analyzed and interpreted. When answering the questions on the test, try to answer as honestly as you can. It is significant that, as you reply to the questions, you also find out what other people think as your strengths and weaknesses.
Interpreting the data gathered
After all the questions are answered, sit down and review the results. Assess your answers and relate it to your academic status using the results to choose the best academic career suitable for the person that you are. The following are some tips that can help you analyze and make your decision:
* Pick a course that capitalizes on your strengths
* An academic career can be an opportunity to make your weaknesses irrelevant by focusing on your strengths. This doesn’t mean however that you need not face your weaknesses while pursuing your academic ambition but you can use it as a chance to strengthen your weaknesses. Attending workshops, seminars, group discussions, and other extracurricular activities will help you improve on your areas of weakness.
* Take advantage of all possible opportunities that will help your personal and academic traits excel.
* Threats are inevitable to each ones’ ambitions and career perspectives. Identifying these threats however will provide a more focused solution as early as possible. When you are able to anticipate these threats using the information gathered, you will be able to prepare or avoid possible hurdles to your academic objective.
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Being able to do various job types gives you an edge in following your career path. Two fields that you can look into are the areas of social sciences and humanities, which are areas of study for people whose interests are diverse. The reason why these fields are able to provide you with the coping mechanism is that these cover a wider range of subjects. In case you have not made up your mind on which career to pursue, there are various professions in social sciences and humanities that you may be interested in. Please find below some popular vocations and see if one fits your field of interest and skill level.
1. Teaching profession – Sometimes, the teaching profession is looked upon as an inferior career path. Little do people know that teachers are the link from general knowledge to specific fields. The people who follow this career path are degree holders in areas such as social sciences or humanities who become teachers in high school and college levels. Social science and humanities involve analytical thinking and research.
2. Legal assistance and representation – Equally, social studies and humanities fit very well into the pre-law requirement. Legal assistance and representation focuses a lot on social responsibilities and humanitarian principles. This focus serves as a perfect background for lawyers to focus on their social responsibilities. The subjects on history, psychology, human behavior, and political science are significant foundations to the study of the law.
3. Sociologists and community development workers – This career fits well with social sciences and humanities degree holders. Usually, these people have been exposed to the study of human behavior, social relations and the structures, and the institutions and organizations that provide services. Sociologists deal with in-depth social, economic, cultural, political and even environmental issues. With subjects on psychology, sociology, social studies, and the like, this profession can focus on different societal issues.
4. Political scientists and analysts– This profession is very well specialized as it involves the study of public policies and political systems. This is one area where degree holders of social sciences and humanities are needed. The specialization is necessary as politics forms one pillar of the social structure which is vitally relevant to social relations and structure within a society.
5. Anthropologists – This profession generally tackles studying human behavior and cultural development. It entails broad and specific research, analysis and interpretation of human behavior that further deals with socio-cultural and physical development of human beings in their social context.
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