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Avoiding College Credit Card Traps
Congratulations college freshman! You’re about to embark on one of the most exciting times of your life. By now your parents, siblings, and friends have offered you all kinds of advice on how to make your transition to college smoother - how to get...
Holistic Junction's featured School of the Week: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC)
Holistic Junction's featured School of the Week: American Association of Naturopathic Medical Colleges (AANMC) by C. Bailey-Lloyd Holistic Junction's featured school of the week is the distinguished American Association of Naturopathic Medical...
Holistic Junction's Featured School of the Week: Pioneer Pacific College
Holistic Junction is honored to exhibit Pioneer Pacific College as the featured school of the week. Pioneer Pacific College is '...uncompromisingly dedicated to helping people improve their lives through high-qualtiy, college-level, career...
The College-Bound Student’s Early Bird Menu
Many parents and students I counsel confuse Early Admission, Early Read, Early Decision, Early Action and Early Notification. How these and the other admission strategies listed below are used, will determine the course of the student’s college...
Tips on How to Survive College Life
Starting a new life, college life, can seem a bit strange and it
is important that you learn a few tips and tricks to be sure you
will survive and also enjoy college life. The first thing and
the most obvious is that money is going to be vital,...
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What to Consider When Choosing a College Major
So you've picked a school (college or technical) but what are
you going to study? I've compiled a list of things to consider
when choosing an academic major.
Level of interest: Do you enjoy the subject? You are more
likely to be successful if you enjoy your major. If it bores
you, you will likely be unmotivated and may suffer academically.
Do you have a natural talent/skill? Don't discount any
natural talents or skills, instead, let those skills guide you
to success.
Possible careers? What sort of job will your degree
prepare you for? Will you need additional schooling to achieve
your career goals? Is your major geared toward one particular
trade (for example; engineering or accounting) or can you apply it to
many careers (Majors such as English, history, psychology that
teach marketable, non-trade specific skills such as reasoning,
critical thinking, writing and communication)?
What are the requirements? What courses and how many
will you have to take within the major as well as supplementary
courses outside your major (i.e. accounting students take
courses in marketing, economics, and business as well as
specific accounting courses). Does the program require a minimum
GPA for admission and retention? Will you need a minor? Will you
be required to complete an internship or a co-op program?
Prerequisites. Are there specific courses you must
complete prior to engaging in major specific courses?
(Prerequisites are often lower level introductory courses that
establish a basic set of knowledge that will be referred to and
built upon in subsequent classes.) For example if you wanted to
major in psychology you would most likely be required to take a
course introducing theories, models and major researchers in the
field.
Evaluate the instructors. How qualified are the
teachers? Where did they go to school, what sort of degrees do
they hold, where have they previously worked or taught and what
have they published? Find out about reputations from other
students as well. Is a certain professor notorious for being
rigid or difficult? A good relationship with an instructor can
benefit you when you begin applying to graduate schools or jobs
and you need recommendations.
Program reputation. Does the program receive national
attention? What do graduates think of the program? What sort of
jobs do alumni hold?
Are you considering a double major? A double major can
be a huge undertaking. This can be fruitful but you will need to
be
more organized when planning class schedules and picking
classes. Some majors will not allow you the time to devote to a
second major (often called comprehensive majors.) Be informed
and be prepared to work!
Check out survey and introductory courses in a variety of
programs. These courses will be more general and give you a
better understanding of what to expect from the program as a
whole. Remember, you probably are not going to like every single
class or topic in your major. I had a friend who loved cost
accounting but hated her tax accounting class.
Browse the course catalog. Familiarize yourself with the
policies and requirements. Read the school's handbook regarding
the differences in requirements for an Associate's Degree, a
Bachelor's of Arts, Bachelor's of Science, Bachelor's of Fine
Arts, etc. These will each require a different set of courses.
Also, check your school's general education requirements. These
are often a set core of courses every student must take in order
to earn their degree. Check for overlaps and conflicts with your
major. Some departments won't give credit for certain courses in
a major that were used for general education requirements.
Use your advisor. These people know the ropes. They are
there to help you navigate the system. If all of this is
overwhelming (and don't feel bad if it is) relax! If you have an
advisor who just isn't helping you, see if your school has a set
of general advisors set up for undecided students. These
counselors will often have access to information about general
school topics (deadlines, procedures) as well as tools to help
you find information regarding specific degree programs. If you
already have a major but are unsatisfied with your advisor,
consider asking for a reassignment. Often this can be done in
the department office.
Talk to other students. They can often provide insight
and experience that will be beneficial. An upperclassman can be
your best friend when it comes to figuring out the system. Not
only do they know the best places to eat, but they might know
the best places to buy and sell books, the best advisors and the
best teachers.
Don't be afraid to change your mind. In the long run it's better
to spend an extra year or two in college than to be miserable or
regret your decisions. People change their majors all the time
(I changed mine 3 times) and while it's a big decision, it is
only a piece of the larger puzzle.
About the author:
Kate Leas is a freelance writer living in Kansas City, Missouri.
Her current topics of interest include education and the
Internet.
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| college times |
| www.nytimes.com/college/ - Similar pages |
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| Dartmouth College |
| Welcome to Dartmouth, a private, four-year liberal arts institution that has been at the forefront of American higher education since 1769. |
| www.dartmouth.edu |
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| Top Liberal Arts Colleges · Comprehensive Colleges · Top Northern · Top Southern · Top Midwestern · Top Western · Engineering Programs ... |
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| The College of William & Mary | W&M |
| Chartered on February 8, 1693, by King William III and Queen Mary II as the second college in the American colonies. Severed formal ties with Britain in ... |
| www.wm.edu |
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| Reed College |
| Portland, Oregon liberal arts college noted for rigorous academics and independent study. |
| www.reed.edu |
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| Yale University comprises three major academic components: Yale College (the undergraduate program), the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, ... |
| www.yale.edu |
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| Williams College |
| Official site for this four-year liberal arts college in Williamstown, Massachusetts. 2000 students choose from 30 majors in 24 departments. |
| www.williams.edu |
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| Amherst College |
| One of the Five Colleges, this school is consistently ranked one of the top liberal arts colleges in the nation. |
| www.amherst.edu |
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| A private liberal arts college in Western Massachusetts. |
| www.hampshire.edu |
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| A private liberal arts college for women located in Northampton, Massachusetts. A highly selective institution with an undergraduate enrollment on campus of ... |
| www.smith.edu |
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| College - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia |
| The institutions formerly known as "Teacher-training colleges" now style themselves ... In Portugal the term college (colégio) is mainly used to refer to ... |
| en.wikipedia.org |
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| Davidson College |
| An independent liberal arts institution founded by Presbyterians. Contains a calendar of events, history, academic information, alumni and admissions. |
| www.davidson.edu |
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| Emerson College - Bringing Innovation to Communication and the Arts |
| Emerson College is the nation's only four-year college devoted exclusively to the study of communication and performing arts. |
| www.emerson.edu |
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| Middlebury College |
| Panthers outdoor official site. Coaching staff, roster, schedule, school records, and past season information. |
| www.middlebury.edu |
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| The Pomona College Web |
| Private liberal-arts college with a focus on the arts, literature, and languages. A founding member of the Claremont Colleges. |
| www.pomona.edu |
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