A. Nicki Washington / Ph.D. Prepped for Success: What Every Parent Should Know

About the College Application Process, Second Edition
1. Auflage 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9847467-6-7
Verlag: 'A' Game Educational Services
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)

E-Book, Englisch, 86 Seiten

College is an exciting time in any young person's life. However, getting there requires much more than simply searching for scholarships. The admissions process requires completing a number of steps before freshman move-in, including: Identifying Schools and Majors Completing Admissions Applications Preparing for and Taking Standardized Tests Understanding and Finding Financial Aid Completing the FAFSA Post-Decision Activities

Autoren/Hrsg.

A. Nicki Washington, Ph. D.

Ph.D.,

Leseproben

2
Choosing a Major The most important reason for attending college is to obtain a degree. After all, this is the educational foundation for your student’s career path. A major decision and concern for students is choosing a major. Some students know their intended major as early as ninth grade. Others may change their intended major numerous times before matriculating. Some students do not declare a major until their sophomore year of college. Finally, there are students who change majors as late as their senior year of college (although this is not the norm or encouraged). As a college professor, I’ve witnessed one too many students struggle as a computer science major. Some have just been lazy. Others were simply misinformed about the major and requirements when they declared. As a result, they were ill prepared, struggled in courses, and decided to change their major. There was only one problem they didn’t consider. In order to change their major, students must meet a minimum GPA requirement. Since many of them decided to change majors due to their poor academic performance, this put them in a bind. They were stuck in a major that they no longer wanted to pursue, required to spend more money taking more classes to boost their GPA so that they could then officially transfer to another department. Not only did they waste time, but also money. It’s not always that easy to quickly raise your GPA. In the meantime, students will have to explain to potential scholarship and internship opportunities why their GPA is so low. If you and your student thoroughly consider possible majors BEFORE matriculation as well as during his/her freshman year of college, these stumbling blocks can be avoided. This chapter will help you identify areas of interest, as well as additional possibilities you may not have considered. How to Choose a Major People often think the simple way to choose a major is to identify a desired career and select the most obvious major that leads to it. For example, if a student wants to be an attorney, he/she may think to declare a major in criminal justice or political science. While this may be logical and helpful, it is not required, nor does it consider all possible majors. A number of attorneys have bachelor’s degrees in business, engineering, English, and science. Choosing a major should be a well-thought out decision that includes the following factors: • Career interests • Degree requirements • Academic strengths and challenges Career Interests One of the most obvious ways to identify potential majors is to brainstorm careers that interest your student. This will help to determine the range of disciplines that lead to a career in these fields. People often neglect to consider, even as a college student, the non-traditional career opportunities that a graduate in a specific discipline can pursue. For example, think about a degree in computer science. What careers do you think are available to someone with this degree? They may develop financial software on Wall Street, create smartphone apps, or teach high-school computer science courses, I have a friend who completed a B.S. and Ph.D. in chemistry. She used this background to develop her own natural hair care line and currently owns a full-service salon. This is why it is important to understand what career opportunities are of interest to your student. This information can be used to brainstorm different majors that lead to these careers. You may only be considering the obvious and not all of the exciting and new opportunities available. Consider another example. If your student wants to become a pediatrician, what undergraduate majors are available? What about a science major, such as biology, chemistry, etc.? What other career opportunities are available with these backgrounds? What about conducting research for cures to diseases or developing a cosmetic line? Information on majors and careers can be found on CollegeBoard (http://www.collegeboard.com) and FederalStudentAid (https://studentaid.ed.gov). Degree Requirements When considering career interests, it is important to look beyond the expected salaries. There are, of course, a number of majors that have high starting salaries. However, it is important to understand the degree requirements as well. This is why career interests are only one of many factors to consider when selecting a major. Many students pursue a major based on starting salary information. However, the degree requirements may be much more than expected, resulting in the student changing majors, becoming disillusioned with the department and/or university, and possibly dropping out of either the program or university. Remember the students I mentioned at the beginning of this chapter? That happens more frequently than you would think. Consider a major such as electrical engineering, which has advanced math requirements. Understanding your student’s math strengths and challenges will help determine if he/she will be able to complete the degree in four years or require additional time, if a pre-college transition program is necessary (which many schools offer), and if there are courses available in high school for preparation. Similarly, majoring in biology will require a large number of science courses. If this is a subject that your student has excelled in, then great! This may be a great fit. However, if he/she has struggled with science classes, then this is the time to assess if enough science courses have been taken to prepare him/her to begin an undergraduate program and, if not, what can be done in the meantime. Finally, one thing to consider when reviewing degree requirements is the level of education that may be required. Many times, this depends on the career interest. For example, if your student is interested in becoming a pediatrician, then he/she must attend graduate school. In other cases, it may not be a requirement to pursue an advanced degree, but the job market may dictate whether it is best to pursue one or other additional training. If your student is interested in majoring in business administration, for example, then he/she should be aware as an undergraduate that this discipline may require pursuing a Master of Business Administration (M.B.A). Many firms will only hire M.B.A. graduates for certain positions. Similarly, an accounting major can find a career with a bachelor’s degree. However, additional opportunities (and increased salary potential) can be obtained by becoming a certified public accountant (CPA). Academic Strengths and Challenges The final step in identifying possible majors is to understand your student’s academic strengths and challenges. As mentioned, certain majors have heavy requirements in a specific subject. Identifying and understanding your student’s strengths and challenges in specific subjects will help map these abilities with the degree requirements of any major. This will not only help you identify what areas require additional assistance, but also help with his/her high school coursework. If your student excels in math, for example, then a number of majors could be of interest, including engineering, computer science, math, physics, and accounting, to name a few. If your student excels in writing and English, then you may consider journalism, public relations, English, and others. Another way to identify majors is to consider what your student enjoys doing. Consider the following questions: • What talent does he/she possess? What things seem to motivate him/her? • In what subjects is your student the strongest? • What subjects present the greatest challenges? While it may not be as obvious, the last question is an important one to ask as well. Many times, students choose majors strictly because of the appeal of career opportunities and salaries. However, these disciplines may not be ones that they are as strong in academically. For example, a student who struggles with basic algebra may face a number of challenges in a major that requires a lot of advanced math courses, including Calculus I, II, and III, Differential Equations, etc. This is NOT to say that your student cannot or should not pursue a major in these fields, if this is the case. However, you both should have a solid understanding of the program requirements, and realistic expectations. This includes understanding he/she may require additional introductory courses, private tutoring, summer school, and an additional year or more at the university. Ultimately, the key to identifying the subjects that are your student’s strengths and challenges will help you both identify a major that is rewarding and leads to the desired career. It is important to accomplish this as early as possible to prevent any wasted courses, credits, and money! FAQ What if my student is unsure of a major? This is more common than you may think. Many students declare their major in their sophomore year. Typically, freshman-year coursework is comprised of general, university-required courses that cover math, science, English, and physical education. Some universities require students to declare a major upon their decision to attend. Ultimately, he/she will not take a large number of major-related courses in the first semester or...