Continuing at College

Helpful Ideas for College Students to Consider

College Success

What does a successful college student do or look like?

1. Time Management

Be able to juggle your responsibilities by thinking ahead about what you need to accomplish. If you have a test on Friday, do NOT wait until Thursday night. Pulling an all-nighter isn't going to cut it. Research from UCLA shows that information needs to be learned over a course of time for it to be moved into your long term memory. So, anything you might have crammed the night before is not going to make it past your short-term and into your long-term memory. If you stay up all night studying then the other problem is your loss of sleep. Sleep is very important for your brain and body to be able to function to it's capacity. Also, it is important to sleep the same number of hours each night, as the body functions properly on a patterned sleep schedule. 
A successful college student goes to bed and wakes up at the same time during school nights, studies for class ahead of time, and plans ahead for upcoming events/due dates/activities.

2. Organization

Get organized. Get the books and supplies you need at the beginning of the year so you don't get left behind. You don't have to buy everything you see in the office supply section, but do get the books and recommended items that each professor suggests for class. Make sure you meet with your adviser and have the right classes lined up to earn your major. If you don't know what you want to do after graduation, your adviser is a great person to talk to.
A successful college student has the books and materials required by the professor, knows that courses are required for their major, and checks in with the adviser regularly. 

3. Study 

Get into a routine. Find a place, such as your room, library, quiet area in your dorm, bench in the park, etc where you can study with the least amount of distractions. There is a lot of extra time on hand in college at the beginning, so sometimes freshman think it is free time to play around. Yes, have fun at college, but with more freedom comes more responsibility on yourself. You have to make sure you get your college class work done before you take a nap or play a video game. With a routine you will be able to manage your time, get your work done, and have some fun, which will cut out some of the  stress. 

Example: M,W,F = go to class from 9am to 1pm, go to lunch from 1pm to 1:30pm, go to library from 1:30pm to 5pm, 5pm to 6pm eat dinner, 6pm to 8pm - go to the gym, play basketball, hook up with friends, have a club meeting, etc. 8pm to 10pm meet up with study group.

College does provide more 'freetime' but it is all about what you make of it. 

As a rule of thumb, for every credit taken equals three hours of study time per week. SO... normally a college class is 3 credits so that is 9 hours of study time per week. Now times that by how many classes you are taking. A typical Freshman takes 15 to 18 credits a semester which would be 45 hours of studying a week! Not so much free time after all! :) 

A successful college student studies in an area that is conducive to learning, completes the assignments on time, and gets help when no sure what is going on in class, not waiting until its too late. 

4. Get Involved

Join a sport, intramural, club, activity, study groups, or any other activity that interests you. Getting involved will help connect you to other students who have the same interests as you. This is an awesome opportunity to meet others, do something you are about, and have a great time.
A successful college student takes advantage of the opportunities that college has to offer when it comes to extra-curricular activities, sports, intramural, clubs, and anything else that brings people together for a positive time together. 

5. Class Attendance and Participation

Going to class is very important. Most professors grade class attendance and participation with a large percentage of the final grade. Missing even three classes may cause you to drop a whole letter grade. The attendance policy is found in the course syllabus so be sure to read  carefully. Also, build a professional relationship with your professor. Having a good relationship with the professor will benefit you in many ways such as learning their communication and teaching style, making it easier to ask questions, and possibly networking and as a reference. 
A successful college student attends all classes and participates.

6. Ask For Help

There is nothing wrong with asking for help when needed. Having the self-advocacy skills to know when you need help and how to get it is a great skill that has to be learned. Now, waiting until the night before an assignment is due to start and then asking for help is a little too late. That's where time management comes in. There are many places to ask for help; professors, classmates, roommates, grad assistants, tutoring center, advisors, family and friends. If they don't know the answer then they will be able to point you in the direction of someone who does. BUT, asking for help is the first step.
A successful college student knows when and is not afraid to ask for help.

7.  Closing Thoughts 

College is a great place to learn more about yourself and explore different interests. Remember to build healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, taking care of yourself, and remember who you are.  Build on your skills and talents, and use the career development office to find your passion. They can help you create a resume, job shadow, and find internships for experience. By earning a college degree you can create a plan for your future and use your education in the career field of your choice. 

References

Retrieved July 30, 2014. http://www.usnews.com/education/blogs/professors-guide/2010/08/17/top-10-secrets-of-college-success

Retrieved July 30, 2014. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/cramming-for-a-test-don-t-do-it-237733

Image taken from: https://www.google.com/search?q=successful+college+student&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=dz_ZU5OsKcewyATOn4LACw&ved=0CAYQ_AUoAQ&biw=1366&bih=624&safe=active&ssui=on#facrc=_&imgdii=_&imgrc=2UVH3wa7119OfM%253A%3Bxo9NysqxcqEyVM%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww2.bakersfieldcollege.edu%252Fcounseling%252FNewStudent%252Fimages%252Fsuccessfulgrad.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fwww2.bakersfieldcollege.edu%252Fcounseling%252FNewStudent%252F%3B315%3B382

College Searching and the Application Process

What specifically should be done, in order to qualify and get accepted to college? 

CollegeBoard.org

If your not first sure where you want to apply, then starting with a college search is a good idea.  Collegeboard.org is an easy site that helps with college searches. It starts out with a bank of 3,912 colleges located in the USA, and allows you to filter interests to refine the search. There is an option to make an account so the searches can be saved for comparison. 

Here is a video that describes how to use the search filters on Collegeboard.org.

Below the video are the descriptions of the filters that I describe in the video.

Directions for Collegeboard.org Searches
1. Go to collegeboard.org
2. Click on College Search

3. Select Filters will refine your search by clicking on your preferences. Ex: location- PENNSYLVANIA (by going to an in-state school, your tuition will be less for being a PA resident). There are many filters to choose from such as test scores, type of school, location, campus housing, majors, sports and activities, academic credit, paying, supportive services, and diversity (all are defined below). 
4. When the list of colleges appears, click on the college icon and drag it down to the bottom of the page to store it in My Colleges. Or, save the entire search list by clicking on Save Selection.

      What To Look For When Searching

Here are the definitions of the filters located in the College Board website. Become familiar with them as you begin searching for a college.

• Test Scores- What the college accepts as far as GPA, SAT, ACT requirements 
• Type of School
• 2-Year - community and junior colleges. Can earn a Certificate or Associate degree
• 4-Year - private and state college and universities. Earn an Associates or Bachelors degree
• Certificate - less and 2 years
• Associates - typically 2 years to earn going full time
• Bachelors - typically 4 years to earn if going full time



USA Map of State Colleges

• Religious, Public, Private, For-Profit, Size
• Location - attending in-state vs. out-of-state college
• going to college out-of-state or not in your state of residence is going to cost more. But if you have other financial means, such as scholarships it might not cost more. We will discuss more about financial stuff on the next blog.
• Urban, Suburban, Rural - what is your preference?
• Campus Housing - on-campus (like dorms), commute (live at home), or off-campus (like an apartment)
• Majors - make sure they have the major you are interested so you can pursue your career. Remember the Career Search we did? Also check that they have the level of degree you want. For example: Business in Associates or Bachelors?
• Want your Master's' some colleges have a 4+1 program. If you do your research now you can get your Master's in 5 years, where typically it is 2 year additional to a Bachelor's degree. 
• Sports and Activities - check to see if the sport, club, or activity you are interested is offered.  
• Sports - at what level it is played, such as Division I, II, or III. 
• Music, film, dance, band, art, etc.
• Greek life - sororities and fraternities
• Academic Credit - is CLEP, AP, IB, GED, or transfer credits accepted?
• Paying - Net Price, Tuition & Fees, Work-Study
• Supportive Services - day-care, tutoring, counseling, services for disabilities
• Diversity - percentage of minority students and specialized missions

Visiting a college is a great way to get a 'feel' for what the college campus is like. I recommend college visits to help compare colleges so you can decide what is important to you in making your college choice.

References
https://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/checklists/

Career Choice

Career Choice For Intended Major

Do you know what field you are interested in studying? Knowing what is going to happen after graduation is a decision not to be taken lightly. Doing some research about different careers that are interesting to you is a great way to start. Examples are health services or education. If so, then do you have a major in mind? Examples are nursing (RN) or elementary teacher. If you don't know, then there are a couple things you can do. Doing a self-assessment to learn more about what your strengths and interests are is a great place to start.

Occupational Outlook Handbook is a free resource that anyone can use to help figure out what careers and interests you have.

Another option is Career Cruising. 

Once you have a better idea about what career path you want to take, then it will come in handy during the actual college searching. If you still don't have any idea, or maybe are interested in many majors, you can apply to college as an Undecided Major. This tells the college that you want to take the general education courses, such as English, Math, Speech, and then try out different elective classes to explore what careers are out there.

College Preparation

College Ready

What does it mean to prepare yourself for college? How do you get yourself ready so that you have the best chances of getting into the college of your choice. You can start preparing yourself at any age for college. Attendance, grades, participation in school and outside of school activities, all develop your skills and traits needed for college.

Freshman Year

• Look into taking honors classes
• Focus on passing Keystone Exams - an exam is taken after completing each of the following courses
• Algebra
• 10th Literature
• Biology
• Build Resume -volunteer, job shadow, join sports, band, after school clubs, academic clubs
• Career Searching
• GPA- grade point average.  Your GPA starts your freshman year, and changes every time you complete a class/credit. That is why it is important to take your academics seriously from your freshman year, as all classes will show on your transcript.
• Transcripts are what colleges want to see to learn more about you. Transcripts are like your academic resume, it's one of the first things that colleges read about you

Sophomore Year

• Look into taking honors AP (Advance Placement) Classes
• Continue Building Resume- summer job, take summer class for advancement
• College Visits
• Take PSAT (Preliminary SAT), PLAN (practice for ACT) (October)
• Continue Career Searching - look into majors 

Junior Year

• Keep up academics. Transcript from this year will be sent in to college. 
• Attend College Fairs
• Start learning about college searches
• Register for the ACT and/or SAT
• Take AP/IB/Dual Enrollment courses
• Start to narrow down list of colleges interested in and visit if haven't already.
• Decide if you want to apply for earn decision or early action.
• Continue building resume
• Talk to a college student about their college application and enrollment process or ideas and suggestions.

Senior Year

• Meet with your school counselor to make sure you will have met graduation requirements.
• Stay involved in school activities. Tryout for leadership roles.
• Stay strong with academics - colleges require a final transcript after high school graduation before officially accepting students. Also, it determines scholarship eligibility.
• Register to take ACT/SATS if needed
• Apply to colleges of interest
• Submit scholarship applications
• FAFSA - Jan 1st if first day it can be submitted. check colleges' deadlines for submitting.
• Compare college acceptance letters and financial aid award packets
• May 1st - deadline for tuition deposit to college you want to attend
• Attend student orientation, schedule classes, campus housing options, meal plans, financial aid/Bursar's office.

Below is a college planning checklist that can be used during your junior and senior years.

References

https://studentaid.ed.gov/prepare-for-college/checklists/

Images from: http://www.annawan226.org/counseling/college/college-planning-checklist/
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