Choosing a School or College

Statistics indicate that training after high school can help you get a better-paid job doing your favourite jobs. Yet going to school is a huge investment. You are putting in your time. You ‘re also likely to have to invest your own money or take out a student loan to go to school. So you have to be sure you ‘re selecting the right school.

Talk to your counsellor. Counsellors can help you focus on your needs and goals and have information on various school types. Your counsellor can also assist in the collection or preparation of application materials.

Shop around. Contact multiple schools. Check the Yellow Pages under “Schools” for telephone numbers if you are looking for vocational training. If there is a community college in your town, call the admissions office or check the website of the school to find out what kind of training the college provides.

Visit the school. Call the school, and arrange a visit, preferably while classes are being taught. Get a feel for the school; make sure you feel comfortable with the facilities, the equipment, the teachers, and the students.

Don’t be afraid to ask! A good school will be pleased to answer your questions about its programmes. Ask the school about the students: How many graduates are there? How many are getting jobs due to the training that they received? What kind of job placement services the school provides?

Check the cost. Make sure that the school provides you with a clear statement of their tuition and fees. Recall that any financial assistance you receive will be applied first to pay tuition and fees for the school. If any money is left, the school will give you it to help you pay for things like food and rent.

Call your local Better Business Bureau, state higher-education agency, or your state attorney general’s office’s consumer protection division to find out if there have been any complaints about the school.

Choosing the Right Major for You Simply Requires a Little Bit of Research.

Once you get to college you are faced with the choice of choosing your major. This seems like a daunting task to many freshmen because they still have no clue what they want to do with their lives and careers. Of course, most colleges allow students a period of time before they are required to declare their major and most universities will allow you to change your major at any time, but still, you want to graduate one day and must have a major to do so. As a result, you should do some serious thinking and evaluating as to what you are most interested in, any goals you have in life, your study habits, and your commitment to the school in general.

Personality
Many people find this surprising, but your personality plays a huge role in what you major in. For example, if you are really outgoing and enjoy interacting with people on a regular basis then you should probably choose a major that will allow you to obtain a job that will flatter your personality. Or, if you enjoy being alone and don’t particularly like to be surrounded by people you might prefer to major in something that computer programming that will better flatter your personality. This is something only you can determine but consider your personality before you declare your major. When you choose a major that flatters your personality you will perform better at school and ultimately in the workplace.

Interests
Another important aspect to consider before declaring your major is your major interests. What are you passionate about? What area of study interests you the most? Have you always loved literature, are you motivated to learn another language, does business intrigue you, or are you fascinated by the human body? Whatever you have always been interested in should certainly be something you consider as your college major.

Goals
Your life’s goals should also be kept in mind when thinking of a major. For example, if you want to get married and start a family in your early 20s then majoring in medicine or law might not be the best options since you will need to be in school for a while. If you want to go to grad school, then you should consider what type of graduate degree you want in order to have that area of study in your undergraduate years. For instance, if you are dying to get your master’s in business then you should not major in chemistry unless you plan on taking all of the core classes in business as well. Evaluate your goals and how your undergraduate major will affect them. Talking to your college advisor will also help you figure out the right major.

Study Habits
It is well known there are certain majors that are simply easier than others or at least require less studying. If you are not a studier, then choose a major that will not require heavy study sessions. If you are a studier, then you might prefer a more challenging major. Regardless, keep your study habits in mind before choosing a major.

Commitment
Your commitment to the school and your major are also important things to evaluate before choosing a major. You want to graduate in as little time as possible, so to do this you need to choose the best major for you to begin with and stick with it. Unfortunately, many undergraduates change their majors multiple times and end up taking more classes than they need and staying in school an extra semester or more simply because they changed their majors. If you are committed to your major you will graduate sooner and save more money!

While choosing a major is tricky, it can be done early in the undergraduate’s career as long as the student has fully evaluated the options. Even if you are sure you know what you want to do with your life and choose a major, it might change a year down the road, so allow yourself some leeway and consider taking general college classes the first two years and saving your major classes for later. That way you will not get behind if you change your mind because you were simply taking the required general college courses. As long as you evaluate all of the aforementioned topics you should be prepared to choose an appropriate major for yourself.