Education | Whats The Best College

How Going Back to School Fits into a Traditional Work Schedule

As a full-time professional working 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. five days a week, it may seem impossible to try and go back to school. But perhaps you want to increase your education through a Master’s degree or even switch professions and obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in an entirely different field. Or maybe you desire your very first Bachelor’s degree. This task may seem impossible since you work 40 hours or more in a given week. Whatever your educational goal, it is achievable through much planning and dedication.

First you must decide how to attend class. Traditional universities offer night and weekend classes to accommodate working professionals. Online colleges offer degree programs that you can take at your leisure. This may seem more advantageous since you can take class whenever you like. The danger lies in possible procrastination. Will you actually study after work and on the weekends or take that time to relax and forget about class work?

In-person classes make you more accountable for actually doing the class work. The challenge then lies in how you can make your work schedule accommodate more than one class. If you plan on getting a Bachelor’s, you will need to take a minimum of four classes a semester on average to complete the program in four years. This is challenging if you only have nights and weekends to dedicate to class time. Consider taking a mix of in-person and virtual classes if you want to obtain your degree from a traditional school.

Another important aspect is fitting in study time. Do not block your free time with all classes. Otherwise you will not have time to study for tests and write term papers. Take enough classes so that the workload is challenging but not impossible to complete. You do not want a lack of sleep to interfere with your job.

Your Education: Traditional or Online?

Getting an education is important, but do you want to do it the traditional way or do you want to learn online? Students have so many choices today that it can seem overwhelming. Sometimes, they don’t know what to do. If you’re in that situation, you have to look at all of the factors that will come into play when making your decision. Don’t just assume that you can (or should) do one or the other. Look into the issue and decide what’s best for you and your family. You should consider the cost, of course, but also the ability to move away to college and whether you’ll need to keep working while you go for your education.

If you have a child or a sick parent to care for, that can drastically alter your school plans. Even if you want to go away to attend a traditional school, you may not be able to. In that case, an online school would be your best choice. Ultimately, however, the choice has to be yours and no one else can make it for you. Getting help isn’t that hard, and you can check out a lot of resources to see what online degrees might be offered to you. That can give you a much better idea of what kind of options you have and what you should do next.

Don’t make an assumption about your education. You can’t really make an informed decision until you know all the facts. To get the facts, you have to do the research. It may seem easier to just choose a college and go with it because it’s the first one you find, but that could hurt you in the long run. It’s better to take the time to really figure out what you want to do, so you have fewer regrets later in life.

Filed Under: Career Paths Tagged With: Academic degree, Distance education, E-learning, Education, online degrees, United States, United States Department of Education, Virtual school

Community vs. State Colleges: Differences and Advantages

When searching for potential colleges to attend, you may consider a community college in your area. You may also be wondering what the differences are between going to a community college and that of a larger state university. Each offers different specialized areas of study. Your choice between the two depends on what your career path is.

A community college offers two-year degrees, also called Associate’s degrees. Community colleges also specialize in career certifications. They offer hands-on training that you may not be able to gain from a large university. Common careers include paralegal, medical assistants, and dental hygienist.

Community colleges can also be used as stepping stones to state universities. These schools are not as difficult to get into. So if you did not achieve the best test scores or the greatest GPA throughout high school, you can attempt two years at a community college first and try to transfer to a university.

Community colleges are generally less expensive than traditional universities. Some students struggling to find financial aid might opt to spend two years at a community college in an effort to save money. During the two years you can take general ed courses that are required of a university.

State colleges or universities are larger and more competitive to get admitted to. Generally you are required to have at least average test scores and an above average GPA to gain admission. Universities offer Bachelor’s degrees and Graduate degrees. Some offer PhD programs as well. Unlike community colleges, universities specialize in long-term training for a professional career. This is not the ideal option for you if you want to quickly learn a trade.

Both community and state colleges have their advantages. Choosing which is the most appropriate for you depends on your career path and current academic standing.

Filed Under: Career Paths, College Essays Tagged With: Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, Community college, Education, State university system

What to Look for When Choosing a College

Picking a college is a big decision, and there are different variables involved. From the setting, to class sizes, to degree programs, the possibilities are endless. Furthermore, you have to look at your own qualifications to determine whether a certain school is appropriate for you. Before choosing a school, you must see where you stand compared to other students. Consider your:

• Grade point average (GPA). Does it fall within a particular school’s minimum requirements? For instance, you might have a GPA of 3.4 but a more competitive school might require a minimum of 3.5.
• ACT and SAT scores. An average ACT score is 20 and the average SAT score is 1500. If you are applying at a more competitive school, you will want higher scores than the averages.
• Extracurricular activities. Do any sports, clubs, or volunteer work make you stand out?

Once you have figured out schools that will generally accept a student with your profile, it is time to narrow down your choices of schools. This becomes even more challenging when more than one school accepts you. Here are a few things to consider:

• Degree programs. If you are 100 percent sure of your future career path, then this will be easy to look for. However, if you are undecided or have a few choices in mind, make sure that your school offers a variety of majors to suit you.
• Class size. Do you prefer auditorium style classes with hundreds of students or do you want to be in a more intimate setting with less than 30 students?
• Living conditions. Are the dorms acceptable? Are there affordable apartment homes nearby?
• Distance learning. Does this school offer virtual classes?
• Student success rates. How many students actually graduate this school? What professions do the majority of them enter?

Filed Under: College Essays, College Life Tagged With: ACT (test), Education, Extracurricular activity, SAT

How to Prepare for College during High School

Picking a college is a major decision. There are thousands of schools to choose from within your state, out-of-state, and even abroad. Some offer a variety of majors while some are more tailored to specific types of degrees. Some colleges are also more competitive than others.

There are many variables in finding a college. Therefore, the search for your preferred schools should start well in advance, preferably during your sophomore year of high school. Your college search should not begin during your senior year. Here is a break down of steps you should take throughout your high school career.

Freshman Year:

• Start with good study habits and keep your grades up. A college will look at all four years’ worth of transcripts, not just your final two years of high school.
• Pick extracurricular activities that interest you. As college admissions increase in competitiveness, you will need to add point out things about your life that make you stand out.
• Begin thinking about what type of career you might like to have. If possible, shadow a professional during career day.

Sophomore Year:

• Research what schools offer degrees you might be interested in.
• Start narrowing down career possibilities.
• Begin studying for the ACT and SAT.

Junior Year:

• Take the ACT and SAT. Some schools require both and will take the better score of the two.
• Visit schools of your interest, in possible.
• Consider applying early. If you do not get accepted into a particular school, this will give you more time to start finding one that is a better fit.

Senior Year:

• Re-take the ACT and SAT if you were not satisfied with your previous scores.
• Finish applying to colleges by late fall.
• Begin searching for scholarships.
• Apply for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as early as January.

Filed Under: Admission Requirements, College Essays Tagged With: ACT (test), Education, Sophomore, Student, Twelfth grade

Effects of Starting College ‘Undecided’

Many students apply to a college with a particular degree in mind. Some are in pursuant of life-long dreams, such as teaching or the medical field. In other cases, students are undecided about what degree they want to pursue. Most commonly, a student will change his mind during the course of his college career.

What are the benefits of sticking to one degree path? The most obvious benefit is a decrease in cost. The more you switch majors, the more classes you have to take. Some of the classes might translate to elective credits. You will still have to take an increased amount of classes. On the other hand, sticking to one major just for the sake of money is not beneficial to a student who is uncertain about her degree path. In the end, you might end up going back to school all together.

So how do you decide on your major? Most importantly, your classes should interest you. Hard work is inevitable, but the work itself should prove challenging and fun at the same time. There are different career options for various interests. For example, a sports enthusiast can end up pursuing sports journalism, physical therapy or fitness education.

If you are still undecided when you start college, do not stress about your major just yet. A particular school will require all students to finish the same general education courses before pursuing their degree work. Therefore, you have a good two semesters to decide what degree you want to pursue. In addition to general education classes, you are required to take electives. Take this time to pursue an array of courses to get a taste of different majors. If you are still undecided in the end, you can obtain a more general degree such as on in Liberal Studies. Keep in mind, however, that the more general your degree, the harder it might be to secure a specialty job in the future.

Filed Under: College Essays Tagged With: Colleges and Universities, Education

Ins and Outs of the Early Decision Admission Process

It can be reasonably argued that all teenagers are desperate for attention, and that’s still the case when they become upperclassmen in high school. But instead of trying to get the attention of their parents or peers, they are trying to get noticed by the colleges of their choice. That desperation can turn to stress as they try to patiently wait for that acceptance, or rejection, letter. This not only spurs future collegians to apply as early as possible, but spurs colleges to offer unique, expedited processes for them to get their applications submitted and answered.

One such process is early decision admission. Here, applicants can apply early in the school year and will generally be notified of their status in about a month. The catch is that upon acceptance, students must commit to going to that school, eliminating the chance of applying elsewhere. While this process is convenient for students that have their final college choice decided early, it has raised concerns for others that may not have done their homework as thoroughly.

Some students choose the early decision admission approach just to get the process over as soon as possible. Most students, however, decide to take the early decision route out of a belief that it will more likely mean a greater chance of acceptance. This has been proven statistically, but mainly due to the higher academic scores from those that apply early rather than to a preference from colleges.

That still hasn’t eliminated suspicions of a self-serving purpose for colleges to offer early decision admissions. For one, the process lets colleges reel in applicants early and eliminates the chance of losing them to competing schools later. It also helps provide a clearer view of the budget for that year as they see the intial numbers from early decision applicants.

If a student has a wavering interest in a school it’s better for them to keep options open and follow a different process.

Filed Under: College Essays Tagged With: College, Early decision, Education, Student

What Exactly Does Tuition Cover?

Colleges across the country have seen some level of increases in their tuition. At a time when more people are attending college than ever before, the rising cost of higher education has many wondering what is the cause and questioning where exactly their dollars are going. If you think tuition covers just a semester’s worth of classes then you’re mistaken. College campuses offer much more than classrooms, providing many different services as well as events, all of which someone has to foot the bill. Here are some areas that eat up students tuition money:

Courses
This is the most obvious allocation of tuition, and is the reason for paying for college in the first place. Students generally take 12 to 18 credits each semester; a higher number of credits mean more courses and a higher bill. Those courses then are taught by well educated professors that demand good salaries.

Facilities
A college campus is comprised of more than dormitories and teaching halls. There are gyms, clinics, cafes, lounges and a plethora of other facilities that offer many services to students. Along with paying for access to the classrooms, tuition covers access to all of these other buildings and the perks that come with them.

City Perks
Colleges are generally a cornerstone of many cities and towns. Some even make up the bulk of the population with their students. This has led many schools to make arrangements with the local community that gets paid through tuition money. Students then get to enjoy cheaper public transportation as well as free access to places like museums or discounts at local enterprises.

Alumni Benefits
Some tuition dollars act as a pay it forward benefit program, and those receiving them are alumni. After graduating they get the luxury of discounted services through the university like insurance as well as preference for sporting events. Students can’t begrudge paying for another person’s benefit because in four years they’ll be enjoying them too.

Filed Under: College Essays Tagged With: Education, Higher education, Tuition

The Differences Between Private and Public Colleges

When a student is considering what college to go to, they’ll notice that there are two different types of major universities–private and public. Most students will initially assume that the difference is similar to private and public high schools; that the private schools are generally of superior quality over the public. But when a student looks at the rankings of top colleges in the country they find a mix of both private and public which should dispel their initial notion of the two. So what is the difference, and how should a student choose between the two?

The primary difference between a private and public college is in how they are funded. Private colleges are supported by the tuition of its students and the deep coffers of its endowment, supplied by donors. A public college on the other hand receives some funding from the state and has to abide by state legislation, which can result in increases in tuition rates. This accounts for the lower tuition cost for residents of a school’s state since they pay state taxes.

As to the type of education or how they operate depends not on whether they are private or public. Instead, those things are unique between every school no matter what orientation. Public colleges tend to have a larger enrollment, and since they work with the public, are designed to be more accessible. Because of the greater number of students, many public colleges employ more students in research projects as professor aides. Since tuition costs are higher at private colleges, they offer more scholarship opportunities to help alleviate some of the cost burdens for students.

Ultimately, deciding between a private and public university is a personal choice. If money is a concern, the choice might be a little more important. Overall, however, each provides the basic needs and atmosphere of an institution of higher learning.

Filed Under: College Essays Tagged With: College, Education, Public university, Student

The Pros and Cons of Going to a Large College

A major factor for people deciding on what college to attend is size. A large student body means a large a campus, and vice versa. Some colleges are big enough to be their own towns, supporting student bodies that reach over 50,000 students. While to some this is an appealing quality, it repulses others. How you think about the size of a college depends on what you’re looking for from one.

As mentioned, attending a large college means a significant population of students. This can present more opportunities to meet people, and a lively environment where everyone is generally in the same age group. For the more shy-type of person, this could present more challenges. Smaller schools tend to have a more supportive student body in which everyone can get a chance to get to know each other.

With a larger campus, there is sure to be less convenience in getting to classes or main buildings like the library or admissions office. Such a campus can be difficult for students to navigate. Small colleges on the other hand have a more quaint layout in which it’s easier, especially for freshman, to get around.

Some students thrive in intimate settings while others like to have a sense of anonymity. Class sizes at large colleges tend to be on the bigger end, reaching as many as over 100 students in one class session. However, that isn’t the case for every class. Depending on how a student learns best, such an arrangement can be beneficial or a hindrance.

Obviously, the expansive campuses of large colleges are home to many more buildings which then offer many more services for students. This includes towering libraries of wall-to-wall books and modern gymnasiums that feature sports ranging from volleyball to water polo to ultimate Frisbee. And amongst a large college is usually a bustling town that offers a collection of restaurants and shopping establishments.

Filed Under: College Essays Tagged With: Campus, College, Education, Student