Planning For A Major! Part 2

In the previous post, I wrote about the importance of declaring a major. This post will concentrate on how declaring a major will affect your college career. 

It is okay if you are undeclared, you do not need to panic! But there are advantages to declaring a major sooner, rather than later. As a counselor, I see students on a regular basis to advise them on topics related to their pursuit of a college degree. The next few paragraphs will outline the impact declaring a major will have on your college career, from a counselor's perspective.

Chances are, that if you have seen a counselor here at your college, you have been exposed to the "ed plan", which refers to the process of a counselor going over a proposed plan to satisfy your general education (GE's) requirements for degree or transfer. Especially for students looking to transfer to a 4-year school, declaring your major will give you more focus and clarity of your class seletion going forward. Once your degree is chosen, your decision may impact which schools you consider transferring to. Every school is different, some schools may not offer the degree program you are interested in pursuing. Some schools have a "stronger" program than others in specific areas. Choosing your major may affect whether you transfer to a UC or a CSU. There are programs offered at CSU's that are not offered at UC's and vice versa. Instruction at UC's tend to be more research based, while degree programs at the CSU level tend to be more hands-on. This is avery important factor to consider, one that you can follow up on with a counselor here at Foothill.

If you have seen a counselor, you may know about www.assist.org. This is a very useful website that allows students access to specific admission requirements for each public school in California. Users are able to search or find majors that each school has available. For example, if you were interested in obtaining a BS in Biology, you can find which schools offer that degree. It will also break down specific specializations each school has. For example, Business Administration is a common area of study. But this is a broad scope of study, so often times schools will break this down into areas of specialization. Form the site, you can see which areas of specialization each school offers. You can see how this may be helpful in researching which schools offer programs that are of interest to you. Once you have selceted a specific school and degree program, you can tell the webiste which school you are transferring from to see what specific classes the 4-year university requires for admission into that major. In addition to the GE requirements, each school, and each major may have separate requirements to transfer under a specific major. Classes specified under this area are required in addition to your GE classes. You can see how it will be to your advantage to know the major prep classes, so that you may add these classes to your ed plan. Again, the sooner you can successfully declare a major, the easier it will be to set your education plan for your stay at school. You are less likely to take classes that are not necessary for your successful degree completion or transfer to another school. 

Yes, it can be a bit intimidating to make major life choices, but remember how exciting it can be to really make decisions for YOURSELF. Remember that you will be the one studying, writing papers, and taking exams. It will be you that will graduate and look for a job in your chosen career. It is important that you take this process seriously, but also be thoughtful and aware of things that will hopefully bring you satisfaction. Once you have chosen your major, you may also find that you become a little more motivated, and your new sense of direction may help you achieve more in class.

The next pose will explore different resources to assist you in the process of choosing a major.

JV

Planning For A Major! part 1

So you are enrolled in college and taking classes, but have you declared a major? If you have, great! If not, you are not alone! It is natural to be a bit apprehensive about choosing a major. Although every student is allowed to change his/her major, there always seems to be a bit of finality in deciding a major. It can definitely be an intimidating experience, but it does not need to be.

Declaring a major is one of those very important steps in your college career and life. A large percentage of students will examine and choose majors that relate to jobs and careers they would like to enter into after graduation. This is closely tied to one's personal interests and skill levels. If you are going to work 40+ hours a week for 30+ years, at the very least, you should have a mild interest in the work you are performing. Your interest will have a direct impact on your overall quality of life. A large percentage of people cite work as one of the few factors that influence happiness. In other words, if they are happy at work, they are more likely to be happy in life, or overall. If they are not happy at work, they are more likely to have a pessimistic outlook on life.

It also makes sense to explore and identify where your strengths and weaknesses are. This does not mean that you need to choose something you excel at over an area that you find harder. It means that you are better off if you are aware of these things. Self-awareness and preparation are the name of the game. For example, if you are writing a research paper, there are several steps that you need to do to complete the assignment. You would need to pick a topic, from there you would go to the library and research the topic by finding and choosing the appropriate sources. From there you would read and take notes. Once done you might gather the notes and form an outline, then start writing the paper. Once done you might proof-read the paper, then add a bibliography, then a title page, and make sure the overall format is correct. Quite a few steps, yes? If you have a certain amount of time to complete the paper, you may make a timeline that allocates a time period to each step. If you are stronger in research and writing the bibliography and formatting the quotes and citations, it may be helpful to know. You still need to write the bibliography and insert the citations, but you may allocate more time to these tasks, if they are not your strengths. Again, self-awareness and preparation are very important when making decisions about your future.

Remember that the decisions you make now will affect your careerpath, and life in general. This process can be fun and exciting, as this is YOUR FUTURE! You are investing heavily in your future as you are preparing by attending college. Take advantage of this time to take a keen interest in deciding your major. As a general rule of thumb, I typically will do more research/diligence/ask more questions/find answers to my questions/think about/reflect as the decision becomes more important or life-changing. The more informed you are about the major that matches you and your interests, the more likely you are to enjoy and be more successful in your career.

There are a lot of resources and people that will aid your quest for knowledge. As you find more information, the decision will likely become more clear, and you will be more confident moving forward.

This is part 1 of Planning a Major, I will move onto the next topic of how declaring a major will impact the rest of your college education in the next post.

JV

Volunteer! Part 3

PLACES TO LOOK TO GET STARTED

As promised, here are a few places that often have volunteer work available. (depending on your interests). Remember that this list is only a fraction of the opportunities that exist. If your interests do not match any of these places, look for others. The internet is a wealth of information, start with a google search to see what other organizations may exist. Remember that not all jobs and internships are advertised--the same is true for volunteer opportunities. Sometimes old fashioned phone work can pay off. Get a list of organizations and call each one to see if there are any possibilities. Be creative, and take the initiative. Your diligence will most likely be rewarded!

Now, onto that list:

www.Craigslist.org: has a VOLUNTEER section to search

www.volunteermatch.org: site dedicated to matching volunteers with volunteer jobs

City Programs: youth programs, boys and girls clubs, afterschool programs, etc

Literacty: reading programs for various ages, etc

Libraries:

Senior Citizens: spend time with senior citizens, help care, etc

Homeless Shelters

Food Banks: www.secondharvestfood.org is a good one

Habitat For Humanity: help an organization that helps provide housing for low income and disadvantaged people globally

Special Olympics: www.specialolympics.org

State Parks: www.parks.ca.gov

Political Campaigns

Environmental Organizations: www.gridalternatives.org/volunteer "empowering communities in need by providing renewable energy and energy efficient services, equipment, and training."

Web Site Creation: A great way to hone skills and get industry experience if website creation is a career you are looking at

Salvation Army: www.salvationarmyusa.org

Red Cross: www.redcross.org

United Way: www.liveunited.org/volunteer

WWW.MLKDay.org: community based volunteerism

Animals: www.hsus.org

Shanti: www.shanti.org: SF based group dedicated to helping those with debilitating diseases such as AIDS/HIV and cancer.

International/Abroad: www.crossculturalsolutions.org

United Nations Volunteers: working together to make the world a better place (reduce poverty, democratic governance, promote energy and environmental policies, strengthen resources to respond to crises, fight global spread of HIV/AIDS. www.unv.org

Volunteer! Part 2

HOW TO GET STARTED

You've decided that you want to volunteer, but where do you begin? How do you get started?

Most people will volunteer doing something that is something of interest or passion. Chances are you will enjoy the experience and ultimately get more out of the experience if you enter a field that you are passionate about. So think about things that are of interest to you? Often times volunteer work is related to social help, but doesn't need to be. The key is to get yourself into an environment that is of interest to you. If animals and pets are of interest to you, then working with animals at a local animal shelter may be a great way to volunteer. Animal shelters are often under-funded and overburdened, and are in need to volunteers to help run them. If travel and working with people from different cultures is something that really gets you excited, then joining the peace corps or a similar organization may be worth a look. The peace corps will obviously take you outside of the United States for a couple of years, so this may be one of many factors to weight when thinking about strategy. It is an example used for this blog, but the idea is to take an interest and run with it. Research different ways you may volunteer. What organizations may have opportunities to volunteer? And if I were to volunteer, what are the requirements? The end of this blog will have a few places to look to get started, but research is important. You don't want to get yourself into something that is not a fit for you.

Skills: What skills are required for the volunteer work that you are researching. And what skills would you learn? What skills do you want to learn? Would you be working with people? Some volunteer opportunities will consist of a lot of office work: filing, typing, data entry, etc. Is this something you are comfortable or qualified to do? Will the volunteer work require you to solicit door-to-door? Will it require public speaking or writing skills? These are all things to consider. There are no right or wrongs here, just preferences that may be a better match for your personality and goals. Sometimes the entry point into a field or organization is not exactly what you would like to do for the rest of your life, but you must feel comfortable doing it. Assume that you will be doing these tasks for an extended period of time.

Schedule: Have a realistic idea of how many hours per week you can contribute. Management in volunteer organizations often work with people that cannot commit a large number of hours. It is helpful if you can provide a consistent schedule to the organization for scheduling purposes. It will make everyone's life easier. Cannot find the time? Start to write down what you do on a daily basis for a week. TV is one of the biggest time consumers today. Is it possible to give up a few hours of TV per week to make time to volunteer? Writing out what you do on a daily basis may help you get a better idea of your habits, and ultimately help you organize your time more efficiently.

Mentor: It is helpful if there is a mentor or supervisor that can oversee your work and to lend a hand if possible. This person will also act as a teacher if you are learning a new skill or trade. The relationship of the mentor can be very valuable in learning new skills, and acting as a reference or someone to go to for advice later in life.

Start!: Find a volunteer job, start, and stick with it! It may be hard at first, but it will most likely pay off if you stick with it. Yes, volunteer work does not pay, but often times the experience is the pay. You will come out of the experience a better person for it. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Especially when training is provided, the assumption is that you are learning something new. Asking questions is okay! Work with as many people as possible and take on new responsibilities if appropriate. This will expose you to more people, and more areas to learn about. In the end, employers like employees that can take on more work. Be a problem solver: no workplace is without its share of problems. If you see a solution to a problem, and it is a practical solution, share it with your boss! It may or may not be practical, but most of the time your supervisor will appreciate your thoughtfulness. And lastly, have fun! Enjoy the work you are doing.

JV

Volunteer! Part 1

When talking with students about finding an internship or job, I will often ask to look at the latest version of his or her resume. This is a natural step, right? The resume is the standard way of introducing oneself and getting your information to the perspective employer. While looking over the resume and looking for potential jobs, the issue of experience often arises. It is not uncommon for students to feel s if they have no valuable experience or nothing to contribute to the employer. This is often not the case. As I work individually with each student, we often find relevant material to include in the resume. However, it is important to address the question, "How can I gain more experience when employers tell me I am under-qualified?"

As I mentioned before, almost always there is relevant experience to put down on a resume. But it helps to best prepare yourself for the future! Volunteer work is an excellent entry point for students. It can serve several purposes:

1) It can give you insight and experience in a career you are thinking of, and hopefully answer some of the following questions: "I have an interest in this, but is this something I really want to do on a daily basis?", "What does someone in this career really do?"

2) It can give you valuable experience that you can put on your resume and talk to employers in an interview. Employers are impressed with applicants that have experience in a professional working environment. Applicants with this experience often develop what employers call 'soft skills': how to work with coworkers and supervisors, how to work in a professional manner, problem resolution, how to communicate well with people. Remember that the number one reason why people leave or are forced to leave a job is something related to the fact that people sometimes don't get along well. Development of soft skills can often address this.

3) Professional development: You will most likely learn new skills, and possibly a trade. Job training is often supplied, which will further enhance your skill-set. (another thing to put on a resume)

4) Personal fulfillment: hopefully you can volunteer doing something that you are passionate about or that gives you a sense of enjoyment or personal satisfaction. Volunteer work can be philanthropic in nature, and can help solve issues in your or someone else's community. In the end, hopefully you will feel good about your experience.

5) Networking: Volunteering is a great way to get out to meet and work with new people. Chances are you will meet people along the way that you will keep in touch with beyond your volunteer stint. (and sometimes people continue to volunteer despite finding another job, or go back to volunteer at the same place years afterwards) The more people you can stay in touch with and invite into your network, the more likely you are to have someone help you either find a job in the future or enter the workforce in a specific industry. Think about it--if you were in a position to hire an employee, the first thing you would do is to ask friends if they knew of someone they would recommend for the job. Hiring in a professional environment often works this same way. People in your network can also act as a reference for a potential employer. It is always good to have people that can vouch for the good work you are capable of doing.

More on how to get started and where to look for volunteer opportunities in upcoming posts.

JV