Wednesday, October 13, 2010

College and Career Group Starting in October!

Students and Parents:

Are you (or your student) getting ready to graduate this year? Do you have more than 15 credits? Then the college and career group is for you! This group will focus on applying to college, what type of college is for you, what do you want to do with your life, and how to make it happen.

Sign up with Tara today!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Choosing a College!

Top Ten Rules for Selecting a
College or University

Never make your final college selection without visiting at least your top two or three choices. No matter how well you think you know a college or university, you can learn a lot (good or bad) by spending a few hours on campus, including whether or not the college feels like a good "fit" for you. Having family members accompany you on college visits is a great idea because it gives you extra "eyes and ears" and people with whom you can discuss your impressions.

There are no exceptions to rule #1.

A college is not necessarily right for you because its name is familiar. That might seem pretty obvious, but you wouldn't believe how many students equate educational quality with name recognition.

Investigate at least three or four colleges you know little or nothing about but offer the field(s) of study of interest to you, are appropriately selective for a students with your grades and SAT or ACT scores, and are located in geographic areas attractive to you. You have nothing to lose and you might make a great discovery. A little research and an open mind can greatly increase the odds that you make a good college choice.

There are very few worse reasons to select a college than because your friends are going there. Choosing a college because your girlfriend or boyfriend is headed there is one of them. In fact, if there is a worse reason to choose a college, it escapes us.

Investigate, investigate, investigate, and be sure to separate reality from (often baseless) opinions. Lots of folks will refer to a college as "good", "hard to get into", "a party school", "too expensive", etc. without really knowing the facts. Don't accept these kinds of generalizations without evidence.

Do not rule out colleges early because of cost. Many colleges offer scholarships, financial aid, and tuition installment plans that make them far more affordable than they may first appear. You can't/won't know how much it will cost to attend a college until the very end of the process.

Deadlines, whether for college applications, SAT or ACT registration, financial aid, scholarships, campus housing, etc. are not suggestions. Miss a deadline and you may find yourself in deep you-know-what. Write down on a calendar and adhere strictly to all deadlines.

Don't be afraid to apply to a few "reach schools". You might be pleasantly surprised by the results if you are not entirely unrealistic. Then, apply to at least three colleges you like which are highly likely to admit you. Remember, choose these three colleges very carefully as they are the places where you are mostly likely to wind up. Finally, choose at least two "safety" colleges. Colleges to which you are virtually certain you will be admitted. Choosing "safety" schools they don't really like is a mistake many students make. If you take the time to choose safety schools you would be happy to attend, you'll eliminate all the anxiety some students experience in the college application and admissions process.

When it is time to make your final choice, discuss your options with your family, your counselor (if you have one), and others who know you well and whose judgment you value. If you have a tough time choosing among two or more colleges or universities it is probably because you have done a good job putting together your list and you will be happy at whichever institution you choose. Once you make your choice, don't agonize over it. If you have followed these rules there is an excellent chance your final college choice will be a good one.

Taken from College-Scholarships.com

Future Careers

Check out this video about careers that will be in demand in the future!
CLICK HERE

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Up & Coming Careers

Up And Coming Careers In The Next Ten Years

The US Labor Bureau has acknowledged some professions that are expecting above-average growth over the 10 years. Most of these positions fall within the top 25 percent of earnings for workers overall, and require certified training and or a bachelor's degree.

Occupations With the Largest Projected Growth
Registered Nurses: Certified Nurse Midwife, Public Health Nurse (PHN), Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA)
Postsecondary Teachers: Education beyond the high school level
Nursing Aides, Orderlies: Home Health Aides, Patient Care Assistant
Management: Healthcare Management, Insurance Risk Management, Accounting Management, and Project Management
Elementary School Teachers: Public school teachers (Pre-Kindergarten to middle school)
Accountants: Forensic Accounting, Environmental Accounting, International Services Accounting
Computer Software Engineers: Managers, Developers, Educators
Computer Systems Analysts: Computer Programmers, Information Systems Managers, Operations Research Analysts, Actuaries.
Sustainability Experts: Environmental Engineers, Architects, Urban Planners, Energy Conservationists
Veterinarians: Veterinarian Technicians, Pet Therapists
A Career in Compassion
According to Labor Bureau statistics, registered nurses make up the largest health care occupation. Schooling for registered nurses can be lengthy and expensive, but more students in this field are taking advantage of Loan Forgiveness, a program sponsored by health care institutions and the federal government. Under certain circumstances, the federal government will cancel all or part of an educational loan. To qualify, you must perform volunteer work, perform military service, teach or practice medicine in certain types of communities, or meet other criteria specified by the forgiveness program.

Prepare Future Generations for a Successful Life
With about one in four Americans enrolled in an educational institution and numbers increasing due to more flexible loans and grants, education is the second largest industry in the country. Secondary school teacher employment is expected to increase by around 38 percent.

Elementary school teachers are coaches to children, using interactive discussions and hands-on approaches to help students learn subjects such as science, mathematics and English. They encourage collaboration in solving problems, so students are increasingly working in groups to discuss and solve problems together.

Depending on the locality, grade level and subject taught, opportunities for teachers over the next 10 years will vary from very good to excellent. Fast-growing states in the west -- particularly California, Idaho, Hawaii, Alaska, Utah, and New Mexico -- will experience the largest enrollment increases. The supply of teachers is expected to increase in response to reports of improved job prospects, better pay, more teacher involvement in school policy, and greater public interest in education.

A New Crop of Corporate Leaders
Executives at the top of their field are among the highest paid workers, according to the US Labor Bureau, with employment growth for executives within scientific, technical, administrative, and health care support services expected to grow much faster than average.

According to David A. Wilson, president and CEO of the Graduate Management Admission Council, a formal education with a MBA degree will help heighten one's level of success. He points out that one of the rewards of a person's education comes in the form of career advancement and then mobility.

"The MBA is allowing them take control of their careers and change course when they want or need to," Wilson said.

Accounting for Success
Labor Bureau statistics calculate that employment of accountants and auditors is also expected to grow faster than average. The American Institute of CPAs cites 11 percent more accounting degrees awarded in 2003 than in the previous year. Furthermore, the accounting scandals of Enron and other major corporations seem to have actually fueled interest and demand in the field. According to a salary survey conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, bachelor's degree candidates in accounting received starting offers averaging $42,940 a year in 2005.

Dr. Ron Kucic, director of the School of Accountancy at the University of Denver said, "accountants are often the first hired and the last fired."

Information Technology Careers Reboot
New careers in the technology industry continue to grow, with a wealth of fields in need of skilled professionals. Among the new and much-needed computer professionals are cyber-crime research analysts and cyber-crime prevention educators.

Dr. Susan Merritt, dean of the School of Computer Science and Information Systems at Pace University, said, "the New York Times cites a labor department listing of the 15 fastest growing jobs for the decade, and a total of 10 are in IT. Good computer professionals who are well educated are worth their weight in gold."

Welcome to the Career of YOUR DREAMS!

Well, you have over 16 credits at Discovery. This means that you are half way through your Junior year!!! Yippee for you! Now, what are you going to do with yourself? Give it a second and think hard do you know what you want to be? Maybe, the better question at this point is do you know what you DON'T want to BE?
Hmmm, now is the time to start thinking about it. Don't stress I'll be here to help you figure it all out!

Tara

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Calling all Seniors!

Seniors!!!!!!! That means you, yep, you if you have over 18 credits we need to talk about you filling out your FAFSA. Your FAFSA has to be filled by March 1st. It's easy to do and I am willing to talk to you and your family about how to fill it out. You can even use my computer if you need to.
Just click here for all the information you need!