Tag Archives: Colleges & Universty

Internship College – Infinite Possibilities

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Networking is very important in developing a career, especially early on in the process. One should begin to network and meet as many people in a variety of fields as early as college. This often makes it possible to find a job much more quickly than one’s fellow students who struggle to impress total strangers.

One good way to network while in college is to find oneself an internship college students can enjoy. Through internships, students are able to meet a variety of different people within the company they are interning for and through the company’s clientèle and contacts. Often times, students will find themselves being exposed to the clients more than they expected, taking phone calls, sending emails and practicing good customer service for the company. This is a good way to meet people in different fields.

An internship college students enjoy lets them take on more responsibility than say, an evening job at a local retail store. Allowing interns to take on a good deal of responsibility not only benefits the student, preparing them for life after college, but also can help the company, as quite often a company will hire its interns after they complete their degree. Having candidates familiar with their company and the job they will be hired for is very important to a company.

So, when searching for an internship college, be sure to find one that allows its interns to stretch out their legs and experience a taste of the real world. A student who finds a good internship will rejoice in the number of good contacts he made as he embarks on the beginning of his career.

Does College Pay Enough?

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Why go to college? It seems like such a simple question, but given the cost of higher education, it’s really a question that you should be able to answer before you make the investment.

Your gut reaction is likely to have something to do with your ability to make more money, and that is largely, but not always true. There is plenty of research that indicates that higher levels of educational attainment correlate significantly with higher pay. The gap in pay between high school and college grads has widened in the past 30 years. In 2005, for example, people earning a 4 yr bachelor’s degree made about $14,000 more than someone with a high school diploma, and as these worker age, the gap grows so that by retirement, the college grad earns $22,000/year more than the high school grad…over the course of a lifetime, that really adds up. Did you know that There are significant benefits to society when people attend college? People with a college education volunteer at higher rates and vote more often. They also rely less on public assistance and have lower unemployment rates. Because people with a college education often earn more money, they also pay more to the government in taxes…if you’re the government, that means increased revenue, and decreased reliance on public assistance means lower expenditures for towns, cities, states and the federal government.

Barack Obama emphasized the economic power of a college education in his February 2, 2009 speech to the nation. In it he said, “In a global economy where the most valuable skill you can sell is your knowledge, a good education is no longer just a pathway to opportunity it is a pre-requisite.” He also noted that three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma, but the number of students achieving this benchmark is far less.

So, does this mean everyone should go to college? No, I don’t think everyone should go to college, but I hope everyone will have that choice. If you are an auto- mechanic wizard, you could make as much as a starting teacher. The same can be said of plumbers or electricians.

Money should only be one factor in your career decisions!! Yes, that’s right, it’s not about the all mighty dollar, it’s about happiness too. If the activities and professions that are likely to bring you happiness and fulfillment don’t require a college degree, then pursue whatever specialized training will help you achieve your goals. If a two-year degree will get you where you want to be, you will receive benefits from that level of college education and the cost will be quite reasonable (and that’s without financial aid)).

For many, however, a college degree will help you achieve whatever professional goals and dreams may unfold, and the other accompanying benefits mean good odds of a lifetime of dividends for you and your community.

College Success – What Does it Take?

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College success is not as difficult for most young students as learning how to take on adult responsibilities. Letting go of adolescence and becoming an adult is more challenging according to Carl Pickardt, Psychologist and adolescent specialist. If you take responsibility for showing up to class regularly, turning papers and work in on time, and sacrificing some of the time spent with friends in favor of more study time, you have won half the battle for achieving college success. Being responsible for meeting the demands of college (ability to respond and step up to the plate) is one of the keys to college achievement.

You already have been using some of the higher level thinking skills needed to succeed in college. You use these skills when you solve your life problems and overcome obstacles. Your lack of success in college will not be because you are not smart enough. There are many different types of intelligence and my experience in working with hundreds of students has shown that practically every student is smart in one way or another. For more information on different types of intelligence other than IQ, you can read the theories of Howard Gardner (Multiple Intelligences), Robert Sternberg (Successful Intelligence) and Daniel Goleman (Emotional and Social Intelligence).

In addition to self-responsibility, there are three other factors you will need to succeed in college:

1. Learning how to learn and study skills — You need to learn how to learn effectively and the ways that you learn best. Most colleges offer at least one college success course which can teach you these skills. These courses also need to be taught to high school students, but sadly few high schools provide them. A good college success course will teach you: how to study and learn, reading comprehension strategies, your best learning styles and types of intelligences, how to set and reach your goals, time management, discovery of your talents and strengths, career exploration, writing skills, note taking, problem solving, and more.

2. Work Ethic — Good study and work habits will lead you to success in college and in the work force. Good study skills will only be effective if you apply them. They will be worthless to you if you do not use them.

3. Motivation — Without motivation you will not consistently use good study skills, work habits and your intelligence and potential. There are two types of motivation, the carrot (pleasure) and the stick (pain). When you use these together you will have a powerful motivational combination. Keep your long-range goals for achieving a college education in your mind’s eye. For example, let’s say you want a degree in secondary education to become a teacher. Visualize and imagine yourself as a teacher who is making a positive difference for your students. Enjoy the positive feelings that come when you see yourself as a great teacher. This is the carrot and a reminder of one of the benefits (pleasure) you will experience by achieving your goal. Also remind yourself of the stick (pain) or the consequences if you do not achieve your goal of completing a degree in secondary education. It can deprive you of becoming a teacher. Reminding yourself of the benefits and consequences will help you to stay motivated and persistent. Also break your long-range goals into small steps. Every step accomplished provides you with positive feedback and will increase your motivation to reach your long-range goals.

You can succeed in college, in your career, and in your life. Where to begin? Start with college success by taking responsibility, learning how to learn effectively and how you learn best, using good study skills and work habits, and by fueling your motivation to succeed. Use these four keys and you will open the door to college success and the gateway to your dreams.