Creative Outlook Magazine

Introducing Advisor Andrea!

Meghan — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 21:49:39 +0000

I’d like to introduce our newest academic advisor Andrea from Ottawa University in Overland Park, Kansas. Andrea completed her Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction in May 2011. She started her career at Ottawa as an enrollment advisor and was quickly promoted to an Academic Advisor, where she works specifically with online adult students helping them reach their academic goals and become OU graduates. She enjoys spending time with her family which is soon to be plus one more! Hot cheetos (and anything spicy), dark chocolate, and cute cuddly kitties are amongst her favorite things. Andrea also enjoys reading Harry Potter and the Twilight series. Even if she has to go alone, she won’t miss a midnight premier!

Making decisions can be very challenging

Kellie Woodle — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:46:54 +0000

Especially if you have been used to someone making them for you most of your life. To encourage my students in their decision making ability I remind them that they make decisions all day long. You decide to get out of bed or not to get out of bed, what color underwear am I going to wear, will I get a double decaf soy mocha latte no whip or whip?? Some of these decisions are good and some are not so good. Maybe I shouldn’t have worn the red panties with the white shorts. But even when we make decisions that produce a less than desirable result, we have exercised that decision making muscle and we have learned something that will help us with future decisions (especially in wardrobe situations). The best way to learn to make good decisions is pretty much like everything else in life, try and try and try some more. Practice what you want to get better at- if you were going to run a marathon you wouldn’t just go out and do 26.2- unless you are some freakishly athletic person. You would start running small distance and build up. Same thing with making decisions.
If you are trying to choose a major, start with picking an interesting class first. Ask someone you trust and admire for their input and guidance or as I call it the WW_D method of decision making. Visualize how you would like the decision to turn out and actually make a visual representation of it with a dream board. Always turn to a professional career counselor or academic advisor for guidance, but ultimately the decision is yours to make. And I know you can do it- make mine a sugar free vinte mocha no whip.

Welcome Kellie!

Meghan — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 16:33:12 +0000

Please welcome our new Academic Advisor blogger, Kellie Woodle from the University of North Florida! She will be sharing her advice with the MyMajors world about advising freshman and sophomore college students and how she professionally guides them towards choosing their academic dreams. As an enthusiastic runner and Dave Matthews fan, you won’t want to miss her posts. Check back for her upcoming entry!

Choosing a major that’s best for YOU

Yenisey Cabrera — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 21:16:37 +0000

As an academic advisor, I come across this question quite often. I have thought of how someone should go about choosing a major that will best fit them. When I think of this, I think of the many questions that someone should ask themselves in the process of choosing. There are quite a few aspects to consider that are realistic and sometimes hard to answer, especially if it interferes with a dream of what we “think” we may want to do with the rest of our lives. I will tell you exactly what I mean by this and the questions to consider asking yourself in the next few lines.

Questions you need to ask yourself:

1.) When I was a child, what did I want to be when I “grew up”? Do you still have the same dream? If not, what has changed and why?

2.) Who am I now? Am I an introvert or more of an extrovert, or perhaps a good combination of both?

3.) Based on who I am and my personality, does the career/careers I am thinking of fit my personality?

4.) Have I ever had any experience with the career/careers that I have considered? For example: If a dream or thought of yours has been to be a Doctor, have you ever volunteered at a hospital and “shadowed” different doctors? What kind of Doctor would you like to be? Are you aware of the courses required for this major? How about a Nurse? How would you feel being inside of a hospital all the time? Have you ever been around a sick person that needed your care? How about a Teacher? Have you ever been inside of a classroom helping a teacher teach a class? If the answer to any of these questions is no or not enough, what are you waiting for?! Get out there and volunteer! It will all begin to become clearer in your mind and heart.

5.) What environment am I currently happiest in? Hospital, classroom, office, outdoors, etc. Are small spaces an issue for you? Are you claustrophobic? If so, you may not be happiest inside of a cockpit as much as you love the idea of being a pilot or perhaps you were claustrophobic and now you are not. Are you happy when you need to speak in front of a crowd or happiest when working alone on a project? It is important for you to analyze this question. This may give you career ideas that you never thought were an option!

Although, there may be other aspects to consider and questions you may ask yourself, I hope this helps you at least determine which area you may be headed in. Notice I did not discuss money. I believe you will be able to make the amount of money you would like as long as you make that happen for yourself.

After answering the questions above. Please keep the following in mind during your decision process:

* Your career will be what YOU make of it, you and nobody else.

* Keep in mind that whatever major you do choose, there are endless job titles=”related fields” that you can get into. (You will become familiar with the term “related field” as you begin job searching.)

* You do not have to know what you want to do for the rest of your life “right now” or “ever”. You just need to get a head start in the direction that you feel now will bring you the most happiness and fulfillment. Since the universe understands this may very well change for you, you will always be able to change your career if need be. The idea here is just to give you a head start in your new world of career adventures.

* Remember you need to choose a major to Your Liking. After all, you will be the one that needs to report to duty upon graduation.

* It is a good idea to take a majors test. This will help you narrow down your ideas. Try mymajors.com or visit your college’s career center if already attending college.

* It is a good idea to meet with a college advisor to discuss any questions you may have after you have done your research.

Now, best of luck to you and remember, Your career will be what YOU make of it, you and nobody else no matter what anyone else may tell you!

Type of Colleges

Aaron — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 23:16:23 +0000

There are many different types of colleges in the U.S., and it can be confusing as a student to understand the differences between them and find out which is best for you. We have put together a simple guide to differentiate between the main types of colleges, universities, and career colleges:

Types of Colleges in the U.S. - Search for Colleges Here

Liberal Arts Colleges and Universities

Private 4-Year and 2-Year
Earn a Bachelor’s Degree or Higher
Study wide range of courses

These colleges offer a broad base of courses in the liberal arts — literature, philosophy, history, languages, mathematics, humanities, and social and natural sciences. They typically offer four-year programs that lead to a bachelor’s degree; students usually take courses in a range of subjects during their first two years and then choose a major. These colleges prepare you for a variety of careers, as well as for graduate work in many fields, including professions such as law, medicine and business.

Universities

Public and Private 4-Year
Earn a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Degrees
Larger and offer more majors and degree options

Universities may offer more majors than Liberal Art Colleges such as engineering, architecture, health and other programs. At most universities, you can earn bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees. Most universities contain several smaller colleges; for example, colleges of agriculture, teaching, and liberal arts. You may have to apply to a specific college within the university and take most of your classes within that college. At a university, you can prepare for many types of careers or for further study in graduate school.

Community Colleges

2-Year College
Earn an Associate’s Degree
Affordable, prepare you for career or 4-Year institution

These colleges prepare you to continue your education or to enter the workforce immediately. They offer associate degrees and certificate of completion, which get you ready to transfer to a four-year college and earn a bachelor’s degree.

Community colleges are often an affordable and convenient option; they charge relatively low tuition to in-state residents. Many students can also save money by living at home.

Career Colleges or Vo-Tech

Career focused, not required to take Gen-Ed courses
Earn an Certificate of Completion or Associates Degree
Career readiness

A vo-tech or career college offers specialized training to students who are interested in a particular industry or career. You take classes only in your field of study — for example, culinary arts, firefighting, dental hygiene or medical-records technology.

Student Population by College Type

*data pulled from The Chronicle of Higher Education Almanac Issue 2011-2012