Advisory Unit of Study: An Introduction to College!
Binder Sections:
- College 101:
- College Life
- College Visits:
- Finding the College for Me:
- Applying to College:
- Paying for College:
- My Possible Careers:
Introduction: College 101
What is College? A place to learn more about a specific field that you plan to work in.
How long is college? It depends on the type of degree you need to reach your life/career goals:
- Associates Degree:
- Usually two years of full-time study.
- This is usually for people who want to work in a technical field (like basic computer programming, car repair, machine use) or an “assistant” field (secretary, assistant, etc.)
- Can lead to getting a Bachelor’s Degree
- Bachelor’s Degree:
- Usually four years of full-time study.
- You will earn a “Bachelor’s of Arts” (BA) or a “Bachelor’s of Science” (BS) depending on what you study.
- This is for people who want to move high-up on the career ladder.
- Most careers require this degree just to start.
- While you study for this degree, you will take at least one class in every subject before taking a lot of classes in the specific area you want to “major” in.
- Master’s Degree:
- This is an advanced degree that always follows the Bachelor’s Degree. It’s usually two years of full time study in a very specific field.
- Doctorate
- Considered the highest level of study in a particular field.
- Some doctorates require students to write a book of research while others require the student to practice a particular field (like medicine) and then pass a major exam.
What is the difference between a college and university?
What is a major? A specific area you are going to study in to get your Bachelor’s Degree. The major is usually closely-related to the field you want to work in.
What is a minor? A specific area you might take extra classes in. Sometimes people will minor in things that will help them in their career. For example, they’ll major in Business and minor in Spanish.
What is “Full Time” attendance? This is when you take an amount of courses a semester that makes college the main focus of your life. Usually it’s 3 to 6 classes a semester. It’s very difficult to have a job for more than a couple of days a week if you’re going “full time” to college.
What is “Part Time” attendance? This is when you take only about two courses in a semester. Often people who are working full-time or who have children will only go to college “part time”.
What is the difference between a “public” college and a “private” college?
What are the different ways to pay for college?
- Government-issued loan
- Private Loan
- Scholarship