Not long ago, I decided to change my major to applied psychology because of the fact that I really want to work with students that are planning to go to college. During the summer, I had the opportunity to work with about fifteen high school students from Reading High. Listening to the students talk about the amount of people that are not interested in college and are dropping out of high school, made me think about my high school days. I saw a huge amount of my cohort drop out for various reasons, they either weren’t interested in school or thought they were not good enough for college. I see education as an opportunity that you get in order to better yourself, once someone decides not to continue it, that opportunity is thrown away. I want …show more content…
Being able to guide them and help them make the right decisions in what I want to do. According to the ONET online skills test results, in order to pursue a career in this field, I would need to complete a masters degree and in some cases, some of the jobs in the field require the candidates to have a Ph.D., M.D., or J.D.. However, there are chances in which I would be able to get a job in admissions counseling with my bachelors’ degree ("Admission Counselor | Staff Job Composite," n.d.). The median wage as of 2014 for jobs in this field was $42.49 hourly, which sums up to be about $88,390 a year ("11-9033.00 - Education Administrators, Postsecondary," n.d.). In 2012, there were about 161,800 people employed and the projected growth for jobs in this field is about 15 percent between 2012 and 2022 ("Postsecondary Education Administrators: Occupational Outlook Handbook: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics," …show more content…
Based on what I’ve read online and heard from different admissions counselors themselves, the job does can a lot of your time. For this type of job, one has to travel to different places in order to recruit students. I know this because I talked to my mentor for the Psych 296, James McCarty, and Admissions Counselor at Penn State University, Berks campus. During our first meeting, he was talking to me about how he will need to travel to different places in the state and even out of states to go to schools and talk to the students. Aside from that, he also needs to schedule group visits to our campus with not only various high schools, but some middle schools as well. Becky Eckenrode, another Admissions Counselor at our campus, has also talked to me about her experiences. How she travels across the state in order to visit different schools districts. The amount of schools that each of them visit are about thirty-two each. Aside from traveling, calling schools, and meeting students on campus, there are several skills that one needs to acquire in order to do an effective job. Active listening, critical thinking, good interpersonal skills, and being able to advise others are some of the traits needed for this job ("11-9033.00 - Education Administrators, Postsecondary," n.d.). Admissions counseling is a full time job, but during the summer, the hours can be reduced ("Postsecondary Education Administrators: Occupational Outlook
As the economy evolves and the job market continues to get more competitive, it’s becoming harder to have a successful career without some kind of college degree. This creates a belief in many young students that college actually is a commodity, something they must have in order to have a good life. There’s many different factors that influence this mindset, high schools must push the importance of the student’s willingness and drive to further their education. College isn’t just a gateway to jobs, but it is an opportunity to increase knowledge and stretch and challenge the student which in return makes them a more rounded adult and provides them with skills they might lack prior to
Deciding to become a Student Guidance Counselor was not a fly by night decision. I did a great deal of reading and research before making a decision. I knew once I started a graduate program in School Guidance Counseling, it would be both challenging and a commitment until the end. I am somewhat nervous about this new journey that I am about to partake; however, I am ready to accept the challenge and make the commitment. I am a newly licensed teacher and there will be areas and terminology which I am not familiar. But, what I have found out thus far is that a teacher and a student counselor have quite a few things in common. They both work with other teachers, parents, school administrators, and the community in an academic setting. The skills I have acquired as a preschool director and teacher will be integrated into my career as a guidance counselor. I will have the skills to guide and enhance the social, academic, and personal growth of my students by using a variety of strategies which will be my primary goal. I will be able t...
Good jobs for psychology majors who have earned a bachelor's degree can be found at agencies, daycare centers and schools. Positions include personnel administration, recreation workers, early childhood educator, teacher assistant, personal aide, market research assistants, statistician, research assistant, community relations officers and social service jobs. Psychology majors with a bachelor's degree can use their training to work effectively with others. They have knowledge of child development. In addition, they understand behavior and learn effective ways to promote positive behaviors. They also learn how to conduct research...
I have a B.A. in Speech and Language Pathology and I am three months away from graduating from Psychiatric Technician program. By the end of the program, I will have 600+ hours in the classroom and 900+ hours of clinical experience in the field of psychology. I have worked with children who are mild to profoundly developmentally delayed (in special ed and vocational education programs), with adults preforming basic nursing procedures as well as developing therapeutic relationships and interactions with patients in the hospital setting, in sheltered workshops and in the community helping clients with normalization in their communities, and with forensic and non-forensic patients and individuals in the developmental hospital setting.
Individuals’ perceptions of their life/worth have the power to control the goals that they can carry out and meet. Every day we are learning new things and everyone has his/her own unique ways of learning. My strong desire to help students with their academic, personal, and social needs make me a strong candidate as a school counselor. While completing my undergraduate degree in Early Childhood Program Administration I learned a great deal about myself. I have a passion for learning and want to share and express that love for learning with students. I feel that the Master of School Counseling program provides a direct path to my career goals of helping students to comprehend subject matter while learning to love learning as I do. Not only will
First of all, many high school graduates cannot handle college. Isabel V. Sawhill and Stephanie Owen describe college as a place, “one can obtain a traditional four-year bachelor’s degree”. The work load outside of the classroom could be compared to working a full time job. For example, if a student is enrolled in four college courses and is in class a minimum of four hours the student should spend at least four to six hours of studying. This may be extremely agitating and stressful to a student that is not good at studying. The new college student may realize that the schoolwork is too much for him to handle and instead drop out. In Pharinet’s blog post, Is College for Everyone? He states that “…it is estimated that in the U.S., approximately 50% of students who begin college never graduate. There exist students who are not yet ready for the academic and financial challenges of college. There exist students who do not have the desire for college or learning.” This statement is important because if 50% of students that begin college never gradua...
My college career started with me just going to school to take PE classes while neglecting my main required core classes and always pushing them aside without any urgency to succeed in finishing school. A couple of years would go by with little to no progress and lack of motivation to succeed in finishing my college required classes. Soon landing a career oriented job and finding myself dropping out of college to focus on my work career. From this point and time I would learn the importance of school and the value of finish college through my years of experience at work. This awareness of value in finishing college would motivate me to want to go back to school. Soon I would find myself at American River College counseling center. Here I was coming back to school unsure of myself and in an environment where I previously never found success in school. After meeting with my counselor I was recommended to take a college success course. This course is part of a program called the Accelerated College Education (ACE). Because I was able to learn along the years being out of school the importance of gaining an education I gained a new motivation for school, signed up for this ACE program, and enroll in the college success
After high school, I did not see myself going to college because I didn’t apply myself academically. The saying “college isn’t for everybody” which I thought applied to me since high school was a struggle for me. During the time I was working in the fast food chain, I befriended an older lady who encouraged me to think about my life whether I wanted to have a job all my life or a career. As a result, of receiving that motivation I put my two weeks’ notice in a searched for a school I would like to apply and possibly attend. Also my gap year encourage me to look into enrolling because I wasn’t happy with working a minimum wage job when I didn’t have to a could’ve been doing anything else. By taking a year off I seen my friend’s getting intern positions and opportunities outside of school. However, my gap year was coming to a close and my options were running out I had to make a choice. I didn’t choose college just because I was running out of time, I chose it so I can experience college and the opportunities that can be created.
It seems as though the majority of college students these days aren’t looking to further their education because it’s what they really want, they do it to please their parents, to be accepted by society, or because there’s nothing else for them to do (Bird, 372). These expectations have led to students being unhappy and stressed, and have pushed them into a school or a job that they don’t particularly care for.
As an undergraduate I have engaged with several fields that I believe would make me a perfect fit for the Post-Graduate Fellow program, particularly the Student Life & College Counselor position. I have been heavily involved in Bryn Mawr College’s Admissions Office as a tour guide since my sophomore year. Through this experience I have spent time talking with high school students about the college process and finding the perfect college fit as well as interviewing them for admission. Working in this office I have honed my communication skills and gained experience within a professional environment performing administrative tasks and working alongside permanent staff members. Additionally, I was chosen as the Special Programs and Events Admissions Intern for the current year through which I have gained an increased understanding of the college admissions process.
Throughout an undergraduate student’s education there are many factors that can determine how successful a student is in meeting his or her academic and future career goals. One important aspect of this education includes academic advising. This aspect is a critical part in a student’s education, because it plays an important role in supporting student’s achievement, in particular with helping students reach their potential (Drake, Jordan, Miller, 2013, pg. 44). Academic advising also impacts over half of the students so much that these students stated that their primary source of academic and career guidance comes from their advisor (Gordon, Habley, Grites, 2008, pg. 70). However, national studies of student satisfaction indicate
High School graduates today are not ready for life after school, particularly in regards to college
I, like a lot of people, didn’t go to college straight out of High School. It wasn’t on my agenda. After High School I took a year off and did nothing except make a little money babysitting, sleeping in, and there were about two months where I took up jogging. The following summer I felt this ping in my stomach when I saw pictures online of people getting ready to go back to college. So far in my life I hadn’t liked school but there was this part in my head that said I only didn’t like it because I couldn’t choose what I wanted to do. Until now I had avoided the idea of going to college except now online school was a thing. That lasted a year. First, I didn’t have the money to go. Second,
The goal of finishing school has always been ingrained into me at a young age. My mother has always hammered into my mind that I should always do my best, and get an education because it will lead to better opportunities in life. The constant nagging eventually formed into a fear within me that I don’t want to be a worthless bum, and actually make something of myself. At first glanced, everything seem too easy that I eventually did enough just to get by. I did the bare minimum at school just to get that passing grade. As I entered high school, there was a fear that this might be somewhat challenging. That fear quickly went away. Attending a high school within a lower economical area of the city, I was left to my free will. Of course the words of my mother were always in the back of my mind, but how was I to comprehend it? I was passing my classes so I thought I was doing a pretty good job. After four years of high school, and with no guidance what-so-ever, I was left in a fog. I eventually started attending classes at a community college because that 's what some friends told me to do. It was the best option because it was cheaper than going to a state college. What did I know? I was working, and going to school at the same time so I 'm doing pretty good for myself. Now many years down the line, and I still where I am as a kid. Unlike days of the past, I do have a sense of direction, but still not sure which direction to take. I am currently working my way to getting my college degree, but at the same time wondering if I should continue on this path. The problem that has been bouncing back and forward in my head is whether I should continue school or just give up and focus on working.
Education is the key to success and there are multiple ways to boost a student’s confidence while attending high school to enhance a better future for his/herself. It is our job as parents and faculty to keep the students engaged and aware of the repercussions of dropping out and to do everything in our power to keep the students productive and interactive to ensure a bright