By Prof. John DeSpagna
Campus News
The semester has ended and you are probably thinking about the summer vacation and filling in your work schedule. As the semester has concluded, it is probably a good time to start thinking about seeing an advisor to help map out your college schedule and future success.
Sitting down with an advisor and mapping out your schedule and courses is one of the most important things you can do to prepare for the next semester. I have advised many students over the years and every student is different. The role of the advisor is to answer your questions and help you.
Some students attempt to take 18 credits in a semester and want to work 40 hours a week. This is a recipe that proves to be quite challenging. Don’t make the mistake of trying to work too many hours and take too many credits. If you are going to be looking at putting in a lot of hours at work, then cut back on the number of credits your are taking.
We also find that some students try to make it through the college experience without seeing an advisor. This may result in the selection of courses that may not fulfill the requirements in your degree. There may also have been some changes to the degree program that you are enrolled in and you are not aware of this. You do not want to find out a week before graduation that you are short a few credits and cannot graduate as you had anticipated.
One of the options an advisor could help you with now is the selection of a summer course or two. As a college student, I took summer courses several times. This enabled me to earn credits in the short summer semesters and apply them toward my degree. If you are pressed for time, an advisor could help you with the selection of an online course. These courses allow you flexibility to work in your studying and not conflict with your work schedule.
An advisor can also play a role in recommending an internship that may be fit for you. You can earn college credit in an internship along with valuable work experience. An internship is a great way to try a position that may result in you getting a full time job after college. The commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goddell, started out as a college intern and worked his way up to the top position in the organization. Many employers will ask you about your college internship during an interview.
One of the advisors you should see on campus is in the career center. If you do not have an idea of which direction to go in regarding a major or job, see an advisor in this department. They can talk to you about your interests and recommend some career tracks to pursue. Many of the career centers also use the Myers-Briggs aptitude test. This test lists potential careers that would correlate with your interests. Try and take this test for guidance of career options.
One advisor that you can listen to is your intuition. This is your inner self. Listen to your intuition regarding the selection of a major or college that you want to attend. Your intuition is usually right.
The transfer office is another stop you should make during the summer. Where are you going to go after earning your two-year college degree? Do you want to stay local or go someplace hundreds of miles away? Their are benefits to both of these options. Ask questions and make the best selection by going to visit these colleges. You should also try to have an open mind about where you want to settle after college. Go and see what it is like to go an live someplace else while in college. You may enjoy living in a different part of the state or the country.
Your advisor can also help you pay for college by opening your eyes to some of the scholarships that are available in your college. Spend some time learning about these scholarships, what is required and how to fill out all the paperwork. The four-year colleges are always looking for prospective students and many scholarships are available to transfer students to help fill their enrollment rosters.
Advisors are available on your campus and they are there to help you out in many different areas. Spend the time to speak to one of these advisors, and they can help you on the path to success in college and your career.
John DeSpagna is Chair of the Accounting and Business Administration Department at Nassau Community College in Garden City, N.Y.
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