It is a personal choice whether one seeks employment with or without a college degree. But, does a degree really matter?

Sheryl Decker, director of career services at Brown Mackie College – South Bend says, “A degree is the most important investment you can make in yourself. America is not a manufacturing society anymore, and education is key to obtaining employment in today’s increasingly competitive marketplace.”

Martha Schottelkotte, director of career services at Brown Mackie College – Cincinnati concurs. “At every orientation session, we challenge students to look at education as an investment in future earnings and income potential,” she says. “Their success depends on how they decide to invest in themselves.”

“The earning potential over a lifetime is vastly different with each level of education achieved,” says Schottelkotte. “It translates to a potential of an extra $300 to $400 a week, which goes well beyond keeping a cell phone turned on. Students begin to think in terms of paying off loans, taking a vacation, or saving for a down payment on a house. It speaks to a difference in lifestyle that a degree offers.”

A bigger paycheck is not the only reason for getting a degree. Both Schottelkotte and Decker note additional benefits a degree offers. “A degree enriches their lives,” Schottelkotte remarks, “and self-esteem grows from the sense of accomplishment.”

The college experience opens doors to more than book learning. “Our students get hands-on laboratory experience in our many different programs,” says Decker. “Challenges are built into the coursework. Students are exposed to experts in their field of study, and given excellent networking opportunities.”

Student enrollment across the country reflects the diversity in the workplace itself. “We’re seeing kids out of high school in class with some who have worked at a factory for 30 years,” Decker notes. “With so many plants closing, people find themselves starting over with a new career path.” Schottelkotte adds, “Our students are real people with real-life commitments looking for the means to take their lives to the next level. An associate’s degree can be affordable, in both financial investment and time commitment. They come to college to increase their marketability, raise their chance for promotion, and of course, to earn more money.”

For more information on the benefits of a college degree, visit BrownMackie.edu.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

“Forget U.S. News’s academic rankings and Playboy’s party-school list. For some prospective college freshmen, here’s the important question: Will I make more money if I go to Harvard, or if I go to Harvey Mudd?

PayScale, a site that collects data on salaries for different professions, argues that it can help students answer that question. Today the company is releasing an updated, gigantic data set on the salaries of graduates from hundreds of universities and colleges, as well as salaries and career choices broken down by department/major. READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE HERE

To be honest, part of me wants to agree with this measure.  After all, college is a serious investment of time and money. However, part of me also wants to argue that there is more to life than getting the biggest salary. I’ve known too many people who had great paying jobs but only lived after 5:00 pm and on weekends.  I’ve also know people who have graduated from colleges that are not even “on the map” and have risen to lucrative salaries at the top of Fortune 100 Corporate America.

Bottom line:  Averages are only useful if you want to be average.  Proceed with caution and take into consideration all the tools available to you. Then build a life that is above average.

“… there’s a new, free Web site that, while overseen by paid editors, is built on lively content submitted by current students at the colleges. The information isn’t just words and numbers, but includes numerous photos and videos for most schools. You also can create a small social network of people interested in the same schools or who share other common traits.

In other words, this is a college-information resource built for the age of YouTube and Facebook.

The site, Unigo.com, costs nothing to use and supports itself with ads. Although it’s only a few months old, it already covers about 250 colleges and universities, and claims to average dozens of student-created reviews, photos and videos for each college. Its sophisticated search engine lets applicants comb all this material to find just what applies to them. For example, Unigo would let you see all content relevant to an Asian-American female applicant with conservative political views.” READ THE WHOLE ARTICLE

Give it a try and let us know what you think?

Why the PSAT/NMSQT is Important

So, let me break it down.  From the CollegeBoard.com   

“PSAT/NMSQT stands for Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test. It’s a standardized test that provides firsthand practice for the SAT Reasoning Test™. It also gives you a chance to enter National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) scholarship programs.”

Did you catch the last sentence?  SCHOLARSHIPS?  Yeah, if you do well on this test, you can become a ”National Merit Finalist or SemiFinalist” and get some serious scholarship money– maybe even a full ride.  Not only that you can overcome some grades that are lets just say less than spectacular.  

The Moral of this Post 

Just like everything else, some advance planning and investigation go along way.  

Be sure that your student takes the PSAT as a sophomore (lower grade testing is available too but in my opinion is kind of a waste of time unless you have a future Einstein on your hands).  Then be sure that you get them in a review course and get that PSAT grade up as high as it can be.  More on review courses next time.

Share Your Experience

I would love to hear about your insights and experiences.  Share your wisdom and let’s help our kids navigate out of the harbor and into the world. 

If you need inspiration, go watch the movie Failure to Launch and I’ll meet you back here next time.

 Having gone to college ourselves, my huband and I figured we had a bit of experience.  Yea right!  Nothing can make you feel more like an antique than a little college campus drive by!  If and I do mean ‘IF’ you can find your old dorm room among all the new buildings and you don’t hit a college student toting a laptop and talking on a cellphone walking to class, you just might be able to dig up some memories. 

Pretty apparent this is going to be a WHOLE new ballgame.  

I’m creating this blog in hopes that I can gain some information from all of you who have gone before me and share the ’ins and outs’, Woo Hoos, obstacles and any useful tools and resources I come across as our family goes through this process.  I may not know everything but yes folks she can be taught!