Career Assessment and Counseling in College

Most college career or counseling centers offer skills and interest inventories that can help students clarify and focus their career plans. Your child probably took the EXPLORE, PLAN or another similar test in the 8^th through 10^th grade that helped them assess their skills, interests, and future college or career goals. Tests offered at colleges are similar to these and may include the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Strong Interest Inventory, or the Pearson Career Assessment Inventory. While these inventories will not tell your child specifically, “You should be an accountant” or “pursue a degree in aerospace engineering.” they do help students focus their major and career search on areas in which they show both interests and skills. It is rare to see a student who is completely surprised by the results of an inventory because they tend to clarify what students already know intrinsically. The problem with these inventories is not usually in the administration or in reviewing the results with the student, but in the students’, or parents', disappointment that they simply don’t have the interest or skills to be a surgeon or whatever other prestigious profession they had their hearts set on.

New Semesters Always Come With Long Lines

At the beginning of each semester there are crowds and lines everywhere on campus from the Bursar's office, to the bookstore, to the dining hall. In fact, there actually are more people on campus during the first few weeks of each semester -before students start dropping classes or just skipping them. During these weeks everyone is trying to get settled into their new semester schedule and all these crowds and lines can cause problems for students as they go about their daily business.

Send your student these tips for a smooth spring semester transition.

Plan for long lines – Students should give themselves an extra 30 minutes to do anything on campus during the first two weeks.

Start early – College students are notoriously nightowls, so the busiest times in most campus offices are the hours between 10:00am and 3:00pm. If your student needs to conduct business in a campus office they should try to either make an appointment in advance or go to the office as soon as it opens in the morning.

Do it online – Even students who grew up using the internet fail to realize that many of their day to day tasks such as paying bills or changing meal plans can be done online. When in doubt, they can check online or call the appropriate office to see if the errand can be handled online instead of in person.

Pack a lunch or snacks –It takes students time to adjust their on-campus dining times to fit into their new class schedule. To avoid rumbling stomachs and low energy, students should take snacks or lunches with them for the first few days of the semester in case the food court lines take longer than their class breaks allow. After about a week they should be able to gauge the busiest times in the dining hall and make schedule adjustments.

Be patient – Use the time spent waiting or in line to catch up with friends and family via text or social media, review class syllabi, or write a grocery list. Using “wait time” wisely will make the wait fly by and free up time later in the day.

Hazing

We’ve all heard of terrible hazing incidents related to Greek letter organizations, sports teams, bands, and other groups, but while it is easy to identify extreme cases of hazing, many cases fall into a grey area. It can become a problem in any organization because when you have a large group of mostly young people who are trying to find an identity and fit into a group, you always have the potential for hazing. This definition from the hazing prevention organization, Hazingprevention.org sums it up.

From http://Hazingprevention.org

Hazing is an action taken or situation created intentionally: that causes embarrassment, harassment or ridicule, risks emotional and/or physical harm to members of a group or team, whether new or not, regardless of the person's willingness to participate

Still confused? Ask yourself these questions:

Would I feel comfortable participating in this activity if my parents were watching?

Would we get in trouble if the Dean of Students walked by?

Am I being asked to keep these activities a secret?

Am I doing anything illegal?

Does participation violate my values or those of my organization

Is it causing emotional distress or stress of any kind to myself or others?

If someone were injured, would I feel comfortable being investigated by the insurance carrier?

When I apply for jobs, can I take the onus of having a criminal arrest on my record?

Hazing can include seemingly harmless acts like scavenger hunts or requiring new members’ participation in an activity not expected of full members. It’s not necessarily what is being asked or required of the new member, but the fact that the person is being forced, pressured, or required to do it upon threat of not being admitted to the group. At their core, acts of hazing are not harmless or good-spirited. They are acts committed by a need to control, intimidate, and degrade.

Acts such as; forcing someone to eat or drink anything against his will, having members perform a line-up, the use of alcohol in an activity involving new members, implied or actual paddling or striking, sleep deprivation, requiring members to wear unusual or conspicuous attire, yelling at or berating members, requiring silence for extended periods of time are all considered hazing.  
All states have laws against hazing, but every college should also present information about how to recognize and prevent hazing during information sessions or in publications. If this information is not readily available, ask to see it or the college’s hazing policy in the catalog, code of conduct, or student’s rights and responsibility document.  Hazing is a serious matter that requires attention and open, honest discussion, so it’s generally considered a red flag if the topic is glossed over or simply ignored by campus administration. 

Insurance Reminders for the New Year

A new year means a fresh start on many things including things like insurance coverage. If you changed your or your child's health or auto insurance coverage for 2014 remind them of the changes, and make sure they have copies of auto and health insurance cards (or an electronic version of it on their phone) and other pertinent information handy while they are on campus. It also helps for students to know a toll free number or where they can go online to ask questions or find assistance on their coverage.

Insurance coverage is a pretty dry subject for most college students, but it’s important for them to get used to understanding their coverage. It wont be long before they have to evaluate policies to buy or select their own coverage, and understanding the basics of how insurance coverage works will be helpful in the very near future. 

Same Kid, New Opinions

Most students return home from the first semester of college with new ideas and opinions and sometimes these opinions clash with parents’ values or beliefs. It is common for someone who has spent the past four months in a new environment with new people to start ”trying out” and exploring new ideas and opinions. This can take the form of bringing up dinner time topics in which the student has never before had an interest, or arguing passionately about a political or social cause that is completely new or out of character. While this can often ruffle parent’s feathers or even scare them, it is not only common, but it’s an essential part of a college student’s personal development.

Students will find that people they meet in college will question the values and beliefs they were raised to follow and that is a good thing. If a student’s values are never challenged, they will never know for sure where they stand on certain issues and will not be able to articulate why they hold some beliefs and not others. At some point, we all have to examine or beliefs about the world and ourselves and decide where we stand on certain issues.

Parents can help their children through these times of inquiry by being ready and willing to listen to their child talk through their uncertainty. Asking questions and avoiding criticism or judgment will help parents and students discuss topics without anger or hurt feelings. Also remember that in a world full of opinions and punditry, there’s nothing wrong with saying. “I don’t know” or “I’m not sure” about a topic. It can be a relief for a student to hear that even mom and dad aren’t sure about some topics and that ambiguity exists and can be discussed too.

While your student talks, take the opportunity to listen to the message underneath what they are saying. It is usually that they are having new experiences and are being challenged to make decisions they haven’t had to make before. The result is sometimes fear, distress, or excitement, but these challenges always lead to young people who’ve grown intellectually and emotionally, and can think critically and articulate their thoughts and feelings.

The First Semester Grade Drop

Unfortunately, holiday cheer can be dampened when first semester grades arrive. If you are unpleasantly surprised by what you see on your student’s first grade report from college, you’re not alone. Many students see a drop of a letter grade or more between the grades they saw in high school and what they earned in their first semester of college. There are a few common reasons for this:

A 4.0, or “perfect”, GPA in high school is fairly common these days.  When our generation attended high school there may have been one or two students who were able to maintain a perfect GPA and each high school probably only had one valedictorian.  This is no longer the case, and many students from a variety of high schools have never made anything below an A in any class.  This is simply a result of grade inflation* in high school and unfortunately it can do a lot of harm to a student’s psyche when they arrive at college and realize they are one of many “perfect” students vying for top grades.

There’s more to the first semester of college than a GPA. In addition to attending 15-18 credit hours worth of class each week, your child has also had to learn how to navigate an entirely new world.  Everything from how and where they live, shower, eat, and socialize is completely new and learning the ins and outs of college life is emotionally and intellectually draining. Even students who earned a 2.0 GPA have actually learned a great deal from college in their first semester.

College is harder than high school. When I relay this fact to students most of them give me the “Duh, no kidding” look, but some are surprised. They think that they can employ the same strategies they used in high school and earn the same grades, but that usually doesn’t work. Students are in college classrooms less than half of the time they were in high school classrooms and they have to do much of their reading, writing, and learning on their own or in student groups. In addition, college classes require that students think through problems critically and develop their own solutions based on research, their own or someone else’s. In other words, in addition to simply answering questions, they have to explain why they answered in that way and how they came to their conclusions. This is the mental equivalent of heavy lifting and it takes time for students to get used to flexing their intellectual muscles.

If your child is disappointed by his grades in the first semester, don’t worry. Most students’ grades rebound during the next semester after they adjust their study and time management habits. If your child needs help with these issues, a visit to a study skills center, academic counselor, or attending a workshop on these topics can give him the information, skills, and motivation he needs to improve his grades in future semesters.

* http://www.act.org/research/policymakers/pdf/issues.pdf

http://research.collegeboard.org/sites/default/files/publications/2012/7/researchreport-2011-2-investigating-grade-inflation-non-equivalence.pdf

 

Get "Interview Ready" Over Winter Break

Winter break is a great time to help your student get interview ready. Many colleges hold their summer job and internship fairs in January and February, so winter break is a great time to make sure your child has everything he needs to make a good impression. 

Suggest that he:

• Edit his resume to adjust his GPA and add work experiences and activities from the fall semester.
• Scrub his social media and online profiles for any questionable material
• Purchase plenty of resume paper for job fairs, and plenty of simple thank you notes for after the interview. Some students also print business cards that contain their contact information and a brief profile.
• Evaluate his interview wardrobe and purchase any additional items. If he’s starting from square one, he can’t go wrong with a dark suit, white or off-white shirt, and a couple of conservative ties and pocket squares.
• Make sure he also has a belt, a nice pair of dress shoes, and a few pair of dress socks.
• Some interviews and company interest sessions will require business casual clothing such as khakis, a white, off-white, or pastel button down, or a polo style pullover shirt.
• Women should err on the side of caution and choose a dark suit (make sure the skirt is no higher than an inch above the kneecap when standing), a simple colored blouse, and conservative jewelry. Heels should be comfortable and 2 inches high or less, and remember that appropriate undergarments are an essential part of any outfit.
• Business casual for young women may include anything from slacks and a cardigan to a simple sheath dress. When in doubt, browse Pinterest for some ideas and choose conservative over flashy.
• More essentials include: A good haircut or money to get one, a manicure set, a shiny smile, and some interview coaching from the career services staff on campus.