A Look at College Majors

Picking a college major is one of the hardest decisions a student makes. Often there is enormous pressure to make the right selection. I remember when I was a student and the deadline for declaring a major rolled round. I watched while all around me students agonized over the decision: What if I choose the wrong major? Should I double major? Should I declare a concentration (or a minor)? All of these options weighed heavy on their minds. I fell at the other end of this spectrum. Choosing a college major was relatively easy for me: I enjoyed history, I liked the classes and the professors so I decided I would be a history major.

Neither extreme is good. One should not fear picking the “wrong” major because, for all intents and purposes, there’s no such thing. On the other hand, is it the wisest decision to blindly declare your academic study of choice without considering possible careers and life after college? I think not.

For the upcoming months, I will take a look at different college majors. We will look at the types of skills generally gained by pursued a specific major, and the types of careers graduates typically enter.  Next month’s post will look at a very popular major: Business Administration.

Hope Harris-Gayles, M.Ed

Accreditation: What Is It and Why It Matters

If you’ve seen an advertisement for a school with a distance learning program, you’ve probably heard or seen them proudly say they’re accredited. But what does accreditation mean? Is it important? Why does it matter?

This post will explore this important issue. For our purposes, I am referring only to college and university accreditation.

What is accreditation: According to the US Department of Education, “the goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality.” Accreditation gives students a way of knowing that the school is reputable and that a degree earned there will be accepted by the wider community.

Types of accreditation: There are two main types of accreditation: regional and national. There are six regional accrediting bodies, that are responsible for accrediting schools in their regions (visit http://www.chea.org/Directories/regional.asp for a listing of the accrediting bodies and the states they cover). Regional accreditation is the most accepted form of accreditation. It is the way to ensure that the school you attend and the degree you earn there will be recognized, and that the credits will be transferrable if necessary.  For example, the accreditating body for Virginia and other southeastern states is The Southern Association of Colleges & Schools (SACS). If you attend a college in Virginia that is SACS accredited, you can be assured that the degree will be recognized and that other SACS accredited schools will accept your transfer credits.

National accreditation, as the name suggests, is open to any college or university in the United States (and sometimes schools abroad). Three of the major national accrediting agencies are: the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges of Technology (ACCSCT), Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools (ACICS), and Distance Education and Training Council (DETC). The main thing to know about nationally accredited schools is that traditional, regionally accredited schools may not accept the credits from these schools or acknowledge a degree earned at it. 

When a college proclaims that it is "fully accredited," that is just the beginning of the story. You need to dig a little deeper and find out whether the accreditation is regional or national, and if the accrediting body is recognized by the US Department of Education.

Now that you know what accreditation is, what do you do next? How do you find out about a college's accreditation and what do you do with that information? These questions will be explored in my next post.

Do you have questions? Leave a comment. Let's get the discussion started.

Hope Harris-Gayles, M.Ed

Why It Pays to Continue Your Education Past High School

It used to be that a high school diploma was all you needed to find a good job and make a living. In the world of today that is no longer the case. Even in a tough economy (especially in a tough economy), it pays to go back to school. Here are a few reasons why:

More Money: Studies show that the more education a person has the more likely he/she is to earn more money. A 2005 National Center for Education Statistics study found that people who did not graduate from high school earned an average of $21,333. People with some college earned an average of $30,566, and someone with a bachelor’s degree or higher made an average of $40,733. For most people, more education leads to more money.

More Opportunities: More and more employers are requiring job seekers hold a college degree. From the US Census information we know that the number of people 25 years and older who are college graduates is growing. That means if you do not have a degree you’re competing with more and more people who do. When companies have a large number of quality job applications, they can afford to reject anyone without a degree. For most people, more education means more job opportunities.

Lower Unemployment: Unemployment rates are usually lower for people who hold a degree. In 2005, the Bureau of Labor Statistics found that the unemployment rate for adults 25 and older with a high school diploma was 4.5%. For those with some college the unemployment rate dropped to 3.5%. People with a bachelor’s degree had the lowest employment rates at 2.4%. For most people, more education means more job security.

Lifelong Benefits: Studies have shown that having a college degree helps many areas of your life. A 1998 report showed that people with a bachelor’s degree saved more money, made better buying decisions, and had more hobbies. Even their children had a better quality of life. Also, a 2005 College Board report found that people who graduated from college were more likely to enjoy good health and have lower rates of heart disease and obesity.

Investment In Yourself: Jobs come and go, but knowledge stays forever. Once you earn a degree, no one can ever take that away from you. No matter what degree you pursue, education pays.

 

Hope Harris-Gayles, M.Ed