Investing in education
Students go to college to get educated and acquire the skills that can help them to build a career in life. Today having a degree is not enough to get good job. There are many graduates competing for fewer jobs so students must select the right school and the right field of study to better prepared themselves to hiring companies.
There are many universities, state university as well as private universities. As student you have many choices in selecting the right school for your education. In Europe, state schools are well known for education excellence but in the U.S the best schools are often privates. Every school has certain admission requirements. Some are very selective and some are easy to get in. Some require strict academic grades and performance; some only focus on your ability to pay. Since your future is largely depending on your education, you must select the school carefully. Please consider that it is your future; it is your time; your efforts, and your money. Education is a major investment and no one could afford to invest in something without carefully analyzing the risk and the return on investment.
There are several steps that student must take. The first step is to determine your qualification. If you are a top student, you have many choices. If you are an average student, you have some choices. If you are below average, you do not have many choices. After determine where you could qualify to apply; the second step is to visit several schools to see which one would be best for you. Do not wait until the last few weeks before school starts to visit them but start as soon as possible. Most colleges offer visiting days to introduce potential students to faculty and school officials where you can get information about the school. My recommendation is to visit the school during school year and talk to students. You will get different opinions but at least, it will give you some ideas about the school. After that you can validate your assumption by visit the school during the visiting days to obtain additional information and ask questions.
Today education is big business. You must be very careful in selecting the right school. There are schools that are not accredited by government or accreditation board. (Please see my previous blog about them). Avoid online school if possible as they are not considered for good education, at least not at this time. You also find that there are many schools that advertise all over the place. Some claim that they are the best or ranked among the top. Best schools do not advertise because they have more applicants than they can accept. In the U.S. there are many “Non-accredited” universities, or “phony” schools, especially online schools where you can go to school “at home” and still receive degree. Avoid them as their degree is worthless and you will waste money.
A good education is a good investment. Having the right skills that the industry need is more than just a right thing; it is also a way to increase your earning and employability throughout your career. Therefore selecting the field to study and the right school that has good reputation is important. Most university provides a variety of fields to study, but not all of them are the same. Usually some are better than others so beside selecting the school, you must also look closely at the expertise and specialization of the field that you want to study. Selecting the best school with the best reputation in the field of study is the best thing for any college students.
Many first year students do not know what they want or which fields to study. Many career centers provide assistance in choosing field of study, but they often base their recommendation on student's high school record or exam score. It is the student who must make final decision on what to study and how to prepare for the future career. That is why students should research the local job market and global trends. You should not just look at what is currently “Hot” but what will be “Hot” by the time you graduate. Since no one can predict the future, you should look at the technology trends. If it is “Hot” in the U.S now, it may be “Hot” somewhere soon.
When you apply for job, companies always want to know whether you can “fit” into their company well. As students, you must take time now to learn how your knowledge, your skills, your interests, and your personality can help your career. College is where you learn and develop your character. If the job requires foreign language, you should learn foreign language now. If the job require communication skills, you should develop it now. The more you know about what they need, the better it helps preparing you for your career. Do not wait until you are graduating to think about where to work. You must investigate the job market to see how well it fits your field of study. You should know what jobs you will be qualified for when you graduate. To help plan your career path, my advice is to ask people who are working in your desired career area. Ask them if your degree and experiences have prepared you for the requirements that companies need.
Companies expect job candidates to have both skills and experience, not just degree. To set yourself apart from other graduates, you should participate in internships, summer jobs, and other work-related activities to gain experiences. You should participate in volunteer activities, or part-time job related to your chosen career. You should use the information from your career research to improve your school experience. Join a special student group, computer groups, or professional associations that can help you to build a network of friends. The best thing is to work on capstone project given to the school by an external company. You will learn more about what company needs and build a good relationship with them. The fact is over 80% of students who work on capstones are hired by the companies who sponsored the capstone projects. Capstone is the best way for companies to evaluate students for potential future employees.
No matter what things you do or experience you have while in school, you must do it seriously. You will develop good work habits that will benefit you after you graduate. College is the time where you invest in your future, the place to develop your character, the opportunity to make friends, share ideas, and build your career. Please invest carefully so you do not waste it.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
