1 Alex Chediak Choosing a Major and a College TCCCC April 26,
2014
Slide 2
It sets the path of what classes youll take and what jobs youll
most readily access. Though many students change majors, this can
come at the cost of taking longer to graduate. The cost of one year
at a four-year college is now so high that graduating promptly is
increasingly important. 2
Slide 3
Work at identifying interests, talents, and their intersection.
3 Talents Strengths Interests Delights
Slide 4
1. Competency: What I do well, what Im good at. 2. Passion:
What I believe in, what motivates me. 3. Demand: What the market
wants, needs, and is willing to buy. Im looking for the sweet spot
where God wants me to be: If Gods not in it, I dont want it. 4
Competency DemandPassion Credit: Tony Chung
Slide 5
Talent is a multiplier. The more talent you have in something,
the stronger the feedback. So you improve more (and do so more
quickly) if you put your time into something youre naturally good
at. 5 Doing it More Doing it Better Enjoying an Activity
Slide 6
Favorite subjects or classes Passions things you talk about a
lot Work that engrosses you Classes youd like to take More
empathic/creative or logical/analytical? Computers, equipment,
equations, words/books, library, laboratory? 6
Slide 7
Areas where success has come more quickly Areas where youve
gone further than your peers Things parents and other adults say, I
could see you doing [fill in the blank] when youre older. Things
coaches, teachers, or mentors say are your strengths. 7
Slide 8
Financial motivations are common but dangerous. Be motivated to
glorify God by using your talents and skills to serve others with
excellence. If youre committed to (a) doing good work, (b)
developing skills, and (c) lifelong learning, youre going to be
employable. 8
Slide 9
Professionalism Communication Reliable work ethic Willingness
to learn new things Work well with others Financial skills Critical
thinking 9
Slide 10
Confidence should be grounded on objective accomplishment.
Self-esteem performance?? Expectations performance self-esteem
Talents revealed in crucible of experience Clubs, teams, summer
camps, internships, volunteering, shadowing adults in the work
force, and so on 10
Slide 11
Find out what its really like. What skills are needed? What
classes are required? Bachelors degree? Or need an advanced degree?
11
Slide 12
Accurate assessment. Finding opportunities. Dont force them in
a certain direction. Theyre often not like us. Each teen is unique.
Dont fight their battles. 12
Slide 13
Five things to consider 1. Affordability 2. Size (Large vs.
Small) 3. Academic Excellence 4. Job Prospects 5. Christian
Community 13
Slide 14
Commuting saves $$. Find your Expected Family Contribution
(EFC) in advance. (Bigfuture.org) For specific colleges, check
their net price calculator and their historic net price per income
quintile. (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/) 14
Slide 15
Collegedata.com Shows what kind of aid different schools give,
and how much. Allows you to search for schools by affordability.
For example, you can search for colleges in up to 16 states that
have (say) 10,000 students or less, meet at least 75 percent of
applicants financial need, and where students graduate with an
average debt load of $20,000 or less. 15
Slide 16
ADVANTAGESWEAKNESSES More programs and course offerings Faculty
that stay active in their fields Wider brand recognition Less
expensive (state universities) More contingent faculty Huge class
sizes Curricular disintegration Easy to get lost in the crowd
16
Slide 17
More interaction with faculty Professors heart is in teaching
undergrads. Less dependency on part- time faculty Curriculum
Cohesion. Cons: Fewer programs, alum (to pave the way), academic
resources (sometimes). 17
Slide 18
A college that delivers an all-around high-quality education,
with faculty who love teaching and care about students and whose
curriculum is excellent so that graduates become strong critical
thinkers, good communicators, skilled problem- solvers, and
lifelong learners who can continually rise to the challenge of new
professional and personal responsibilities. 18
Slide 19
Reach, Match, and Safety Schools Learning Environment vs. Party
School? Core Curriculum/Liberal Arts 19
Slide 20
Accreditation & reputation matter. Quality of student
matters most! Instructional resources matter. Curricula matters.
Inquire about job placement rate. Websites CollegeMeasures.org
& PayScale.com, seek to measure ROI. 20
Slide 21
Assess nearby churches in advance. Ditto for on-campus
Christian organizations. Atmosphere towards Christianity?
Single-gender dorm options? Advantages of Christian colleges.
(Faith commitment should still be evaluated.) 21
Slide 22
Assess interests/talents. Gain accurate information about their
potential majors. Choose a college. Finances Size Academics Job
Prospects Christian Community Final thought: Dont wait for a voice
from heaven. Exercise wisdom, but trust God. 22