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Tips on Choosing A College Course – Part 2

In one of my last posts, I shared about how I simply fell into my college course. Lucky for me, I did not just earn a college degree from that, but it was actually the right one for me. Over the past few days it struck me that even my graduate school program was such a random choice as well…it wasn’t something I had planned from the beginning nor had wanted to do, but, well, it happened. And I am forever grateful.

Like I said, though, when it comes to choosing a college choice, it should not be a random decision. Maybe you can get lucky like I did, but planning ahead and making logical choices wouldn’t hurt, right? So how does one go about choosing what’s best anyway? Like Conan O’Brien said in a recent speech he gave in the Dartmouth commencement exercises, your life goals change over time, so maybe what you want to do at the start of your college career may not be what you want at the end. Some, however, are very clear on their decisions and I guess that makes the whole choosing a college course dilemma less of a dilemma for them.

I guess the most important thing to choosing a college course would include thinking about the various opportunities that go hand in hand with the degree you aim to obtain. For example, if you’re unsure whether you want to go into business, education or medicine in the beginning of your college career, maybe choosing a course such as Humanities or Psychology can be an option, rather than Biology, as there are more diverse avenues in the first two courses rather than the latter.

Other things one can do prior to choosing a course can include attending university open houses or joining campus tours. Not too long ago, for example, I saw a tarpaulin ad in an aviation school near the clinic I work in inviting interested students to attend an open house. If I’m not mistaken, he tours being offered also allowed them to see various equipment, machinery, flight gear and scopes/radars first hand. This allows one to try out, so to speak, the course to see if they actually like it.

Lastly, one can try to talk to people who have graduated from the course they are considering and to get insights from those who went through it already. That can help them gain perspective and assess the direction in which they can go.

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Uncategorized | 0 Comments

Happy Dad’s Day!

To all the daddies out there, Happy Dad’s Day!

As for me, I am thankful for the dads in my life, no matter where on this world (or out of it for that matter! teehee) they are.

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Tips on Choosing Your College Course

Last night a friend of mine and I were chatting about her son trying to pick a course for college as submission of applications for UP is closely approaching. It got me to thinking about how I picked my own course in college….

I had been hell bent on taking psychology, but since it was a quota course, I was advised to pick a non-quota as my second choice. What I did was browse through the list and pick the once course that sounded nice…even if I had no idea what it was. Lucky for me it turned out to be the best choice for me because it could have ended up like a train wreck or like one of those Texas Semi Accidents in the freeway that would have been…well…disastrous.

Anyway, for those trying to choose their courses now, I strongly suggest not following my lead. Harhar. Do think about the following when trying to decide what’s best for you.

1. What do you want to do after you graduate?
2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
3. What kind of activities do you like doing?
4. What is your preferred learning style?
5. What do you find interesting in terms of work and employment?

Those are but a few questions to get you started. Other things you can look at would be your personality, social skills and of course, what kind of grades do you have. While grades (in my personal opinion) is not necessarily a great measure of what you can or cannot do, it is still something to consider.

Will come up with more tips and ideas as soon as I can! Good luck.

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Benefits of Becoming A Teacher

Earning one of many online teaching degrees is a respectable and intelligent way to become a teacher, and the caliber of instruction is the same as that of attending traditional classroom settings. There are several benefits to becoming a teacher.

Prestige and Respect

In their communities, teachers are looked up to as highly influential and educated professionals. They’re given much the same respect as physicians, attorneys and bankers. People realize the enormous impact that a teacher has in molding the lives of his many students, no matter what grade level he teaches. It’s this intangible feeling or pride and professionalism in his work that a teacher derives much of his satisfaction.

Excellent Benefits

Teachers receive some of the most impressive array of working benefits as compared to any other profession. They receive major medical coverage, full dental and vision coverage for their families, and superb retirement benefits such as a 401k. They also receive paid vacations, paid sick days and at some educational institutions even paid holidays. These benefits greatly help them with their living expenses. Some teachers even receive annual bonuses depending on what level they’re teaching at.

Tenure Potential

At the collegiate and university levels, the most successful academicians will be considered for tenure. This basically means that they will be able to keep their jobs for as long as they want to. This provides them with a strong sense of career and financial security. These tenure track professors can have much less pressure and strain on themselves due to the knowledge of knowing that their jobs will be permanently reserved for them. This gives them an added incentive to become the best teachers they can be by helping their students out as much as they can.

Emotional Rewards

Teaching students new subjects is very psychologically satisfying to teachers. It’s one of the greatest intangible benefits of the profession. Watching their pupils expand their minds and absorb new amounts of knowledge each day, week and month allows teachers to feel good about themselves that they’re doing a huge, positive service in the eyes of their students. They also know they’re greatly satisfying the parents of their students by doing the best job they can at making them smarter individuals. No amount of money can replace these emotional rewards that teachers derive from their profession.

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Posted by Teacher Ria in Reflections, Teacher's Corner | 0 Comments

Rainy Days and School Days are Oh So NOT Fun!

Today marked the first school suspension due to rains. Well, at least in the elementary and high school levels. In college, as to be expected, classes went on as usual. I’m glad, though, that it didn’t rain too hard and that the streets weren’t too flooded, although there was some build up of water on the ground. Sure it was not enough to stall cars and stuff, but when you have to park in the street or in those  steel garages like in the malls that get so very slippery when wet, it’s such a hassle.

For me, I really, really hate rainy days when there are classes because one, I hate being cold and wet (errr….and as many know I so hate the rain to begin with!). Also, when it’s rainy, the kids often come in late. It’s so frustrating. Lastly, on rainy days, it’s just so hard to motivate everyone to work. Sigh.

Anyway, on the way home I was listening to an AM station on the radio where the show’s hosts were discussing the idea of moving the opening of classes to August instead of June. As can be expected, it was a conversation that went round and round teeeheeehee. It did get me to thinking however about what the best solution for rainy days and school days should be.I couldn’t think of one though…haha. I just wish that there was a better mechanism for the cancellation of classes in the college level when it’s rainy because at present, even when it’s super rainy and floody, there’s still classes unless it is declared as Signal Number 3. But by the time that happens, students and teachers are usually in school already. What to do…what to do….

and just like that radio conversation, this blog post is going around in circles. haha. Seriously though…any suggestions?

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