Nonetheless, it is not a bad thing to come to college with no clue as to what you want to major in.  One of the reasons that many colleges make you take courses from a wide variety of disciplines is to make you a well-rounded person.  Another is to help you figure out what you are really interested in so that you can make an informed decision when you finally decide your major.  Some colleges do not even allow you to declare a major until your sophomore year or later.

If you really know what you want to do, you may see this as unnecessary.  Since there is nothing you can do about it, you should take the opportunity to take as many different classes as you can.  Take science classes, math classes, literature classes, history classes, performing arts classes, or anything else you have to in order to fulfill any general education requirements your school might have.  If you get as many of those requirements done as possible before you have to pick, you can spend most of the rest of college just working on your major.  Even if your school has no general education requirements, you can use this time to discover an interest you never knew you had or to confirm your passion for whatever you already think your major should be.  It is perfectly possible that you could believe that you enjoy a subject in theory but that you discover that you absolutely hate the actual classes.

Most schools do require you to tell them what you believe your major might be so that they can pair you up with an academic advisor relevant to your potential interests.  Advisors are just there to help you figure out how best to discover and fulfill your academic goals.  If they are unable to give you information on a major in which you are interested, they will be happy to point out to you someone who can help.  Most professors or teaching assistants will be perfectly happy to talk with prospective majors about their field.  You can also consult seniors and juniors who are majors in the field you are interested in, as they can provide information about the concrete experience of being any given major at your specific college.

If you know what career you would like to eventually have, you may not even necessarily have to major in the corresponding field.  If you want to be a doctor, so long as you take the prerequisite undergraduate chemistry and other science courses, you can be a music or literature major.  Alternatively, if you want to become a history teacher, you could still be an area studies major, so long as you take enough history courses that you have the skills needed to go into a graduate program.  You will also still be able to take courses in other fields; you are not restricted only to classes in your major.  Therefore, you are not closing other doors when you finally have to choose.

All of this aside, it is still very important to take care when picking your major.  A major can provide you with a lot of the skills you may need in your future education or in your chosen career.  And if you pick a major without really thinking about it, you could end up impossibly confused or spectacularly bored by the material.  Since you have all of these resources available, and you will likely be unable to decide your major your freshman year, do not rush your decision.  As you take a bunch of different courses, think long and hard about what you really enjoy and what potential goals are actually feasible.  If you take your time and are honest with yourself about your interests, you will make the right choice when you must finally officially make your choice.

Photos by: CC Some rights reserved by [F]oxymoron

Related posts:

1. Talking With Your Advisor Your advisor is a professor whose job it is to...
2. How to Choose a Major When I was a high school senior applying for colleges,...
3. To Minor or Not to Minor? When students decide on their major, a lot of the...

WHO

Non-U.S. citizens interested in studying abroad at a college or university should attend.

WHAT

CollegeWeekLive INTERNATIONAL DAY is a free online admissions event tailored to the needs of the non-U.S.  university applicant.

WHERE

Online at www.CollegeWeekLive.com. Free.

WHEN

RIGHT NOW! Online at www.CollegeWeekLive.com. Free.
Wednesday, February 23rd, 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM Eastern.

WHY

At CollegeWeekLive INTERNATIONAL DAY, you can . . .

• Chat live with admissions representatives from hundreds of colleges!
• Watch live video presentations from EducationUSA and other college admissions experts on topics like:
  • Researching & choosing a U.S. college
  • What U.S. colleges & universities are seeking in a non-U.S. applicant
  • Applying to college in the U.S. & academic credentials required
  • Financial aid for the non-U.S. student
  • Student visas: how to apply
  • Adjusting to life in the U.S.
• Register & attend to be eligible to win a $2,500 scholarship from CollegeWeekLive just for logging in! (only non-U.S. citizens eligible)

Register for Free Today!

Related posts:

1. MyUSearch.com International Student Scholarship Its much harder to find scholarships aimed at international students...
2. Gilman International Scholarship Program-Apply Today! While the main aim of Al Jamiat is to assist...
3. 20 Student Loan Calculators and Scholarship Resources Working hard to get into your college of choice is...

Via cc: Vancouver Film School

When students decide on their major, a lot of the time they disregard thinking about a minor. Majors are required to be declared when you are studying for your bachelors at a university but minors are often not a requirement to obtain. For those of you who don’t know the difference between a major and a minor, here is a simple breakdown according to University Language Services (ULS):

“Your college major is the primary subject you want to study and the field in which you want to find a job after graduation.

While your college major is your primary field of study, your college minor is a secondary field that is often (but not always!) related to your major.”

Choosing a minor related to your major

The first option you having when deciding on a minor, is picking one that compliments your major.  Often time, courses that are required to be taken for your major intertwine with classes required for a related minor.  This makes achieving your choice of major and minor simpler because classes will double credit for both.  When the two are related, it shows that you are specialized in your field of study and it adds more on top of the experience you receive while studying. An example of having related major and minor would be a student studying communications with a minor in journalism.

Choosing an unrelated minor

Via cc: Melyviz

The next option would be to select a minor that isn’t related to your major at all.  Students usually do this for a personal balance or to fulfill other needs. There can be great benefits when your minor is far from similar to your major.  It can show future employers that you are well rounded and it is a great way to show your passion.  For example, a student could be majoring in engineering because they are talented with numbers and would like to hold a career in that field.  But because they have a passion for painting, they can minor in  art history.

Overall, students should seize the opportunity to receive a minor because it could possibly be the key factor to differentiate you between another person trying to get the same job post graduation. Check with your university to see what minors are available for you today!

Related posts:

1. Majors, Minors, and Fields of Study at US Colleges Now that you’ve read the basics of how to start...
2. What do I want to study? What do I want to study? The academic subject that...
3. Otterbein College – Intro Type: Liberal Arts, 4-year college Setting: Suburban setting Size: a...

Learn more and read short profiles on the schools attending in our guide (coming soon!).

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University – Prescott, AZ & Daytona Beach, FL – Contact

Everett Community College – Everett, Washington – Contact

Fairleigh Dickinson University – Multiple Campuses – Contact

Michigan State University Dubai – Dubai, United Arab Emirates – Contact

Murray State University – Murray, Kentucky – Contact

Ohio State University – Columbus, Ohio – Contact

Rochester Institute of Technology – Rochester, New York – Contact

Roger Williams University – Bristol, Rhode Island – Contact

Savannah Collage of Art & Design – Savannah, Georgia – Contact

Sylvan Learning Centers – Contact

The Princeton Review-Scoreplus – Contact

Troy State University – Multiple Campuses – Contact

University at Buffalo – Buffalo, New York – Contact

University of California Riverside – Riverside, California – Contact

University of Colorado, Boulder – Boulder, Colorado – Contact

University of Kentucky – Lexington, Kentucky – Contact

University of Michigan, Flint – Flint, Michigan – Contact

University of New Haven – New Haven, Connecticut – Contact

Related posts:

1. Colleges & Universities on USEG College Fair in November US Colleges and Universities confirmed for the Al Jamiat/USEG (US...
2. Colleges & Universities on USEG College Fair – Spring 2011 US Colleges and Universities confirmed for the Al Jamiat/USEG (US...
3. Colleges & Universities on USEG College Fair – October 2010 US Colleges and Universities confirmed for the Al Jamiat/USEG...

Related posts:

1. Stay Connected: 5 Sites for Sharing The four years spent in college are often the best...
2. 20 Student Loan Calculators and Scholarship Resources Working hard to get into your college of choice is...
3. Online College Degrees Students outside of the United States ask us often about...

decisions decisions decisions

Working hard to get into your college of choice is important, but you must also consider how you are going to pay for your education. If you’re still unsure about where the funds are going to come from, there are many different resources on the web, including student loan calculators and scholarship guides, that can help. Here 20 online resources that will assist you in determining how you can bankroll your higher education.

Student Loan Calculators

Student Loan Repayment Calculator – Map Your Future, an informational site for finding college, financial aid, and career information, features a helpful student loan calculator. Simply input your loan amount to calculate your monthly payment, total interest, and the minimum salary required to repay your loans.

Student Loan Calculator – CNNMoney.com features a quick and easy-to-use calculator that estimates how long it will take to pay off your student loans.

Loan Calculator – Adventures In Education (AIE) has a free online loan calculator that gives students an in-depth look at their payment schedule for the duration of the loan. To use the calculator, you must be able to provide the amount borrowed, an estimated interest rate, and loan terms.

Chase Student Loan Calculator – This online calculator from Chase Bank allows students to estimate the monthly payments of their loan. To use this calculator, you must have an estimate of your loan term, interest rate, and loan amount.

Loan Calculator and Amortization – This loan and amortization calculator estimates monthly student loan payments. It also calculates the impact extra payments will have throughout the life of the loan.

Student Loan Calculator – College Loan has a unique student loan calculator to help students decide how much they need to borrow for college. You can use it to estimate costs for tuition, room and board, food, books, supplies, and other common items.

Federal Direct Consolidation Loans Online Calculator – Borrow Services provides a way to estimate standard and graduated repayment of federal loans. It works very well for anyone who is considering loan consolidation.

Graduated Repayment Calculator – This online calculator estimates the size of your loan using a graduated repayment plan.

Citi Student Loan Calculator – This loan calculator from Citi allows students to calculate the cost of attending college after scholarships, grants, and other financial contributions.

Edwise Online Financial Planning Guide – Edwise offers an extensive financial calculator that maps out a college budget, loan repayment, post-college budget, and summary report.

Scholarship Resources

Next Student – Next Student provides a free online scholarship search engine with over $5.9 million worth of scholarships and grants. This college funding site also features tools and resources for comparing loans and calculating loan costs.

ScholarshipExperts.com – Since 2001, ScholarshipExperts.com has been finding scholarships and grants for students. This site provides a constantly updated database with accurate information on over 2.4 million scholarships.

Scholarships.com – Scholarships.com provides free scholarship and financial aid information for students. After creating an online profile, students can find national, local, and state scholarships and grants that match their personal profile.

FinAid – FinAid offers scholarships and graduate fellowships to pay for higher education. This financial aid guide also features loan information, savings tips, and military aid.

FastAid – FastAid has been helping students find scholarships, fellowships, and grants for more than 30 years. This financial aid search engine features an up-to-date database with scholarships that can’t be found anywhere else.

SallieMae – SallieMae’s scholarship database features over 3 million scholarships worth billions of dollars. Students can enter specific information into the database engine to receive a customized list of scholarships.

Fastweb – With 15 years of experience, Fastweb is a great place to find scholarships from sources all over the world. College bound students are matched with scholarships based on qualifications, educational goals, and activities.

Federal Student Aid – The U.S. Department of Education provides a financial aid and scholarship wizard that assists you with calculating financial aid and scholarship searches.

CollegeBoard – CollegeBoard offers students a free online search engine for locating scholarships, grants, internships, and loans. The database contains over 2,300 sources, totaling almost $3 billion.

Free Scholarship Searches – This site for college bound students provides links to more than 20 sites where students can find scholarships.

About the Author

Karen Schweitzer is an education writer who specializes is writing about business education. She is the Business School Guide for About.com. She also writes about online school for OnlineSchool.net.

Photo by:

Related posts:

1. MyUSearch.com International Student Scholarship Its much harder to find scholarships aimed at international students...
2. 20 Free TOEFL Prep Resources The thought of taking the TOEFL has kept many students...
3. Iraq Education Initiative Scholarship Basics for Students [Please note that Al Jamiat is privately held by an...

Tuesday November 10th, 2009
11 am – 3 pm
Location: Auditorium of Higher Colleges of Technology Men’s College – Ras Al Khaimah
Fair Flyer and More information
Register

And don’t forget, if you can’t make it on Tuesday in Ras Al Khaimah, be sure to catch us in Dubai on

Wednesday November 11th, 2009
6pm – 9pm
Movenpick Bur Dubai
Fair Flyer and More information
Register

Want to see learn more about the Universities and Colleges at this fair? Be sure to review the AlJamiat- US Educational Group Fair Guide & become a fan on Facebook to keep up on all the best information on applying to US Colleges & Universities!

See you at the fair!

Related posts:

1. Colleges & Universities on USEG College Fair in March US Colleges and Universities confirmed for the Al Jamiat/USEG (US...
2. Colleges & Universities on USEG College Fair in November US Colleges and Universities confirmed for the Al Jamiat/USEG (US...
3. Colleges & Universities on USEG College Fair – October 2010 US Colleges and Universities confirmed for the Al Jamiat/USEG...

We hope you will join us in Beirut, Lebanon or Amman, Jordan for the free seminar on MBA admissions and GMAT test prep.  Register for this informative free seminar now!

From the results of the poll we created this list of Five Things You Should Know About the GMAT but Don’t:

1. Your Verbal and Quantitative scores matter at least as much as your overall score. Some test takers hope that an exceptionally strong performance on one section of the GMAT will overcome a weak performance on the other section. However, MBA admissions officers care about both sections’ scores, not just the overall score, so a balanced strong performance is critical. While it is by no means a mandatory minimum score, applicants can improve their chances of admissions by reaching the GMAT’s “golden ratio,” with scores in at least the 80th percentile on both the Quantitative and Verbal sections and an overall score of at least 700.
2. You’re not doomed if you miss the first few questions on the GMAT. Many people wrongly assume that the first questions matter far more than any subsequent questions in computer adaptive exams, which present questions of greater difficulty if a question is answered correctly, and questions of lower difficulty if a question is answered incorrectly. No less than the Graduate Management Admission Council, which runs the GMAT, has publicly debunked this myth. In reality, computer adaptive exams such as the GMAT are very sophisticated, and will accurately hone in on one’s true ability by the end of the test, whether or not a student accidentally misses an easy question early on.
3. You don’t need to master difficult math concepts to do well on the GMAT. In reality, the math tested on the GMAT is high school- or middle school-level arithmetic, and does not require advanced knowledge of finance or calculus. The GMAT is designed to evaluate a student’s ability to reason (such as the capacity to recognize patterns), as opposed to gauging how well test-takers understand advanced mathematical concepts.
4. Business schools do not look unfavorably upon people who take the GMAT multiple times. Admissions officers realize that a single test sitting does not necessarily reflect a candidate’s true ability. In general, they are very open to considering an applicant’s best score among multiple scores—and many applicants do in fact take it more than once. However, taking it more than three times can be a red flag to an admissions officer.
5. Retired real GMAT questions are not the only ones suitable for studying. While going “straight to the source” to get GMAT practice questions certainly makes sense, by no means are previous questions the only questions that can give an applicant an accurate feel for the real GMAT. In fact, retired questions are only published after they have been out of use for five years, during which time the test continues to evolve. GMAT experts, such as those at Veritas Prep, constantly monitor the exam and frequently create new questions to reflect these changes, preparing applicants for what they will see on test day.

Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools including MBA programs in the US, UK, and Canada.

For more information, email admin@veritasprep.com or visit www.veritasprep.com

Related posts:

1. Free MBA Seminar by Veritas Prep Veritas Prep is the fastest-growing GMAT test preparation and MBA...
2. 20 Free TOEFL Prep Resources The thought of taking the TOEFL has kept many students...
3. What is the TOEFL® and How Do I Prepare For It? These are the most common questions asked by students who...

During the Al Jamiat US College & University Tour in Beirut, Lebanon and Amman, Jordan Veritas Prep will offer a FREE MBA seminar to discuss GMAT and MBA Admissions advice.  Join one of our top instructors for an informative discussion on MBA admissions and improving your GMAT score.  Register NOW to save your spot!

Beirut, Lebanon October 27th, 2009
Movenpick Hotel & Resort – Raouche
MBA Seminar: 3pm-5pm
(Full college fair from 6pm-9pm)
Register NOW

Amman, Jordan October 29th, 2009
Sheraton Hotel and Towers
MBA Seminar: 3pm-5pm
(Full college fair from 6pm-9pm)
Register NOW

Founded in 2002 by graduates of the Yale School of Management, Veritas Prep offers live GMAT preparation instruction in more than 80 cities worldwide, as well as interactive online classes available everywhere. The creators of the Veritas Prep GMAT preparation class have completely deconstructed the GMAT and designed the most comprehensive approach to mastering the business school entrance exam.

Veritas Prep offers industry-leading admissions consulting services for applicants seeking admission to the most competitive business schools including MBA programs in the US, UK, and Canada.

For more information, email admin@veritasprep.com or visit www.veritasprep.com.

Related posts:

1. Five Things You Should Know About the GMAT but Don’t Recently we conducted an informal poll of business school applicants...
2. 20 Free TOEFL Prep Resources The thought of taking the TOEFL has kept many students...
3. US College & University Fair to the Middle East – October 2010 US Educational Group is heading to the following countries...

cc license, partsnpieces

Here are a few questions to ask yourself BEFORE you start your search:

What do I want to study?

Do I want a college or a university?

What do you intend to study?

What is an Associate’s Degree?

Starting the search for the “right” university for you!

Remember….the more time and thought that you invest in this process, the better you will feel about your choice and the more likely you will make the “right” decision.  To learn more, watch for the next article “Using your resources to help you find the Right school for you!  We will tell you about the “resources” you have and how you can use them in your search.

Jim Crawley is a Director of University Partner Relations for ELS Educational Services.  Mr. Crawley has nearly 20 years in university admissions and was responsible for starting the international recruitment efforts at Central Michigan University and Grand Valley State University, also in Michigan.  Mr. Crawley has previously traveled throughout Asia and Latin/South America recruiting students and more recently has spent considerable time visiting campuses throughout the U.S. and making presentations at conferences to discuss international student recruitment.

Related posts:

1. Starting the search for the “right” university for you! Starting the search for the “right” university for you! Let’s...
2. What do you intend to study? What do you intend to study? -  If you are...
3. Otterbein College – Intro Type: Liberal Arts, 4-year college Setting: Suburban setting Size: a...