Shafinaaz Kamrul
Too many college students take classes in college, which they later on find out will not help at all with their major.
Too many of them do not know what their major is.
A lot of the students want to apply to schools that do not offer the major they want to study.
To attempt to inform students of their options, Claudia Ramirez-Yaglian, a Pierce College counselor, arranged a “Career/Major Exploration” workshop recently to help familiarize them with techniques that counselors use to help students understand their academic and life goals better.
In addition to showing a systematic way to achieve them.
“For example, I have so many students who tell me they want to go to UCLA and they want to major in accounting,” said Ramirez. “But they cannot because not one UC offers accounting as a major.”
Accounting majors must transfer to a CSU instead because a UC only offers a minor in the subject, which many who want to work for an Accounting firm Melbourne, or based anywhere else, are not happy about.
“It’s a choice to make about what is more important to them- their school or their major,” said Ramirez, during the workshop.
This is an easier decision for those who pay a visit to the counseling office, located in the administration building, early in their freshmen year because then they have the time to plan what their intentions are as far as transfer concerns.
Students often hesitate going to the counselors, and have a hard time later on when they are ready to apply to four-year colleges.
Ramirez introduced students to Web sites such as www.assist.org, a page that counselors use to see what classes, depending on the student’s major, need to be completed at Pierce before they can transfer to a certain university.
For example, after logging into the Web site, typing in Pierce as the school they are transferring from, UCLA as the school they are transferring to, and Political Science as a major they would be able to see that besides the IGETC they need to complete Political Science -1,2,7 and History-11 classes from Pierce.
This list changes depending on the schools that the student is transferring to and from and what classes each of these institutions offer. Sometimes if a class that the university requires is not available at Pierce, students may have to take a similar class.
“This is very important because most of the better schools want you to finish as many major requirements as possible before you transfer,” pointed Ramirez.
Ramirez said that students are able to obtain an associate degree (A.A) if they have completed their IGETC or CSU requirements and the 60 units.
“Most students don’t know, but all they really need to do is apply for it (IGETC) at the Transfer Center,” said Ramirez.
“By finishing one of those courses they have automatically finished their A.A. requirements.”
This was news of delight to students who might later on want to pursue four-year colleges. They can be prepared for a B.A. but already would have an A.A.
“The A.A. would be in general education,” said Ramirez. “It looks better on a resume rather than a mere high school diploma.”
Ramirez also made the students take a look at www.eureka.org, where they went through things such as the fastest growing and highest paid jobs.
The highest paying job right now in this part of California is an anesthesiologist.
The students had a chance to look at what industries to get into and which career paths to avoid.
According to a 2004 report, anesthesiologists make about $80 on a hourly basis and $135,600 annually.
Lawyers, traditionally a high paying job, rank eighteenth.
Thirteen students attended this workshop, which took place in the Computer Science building on Nov. 15.
Attendance was high amongst the international students and a lot of them had English as their second language.
“I found the workshop very useful,” said student, Mirna Melgoza, 23. “My approach towards taking my course work has changed and I will definitely go to a counselor before signing up for classes next semester.”
Ramirez coordinated this workshop twice this semester, and the next one will be in spring 2007.
“Its very unfortunate that the students don’t come to us because we are always available at the counseling office to help them,” said Ramirez.
“If they come to us they would know that we are there to put them on the right track, whether it’s career paths, talking about majors, academic progress, or what courses to take.”
office, located in the administration building, early in their freshmen year because then they have the time to plan what their intentions are as far as transfer concerns.
Students often hesitate going to the counselors and have a hard time later on when they are ready to apply to four-year colleges.
Ramirez introduced students to Web sites such as www.assist.org, a page that counselors use to see what classes, depending on the student’s major, need to be completed at Pierce before they can transfer to a certain university.
For example, after logging into the Web site, typing in Pierce as the school they are transferring from, UCLA as the school they are transferring to, and Political Science as a major they would be able to see that besides the IGETC they need to complete Political Science -1,2,7 and History-11 classes from Pierce.
The changes depending on the schools that the student is transferring to and from and what classes each of these institutions offer. Sometimes if a class that the university requires is not available at Pierce, students may have to take a similar class.
“This is very important because most of the better schools want you to finish as many major requirements as possible before you transfer,” pointed Ramirez.
Ramirez said that students are able to obtain an associate degree (A.A) if they have completed their IGETC or CSU requirements and the 60 units.
“Most students don’t know, but all they really need to do is apply for it (IGETC) at the Transfer Center,” said Ramirez.
“By finishing one of those courses they have automatically finished their A.A. requirements.”
This was news of delight to students who might later on want to pursue four-year colleges. They can be prepared for a B.A. but already would have an A.A.
“The A.A. would be in general education,” said Ramirez. “It looks better on a resume rather than a mere high school diploma.”
Ramirez also made the students take a look at www.eureka.org, where they went through things such as the fastest growing and highest paid jobs.
The highest paying job right now in this part of California is an anesthesiologist.
The students had a chance to look at what industries to get into and which career paths to avoid.
According to a 2004 report, anesthesiologists make about $80 on a hourly basis and $135,600 annually.
Lawyers, traditionally a high paying job, rank eighteenth.
Thirteen students attended this workshop, which took place in the Computer Science building on Nov. 15.
Attendance was high amongst the international students and a lot of them had English.
“I found the workshop very useful,” said student, Mirna Melgoza, 23. “My approach towards taking my course work has changed and I will definitely go to a counselor before signing up for classes next semester.”
The next workshop will be in spring 2007.
“Its very unfortunate that the students don’t come to us because we are always available at the counseling office to help them,” said Ramirez.
“If they come to us they would know that we are there to put them on the right track, whether it’s career paths, talking about majors, academic progress, or what courses to take.”
