Five Things I'm Glad I Did

After a post on five things I wish I did differently as a student, I decided to look at the other side of the coin and reflect on five things that I am really glad that I did as a student.

1. Studied a broad liberal arts education. I approached all of my courses - whether Chemistry, Creative Writing or World War I - with an intent to learn. At the undergraduate level, I majored in the Humanities with a focus on History, Religious Studies and Literature and minored in Exercise Physiology. At the graduate level, I majored in International Studies. I developed the ability to think broadly using many different lenses and to make sense of complex interdisciplinary systems, which is a skill I use day in and day out in my career.

2. Stayed healthy. I exercised often, ate my fruits and vegetables, got adequate sleep and avoided addictive toxic substances. A healthy body feeds a healthy mind.

3. Made good friends. All the academic literature on student success highlights how important it is for students to form positive support networks. I chose to surround myself with students, faculty and staff that made me a better person and challenged me personally and academically. I stay close to many of these people to this day and they continue to have a positive impact on my life - first and foremost my amazing spouse.

4. Worked hard. I remember that the neighbor in my dorm had a sign on his door: "Hard work pays off in the future but partying pays off now." Well, the future is now here and the adage holds true. The discipline and focus that I developed through sustained hard work serves me well to this day.

5.   Pushed outside my comfort zone. I have 29 aunts and uncles and over 50 cousins, and almost all of them live within a 60 mile radius of St. Cloud, Minnesota. As time passes, I am gaining a greater appreciation of how fortunate I am to have such strong family roots. Yet, my life has unfolded in wonderful ways as I have unbounded my educational and career pursuits. It was uncomfortable to move away for my undergraduate education and then to move even further afield for my graduate degree, but pushing outside my comfort zone has enlivened many opportunities.

Five Things I Wish I Did Differently

They say hindsight is 20/20. For the most part, I am happy with the choices that I made while a student, now ten years out from my Bachelor's degree and seven years out from my Master's degree. However, if I could somehow travel back in time, these are the five things I would have done differently as a student.

1. Participate in international study abroad. I had the opportunity to study abroad in Ireland for a semester but I elected not to do so. I did manage to save some money by not studying abroad but I also missed out on a very unique educational experience. Now that I have had the good fortune to travel internationally as a career professional, I realize the amazing growth and learning that happens when you immerse yourself into different places and cultures.

2. Take more math courses. I took Advanced Placement Calculus in high school and then one statistics class at the undergraduate level and another statistics class at the graduate level. I use math all the time - in particular statistics - in my current role as a higher ed administrator. Since I only took a few courses of math, I now need to go back and re-teach myself.

 3. Take more time for career exploration. I did not take advantage of the career development resources at my undergraduate institution. Over the course of my educational career, I was majoring in pre-medicine, physical therapy, exercise physiology, religious studies, history, literature and international studies. I was entirely focused on my academic interests - which is not in and of itself a bad thing - but I neglected to give serious thought to how I planned to translate my knowledge and skills into a career. I figured things out in time but career exploration earlier in my life would have helped the process along.

4. Study a second language. I have both the privilege and the disadvantage of being a native English speaker in an English-speaking world. I studied Spanish in high school and wish I would have continued my studies at the undergraduate level.

5. Consider a broader option of graduate schools.  The jury is still out on my graduate school choice. I elected to attend an elite program at a competitive private university. I do believe that I benefited intellectually from this choice; rigor and expectations both ran very high. Whether or not this degree credential gives me special edge with an employer somewhat depends on the particular employer and his or her biases. I do know that I am making 120 payments of $450 to pay off the student debt that I incurred. Was the cost worth the benefit? In retrospect, I am not sure.

What is Graduate School?

In basic terms, there are four levels of post-secondary degrees that you can earn in the United States: Associate's degree, Bachelor's degree, Master's degree and Doctoral degree. More broadly, undergraduate education includes the Associate's degree and Bachelor's degree whereas graduate education includes the Master's degree and Doctoral degree.

A Master's degree typically requires one to two years of full-time enrollment to complete (after completing your Bachelor's degree) with part-time enrollment requiring three or more years to complete. How does a Master's degree relate to a Bachelor's degree? Generally speaking, a Master's degree builds on the broad foundation of a Bachelor's degree, with a focused and deep study of a particular area. Essentially every academic major at the undergraduate level has a corresponding Master's degree program, such as Biology, Business Administration, Computer Information Systems, Public Health and so on.

What should you expect when enrolling in a Master's degree program? The primary word is: more. You can expect more reading than at the undergraduate level, more writing than at the undergraduate level, more content than at the undergraduate level. The cost of tuition is usually more as well though federal loans and grants tend to be less. 

A Doctoral degree typically requires three to six years of full-time enrollment to complete (after completing your Bachelor's degree), with part-time enrollment requiring up to ten years. A Doctoral degree is the highest degree that you can earn in a particular field. If you want to study law, you pursue a Juris Doctor degree (JD). If you want to study medicine, you pursue a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD). If you want to study the arts and sciences, you pursue a Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD). There are also Doctorate degrees in Education (EDD), Physical Therapy (DPT) and many more. 

What should you expect in a Doctoral degree program? In a medical or law program, you will spend two to three years in intense study of specific knowledge followed by a period of supervised practice in the field. In a PhD program, expect to spend two to three years of deep study followed by a large independent research project (a dissertation). 

Why would a person want to attend graduate school? There are many reasons. A mid-career individual working in a field may want to upgrade his career and need a graduate degree to do so. A scholar may be incredibly interested in learning everything that she possibly can about an area of expertise. Some high-level careers require the specific knowledge and skills earned in Doctorate programs, such as a lawyer, medical doctor or scientific researcher. 

In the big picture, people with graduate degrees have the highest career earnings. However, a more nuanced view reveals that there are very large discrepancies between different career fields that depend significantly on the local and national job market. For example, medical practitioners of all sorts tend to be in high demand these days, including medical doctors. Other high-level job markets, however, are saturated with a large supply of candidates but relatively few job openings. For example, there are far more people with PhDs in the arts and humanities than there are tenure-track professor positions at colleges and universities. 

Is graduate school for you? This is a question that only you can answer. It depends on many variables, including your career goals, your level of success at the undergraduate level, your life commitments and the resources available to you. Maybe your answer is "yes," maybe it is "no," or maybe it is "probably but not now." It is worth your time and effort to answer this question. 

TRIO SSS participants explore graduate programs at Colorado State University.

Student Leadership Conferences

In today's competitive job market, a college degree will get your foot in the door but actually entering the room may well require something more. Employers are often looking for people that not only have knowledge but also know how to use that knowledge to effectively accomplish something. Productivity involves a wide variety of skills, from leadership to multicultural competency to the ability to stay focused.

In addition to skills development in the classroom, another fantastic way to build your repertoire is through student development activities. These may include international study abroad, service learning projects, internships, student organizations and student leadership conferences.

A group of TRIO SSS participants recently attended the student leadership track of the annual Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) National Conference. Over the course of three days, these students listened to nationally-renowned speakers on the topics of leadership, networking and career development. They also made connections with peers and prospective employers from around the country.

One TRIO SSS participant noted, "Around every corner was a new eye-opening experience for me, from meeting people from all around the United States and Puerto Rico to opening a whole new chapter in my life as a leader to my community."

National conferences often offer scholarships for students to attend. There are also many local student leadership conferences, including a number of one-day events specifically for students of the Auraria Campus.

TRIO SSS students networking with the Lt. Governor of Colorado at the HACU Conference.

Benefits of Paying Student Loans While in College

Understanding the repayment process for your student loans can be a bit confusing, especially as you are working towards building and/or maintaining a solid financial foundation. As you are thinking about your future plans financially, you may want to rethink on how your loans are going to be repaid, WITH INTEREST!

As I reflect on my experiences as a college student, not once did I want to think about repaying my loans, especially with interest. During that time, my student loans were in deferment status. Being in deferment status meant that I was not required to make payments due to my enrollment status of at least half-time.

What’s good about this? Depending on the type of loan(s) you have, the federal government may pay the interest on your loan during a period of deferment. Qualified student loans where the government may pay the interest include: Federal Perkins Loan, Direct Subsidized Loan, and/or Subsidized Federal Stafford Loan.

Sounds great right? However, interest is not paid on your unsubsidized loans (or on any PLUS loans) by the government while you are enrolled in school. You (as a student) are responsible for paying the capitalized interest that accrues during the deferment period, but your payment is not yet due until you have been out of school for at least six months. If you don’t pay the interest on your loan during deferment, interest will accrue (added to your principal balance), and the amount you pay in the future will be higher (and we’re talking hundreds or even thousands of dollars higher).

Consider this! Although not having to pay on your student loan(s) while in deferment may decrease a monthly bill, paying at least the capitalized interest (on unsubsidized student loans) will help you out in the long run. Contact your student loan servicer to see how much capitalized interest is accrued each month. If you only have subsidized student loans, take this time to make at least a small payment each month (even $15) because 100% of your monthly payment on your subsidized loans (while in deferment) will go towards your principal balance; Thus, decreasing the total amount of principal owed when deferment ends and interest kicks in. 

You will THANK YOURSELF when it’s time to start repaying your subsidized and/or unsubsidized student loans.

See a comparison chart of paying vs. not paying student loans while in college at http://www.youcandealwithit.com/borrowers/making-payments/benefits.shtml.

Time is the Enemy?

According to research by Complete College America, the longer it takes to earn a degree, the less likely you are to succeed. The logic is straightforward. As time passes, "life happens" and completing college becomes all the more difficult. Maybe a child is born, or a spouse transfers jobs, or funds dry up, or goals change.

These numbers also bear out at Community College of Denver. Full-time students are twice as likely to persist and complete as part-time students.

Reality is rarely black and white. While part-time students may be less successful due to the passage of time, it may also be that the life circumstances that lead to part-time enrollment (financial instability, working multiple jobs, family commitments, et cetera) are the true culprits of non-completion. For students in these situations, attempting to force full-time enrollment may lead to even quicker stop out from college.

Yet, one fact is absolutely certain. The longer you are in college as a part-time student, the more it costs. There is opportunity cost, which is the extra income you will earn with a degree that is being delayed as your time to degree extends. There is financial aid cost, as extra credits may endanger your eligibility for grants and part-time enrollment may disqualify you from certain scholarships. There is interest cost, which may be accruing on your student loans to be capitalized upon exit from college. There is inflationary cost, as tuition and fees continue to rise year in and year out. There is motivation cost, as students simply burn out as college drags on and on.

The questions become: If you are a part-time student, why? Is there any way to realistically increase your enrollment in order to shorten your time to degree completion?

You may consider scholarships, grants, work-study, and the prudent use of student loans to increase your income and hence decrease your work hours.

You may consider evening, weekend, and online courses to better manage your personal commitments and increase your enrollment.

You may consider utilizing all the academic support resources possible to ensure that you do not need to repeat courses and can manage a heavier course load.

You may consider adjusting your work schedule, delegating household tasks, asking family members for help, and pausing your social life during the semester.

You may consider enrolling year round with inter-term and summer term courses.

You may use online resources such as the Khan Academy, on-campus resources such as the Prep Lab, and accelerated course options in order to hasten your time through remedial courses.

You may boost your motivation and determination to "put in the work" now that you know the cost and danger of moving along at a more leisurely pace.

What else might you do?

Landing a Dream Job in the 21st Century

A college degree is not a guaranteed ticket to your dream job. As more and more people around the world earn college degrees, as technology and outsourcing continues apace, and as economies ebb and flow, the market for good paying and rewarding careers becomes increasingly competitive. A college degree will get your foot in the door but landing your dream job will require something more.

"Students shouldn’t just take what’s handed to them in the classroom, they should do all they can to supplement their education with additional skill-building," concludes Allie Grasgreen, in the article Qualified in their Own Minds.

But how?

The first place to start, in fact, is in the classroom.

Doing the bare minimum to earn a passing grade and seeking out "easy" courses will not prepare you to land your dream job. Focusing on courses within your academic major while skimming through general education courses is a missed opportunity.

Instead, take the initiative to cultivate higher order skills, including critical thinking and problem solving skills, the ability to speak and write effectively, and the capacity to work well with others. Move beyond mere memorization and understanding of content knowledge, and strive to apply, analyze and evaluate. Connect with your instructors to learn more about specific skills sets important to particular careers. Develop your leadership style through group work. Experiment with new technologies.

In addition, participate in career development experiences. Build your network through job shadowing and informational interviews. Volunteer with projects related to your career interests. Get a part-time job or internship within your field, even if it is the most entry level of positions. Find out about professional associations related to your dream job and become a student member. Participate in workshops and advising related to resumes, interviews, and professionalism.

Finally, get involved with student activities happening around campus and in the local community. Join a student organization or student government. Participate in service learning projects. Take advantage of workshops and seminars on leadership development and diversity. Participate in alternative spring break, inter-term service trips, and study abroad.

No doubt commitments inside and outside of school will shape and limit your ability to participate in these types of activities. Do as much as possible within your courses, attend what you can on-campus, and then strategically pick one or two time-intensive off-campus activities.

And always remember: it is both what you know and who you know. Learn how to network.