Learning Commons Blog: 2020

Life After College: The Career Horizon (Part 2)

Let’s get straight to the point: being a college student is hard. We have to balance both our academic responsibilities with our personal lives, often juggling our own well-being and the well-being of those around us. As seniors (or future graduates) we have to think about our futures, while juggling our far too many present activities. Career preparation takes work because it is work, but I want to show that all our hard work will be worth it in the end. The previous post focused on graduate outcomes. This post will focus on the many pros of an undergraduate degree. You will find C3 information as well as link to helpful sources at the end.

During the Pandemic

According to “a national report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (sheeo.org), high school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. Bachelor's graduates earn an average of just over $50,000 a year.”¹

This is a 20K difference in average salaries, with just four years of further education! However, we all know this already, I mean this difference is why many - if not all - of us attend college in the first place. Did you know that even in these trying times, college graduates are not suffering as hard from the economic fallout as those who have a high school diploma, or lower?

According to Pew Research:

“Adults without a bachelor’s degree are more likely than those with at least a bachelor’s degree to say they have experienced problems with paying their bills, affording medical expenses for themselves or their families, or making rent or mortgage payments. About a third of adults with a high school diploma or less education (34%) and 27% of those with some college experience say they have struggled with paying bills, compared with 12% of those with a bachelor’s degree or more education. About one-in-five adults with some college or high school or less education say they have had problems paying their rent or mortgage (18% and 23%) since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak. Those with a high school diploma or less education are twice as likely as those with a bachelor’s degree or more education to have lost their health insurance in the same time period (6% vs. 3%)”² (By. KIM PARKER, RACHEL MINKIN AND JESSE BENNETT).

In translation, those with bachelor’s degrees show lower rates of losing their health insurance, struggle less with paying their bills (12% compared to the 34% of high school graduates), and, overall, fare better than other demographics. This study also found that people with at least a bachelor’s degree are able to save more during this pandemic than those with a high school diploma or less.

Job Opportunities (in General)

It’s not an understatement to say most of us came to Coe to have more job opportunities than if we tried looking for work right after high school. Fortunately, research supports our goal. According to Northeastern University of Boston, Massachusetts, college graduates see 57 percent more job opportunities than non-graduates, and it is estimated that, by 2020, two-thirds of all jobs will require postsecondary education.³ This means that college graduates have over two times the number of job opportunities, and that a majority of jobs require an undergraduate as a basic requirement.

A degree is even more of a requirement when looking for jobs that require a graduate program education and certification.

Happiness After Graduation

Ever heard that having a college degree leads to happiness later in life? Cory Steig from CNBC wrote an entire article on the relationship between an undergraduate degree and happiness to answer this question. The first finding, from the U.S. General Social Surveys showed that over 90% of college graduates are happy with their lives. The reasons may include the fact that a college degree brings increased job opportunities and financial stability, but other factors play a role. Being able to pay your bills is always a plus, but for many people a college degree is seen as a ticket out of poverty. Alex Bernadotte, CEO and founder of Beyond 12, is even quoted describing a degree as “currency”.⁴

Another important factor when it comes to the happiness gained with the opportunities and privileges form having a college degree is the concept of purpose. Think about it: we have a higher chance of working in professions that mean something to us, or allow us to feel like we’re contributing something to the good of the world, if we have a bachelor’s degree.

To summarize, there are a variety of benefits to a college education, even right now in the middle of this pandemic. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide how you will proceed with your future. We all have a lot on our plates and have to respond accordingly. As a senior, I can only hope that I make the best decisions for my own future.

Helpful Sources

CNBC’s Does Getting a College Degree Make You Happier

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/08/17/does-getting-a-college-degree-make-you-happier.html

Please Stop Asking Whether College Is Worth It

https://www.forbes.com/sites/dereknewton/2018/12/16/please-stop-asking-whether-college-is-worth-it/?sh=19e219e630d2

Pros and Cons of a College Education

https://college-education.procon.org/

10 Benefits of Having a College Degree

https://www.northeastern.edu/bachelors-completion/news/is-a-bachelors-degree-worth-it/#:~:text=College%20graduates%20see%2057%20percent,where%20you%20choose%20to%20work

Benefits of a College Degree

https://www.educationcorner.com/benefit-of-earning-a-college-degree.html

Economic Fallout from Covid-19

https://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2020/09/24/economic-fallout-from-covid-19-continues-to-hit-lower-income-americans-the-hardest/

Metacognition for the average College student

What even is Metacognition? If I have made it this far into college without knowing what it is, why should I learn about it?

Well, my friends, that right there is an example of metacognition. Metacognition refers to awareness of one’s own knowledge—what one does and doesn’t know—and one’s ability to understand, control, and manipulate one’s cognitive processes (Meichenbaum, 1985).

Some more examples of metacognitive tasks include…

Identifying one’s own learning style and needs
Planning for a task
Gathering and organizing materials
Arranging a study space and schedule
Monitoring mistakes
Evaluating task success
Evaluating the success of any learning strategy and adjusting.

The point of metacognitive practices is to help students understand their strengths and weaknesses as learners, writers, readers, test-takers, group members, and leaders. There are different ways of thinking. It is what makes a Physics major different from a Biology major, or an English major. We train ourselves to think and apply knowledge in different ways.

Understanding your learning style

Visual Learner:

Write down lists and facts

Visualize new words

Use diagrams or charts

Read regularly

Auditory Learner:

Tape or record notes

Subvocalize when studying

Participate in discussions

Say new words out loud

Sing/talk to self when studying

Kinesthetic Learner:

Make models

Do lab work

Take frequent breaks

Jog or walk when memorizing

Stand up when reading

While it is important to know your main style of studying, research has shown that it is beneficial

to develop a toolbox of skills and techniques that can help you learn better. So combine walking and reading aloud to yourself, get a study group together to discuss if you’re used to working alone, or search YouTube for songs about the subject you’re struggling in.

If you take notes in class, you can improve your metacognition in class by using the Cornell style. This style of notes encourages you to think about how to separate information and find key details to tie ideas together.

The left side of the page is used for casual thoughts, ideas, ‘aha’ moments, and questions. This helps you understand your level of thinking about the topic without interrupting the notes. Some of the questions should be like “How does this tie into yesterday’s lesson?”, “Is this new information or repeated from last class?”, “Is this similar to anything I knew before?”.

The right side is all about information given to be studied later. Then at the bottom of the page, some space is left over at the end of the lecture for you to summarize and write down what you have learned. This is a key strategy for moving knowledge into the long-term memory part of your brain.

Another method of building metacognitive practice is to ask yourself questions before, during, and after the lesson, driving curiosity and finding what you do and do not understand of the material.

For some extra boost for helping understand the best study practices for your major, check these links below!

Learning like a biology student: Promoting Student Metacognition | CBE—Life Sciences Education

Learning like a computer science student: Metacognition and Computer Science

Learning like a foreign language student: 12 metacognition-modelling strategies for the foreign language classroom

Learning like a physics student: Students' Metacognitive Awareness and Physics Learning Efficiency and Correlation between them

Learning like a writing student: Teaching Metacognition to Improve Writing By Sara Islas My study to improve my students' writing through met

Life After College: The Career Horizon (Part 1)

Gif Source

Can you believe it’s already November? Votes are still being counted for the elections, which certainly makes me feel anxious. Uncertainty breeds fear, and as college students we already have so many things to worry about. Still, I'm a believer that if we have control over anything, it's how we choose to react to stressful situations. Despite the many events outside of our control, or even awareness, there is always something within our direct control. One example of this belief, is that we can still plan for our lives after college.

More graduating seniors in 2020 than ever before are attending graduate school. Graduate schools allows students to specialize in specific fields, and have more competitive resumes, but I don’t believe this type of commitment is a good idea for everyone1. Graduate school costs a lot of money and on top of those costs, the student loans from undergraduate school may need to be paid back as well. (Sure, you can defer those loans, but will the overall costs of undergraduate and graduate loans be worth it in the end?) It’s important that we consider many different possibilities and act accordingly. In my opinion, let’s do what we can to improve our odds2!

While I love the prospect of attending graduate school, it would be bad if I neglected the entire career world. Yes, we are in the middle of a pandemic and we don’t know what the future holds, but we can’t let that stop us from taking action to improve the near future! I’ve been searching for resources, facts, and figures to show you, to give you some hope, and help motivate you to continue persisting this fall. However, finding specific information to answer my MANY career questions was not as easy as expected.

Side note: this is why I love C3. They answer questions search engines cannot.

For example, what is the likelihood that I will be hired for a job within the first three months of graduating college? How has the pandemic affected employer hiring practices? How is our job hunt different from Coe alumni? It turns out that data like this takes time to gather, which is why I couldn’t find basic answers to my basic answers (yes, I am salty). For your sake, I persisted and managed to find some answers.

Coe Stats

For starters, let’s compare the outcomes of Coe graduates to the national average. A majority of students who graduate from Coe do go straight into the workforce, afterall3. Coe’s graduation rate is 66% compared to the national average of only 49%4.This means that almost half of those who attend college will graduate, while almost two-thirds of students graduate from Coe. 61% of Coe students graduate within four years, on the other hand, 62% of students complete their degrees within six years 5.

What the Job Market Really Looks Like

I know some of you may be wondering why I specified “three months” in my question earlier in this post. The answer is that I already know it’s unlikely that I’d land my dream job right after graduation (especially in the spring of 2021). Why? Because it takes the average college graduate three to six months to secure employment after graduation6. Does three months seem like a long time? Perhaps consider the fact that 53% of college graduates were unemployed or employed, but working in a job that didn’t require a bachelor's degree, last spring. The jobs immediately available may not be those three-figure careers you’ve been dreaming of.

I was able to find a source detailing employment stats about college graduates, but it’s sample population were 25 to 34 years olds (not gen Z). This population was on average 87% employed (91% men, 83% women) after obtaining a bachelor’s degree7. There is one website that focuses on people in our age group, meaning the data is actually relevant for college students: Brookings.edu’s meet the millions of young adults who are out of work8.

In 2019, 6% of the total out-of-work young adults were recent college graduates (22 to 24 years old). 47% percent of the people in the total people in this group were employed, with 58% of the total people in this group continuing to look for work. 66% of our fellow young adults (college grads) lived with their parents, living the middle class lifestyle, while approximately, 25% lived below the poverty line. Yikes!

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Living below the poverty line sounds scary, but there could be a variety of reasons for this. For example, entry-level positions tend to pay less in general. There’s also the fact that many people are underpaid for their work, but that’s another conversation. So what if a college degree isn’t your golden ticket to your dream salary (immediately after graduation)? The benefits still outweigh the cons (in my opinion). Don’t believe me? Stay tuned Part 2!

Sources

(https://www.montclair.edu/newscenter/2020/09/18/graduate-enrollment-sees-unprecedented-growth/ )

(https://www.franklin.edu/blog/how-much-does-a-masters-degree-cost)

(https://www.niche.com/colleges/coe-college/after-college/)

(https://www.collegesimply.com/colleges/iowa/coe-college/outcomes/)

(https://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/indicator_ctr.asp)

(https://www.washington.edu/doit/what-can-students-do-improve-their-chances-finding-employment-after-college)

(https://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=561)

(https://www.brookings.edu/research/young-adults-who-are-out-of-work/)

Spooky Season: Be Advised!

by Arabella Chamberlain

Beware, advising season is upon us!

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Sounds a little scary, right? It's not just me? You're not alone if you feel that way. You might be thinking, "I've barely made it through this semester and you want me to pick harder classes and take more labs next semester?" It can be daunting.

Some of us may have already met with our advisors, but for those of you that haven't - look out! Spring registration is fast approaching. Registering for classes can be pretty spooky,
but we're here to debunk some myths and get you ready for advising, registration, and anything in between.

MYTH 1: I'll just sign up for whatever classes I want when registration opens. Hate to break it to you, but in order to register for any classes, you'll need the approval of your advisor, but many of them are already in full advising mood and happy to schedule a time to sort out your schedule.
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MYTH 2: I have no say over my schedule and I'm going to be stuck in a bunch of gen-eds I don't want. NOT TRUE. Very few majors have strict plans for what classes and gen-eds to take when. Take a peek at the Academic Catalog for ideas on what to take this spring that might be exciting! Or look for a partial credit class like dance or choir that will broaden your horizons!
MYTH 3: My advisor will do all the work for me so I'll just take whatever they tell me. Also, NOT TRUE. On the flip side of our second myth, don't be so passive about your own education! What excites you? What drew you to your major? Come to your advising meeting with a list of ideas of what classes you want to take. This will not only speed up your advising but also be much more fun!

Registration for Spring 2021 opens the week of Nov 2nd. Hop on my.coe.edu for more information about when you'll be eligible to register. Don't hesitate to reach out to your advisor, the Registrar's Office, or the Learning Commons with any questions or concerns about advising and registration.

I know that advising season might have you a little frightened, but the only spooky thing this season is not staying masked up and socially distanced! Have a safe (and a little spooky) weekend and happy registration!

Making It Through Midterms: Academic Support

by Arabella Chamberlain

Midterms are fast-approaching, and this semester has already been pretty crazy. That said, fear not - the Coe College Learning Commons is jam-packed with resources!

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Though midterms can be a bit daunting, going in with a plan can always help. Take some time before the crazy rush of midterms to schedule what exams you'll study for when, so you won't be overwhelmed. Take it slow and work in chunks on the material from the classes, changing it up every once in a while to stay engaged. Ultimately, you're going to get through this, just take a deep breath and go get 'em!

If you are looking for some extra help, it's never too early to ask! Below is a list (not at all comprehensive) of resources available from the Learning Commons:

Requesting a Tutor: Click here!

Tutoring is a great way to get one-on-one help with assignments, learn new study strategies, and prep for exams.
If you need a tutor for specifically for Cellular and Molecular Biology (Cell & Molec, BIO-145), please use this form to request support, click here!

Requesting a SpeakOut Consultant: Click here!

SpeakOut Consultants are great for helping with that nerve-wracking presentation coming up!

Already have a Tutor or SpeakOut Consultant? Click here for the tutor scheduling system.
Peer to Peer Academic Support: https://discord.gg/QU3FbxE

This Discord server is available for students to ask questions for common courses and topics. Students who have taken those classes host office hours to answer questions.

Supplemental Instruction: https://discord.gg/G4WACfQ

For courses with SI Sessions, this Discord server offers additional support to courses with SI Sessions. SI Leaders will host office hours to answer questions, as well as providing updates about their sessions occasionally.

Biology help: https://discord.gg/aDPsFNJ

This Discord server is a Biology-specific space to ask additional questions from Biology classes.

Schedule an appointment in the Writing center: https://coe.mywconline.com/

The Writing Center is a wonderful resource from first draft to final edits. Meet with a Writing Consultant to help with anything from brainstorming to proofing!
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Need other supports and don't know where to start? Check out the Request for Academic Support form, available here.

Know that the Coe College Learning Commons is here for you whenever you need us! Don't hesitate to reach out to us! Good luck with Midterms!

Midterms for Seniors: Preparing for Grad School

Photo by Julia M Cameron from Pexels

Midterms are finally here! For most students this means exams, late nights, and tons of coffee, while for others this is a wake-up-call. Who is this wake-up-call for? Seniors. What is this wake-up-call? The fact that the first semester of our senior year is halfway over.

Senior year is amazing. I mean, soon we’ll be out of here! The Coe bubble will pop, if it hasn’t already, and we’ll go out into the adult world: post-grad life. Yes, midterms are definitely a stressful time for all the same reasons it’s stressful for everyone else, except on top of the assignments, papers, and group projects we have to prepare for the future.

What are you planning to do after college?

is one of the most common questions we are asked,

but it’s a good question.

Are you going to grad school?
Are you going straight into the workforce?
Planning on starting a family?
Taking a gap year?
Have no clue yet?

Graduate School Preparation

Depending on your answer, you may have a lot of work to do this fall. Most graduate programs require you to apply in December or January, and while other programs may accept students in the spring, there’s no telling how many spots will be open. Seats are often limited, and we are still in a pandemic, so it’s important to research accurate information to better your chances of being accepted into a program.

If you weren’t aware: the type of degree you’ll may pursue graduate school, will depend on the career or field you’re interested in. Many jobs in the field of psychology require at least a Master's degree (M.A.). For example, I am interested in school and educational psychology, and I will need at least an education specialist degree (Ed.S.) to practice in schools. I’m also interested in social work which often requires at least a Master’s in social work.

You’ll most likely be asked to answer an essay question, or two, and provide recommendations for each program. To gather more specific information, you may want to contact graduate school professors, as well.

All of this preparation takes time, and, since we are in the middle of a pandemic, preparation is even more important. One requirement you need to check for your degree programs is whether you need to take the GRE. The GRE is the Graduate Record Exam, accepted and often required by most graduate programs. For more information on the sections of the GRE, check out Kaplan.

How to know whether you need to take the GRE:

Research your programs of interest and what their application requirements are
Determine whether you need to take the GRE at all
Determine which GRE you need to take (general? psychology? mathematics?)

How to sign up for the GRE:

Create an account with ETS, so that you have access to testing locations and dates - Test Taker Account
Verify your account - make sure all of your information is accurate
Check which tests are available for your location (in-person, online)
Select the date and time for your meeting

Now, my goal with this post wasn’t to make you more anxious than you already were, but to keep the near future on your mind, and how our new normal plays into it. It’s possible that this term, you’ve learned that online classes are not for you, which means online graduate school may not be for you. However, because of the pandemic, many programs are online to protect their students, faculty, and staff, so please consider this. Make sure to research whether your programs of interest plan to remain in-person.

There are many options for students outside of going straight to graduate school. Stay tuned for my next post where I’ll be focusing on senior planning to enter the workforce.