College Zone Archives
What if College Isn’t Working for You?
The only personality types that find that college isn’t working for them are the Artisans. Right? Absolutely wrong. People are often surprised to find that “intellectual” Rationals drop out along with every other personality type. What can push people to drop out of college? Finances; pressure from relationships including family, friends, and significant others; having no vision or idea of how college can benefit; and not enjoying the …
What Can I Do with a Non-Technical Degree?
Students from all majors seek out their college career center to ask, “What can I do with a major in…? “ This is usually not a problem for student studying engineering, architecture, or accounting. But where do students in social science and liberal arts find careers? Surprising to some, it often does not matter to most employers what your major was. They look for skills that set you apart from other candidates. Today’s work environme…
The Increase in Double Majors
To ensure staying employed in a world that has become ever more complex, more students are taking double or even triple majors. There has been an 85% rise in the number of bachelor’s degrees with double majors over the last decade. Some colleges report as many as 10% of students with double majors. Some colleges will allow only majors and minors, and they, too, show an increase of students declaring minors. No one is yet sure if this investment in broadening on…
Is Grad School for You?
Near the end of your junior year and the beginning of your senior year is the perfect time to investigate grad schools. Your local book store should have a number of books that give you basic information about grad schools so you can find what programs are available, where they are located, and their cost. There are also helpful books which pinpoint specific types of schools, such as getting into law school or clinical psychology. The more competitive a field and the…
The Trap of Perfectionism and Over-Achievement
It is great to do well, but if expectations get too high it can cause high stress and health problems. Not living up to one’s own expectations can result in depression or giving up. Excess pressure from parents to perform to their expectations can cause mental anguish. Any type can fall into the trap of perfectionism and over-achievement, but some types are more likely to do so than others. The Guardians – The most likely to be a natura…
Failing Classes – Inability? Circumstances? Laziness?
Failing a class is never fun and it certainly damages one’s grade point average. It’s also hard on the ego. It’s important to assess why you failed the class, then take steps to avoid a repeat of the problem. Here are some reasons that students have failed classes with suggestions for improving the situation. Class was too hard : If the class is required, the student can arrange for tutoring when they retake the class. If the…
Handling Helicopter Parents – Those Who Hover
Many commuter students and even some who live on campus find that their parents are not willing to let them grow up. Some parents even show up on campus when their students are meeting with an academic advisor. The student is not allowed to talk and the parents make all the decisions. This behavior is more likely to happen with female students, but even some male students are afflicted with these over-controlling parents. This behavior can come from many potential sources.…
Balancing Work and School
It’s getting close to the end of the school year. Were you one of the many who both worked and went to college? Did you take on too big a load? Do you still have time to have some fun? Today many colleges are encouraging students to have work experience before they graduate. Some students must work in order to pay their college expenses. Therefore, more students are in the workforce while attending college. Learning to balance the t…
Capitalizing on the Style of Intelligence Series
When the career makes use of the type of intelligence of each personality style, everyone benefits. The individual likes the job better and the company benefits from having an employee who is good at their job. Guardians have a natural intelligence in logistics – making sure the right thing is in the right place at the right time. However, natural ability benefits from being exposed to tried-and-true training in logistics skills demonstrated in various majors. …
Studying for Midterms Series
Right in the midst of midterm season, the College Advisor offers helpful temperament-based pointers for maximizing your pre-midterm study sessions. Over the years, the College Advisor has found that making simple improvements to your study habits can yield big results when it comes to the marks you receive – especially in the courses that seem the hardest.
When Your Major Doesn’t Fit You
Timing is a key element if you are concerned that the major you chose does not fit you. If you are a freshman, you probably need to take various courses to see which ones you like the best. Be sure to try out various possibilities. Also check the career center for testing which can look at likes, dislikes, and important values. If you are a sophomore, evaluate which classes you liked and which you didn’t. See a college advisor to discu…
Making the Grade with Your Professor Series
Establishing a positive relationship with your college professors can be one of the biggest contributors to success in your college career. From gaining a better understanding of the course material, to developing mentors that give sage advice and write graduate school recommendation letters, there is no down side to figuring out how to better communicate with these key people in your student life. Although it may often seem not to be the case, your professors are people &…
Maximize Your Study Environment Series
Maximize Your Study Environment No, this series of 4 articles isn’t going to give you a magic trick so you will only need to study 5 minutes a day. What it will do, is give you some pointers to help your study time be more effective – so the end result may be a reduction in the amount of time you actually have to spend with your books to master your course. Our research has shown that each temperament needs to tailor their study environment to suit the way they learn and re…
College Holidays
You’ve been off to college. You’ve completed your first term. It’s time to go home for the holidays. Time to see old friends, party ‘til dawn, and go with the flow as you grab every opportunity to make the most of the break until you have to go back to college. You have changed a lot. Your parents haven’t. They are still pretty much the same parents you had when you left for school. But you are not the same son or daughter they had. This creates a lot of t…
Getting Along with Your Roommate Series
Roommates – aarrgghh! The topic of cocktail conversations for years to come, is also the biggest lesson anyone can learn about temperament and how one can deal with others who are fundamentally different. There are thousands of students on a college campus – you're thinking 'why did I have to end up with the weirdest one?
Introducing Your College Advisor
Hey there – I'll be your college expert on temperament... What’s that mean, you probably ask? I'll be talking to you about all kinds of things you'll experience in college that have to do with finding out more about who you are and what makes you tick. For many who've just left home for the first time, the challenge of figuring out what to do with all that unstructured time can be either exhilarating or overwhelming. For example, those who are list-makers…
