What Are You Planning To Do To Create Your Own Sputnik Moment?

Riding on the heels of President Obama’s speech to our country last night, the Career Services Center wants to encourage YOU to aim high and set a competitive tone for your career goals. Regardless if any of us approve or disapprove with the President’s words, we all should not settle for mediocrity; instead, we should set personal goals for ourselves that will not only improve our own lives, but also improve the livelihood of those around us.


Our country was not founded on the belief the world would come to us if we just sat and waited. Instead, our founding fathers and millions of people after them have strived to set out to create their own destiny. They have worked endlessly at accomplishing their goals through the basic values of hard work and determination.

If you are one of the few who start college with a predetermined career goal, it is up to you to research the field of study you are in, track trends within the field, and explore your options. If you do not know what career you wish to choose, it is your responsibility to do the research of the ever-growing list of careers available.

The Career Services Center is established to help you locate the resources needed to allow you to plan, explore, prepare, and succeed. Click HERE to visit our website with helpful tips on the four topics. Stop by the Center for any questions or career needs.

We hope you will make this semester a successful one and look forward to seeing great things from all of you in the future.

Students! Start Your Engines!

The Shelton State Career Services Center hopes you had a restful and happy holiday! We also hope you are ready to begin your classes this semester with a rested mind and fresh outlook on your studies.

We would like to encourage you to view our "Planning Your Career Path"  in order to make sure you are going in the right direction. 
Click HERE to view the "Planning Your Career Path" form.


The following article was found at About.com and offers three helpful tips to make sure you start the semester right.

How To Start The Semester Right
By Tara Kuther, Ph.D., About.com Guide

The most effective way to ensure success in classes -- learning and getting good grades -- is to prepare early and often. Most students recognize the value of preparation in ensuring excellent class performance. Prepare for each class, each test, each assignment. Preparation, however, begins before the first reading assignment and first class. Prepare for the semester and you'll be off to a great start. So, how do you start the semester right? Get into the proper mindset by following these three tips.

Plan to work.

Colleges - and faculty - expect you to put in a significant amount of time over the course of the semester. At the undergraduate level, a 3 credit course generally meets for 45 hours during the semester. In most cases you are expected to put in 1 to 3 hours for every hour of class time. So, for a class that meets 2.5 hours a week, that means you should plan to spend 2.5 to 7.5 hours outside of class preparing for class and studying the material each week. You likely won't spend the maximum time on every class every week - it's a big time commitment! But recognize that some classes will require relatively little prep and others may require additional hours of work. In addition, the amount of time you spend on each class will vary over the semester.

Get a head start.

This one is simple: Begin early. Read ahead. Try to stay one reading assignment ahead of class. First, this permits you to see the big picture. Readings tend to build on each other and sometimes you may not realize that you don't understand a particular concept until you encounter a more advanced concept. Second, reading ahead gives you wiggle room. Life sometimes gets in the way and we fall behind in reading. Reading ahead permits you to miss a day and still be prepared for class. Likewise, start papers early. Papers nearly always take longer to write than we anticipate, whether it's because we can't find sources, have a hard time understanding them, or suffer from writer's block. Start early so that you won't feel pressed for time.

Mentally Prepare.

Get your head in the right place. The first day and week of classes can be overwhelming with new lists of reading assignments, papers, exams, and presentations. Take the time to map out your semester. Write down all classes, due dates, exam dates. Think about how you will organize your time to prepare and get it all done. Plan time off and time for fun. Think about how you will maintain motivation over the semester - how will you reward your successes? By mentally preparing for the semester ahead you put yourself in the position to excel.





References:  http://gradschool.about.com/od/survivinggraduateschool/a/startsemester.htm