Posted by
Jess Lyon on Tue, Feb 21, 2012 @ 03:25 PM
In addition to some college terms you may not be familiar with, the lingo also includes a slew of acronyms. Here are a few popular ones you should know:
CLEP: College Level Examination Program; a series of tests that offers college credit for previous learning experience.
FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid; a federal form required as the application from all students who wish to apply for need-based financial aid, including grants, loans and work-study awards.
GED: General Education Development Diploma; high school equivalency diploma through the completion of a test that covers writing skills, math, social studies, science, literature and the arts.
GPA: Grade point average; the average of your class grades, generally based on a 4.0 scale.
PLA: Prior Learning Assessment; an opportunity to receive college credit for experiences such as professional responsibilities, civic and volunteer experiences, military and corporate training, and independent study.
Be sure to check out our post on the Back to College Glossary here.
Posted by
Jess Lyon on Thu, Feb 09, 2012 @ 01:37 PM
Going back to college in CT? Confused by all the education jargon? See below for a short list of most commonly used college terms.
Accreditation: The goal of accreditation is to ensure that education provided by institutions of higher education meets acceptable levels of quality. Accrediting agencies, which are private educational associations of regional or national scope, develop evaluation criteria and conduct peer evaluations to assess whether or not those criteria are met. Institutions and/or programs that request an agency's evaluation and that meet an agency's criteria are then "accredited" by that agency.
Accuplacer: A mandatory assessment for those without any college credit that evaluates math, English and reading skills and used by academic advisors to determine course selection.
Add and Drop: The process of changing a course schedule by dropping or adding a course during the prescribed time at the beginning of each semester.
Adviser: Faculty or staff member who can provide information and assistance on academic schedules and concerns.
Associates: An undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, usually requiring two years of full-time study. An associates is typically awarded by community colleges; it may be a career or technical degree, or it may be a transfer degree, allowing students to transfer those credits to a four-year bachelor’s degree-granting school.
Bachelors: An undergraduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of a program of study, typically requiring at least four years (or the equivalent) of full-time study. Common degree types include Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.), which refers to the liberal arts, and Bachelor of Science (B.S.).
Course: A regularly scheduled class on a particular subject. Each college or university offers degree programs that consist of a specific number of required and elective courses.
Credits: Units that a school uses to indicate that a student has completed and passed courses that are required for a degree. Each school defines the total number and types of credits necessary for degree completion, with every course being assigned a value in terms of "credits," "credit hours," or "units."
Curriculum: A program of study made up of a set of courses offered by a school.
Electives: Courses that students can choose to take for credit toward a degree, but are not required.
Grants: Financial assistance that does not require repayment.
Incomplete: The grade assigned only if a student is temporarily unable to complete course requirements because of unusual circumstances.
Loans: Financial assistance that must be repaid.
Masters: A graduate degree awarded by a college or university upon successful completion of an advanced program of study, typically requiring one or two years of full-time study beyond the bachelor’s degree. Common degree types include Master of Arts (M.A.), which refers to the liberal arts; Master of Science (M.S.); and Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.).
Prerequisite: A course that must be taken prior to enrollment in another course.
Scholarships: Financial assistance based on merit; do not require repayment.
Syllabus: The outline or guide that a professor gives a student on the first day of class so the student knows exactly what is required in the class and what it takes to achieve a specific grade.
Transcript: This is the official document containing the record of a student’s academic performance and testing history. The transcript must be issued by the school at which a student is or has been officially enrolled and should be certified by the signature of an authorized school administrator. The school’s official seal or watermarked school stationery may also be used to authenticate the transcript.
Transfer Credit: Academic credit earned at another accredited institution and accepted toward a degree.
Withdrawal: When a student decides to permanently leave a course.
Work-study program: A federal financial aid program that allows students to work on campus.
Do you have any more terms to add?
Posted by
Jess Lyon on Tue, Feb 07, 2012 @ 05:06 PM
The Prior Learning Assessment (PLA) is a process that institutions use to evaluate and offer credit for prior learning outside the classroom in a variety of ways including professional responsibilities, civic and volunteer experiences, military and corporate training, and independent study.
The PLA is an incredible opportunity for many to apply their learning experiences toward a college degree and career advancement.
There are a variety of methods in assessing prior learning which include:
*Standardized exams offered by the College Board, Excelsior College Examination Program or DANTES Subject Standardized Tests Program
*American Council on Education (ACE) guides to credit recommendations for civilian and military training programs
*Evaluations of local training programs by local colleges, campus challenge exams
*Portfolio assessment of experiential learning
This PLA has the potential to save you, the student, tons of time, money and gets you back on the track to becoming a college graduate. A study by The Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) found that students who were awarded academic credit for prior learning were more than twice as likely to graduate and to persist if they did not graduate when compared to their peers who received no credit.
More than half of all colleges offer prior learning so get started today!
Posted by
Jess Lyon on Wed, Feb 01, 2012 @ 03:19 PM
The team at Graduate!CT knows that balancing life and school work can be difficult which can directly affect grades. It is important to be proactive and sometimes that means asking for help. There are many ways to reach out – you can ask a friend, family member, or check out to see if your school offers any free tutoring assistance.
However, we know that you might have obligations at home and/or work and receiving help online may be the most realistic and effective solution. www.eTutoring.org is an online tutoring service provided by the Connecticut Distance Learning Consortium (CTDLC). This platform allows tutors to work with students in a variety of ways – all from the comfort of your own home.
There are four distinct features about the CTDLC’s eTutoring service. eQuestions hosts online questions submission while eWriting is an writing lab that allows for interaction among students and tutors. eChat is a live communication terminal which offers a live chat tool, whiteboard, the ability to share files and application in addition to audio and video tools. Finally, there is a component that provides additional resources for students and includes a collection of tips, techniques and helpful links.
Posted by
Jess Lyon on Mon, Jan 16, 2012 @ 10:15 AM
Textbooks can be pretty costly. Fortunately, there are several ways to save money by renting or buying used…and selling back!
Renting
There are many websites dedicated to providing students with book renting options. Simply type in the author, title or the ISBN number (to ensure you get the correct edition), find your book and rent! On average you can save $500 dollars a year by renting rather than buying.
Take some time to compare each of these sites. It is important to review what fees you may accrue by say, a late return or damaged book (coffee stains from a late night studying session?).
- Chegg.com
- Ecampus.com
- campusbookrentals.com
- textbookrentals.com
Buying used
Buying used books from online vendors is typically the most cost-effective way of getting the material you need at the most reasonable price, saving up to 20% - 60%.
Even better, many of these sites buy books back. So, make sure to keep your books in good condition throughout the semester which increases your chances of getting a substantial portion of your money back.
- Half.ebay.com
- abebooks.com
- bigwords.com
- amazon.com
If you plan on taking one of these two routes the advisors at Graduate!CT, recommend getting a jump start because processing orders and shipping may take longer than expected. As soon as you receive your required reading, check out these sites.
Posted by
Jess Lyon on Mon, Jan 09, 2012 @ 10:10 AM
We make it our job at Graduate!CT to get students prepared for school. It is important to make yourself aware of several academic deadlines that, if not followed, can lead to poor grades or incompletes and have the potential to affect financial aid.
Graduate!CT recommends reviewing the academic calendar for a comprehensive list of deadlines associated with courses which include:
Registration determines which courses you will take during the semester. Determine the course(s) you want to take before registration begins in order to streamline the process since many classes fill up quickly. Also, make sure to have alternative course options written down, just in case. It is important to take into consideration when and how many times a week the course meets which will allow you to manage your out-of-school obligations and responsibilities more effectively as well.
The add/drop period reflects the time that you may add or drop courses without any academic repercussions or financial penalties. This phase changes from year to year and school to school so be sure to check your college calendar.
Taking a W (withdraw) occurs when you have dropped a class after the add/drop grace period has closed. This letter is not reflected in your GPA, however, more than one or two W’s on your transcript is reason for academic concern (and a waste of money). Graduate!CT recommends reading an in-depth summary of each class and reviewing its syllabus before starting a class that may represent a challenge in some way.
Our advisors at Graduate!CT can help you navigate your school’s calendar and discuss in detail these important academic dates.
Posted by
Jess Lyon on Mon, Jan 02, 2012 @ 02:09 PM
Graduate!CT knows that financial aid is critical for many in order to go back to school and the first step is to apply for or renew your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Every college in the US requires applicants to file the FAFSA in order to receive federal loan assistance.
DID YOU KNOW…
According to collegescholarships.org,
- Nearly 8 million students fail to file a FAFSA every year.
- According to most estimates a generous portion of those would easily qualify for some sort of federal aid.
- Nearly a million of those students alone would qualify for Pell Grants - that’s outright gift money!
For maximum financial assistance, it is imperative to submit your FAFSA as early as possible because the aid is provided on a first come, first serve basis. The US Department of Education begins accepting applications January 1 of each year for the upcoming academic year. The deadline for Connecticut for the 2012-2013 school year is February 15, 2012. For those who have already submitted a FAFSA, make sure you submit a renewal FAFSA every year. Any information that has changed must be updated.
Use this checklist from the US Department of Education to see if you are eligible to apply for financial aid:
_ be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen,
_ have a valid Social Security number,
_ register (if you haven't already) with the Selective Service, if you're a male between the ages of 18 and 25,
_ maintain satisfactory academic progress in college or career school, and
_ show you're qualified to obtain a postsecondary education by
- having a high school diploma or General Educational Development (GED) certificate;
- passing an approved ability-to-benefit test (if you don't have a diploma or GED certificate, a school can administer a test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school);
- completing six credit hours or equivalent course work toward a degree or certificate;
- meeting other federally approved standards your state establishes; or
- completing a high school education in a homeschool setting approved under state law.
Graduate!CT provides free one-on-one advising to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is the first step toward any financial assistance.
