Getting In
Demystifying what it takes to get into higher education offering information on majors, schools, financial aid, admissions and more, served up by columnists that have been there, done that, and survived it all
The Basics On Studying Abroad
Okay. I'm going off to Stephen F. Austin in the fall. That's all fine and dandy. I was wondering if you could give me any information on study abroad. I want to know when you think it's best to travel abroad, what to take while you are in this new place, whether to stay with a host family, or stay on campus, etc.
I'm going to be a nursing major and so I want to study abroad in Europe (mainly Ireland and Germany) to learn about their health systems and how they differ from the US.
I'm going to be a nursing major and so I want to study abroad in Europe (mainly Ireland and Germany) to learn about their health systems and how they differ from the US.
Finding The Right Abroad Opportunity
What is a good online resource for searching for schools abroad?
Janet's comment: If you are already in school in the United States and are only looking for a short program abroad looking up the department at your university or college that handles studying abroad is probably the most reliable resource. In most cases the information and links they have are proven to be legitimate so you don't need to be as wary about scams or programs that are sketchy.
Finding an online source for all schools abroad is a lofty task. Because post-secondary systems and requirements vary from country to country compiling a completely accurate database would be no small task. Foreign schools that have either established programs that mimic the American college curriculum or have taken the time to translate their terms into those that American students are familiar with can frequently be found on websites such as Princeton Review and the College Board. These websites may not have the most comprehensive listings of foreign schools by a long shot, but you can be assured that those listed have gone through some effort to prove there are at least on par with an American institution.
Alternatively, if you have an idea of which country or countries you'd like to study in you can often find pages that list the institutions in that country along with data on each of them. Students native to those countries need to get data to select colleges and universities too, so there is information like that available online. How available it is may vary from country to country.
All of this said, in many ways Google is going to be your most comprehensive tool for doing research on schools abroad online.
All About Business Administration
Business administration is one of the most popular majors right now. Depending on who you ask it is seen as the major of future millionaires and business powerhouses or as the major of those who can't figure out what they want to do with their life but want to make their family proud. But really, what business administration is depends on each one of the students taking it. It is a major with almost limitless possibilties in that there are a large number of sub-areas that students can focus in (for example: marketing, management, internal business, business economics, agribusines, and etc.) and it makes a great double major with virtually any other major out there.
Before College
Few business administration programs at the undergraduate level have any special requirements for students entering as first-years, however some courses come highly recommended.
It is also worth it to look into extracurricular programs at your high school or in your community beforehand, programs such as Junior Achievement and even being a leader in Boy or Girl Scouts can really get you exposed early to things you will be learning about in college.
When Choosing A School And Program...
You want to have options. When choosing a school look for internship opportunities, multiple concentrations, successful graduates (this information is typically kept by the academic advising department), extra curricular organizations that relate to business, leadership or other business-related institute or center of excellence, opportunities to be exposed to and network with the local business community, and more than two or three faculty members. Some schools to consider include:
I'm In College... What Should I Expect?
Business administration majors are faced with an abundance of group work. If you find group work enjoyable, you'll probably love this field. Business administration is a very hands-on program at most schools, expect to be reviewing case studies and business plans, making presentations, and even possibly writing your own business plans by the time you graduate.
Academic Requirements
Most schools require students to take classes in accounting, statistics, college algebra (if it is not waived based on high school algebra or pre-calculus courses), economics, management, philosophy or psychology, and writing. If you plan to go to graduate school afterwards it is also often strongly recommended that students take calculus. One thing that is highly recommended for business administration majors is a specialization. Business administration without a specialization gives you a very broad but not very deep knowledge of any one part of the discipline, whereas a specialization gives you both a broad knowledge of the whole, but also narrow knowledge in one area. When choosing a specialization don't just limit yourself to specializations offered officially through the business department, consider going outside of the department and picking up a minor or double major in another field. Business administration lends extremely well to a huge number of majors (including nursing, any lab science, psychology, and etc).
Wow... Those Four Years Sure Did Fly By...
When you graduate you should have done at least on pertinent internship, be able to read and understand a business plan or other business documentation, communicate effectively with a broad range of people, speak comfortably in public (or at least make it look like you're comfortable), possess a number of problem-solving strategies, and have the ability to network if you haven't already begun to develop a network.
What Now?
After graduation with your bachelor's degree there are a the two big options: go in for more school or enter the workforce. People with undergraduate degrees in business are often qualified to pursue graduate or professional studies in almost any field, provided they took the pre-requisites as an undergraduate. Business majors find themselves in business school, law school, medical school, as well as in graduate programs studying engineering, psychology, biological sciences, nursing, and more! Or if you want to jump right into the workplace, recent graduates of undergradate business programs work as investment bankers, loan officers, entrepreneurs, operations managers, accountants, marketers, auditing, production managers, research assistants, among other professions.
This Is Sort Of What I Like... But Not Quite...
Business administration isn't for everybody, even those that might have thought it was for them, and that's okay. Other majors that are somewhat similar to business administration include economics, marketing, international trade, finance, management, accounting, actuarial science, and political science.
Before College
Few business administration programs at the undergraduate level have any special requirements for students entering as first-years, however some courses come highly recommended.
- AP Statistics can often waive a statistics requirement for this major in college or at least permit you take a more advanced level of statistics to apply to your major in college, virtually every school out there requires that all business majors take at least introductory statistics
- A foreign language is extremely useful if you plan to pursue international business or a speciality within business administration that often involves dealing internationally or with multicultural groups. Basic familiarity with a foriegn language can be incredibly useful in marketing, agribusiness, and etc.
- Economics (AP or otherwise) at the introductory level is always required in a business administration program but these courses tend not to be easy, getting familiar with basic concepts in economics before you get to college can do wonders for your GPA and your confidence in your major
It is also worth it to look into extracurricular programs at your high school or in your community beforehand, programs such as Junior Achievement and even being a leader in Boy or Girl Scouts can really get you exposed early to things you will be learning about in college.
When Choosing A School And Program...
You want to have options. When choosing a school look for internship opportunities, multiple concentrations, successful graduates (this information is typically kept by the academic advising department), extra curricular organizations that relate to business, leadership or other business-related institute or center of excellence, opportunities to be exposed to and network with the local business community, and more than two or three faculty members. Some schools to consider include:
- Emory University: Goizueta Business School - Atlanta, GA
- University of Pennsylvania: Wharton School of Business - Philadelphia, PA
- New York University: Stern School of Business - New York City, NY
- University of Miami School of Business - Miami, FL
- University of Michigan: Ross School of Business - Ann Arbor, MI
I'm In College... What Should I Expect?
Business administration majors are faced with an abundance of group work. If you find group work enjoyable, you'll probably love this field. Business administration is a very hands-on program at most schools, expect to be reviewing case studies and business plans, making presentations, and even possibly writing your own business plans by the time you graduate.
Academic Requirements
Most schools require students to take classes in accounting, statistics, college algebra (if it is not waived based on high school algebra or pre-calculus courses), economics, management, philosophy or psychology, and writing. If you plan to go to graduate school afterwards it is also often strongly recommended that students take calculus. One thing that is highly recommended for business administration majors is a specialization. Business administration without a specialization gives you a very broad but not very deep knowledge of any one part of the discipline, whereas a specialization gives you both a broad knowledge of the whole, but also narrow knowledge in one area. When choosing a specialization don't just limit yourself to specializations offered officially through the business department, consider going outside of the department and picking up a minor or double major in another field. Business administration lends extremely well to a huge number of majors (including nursing, any lab science, psychology, and etc).
Wow... Those Four Years Sure Did Fly By...
When you graduate you should have done at least on pertinent internship, be able to read and understand a business plan or other business documentation, communicate effectively with a broad range of people, speak comfortably in public (or at least make it look like you're comfortable), possess a number of problem-solving strategies, and have the ability to network if you haven't already begun to develop a network.
What Now?
After graduation with your bachelor's degree there are a the two big options: go in for more school or enter the workforce. People with undergraduate degrees in business are often qualified to pursue graduate or professional studies in almost any field, provided they took the pre-requisites as an undergraduate. Business majors find themselves in business school, law school, medical school, as well as in graduate programs studying engineering, psychology, biological sciences, nursing, and more! Or if you want to jump right into the workplace, recent graduates of undergradate business programs work as investment bankers, loan officers, entrepreneurs, operations managers, accountants, marketers, auditing, production managers, research assistants, among other professions.
This Is Sort Of What I Like... But Not Quite...
Business administration isn't for everybody, even those that might have thought it was for them, and that's okay. Other majors that are somewhat similar to business administration include economics, marketing, international trade, finance, management, accounting, actuarial science, and political science.
Coming Up Next Time...
Join us next time when we take a look at responsible college partying and how to take care of yourself when everything around you might be getting out of hand. If you have any feedback or stories about college partying, now is a great time to send them in, as well.
Also, we will be doing a feature on a university. Which one it is, well, that'll be a surprise. Till next time!
Also, we will be doing a feature on a university. Which one it is, well, that'll be a surprise. Till next time!
Janet's comment: You've asked a number of fantastic questions and I hope that I can take care of them. If you plan to study abroad for a semester most schools either recommend that you do it during the summer between any two of your years in school or during your sophomore or junior years. This is so you get lots of time to adjust to college life in your first-year and have at least a whole year afterwards at your base school to make sure you have all of your ducks in a row in regards to graduating on time.
Of course beyond that your questions begin to get a lot more subjective. What to take and how to arrange your lodging really depend on what sort of abroad experience you have set up. Your school, in this case Stephen F. Austin, has an entire page dedicated to studying abroad and study abroad opportunities that you can find right here. Working with whatever department at your school that operates study abroad programs is your best bet in arranging abroad opportunities that both meet your interests and will still fulfill requirements for your degree. Even if your school does not appear to have a program that matches you identically yet, most schools are very accommodating if a student does a little bit of research and at least begins to set up an exchange with a host institution in the desired location with the desired program.
What to take when you go abroad for a semester or even a few weeks is also dependent on how you typically live. The most important things to bring will be things you will need for school (i.e. your laptop) and things like clothing. What you don't want to bring with you are a lot of consumable goods. You don't want to bring a whole big bottle of shampoo with you, for example. This is because these objects tend to be very heavy and take up a lot of precious space that you can better use by packing clothing and things that you need that you can't buy reasonably cheaply in the location that you are going to. Additionally, do your research on the climate and what to expect weather-wise when you get there. You don't want to waste precious space packing your heavy winter coat if you're going to Australia in December. You really don't want to take more than about two suitcases, a small-ish backpack, and a laptop carrying case. Remember, you're not moving there forever!