How to Help a College Freshman Adjust to Their New Life

When you first start out preparing yourself for college life you think everything is going to be as easy as can be. You are headed for the adult world and you are more than ready. No more curfews, no more parents questioning everything you do. You are free! When you do need that parent support, or funding, you just need to pick up the phone and home. How can anything about this be bad?

Most college freshman think that going away to school is just going to be one big party after another. The only worry is about who is going to attend and where you are going to have it. If you are the parent of a soon to be college freshman you have probably seen this attitude that comes with the journey they are about to embark upon and if you are the student then you probably are just worried about how to finance your back to school fun-fund.

When the freshman first arrives at college they are excited and find that stopping what they are doing to call home every now and then can be a real hassle. Then about a month or so into it they realize that they are being to miss home, and miss the security that their parents have provided for them their whole life. These freshmen now call home more often and find themselves wanting to go back to their rooms so that they can make these phone calls. They call home about issues with their schedule, a class that is too hard or maybe a roommate that they are unable to get alone with. The co-dependent parents will tell their children what to do and even encourage them to come back home, where as other parents will encourage their college freshman to work through the issues they are having and try to prepare them for the adult world. These parents let their child know that they are always there to listen and help out, but life is never as simple as one thinks and you have to work at things.

One of the biggest issues that college freshman have to address is finding balance. Some will successfully balance their time to include plenty of time for school, work, and friends and others will go to one extreme or the other. While it may seem desirable to become engrossed in one's studies in the long run this can actually be detrimental to the student as well, because it will cause burnout which can send a student packing just as quickly as one that is partying too much.

Most students, however, will be able to find the balance they need by the time they come home for Thanksgiving. For the few that so not, they end up taking the rest of the year off and then registering at a local or community college close to home so that they are able to get the structure they require. Either way, in a few years, your college freshman will be entering the adult world- Whether they like it or not!

Make an Impact With an International Development Degree or Journalism Degree

There are many ways of going about finding a career that can give you opportunities to make a difference in the world and travel in the process. You may pursue an international development degree and have a part in the economic development in countries all around the world. You can also look into a journalism degree and be the first to report on the happenings all around the world. In either case, you want to have the right preparations and connections to get you closer to the career you want.

When you decide to pursue an international development degree, you want to make sure you have the right courses in your area. You not only need a theoretical foundation in which to understand international development and other disciplines related to it. You need to find a program that gives you the opportunity to perform analytical research, cross-cultural learning and directed studies. You can also find out if the program offers you a well-rounded understanding of concepts in international development studies, management skills, research skills and supplementary disciplines.

In addition to these theoretical foundations, it is also very important to have practical knowledge and the chance to work in the field before obtaining your degree. You should work with professors who have experience in the field and can give you a good idea of what to expect. They should also help you with the connections you need to establish yourself as an expert in your discipline whether you want to work directly with those in the developing countries or indirectly with international development funding and executing organizations.

You can also have an impact in a different way if you pursue a journalism degree. In journalism, you need to make sure you get the tools you need for effective communication through all forms of media, including the constantly evolving forms of social media that have changed the way people receive their news and information. Your program should teach you how to bring together audio, text and video once you have learned the important skills of interviewing, reporting and researching through traditional means.

While you are learning the fundamentals of journalism and the ways to incorporate social media into your work, you should also have the opportunity to work with the latest state of the art equipment to prepare yourself for what you will encounter on the job. You may not realize the importance of theory within the discipline, but you do need to acquire the theoretical and historical knowledge in journalism to help you understand your place in the field and society.

Both an international development degree and a journalism degree can offer you the opportunity to make a difference to others although in very different fashions. When making a decision, you must consider what kind of an impact you would like to have and how you feel most comfortable going about it. In either case, you just may find the chance to see the world while having a positive impact on others.

Caribbean Medical Schools - Advantages and Disadvantages

When considering whether one of the many Caribbean Medical Schools is right for you it's important to do thorough research and get as much information as possible so you can make an informed choice. There is no doubt that the Caribbean is one of the most beautiful places on the planet. If you decide to go to school in the Caribbean you'll be immersing yourself in that beauty while getting a world-class medical education.

Here are a few things you should consider when starting down the path to gather that information and making your choice:

ADVANTAGES

1. Cost

It is usually significantly less expensive to attend a Caribbean school. Even the top universities are a fraction of most top U.S. schools. An important note is the fact that there will be extra costs associated with studying abroad, such as travel expenses and travel student health insurance. However, even with those added expenses the total cost of education is far cheaper.

2. Rolling admissions

Some Caribbean medical schools have rolling admissions. What that means is that the window for applying to a given school can be very wide, often with 3 periods each year. This can make the application process far less stressful and allow more time to make sure everything you need is in order before submitting your application.

3. High USMLE pass rates

The top Caribbean medical schools have USMLE first-time pass rates that are at or above the U.S. average. High USMLE pass rates are a strong indicator that the programs offered by Caribbean schools are top level and that your education and advancement is taken seriously.

4. Admission Opportunities

Even with the best scores getting into medical school can sometimes be impossible. The number of applicants to U.S. schools is always far greater than the number of open slots. Caribbean medical schools give people opportunities to go to medical school that they might not otherwise have.

5. Clinical Rotation Opportunities

The first two years will be at the overseas campuses for all Caribbean medical schools, but the clinical rotations for the top schools are in the U.S. This offers a huge advantage to students in that they can benefit from the higher acceptance rates to get into the Caribbean universities while still being able to learn from the doctors at U.S. hospitals during their clinical rotations.

DISADVANTAGES

1. Wide range of quality

Not all Caribbean medical schools are the same, to say the least. The folks who run the schools know that there is high competition among prospective students to find a school to attend. At the top schools this has led to greater competition to elevate their programs and attract the best students. However, It has also meant the opportunity for lesser schools to make their way into the market and take advantage of those who might fall prey. Sticking to one of the best and oldest universities like is a safe decision because they are very well known and highly reputable. If you decide to investigate one of the newer schools be sure you research them especially well.

2. Language barrier

Again, this is something that you won't have to worry about at the top schools, but some Caribbean medical Schools don't use English as their primary teaching language. If you aren't fluent in the spoken language (usually Spanish) you will have a considerable disadvantage and will struggle unnecessarily.

3. Living in a foreign country can be challenging

The beginning of this article highlights the fact that the Caribbean is an incredibly beautiful part of the world. It is still a foreign country though, and its customs and culture are different than what most North Americans are used to. Most people find the differences exciting and fun, but some do find that it adds more stress to the already demanding medical school curriculum.

Deciding which medical schools to attend is a life-changing decision. It's important that you put a lot of time into gathering as much information as you can. Caribbean medical schools offer much to the student who puts forth the effort. Investigate the possibilities and see if a Caribbean medical school might be a perfect fit for you.