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Tag: post secondary

  • The Difference Between a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree

    The Difference Between a Bachelor’s and a Master’s Degree

    Many people say that an education is the key to a good job, a high income and a good life. That might not always be true, but earning a bachelor’s or a master’s degree is a good idea for anyone who wants to work in professions like education or law. Sometimes a bachelor’s degree is enough, but sometimes a master’s degree is necessary. How can you know how much education to get? Knowing the difference between a bachelor’s and master’s degree can get you started on making a decision.

    How much education you need for your chosen profession depends very much on what level of work you want to do. A Bachelor of Education, for example, is all that most teachers need to work in the classroom. If they want to work as supervisors or school principals, however, they might need to work towards a master’s degree. In fields like English literature, psychology or sociology, a bachelor’s degree is usually only the first step towards further training and rarely leads directly to a job. In programs such as nursing, however, a bachelor’s degree is considered a high level of education. Each field has somewhat different requirements and job possibilities.

    Despite all of these differences, most bachelor’s or master’s programs have some elements in common. Bachelor’s degrees are general introductions to the field and cover a wide variety of topics. Usually, students in these programs take some classes outside their chosen field, at least in the first year or two. A science student might be required to take an English literature or history class, for example, and an English literature student might be required to take a science class.

    Bachelor’s programs might be three years or four years long. Completing these programs normally involves relatively small assignments like research papers, tests, experiments and exams. Students get the information they need mainly through lectures the professor gives during class and through reading the textbooks and other materials, with an occasional student presentation to give others a chance to teach.

    At the master’s level, things begin to change. Most master’s classes use a seminar style, with students giving longer presentations and participating in discussions on each day’s topic. Class size is usually much smaller than at the bachelor’s level, but the assignments are more difficult. One of the biggest assignments is usually the thesis, which is a long paper of anywhere from about thirty to a hundred pages on a topic that the student chooses. Sometimes students can complete another major assignment instead of a thesis, but both choices involve a lot of work.

    If you find studying and research very difficult, a master’s degree might not be right for you. If your chosen career has few job prospects, you might need to consider your options carefully. However, if you are willing to do a lot of hard work, a bachelor’s or master’s degree might be good choices for you.

  • Creating the Ideal College Schedule

    Creating the Ideal College Schedule

    Creating the ideal schedule can be a key factor to your success in university or college. One of the first questions you should ask yourself is whether you should take day classes or night classes. If you consider yourself a “night owl”, you might assume it would be best to take the majority of your classes in the evening when you’re the most alert. However, keep in mind that if you are taking late classes you’re probably going to have to do your homework in the mornings. Be honest with yourself and consider if you’re actually going to wake up on time to get those essays done. Likewise, our early birds need to do some soul-searching and really ask themselves if they’ll make the effort to rise and shine for those 8:00 am classes. One of the biggest challenges that post-secondary students face is going to class when no one is monitoring their attendance. This becomes even more of a challenge when these classes start before the sun even makes an appearance. A good way to overcome this is to find a friend who also shares the misfortune of rising bright and early. The two of you can make a solemn oath to go to class every day and you can serve as encouragement for one another!

    Another important question to ask yourself when designing a schedule is whether you want to stack your classes one after another or spread them out across the day. Stacking classes is often viewed as the more efficient practice but it also has its downfalls. Most professors will let you out of class ten minutes early to get to your next one but you’ll always have that one who insists on holding you to the very end, or perhaps even longer. Then you’ll find yourself making a mad dash across campus, which will quickly become an issue if your campus is the size of a small island. In that case, spreading your classes out a bit may sound more attractive. The trouble here is that you may then find yourself facing “The Awkward Hour”. This is a chunk of time that is too short to do anything useful but too long to sit around doing nothing. In other words, it’s a waste of time. If you’re a productive person, you might be able to squeeze in a bit of work but most people just lounge around campus, grab a bite to eat or catch up on the latest chapter of their favourite manga.

    If I can leave you with one last piece of advice, it’ll be this: Do not bend yourself backwards for Friday’s off.  If you have to inconvenience yourself throughout the rest of the week, the extra day of freedom may not be worth it. At the very least, have a class or two on Friday instead of piling four or five classes on another day.

    At the end of the day, designing your schedule comes down to weighing the pros and cons of each factor and deciding what works best for you. Very few people can claim to have a perfect schedule so don’t panic if you find yourself in less than ideal circumstances. Simply do your best to create a schedule that maximize your chances of succeeding!

  • Can High School Dropouts Still Go to College or University?

    Can High School Dropouts Still Go to College or University?

    Most people receive a lot of advice over their lifetimes. Can you think of some of the things that others have told you? One bit of advice that you might have heard from your parents and teachers is that you should stay in school and continue on to graduation. That way, you will be able to go to university or college and get a good job in the future. However, not everyone manages to finish high school, whether by choice or through problems in their lives. How can they ever continue their education? The process might be difficult, but high school dropouts can still go to university or college if they want.

    Students might have many different reasons for dropping out of school, such as a crisis in their lives, a change in family circumstances or a move to a remote area of the country where high school is unavailable. Some students might have finished the work to graduate but not have a Canadian diploma because they were homeschooled or because they finished their education overseas. In most cases, the process for getting into a Canadian university or college is similar for all of these people.

    One of the most common ways to get into higher education is to write an entrance exam set by the university or college. Foreign students whose first language is not English often have to pass these exams before they can get into Canadian universities and colleges, and people who have dropped out of high school can do the same to show that they have the skills and knowledge they need. Most universities and colleges also accept people who are at least twenty-one years old as “mature students” without requiring them to meet any specific academic standards.

    Being accepted into a college or university is a good first step, but students also need to be able to do the work or they will not be able to graduate. Students in many post-secondary institutions need to be able to organize their own work, write long papers and complete complicated projects, often with very little help from their instructors. Taking courses through Continuing Education programs or through online universities can help people develop the skills they need to be able to complete their coursework. Some universities, such as Oxford University in England and Stanford University in the United States, even offer free online courses in various subjects. Students might not be able to receive degrees through these programs, but they offer a good chance to learn and to practice the skills they need for their studies.

    Have you dropped out of high school and are you thinking of going to university or college? Many people have done that, and they have been successful in achieving their goals. If you left school but still enjoy learning, you can return to your studies and maybe gain a new career or help yourself become better at your current job. It’s never too late to improve your mind and your skills with a post-secondary education.

  • Transitioning to University Life

    Transitioning to University Life

    The idea of going off to college or university sends shivers of anxiety down spines and churns stomachs. Don’t worry – this is normal. It’s a big step moving from high school to post-secondary education and its natural to feel a bit nervous.

    There is usually a frosh week for university students or an orientation for those attending college. This can be a great way to meet people around campus or in your program. Post-secondary education is so diverse that making friends is easy, whether it be the person who sits beside you in class, a new roommate or someone you meet on campus.

    Living in residence is another excellent way to make friends and makes the walk to class much easier. Most schools have single rooms as well as doubles so you can be paired with a roommate. The Resident Assistant will help you get integrated into the community with a number of activities in the residence and there is usually a common room with a TV for students to relax in.

    Residence life is not for everyone, though, and there are a number of other options such as off campus housing, driving or commuting via train or bus. There is nothing wrong with choosing to live at home while attending school, either. Living out on your own is exciting but it can get pretty expensive and sometimes its nice to have the comforts of home and your friends and family.

    Post-secondary school is nothing like high school. There is no attendance sheet or principal forcing you to go to class. The professors likely won’t harass you about it so it can be very tempting to skip a class here and there. This can lead to a very slippery slope and you don’t want to find yourself facing an exam sheet without having gone to class. It’s up to you to stay organized and keep on top of your assignments; letting them pile up then dashing them all off the night before is not the best strategy. Most schools use an email and online system so you can use the Internet to keep up to date on assignments, presentations, etc.

    Every college or university has at least a few clubs or teams and activities that provide exercise and entertainment. Most schools will have a free gym for people to lift weights, run on treadmills or play indoor sports. Some schools even have a pool.

    It’s a good idea to learn about your chosen school before beginning in the fall. An excellent way to do this is to check out their websites, do campus tours and speak to anyone you might know that has gone to that school. Ask them about their experiences there.

    Leaving high school marks a major change in life. While post-secondary education certainly has its challenges, they are far outweighed by the lifelong friendships and rewards.

  • How to Pick a School that Works for You

    How to Pick a School that Works for You

    Deciding which post-secondary institution to attend is easily one of the most difficult decisions you may face in your lifetime. If you find yourself scattered and unsure of where to begin, just think of PED: Program, Environment, and Distance. This is a useful technique that can help you organize your thoughts and carefully lay out the important factors.

    Program: The very first thing you should do when picking a school is question whether they have the program that is right for you. A common mistake that students tend to make is to pick a school based on its overall reputation as opposed to the reputation of its programs. A school could be ranked at the top of all the major lists but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re the best for whatever program you intend on enrolling in. If you’re the type of person who refers to ranking lists, make sure these lists are program specific. If you can find a way to do so, talk to students who are actually enrolled in the programs you’re considering and discuss any concerns you may have. They’re likely to be very honest with you and you can get some insider-info that you won’t find in the fancy brochures.

    Environment: Believe it or not, your surroundings can have a major impact on how well you do in university or college. I’m the type of person who needs a refreshing walk when I get stressed so it was important for me to choose a school that had a beautiful campus. For some, old-style traditional buildings and scenic walkways will do the trick. For others, modern buildings and high-tech facilities are a must. Keep in mind that many schools have a good balance of both! Also take a look at the environment outside of the school’s campus and ask yourself if you’d prefer to be located in a big city or something with more of a suburban feel. If you plan on living off campus in upper years, this could be a bit of a deal-breaker for you.

    Distance: One of the most difficult things about going away for school is being away from your family and friends. If you’ve got tight-knit relationships, going too far away from your support system may be too much to handle. And that’s ok. You might not even have to leave home if you’d prefer to commute. However, if you’re determined to leave the nest you should always pause to consider how often you intend to visit home (if at all). If you’re making many trips, things can become quite costly if you live hours away from home. The important thing here is to speak to your parents or guardians and figure out a system that works best for everyone. Before you do this, though, have an honest think-session with yourself and decide what’s most important for you. If independence is key, be prepared to negotiate and do quite a bit of reassuring.

    Each school you consider is bound to have its pros and cons. The best you can do is weigh all of your options and choose a school that you’re most comfortable with. Others may input their opinions but the choice is ultimately yours to make!

  • Choosing Your Perfect Post-Secondary Program

    Choosing Your Perfect Post-Secondary Program

    No more writing poetry or reading and interpreting novels for the math enthusiasts, no more complex scientific equations for the creative writers, no more arts or drama classes for the scientists. The time has come to pick a college or university program geared toward your interests and future goals.

    In high school you were given the opportunity to pick elective courses. Perhaps you took philosophy or sociology, a language course, physical education, music, culinary arts, or history to satisfy your need for something more exciting than interpreting a symbol in a novel or solving for ‘x.’ 


    College and university allow students to choose a program suited to their interests, strengths and career goals, allowing much more enjoyment than a couple of elective courses. For students interested in science, they have an opportunity to specialize and expand on their high school studies by developing hands-on skills or theoretical knowledge to succeed in a specific area of scientific study.

    There are opportunities to study social work, child studies, journalism or advertising, film and media, culinary arts, business, engineering, architecture, dental, law, event planning and countless more.

    Finding programs that are of interest to you likely won’t be an issue. To help narrow down the list of programs you will apply to, investigate career opportunities and the likelihood of finding employment in your fields of interest. For example, you wouldn’t want to pursue a Bachelor of Arts and major in English without first knowing how many career opportunities it affords.

    Ensuring that you graduate from college prepared to enter the workforce is essential. Is there a demand for the position you’re interested in taking? Do you meet the admission requirements? Are you content with your potential income? If you choose to pursue additional education, are there opportunities?

    Choosing a program is an exciting part of post-secondary education. Look for a program that interests you, builds on your current strengths, has exciting career opportunities you’re interested in pursuing and promises a future you’re excited about working toward.

  • Choosing A Post-Secondary Institution

    Choosing A Post-Secondary Institution

    So many colleges and universities to choose from, so hard to pick just one! 


    When entering the final year of high school, sometimes earlier for students eager to plan their post-secondary studies and reach their educational goals, it’s time to start thinking about where you will continue your education.

    With what feels like countless schools fighting for your application, it may feel overwhelming and laborious to find the one suited to your needs, but it doesn’t have to be. Take advantage of school visits, academic calendars, and individual institution websites to start investigating the options available to you.

    It’s important to prioritize and determine what you need most from your post-secondary education. You’ll likely already know if you’re interested in attending college or university, based on your program choices throughout high school, but there are plenty of other things to consider. 



    Would you like to stay at home instead of dealing with the added stresses of paying rent, living in residence, or moving away? Does the institution you’d like to attend offer a program suited to your interests and future career goals? Do you require additional services and supports during your studies? Are you interested in participating in varsity sports or other extra-curricular activities? Will you be searching for on-campus employment?

    By knowing what you want, you have a clear checklist to keep in mind when speaking with recruiters or tackling the mountain of academic calendars. If you’re having difficulties determining a program suited to your interests and career goals, meet with your high school guidance counsellor for additional assistance.

    It is important to also keep in mind that you’re not restricted to applying to only one institution. If you’re stuck between a few institutions or have a few programs that have piqued your interest, you have the opportunity to apply to more than one. Having more opportunities to choose from and more schools offering you admission into their programs is never a bad thing.

    Regardless of your future goals, there’s a post-secondary institution certain to meet your needs. By taking the time to research and understand your priorities, you’re sure to reach success wherever you go. 



  • Taking notes in Post Secondary

    Taking notes in Post Secondary

    You’re writing as fast as your hand will go – the words from the screen flying onto your page in a barely legible chicken-scratch font as you race to get the entirety of the note. You begin to feel the ache of writing in your wrist and the end is in sight. Your pace quickens. You know you are going to get this one completely written. Then to your dismay, the slide changes and the third page fills the screen, despite protestations from your classmates.

    Note taking in post-secondary is not for the faint of heart. Unlike high school, and elementary to a degree, note taking is a ruthless affair that leaves many first time students frustrated and flustered.

    Unlike secondary school, the teachers in the post-arena are not always as patient with note takers as their secondary counter-parts. The professors move through topics at lightning fast speed, generally due to an overwhelming amount of content to get through in any given class.

    It is this need to get the content to the students on time that drives the fast-paced nature of the post-secondary classroom.

    However, it is not all doom and gloom, and there are many useful hints and tips that are out there that the student has at their disposal to counter the blitzkrieg speed of note taking.

    First and foremost, and this is quite prudent, you must learn to not write a note verbatim, or word for word. By trying to accommodate the style of note taking from your secondary school classrooms, you will find yourself in the proverbial dust of the post-secondary classroom. It happens to all of us the first time in, so don’t feel like you are a slacker or not up to snub for post-secondary.

    So, if you are not writing your notes verbatim, how are you going to translate what is on the screen to your pages?

    The first answer to this is simple, paraphrase. Paraphrasing can, and most likely will, become your best friend. By taking the hard learned paraphrasing skills from all those research assignments of your past and adapting it to this new challenge, you will find that the note taking process becomes a whole lot easier. You will quickly learn what is the most prudent information in any given note and that will aid your paraphrasing even more. For survival in the post-secondary school arena, this would be my first recommendation for how to jot down your notes.

    But what if paraphrasing still isn’t working for you? Then I would suggest learning, or devising, your own form of short hand so you can compound a phrase or section of a note into a symbol, as opposed to two-three words. This style of note taking is incredibly quick and convenient, but it has one major draw back. The one thing you have to watch with this style of note taking is, and this may seem silly/obvious, remembering what all those symbols mean. A lot of the time you will utilize the same, or similar, icons to represent certain aspects of a note; however, if you don’t expand those relatively soon, you will find that you may have forgotten what some of the points mean [which is not something that you really want because all of a sudden you will only have half a note!].

    A neat and efficient way of taking a note, and one I utilized the most while in college, is a combination of paraphrasing and short hand symbols. In my experience this was the most beneficial because you get the prudent information while using quick little symbols to speed the process along.

    The final, and less helpful – as there are varying factors at work – pointer for note taking may seem like a no brainer. With the inclusion of computer-based projectors in the classroom these days, notes tend to be created in Power Point. What does this mean for you? Well, with the notes being a computer file, a good portion of professors will generally end up uploading the day’s notes to your student portal for future referencing.

    Although this may seem like a way of nixing jotting notes down, I strongly advise against those thoughts. Yes, the notes will typically be online. Yes, you will be able to print them off. But, and this is such an over looked aspect of note taking, by writing your notes out by hand you are actually learning the content more than if you were to simply print and read. Printing the notes also creates an inconvenience because if there is something you don’t understand within the text, your teacher will not be on hand to clarify.

    Post-secondary note taking is a battleground, and if you learn how to adapt to the change in conditioning, you will make your way just fine through your two-to-three years of higher learning. These are just tips and pointers from my own experience, but you will soon find and develop your own method, which will work for you. Like all things, by knowing ahead of time of what you will be facing, then the better prepared you will be.