 One way to better understand the U.S. Education System is to look at what is the same, and what is different. This is written with Moroccan students in mind, but should apply to most students throughout parts of the world that attend schools in countries inspired by the French educational model. Note: much of this does not apply to students attending American Schools abroad. Let’s start with a few similarities between the education systems in Morocco and the United States.
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The last several posts have been about self-knowledge. Once you have ideas about what your college and career goals are, you'll want to explore your options, perhaps both in your home country, and abroad.
With that in mind, this post closes our chapter on knowing yourself, provides a preview of what's coming, and shares an important deadline coming for Moroccans interested in the Fullbright program to study in the USA short term during college, for graduate school, and beyond. Review If you've been reading my step-by-step guide, you'll have seen that step 1 is to know yourself, and what you want from your education. These steps of course don't always go in linear order. You can complete several steps at once. It may be that you need to know what educational options exist before you can decide what's right for you. Whatever the case, if you think you might be interested in the education in the USA, you'll want to learn about the system there. That's my focus. I also encourage students to compare with the options that exist at home, and in nearer by neighboring countries. My specialization is American education, and so that's my focus, naturally. Coming Up The next blog posts will focus on educational options in the United States. Stay tuned for more! Important Deadline While I want to approach these topics along with my step-by-step guide, I may jump 'out of order' a little here and there when important deadlines approach. For example, for college students who want to study on a Fullbright scholarship in the United States, the application deadline is May 31, 2019. I may add a post in there sooner than later so students interested in this can get started planning sooner than later. If anyone has topics they want me to cover, please let me know. Thanks!  Attention students and professionals who are interested in leadership, and in improving Morocco! Mark your calendars for March 23 and 24, 2019 for the Great Minds Meeting 4.0 in Agadir. The topic is: Perspective Of Youth About An Inclusive Africa As of today, January 23rd, the event organizers at MasterPeace Morocco are still seeking participants who can talk on panels or offer workshops on topics around inclusivity of youth in Africa. If you're involved in projects relevant to this event, and are interested in speaking, I can put you in touch with some of the organizers. If anyone has ideas, it's possible I may facilitate a panel, or collaborate on a workshop. If you want to simply attend, you can sign up on their website. Their website describes the event as one "which will be more focused on social entrepreneurship and sustainable development goals as well as leadership, among the African Youth," There will also be a look at strategic partnerships and policies. The meeting is open to students, entrepreneurs, board members either in local or international organizations, and artists. This event aims to be practical, and participants will have the opportunity to pitch project ideas stemming from the workshop activities that weekend. They explain: Through the workshop, the organizers aims to provide the participants with a practical tools in order to innovate and develop n less than 48 hours a project idea where the best two ones will benefit from:
Please note that for those of you are interested in leadership, and also interested in studying in the USA, leadership is something that American universities value. Those who seek to be part of their community help make American universities better communities too.  As you think about who you area, and who you want to be, it can be helpful keep track of your ideas. Information you gather now will be important later when you learn about colleges, both near and far. Knowing who you are, and who you want to be will help you find a college where you will not only get admitted and succeed, but where you will be challenged to learn and love learning, and join a community that you'll be part of for life! Knowing clearly what you want will help you find a place to cultivate the best version of you. It'll also come in handy if you want to search for scholarships that might help fund your educational dreams.
Tracking Your College Plans If you have not already, I encourage you to make a digital or hard copy of a file where you can keep information that you gather about yourself and the college process. Do it now. You can use Google Drive and make a folder called "College Planning." Or you can use an old-fashioned folder or file where you keep that information. Free Goal Tracking Worksheet To get you started, Here is a worksheet I've prepared where you can track your initial ideas. It is a review of concepts already explored in previous blog posts, and in Step 1 of the Step-by-Step Guide on this website. You can fill it out online, and keep the link so that you can make changes later. Or for those who prefer hard copies, here is a slightly different print version. I'll plan to make more free worksheets later to go with other steps in my guide. If anyone has feedback on this form, or wants someone to talk it over with, please do please email me at [email protected]! I am happy to help however I can. Thanks for reading!  What will go on your business card? Happy New Year! The start of the year is the perfect time to set some career goals, right?
This is a continuation on a sub-blog series, so please make sure to read the previous posts to get up to speed. For those joining this career exploration journey, you've explored your academic interests, and figured out some careers that interest you, you may have some ideas about what you want to actually "do" for your career path. The next thing to do is "sense check" your options to make sure they are practical, and then set specific goals that are measurable, achievable, realistic, and have deadlines. PONDERING YOUR GOALS - EXPLORE WHICH ARE REALISTIC When you think about your career path, first of all, know that if you are ambitious, most goals can be accomplished. But you do want to make sure your dreams are realistic for you and your unique circumstances, and then set some short term goals in order to get started. For each career path you're considering, ask yourself the following questions:
Writer Annie Dillard is known for saying, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." The average person works about 1/3 of their life, amounting to about 90,000 hours. Our careers form a major part of our identity, and affect how much control we have of our lives. Yet, according to a Deloitte Shift Index Survey, 80% of people hate their jobs. As you plan your education, you have an opportunity to think about what will really make you happy. Don't become a bad statistic. Plan smartly.
So just how do you make a plan, or change your plans if you're on a path that needs revision?
This is not a "normal" post for this blog, but this is not a normal week. I've been experimenting with writing on Mondays, but I don't think it's the best day to post blogs because people are just starting their week and are too busy. So this is a mid-week extra, and I'll try blogging on Thursday or Fridays from now on. So here we go... Today is not about 'business as usual', it's about...
The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls As semester and holiday breaks approach, in case you are interested in extra curricular reading that can give you a taste for some aspects of American culture, I really enjoyed The Glass Castle. It is a memoir about a woman who was raised by unconventional parents who traveled around America. It gives you a taste for some of America's smaller towns, as well as the culture of the bigger cities. It is important from a sociological perspective. The memoir is also valuable for demonstrating impact resilience and will power can drive success even for people with huge challenges to overcome. Here is my book review, which I published recently on GoodReads.  The Glass Castle by Jeannette WallsMy rating: 5 of 5 stars Please note that I do not think the following is a spoiler because the very start of the book reveals what I'm discussing here... I'm going to share my perspective both personally, and as a school counselor who is very interested in power structures and how they affect our ability to control our own lives. Memoirs usually do not appeal to me, but I could hardly put this one down. I truly enjoyed it, and was sad when it ended. It reminds me a bit of a fictional movie that I love called Captain Fantastic. Both feature families who are educated, but eschew social norms, choosing to live unconventionally. Both have parents who believe challenges will help their kids build character. Having grown up mostly in an enclave for artists in East Oakland, with parents who questioned the validity of societal rules.. in many ways both remind me of my upbringing, which makes this a story that feels close to my heart. I've had people tell me my parents should never have raised my brother and me in a rough neighborhood, sending us to public schools where we were exposed to urban violence, and so on. But I've also realized that parents are only human, that for better or worse I wouldn't be who I am if it were not for my upbringing, and I never for a moment doubted their absolute love for us. They also valued education at home, and believed in us, as Jeanette Walls' parents did, too. The mixture of love, education as a value, and belief in a child's success -- these things go a really long way in building resilience to overcome challenges in life. I am still wrapping my head around all of this, but I'll share my loose thoughts. In discussing the advantages that even the poor can be born into if they come from an educated family, I am reminded of Pierre Bourdieu, a French sociologist and anthropologist who looked at how societal power dynamics delineate how agency is transferred and social order maintained. I think about these ideas, and how even when one chooses to abandon their advantages the dynamics that maintain power remain in the very habits of their life. As a school counselor it strikes me, too, that here is a story about an educated family that chooses to live a live of extreme poverty, yet career and college success somehow still remain options for Jeanette, the daughter who authored the memoir -- not to mention her siblings. It reminds me of a kind of social, if not financial, privilege that the educated are born into... that even despite poverty there can remain an assumption that "college can be for me," or even "poverty is not for me." Those who experience poverty and have parents who did not attend university, on the other hand, are less likely to have this assumption. There can even be guilt about going to college in some cases. The contrast can be so stark. This book has been recommended to me on multiple occasions, and I'm glad. Obviously it left me with a lot to think about! I welcome input on these topics if anyone just so happens to be interested! View all my reviews Last blog, we explored the importance of picking a program based on your interests. Now I want to emphasize, do not pick a college based on reputation alone. Your college list should be about what college will fit for you. But first, you must know yourself. Here's a task. "Zoom out" and look at the big picture. Ask yourself, why do I want to study at all? Why go to college, or graduate school, or learn English? What do I hope to achieve? In a future blog, we will look at college choice. But before you can choose a good program, you must know yourself. Once you know what you're looking for, you can pick colleges that will help you get there. But what if you don't yet know exactly why want to study in the United States? It may be that you just feel you want more options in life, but you don't know what you want to do for your career. It may be that you believe an education in a foreign country will give you more opportunities, but you don't know what those are. If that's you, please read on. FOR U.S. STUDIES: EDUCATION OPTIONS ARE FAIRLY FLEXIBLE Undergraduate Studies (First four years): First, for undergraduate studies in the United States it may comfort you to know this. While financially it is most expedient to know your major (academic focus) before you start, many universities will allow you to change it later. In the USA, most people change careers at least a few times (the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has fuzzy numbers, but says the average person changes jobs 11.7 times in their life). And while US undergraduate programs typically want you to pick a major (academic focus) before you apply, you can usually change it later. Doing so can add some time to your graduation date, but if you start your program with general education coursework, you may be able to 'buy time' and still graduate on time. This is why. Whereas in many countries, you only take coursework applicable to your academic focus, in the United States, it is often different. If you attend a 4-year college, many programs will require you to take elective coursework in topics like History, Political Science, Social Science, and Mathematics, and these courses can often intersect across multiple majors. If you enter university unsure, you can work with your advisor on course selection to keep as many doors option as possible. Graduate Studies (Master's Degree or PhD): In support of career changers, at the graduate school level in the U.S., you may choose to study a topic that is different from your undergraduate course of study, as long as you show a demonstrated interest in the new field, and take required prerequisite coursework, which can often be done at community colleges, and even online. For example, I studied Journalism in undergrad, worked in advertising and management, and then took a few required prerequisite courses at a community college, and then switched to School Counseling in graduate school. As another example, if you study English or Engineering in undergrad, you may be able to switch to another topic in graduate school if you can show a demonstrated interest and prerequisite knowledge. Once you do decide on a potential career path then you can look at study paths that match. FOR THOSE NEEDING MORE GUIDANCE For international students: Remember that if you are not a US citizen, most students are required to return to their home country after studying abroad, and so you'll want to consider focusing on an area of study that will be useful for you not only abroad, but at home, too. In an article on career planning, the BLS says that one "approach to identifying potential career interests is to consider local employers and the types of jobs they have." This can be especially true for international students. You will probably want to pick a program that will prepare you to work in your profession of interest or to launch your own company if and when you return. After an inter-session blog with a fun book recommendation, the next college planning blog will be about defining your career interests, so stay tuned! As always please let me know if you have any questions! December 3, 2018
Get to know yourself! Planning for college can be fun! It's a unique opportunity to get to get to know yourself, and not just any you, but the best you! The you that dreams of your potential, and being the best person you can be. Surely if you want to study in another country, you want to broaden your horizons. That's inspiring. The first step on your growth path starts right at home, with you. There are thousands of colleges you can pick from in the United States alone, and it can be overwhelming, but if you know what you want, then you can make a plan, and step-by-step, it can all become manageable. Before you begin your list of schools that will fit your needs, you must figure out what it is you hope to gain from studying in another country? And what field of study will help you meet your goals? And what is your goal?... If your goal is simply to improve your English, you might look into English Language Study programs. If your goal is gain leadership or entrepreneurial skills, you could look into short-term programs sponsored by the United States government. You'll want to match your experience with program requirements. For example, if a program requires a student have a strong academic background and leadership experience, think about whether you have these traits. If you do, move forward. If you do not, keep searching for a program that fits, or try to develop these traits and apply in the future. Among my services, I can help you identify whether there are programs that fit your profile, or help you make a plan to become a stronger candidate in the future. If you are unsure of your education or career goals, you might take some career interest inventories to learn more about your interests, values, and aptitudes. Coming soon I'll post a blog on career interest inventories, so if this topic interests you, please check back then, or subscribe using the link on the side of the screen to get automated blog updates. If you are interested in undergraduate or graduate school programs of study, and know what you want to focus on, then you can start looking at programs that will fit your needs. I'll write more about choice later, but you can get started researching colleges now by looking at the College Board's BigFuture college search, and filtering for college major. Thanks so much for reading, and please comment if you have any thoughts, questions, or would like clarification. If English isn't your first language, some of this might be extra confusing, and if you have a question, you're probably not alone. Please ask, and I'm happy to try to help! International students considering studies in the U.S... Check out this virtual international transfer student college fair at 7pm Morocco Time. It's a chance to learn about opportunities to transfer from community colleges into 4-year universities. The fair is being offered by my alma mater! I went there for 2-years before transferring to UNC Chapel Hill. If you attend, please let me know! web.peralta.edu/international/event/international-student-university-virtual-transfer-fair  University Career Fair |
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