ALMOST time ... Any Advice ?
 

Well im a junior in highschool and the year is almost over so i am starting to think about what i will do when i graduate. I make fairly good grades mostly A's and B's and a C or 2. Anyway i want to do something in the medical field not sure what yet ... Anyone have any advice on the advantages of colleges vs trade schools or other higher training??? I really dont see why taking more english and math etc will help me with what i want ?!?!:confused: Any advice???? or your experiences ? Thanks alot!

Awwww look at you being responsible :) Congrats, you have so many good things ahead! YAY!

I don't know a lot about the medical field so I can't help you there but kudos to you for asking, I'm sure a lot of people here will be able to help you.

thanks alot! Anyone???

I dont know a lot about the medical field, but I would suggest you go to a college versus a trade school. The english and math classes show that you are well rounded, and doing well in classes that are not related to your field show that you are intellegent and flexible. The english classes will definitely boost your communications skills which you will need regardless of what field you choose. And the medical field does actually employ a lot of math, so having some math in your background would be viewed as a plus. And those gen ed requirements are usually pretty minimal, you'd only take like 2 english classes and probably 2 or 3 math classes anyway. Look for a school that ranks well in the field you want to study, employers look for those well established programs.

That's so great that you're thinking ahead!! There are lots of things you could do in the medical field. What are you interested in? X-ray tech, cardiopulmunary tech, LPN, RN, etc. The amount of schooling depends on which one you pick. I think all of them require that you take english & math classes because you have to be able to do calculations in all of those fields and you have to write in their charts. I know people in almost all of those fields so if you have any specific questions, I could probably find out for you. Good luck!

I would go to any Career seminars you can in the fields you are interested in and try and pick something that you feel a paasion for and will not mind doing for a long time, or something that gives you several options as you grow and make your way in this world. Good luck!!

Well, I went pre-med when I first went to college.. and was very overwhelmed.
I had taken a ton of math classes in highschool, and not to toot my horn, but that has always been one of my strengths, and I breeeezed in math in college. Biology and all of those are a lot more difficult, so anything that can help you with that, take it.

Plus, no matter what.. a 4 year acredited college is ALWAYS better than any trade school.
You can ask any employeer, if they have two applicants exactly the same.. but one is from a trade school, and one is from a university.. they pick university over trade school.

There is a big socialization difference wether anyone wants to admit it or not... it's the difference between home schooled or not.

The experience of college offers so many obstacles and so many different views and experiences that it really does prepare you, or at least makes a good stab at preparing you ;)
I also think, it's even better to go to a school that is away from home.. even if it's one hour away.. just as long as you don't live at home. That is a different experience all its own.

sorry i rambled.. I very highly favor college over any trade school anyday.

Think very carefully about what you want to go to college for. I have a biology degree and sometimes i feel like wiping morgan's butt with it.

ROFL!!!! too funny

I agree with that, but disagree... because i had my heart set on being a pediatrician.. thats what I wanted.. went to college and figured out that wasn't it.. tried something else.. that wasn't it.. somehow stumbled on graphic design, and i couldn't be happier.
I think experience is how you truly figure out wether you really like it or not.

This is the best time to really figure out what you want. Otherwise you will settle on something that is just ok, and end up not using it or regreting it.

yeah its definatley hard to discover what you want to do. I have a BS in biology and i've always wanted to work with animals. the whole idea of college was for me to get my bio degree and then go to vet school. well around junior year i started having second thoughts and ever since i'm still unsure what i want to do. I've gone from being a vet tech to being a lab tech in a pharm company to being a vet tech again.

going in college for something alittle more precise then biology would be beneficial to you. I say go for something more specific then getting a general degree. it would be more helpful later on.

Thanks alot for all of the replys! Im not sure exactly what not RN or LPN though thought about xray and ultra sound or something like that i dont really know all the options! also i am worried about paying for college etc not sure how much and all that! Keep the advice and experiences coming!!!!!

I didn't make it to college, but wish that I did. The job i have now is a good one..... they gave me 3 years of tech schooling ( and paid my wages while I went). BUT I still wish I would have thought it out first and found something that I WANTED to do, instead of doing something that was "available". Now I feel kinda stuck, BUT with only 7 more years before I can retire with full benefits... I really don't want to go on a different path now!!!

Both of my kids chose further education after high school...... one in Culinary Arts and the other in medical....... very different but both make pretty decent $$$$.
I have heard that Radiology tech is a good profession that you can expand on....... CT, Mammography, MRI, etc.... and it pays pretty well, too ( 2 year degree).

Hope this ain't too much "babble" ...... glad to see that you are making plans!!! :bravo:

if your into it, radiologists and ultra sound tech's make a lot of money, especially the ultra sound people ( i think they're called something but i forgot LOL). its very hard to read ultrasounds so if you get good at it doctors offices will be knocking at your door all the time.

Okay i want all of you to be honest do yall think i make good enough grades to go into this field

i forgot to mention a nutritionist is something i've been thinkin of doing too

if you get rid of the C then yes. Work really hard the rest of your junior year and all your senior year. Take a study course for the SATs and do your best. Those scores aren't the determining factor but they sure do help. also if you do not so well on the SATs, your excellent grades in school will make up for it. Take me for instance. I always got A's in high school and maybe one or two B's. i was always on the honor roll. Out of 600 students in my graduating class i ranked number 30 something. My SATs tho, i only got an 1190 which is good but isn't the greatest. I got in to all the schools i applied for tho because my grades in school showed that tho i didn't do the best on ONE test, i did excellent throughout the rest of the school year.

I'm so against trade schools and the like.

If you were to go to a trade school, and then you decided that you didn't like that major, you would most likely be out of luck because, in most cases, credits from trade schools don't transfer to traditional 4 year colleges.

I had that happen to me and not only did I waste thousands and thousands of dollars, but I basically wasted my time because no 4 year college would take the trade school credits.

ultrasound technologist

LOL yeah that.

lol. i was thinking about going in to that. do u happen know how many years of college they need?

have u thought about nursing?

My really good friend and upstairs neighbor is a mammogram tech but she's also an ultrasound tech and she LOVES her job! She makes great money and she went to a 4 year school.

I did both, I have my bachelor's and master's but in between I got bored and went to beauty school. I've had 2 VERY different careers and I'm still trying to figure out what I want to do when I grow up :)

Bumppp

wow what do you have your bachelors and masters in?

i really wish deciding on a career was easier. i just wish i could find my niche.

Honestly, when it comes down to it.. your act and sat scores are REALLLLLLYYY important. Your grades are important ofcourse, but they really come into play when you are on the border line of getting accepted or not

:thumbup:

I also think people underestimate the importance of volunteerism and extracurricular activities on college applications.

oh i totally agree with that. if you have good grades but have nothing else to show for yourself your more likely to be passed up for someone with good grades AND volunteer work. volunteer work shows that you can devote your time to helping others.

actually what helped me get my current job was my 2000+ hours of time spent volunteering at the local animal shelter. The interviewer said it showed devotion, strength, loyalty, and compassion.

so get those extracurricular activites going if you haven't already

very true. if they are having a hard time deciding if you are right for their school your standardized test scores come into play BIG TIME. you want to make sure you stand out in the application so good grades, volunteer work, extracurriculars, clubs, sports, and whatnot can help you out if your not too sure about the SAT scores.

We have ACTs

what did u get on ur act?