gwinnett special section - 2011 georgia probe

For more information contact your high school counselor or

visit us at www.georgiaprobe.org

Bringing together students, parents, counselors, administrators and

representatives of post-secondary educational institutions.

Sponsored byGeorgia Education Articulation Committee, Inc.

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Gwinnett Daily Postgwinnettdailypost.com

2011

COLLEGE FAIRS COnFuSEd AbOut College?Visit a ProbeCollege Fair

...at a location near you!

ALCOVy HIGH SCHOOLWednesday, September 7th

5:30 - 7:30 p.m.

GWInnEtt CEntERWednesday, September 21st

6:00 - 8:30 p.m.

tHE mALL At StOnECRESt

thursday, September 22nd6:00 - 9:00 p.m.

bROOkWOOd HIGH SCHOOL

Wednesday, October 12th6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

75 to 150 Collegesrepresented at each Fair.

• Georgia Probe College Fairs • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Gwinnett Daily Post • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Sunday Citizen

2011COLLEGE FAIRS

The purpose of the Georgia Educa-tion Articulation Committee, Inc. is to disseminate information and stimulate interest in post-secondary education for the students in Georgia. In accordance with the GEAC Statement of Purpose (in Articles of Incorporation), to be eligible for partici-

pation in PROBE, participants must be approved by GEAC. Participation is restricted to Geor-gia-based, non-profit, Southern Asso-ciation of College and Schools accredit-ed, post-secondary institutions, colleg-es, universities, and technical institu-tions. Out-of-state post-secondary

institutions will also be eligible to par-ticipate in PROBE if they are non-profit institutions accredited by the Commis-sion on Colleges of one of the six region-al accrediting agencies (New England, Middle States, North Central, North-west, Southern, or Western association of Colleges and Schools).

Georgia EducationArticulation Committee, Inc.

For A Complete ListOf Colleges

And UniversitiesParticipating, Visit:

www.georgiaprobe.org

Sunday Citizen • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Gwinnett Daily Post • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Georgia Probe College Fairs •


2011COLLEGE FAIRS

Choosing a major is often met with trepidation. College students may feel pressured to choose a major when they are less than certain about what they want to study. Majors

aren’t set in stone and students have the opportunity to switch concentrations if their original choice isn’t the right fit. Perhaps now more than ever, there is pressure on students to pick the right college major. In this weak economy, experts are touting advice on choosing a major that gives students the best chance of finding a job after grad-uation. The National Center for Education Statistics says that in 2007-2008, the most popular majors were business, social sci-ences, history, and education. According to Capital University, students usually have so many interests that they have difficulty narrowing their choices. Their first inclination is not to declare a major and wait to see if they find their niche. In general, two out of every three university students change majors at least once. This should give hope to students who feel they need a chance. Here are some tips that should help with the process.

Wait to declare. Many educa-tors advise waiting a semester or two before declaring a major. Take a variety of elective courses and general education classes that will fit degree requirements

regardless of major. A guidance counselor or adviser can help undecided students choose courses that might help them find an area of study. Take an assessment test. The career or guidance office may offer some of the standardized tools to help students find an area of concentration. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey are two resources students use to identify strengths and potential paths of study.* Do your research. If you’re con-sidering a new major, talk to your advisor about what will be required of that new major, including classes and other coursework. You can also talk to students currently studying under that major. Knowing what to expect beforehand can make the decision-making process a little easier. Talk to the dean. Many col-leges and universities have deans or advisors in charge of students in certain majors. They will know

the courses required for a degree. Switching majors may involve taking or re-taking some courses that will fit with the new major. It may also mean that some courses that were taken cannot be applied to the new major. This can result in having to take more classes one semester or taking an extra semester to graduate. Consider finances. Taking different classes or stretching out your college career an addi-tional semester might cost more money. Be sure that the finances are there, whether personally provided or funded through financial aid. Assess whether your major truly matters. Many liberal arts or general studies majors are applicable in many fields. There-fore, switching majors may not even be necessary. Think about continuing with a current major and then concentrate or minor in something more specific. Determine if you really need to switch majors. Sometimes the decision to switch majors is made for you. If you are having difficulty keeping up in class or find the courses really do not interest you, it may be time to change. Failing grades can impact grade point average. Dropping a class -- or a major -- is a way to redeem yourself. Consider a double major. Stu-dents who ultimately cannot decide can choose to study for a double major. This may look good on a resume and show potential employers that you are not afraid of work. It also enables you to study two different sub-jects in detail. Keep in mind that double majors will mean a lot of extra work and may delay gradu-ation so that you can get all the credits needed. Choosing a major is seldom an easy decision. Rest assured that if the first choice isn’t ideal, students can switch majors suc-cessfully with few obstacles.

How to switch majors successfully

Sunday Citizen • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Gwinnett Daily Post • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Georgia Probe College Fairs •

In the 2010-11 school year, the average cost of a college education continued to rise. According to the College Board, in-state tuition for a four-year public university was $7,605, which marked a nearly 8 percent increase from the previous school year. At private four-year institutions, the average cost was slightly more than $27,000, which was less than a 5 percent increase from a year earlier. Many parents may wince at hearing such fig-ures, particularly when they learn the cost of going to the local state school is rising more rapidly than it is at a private institution. While there might not be much parents can do to decrease the cost of a college education for their children, there are myr-iad options for parents hoping to soften the blow. One such option might involve Grandma and Grandpa. Grandparents' past affiliations, including their employers past and present as well as any memberships in unions or even religious organiza-

tions, could very well make their grandchildren eligible for college scholarships. Colleges may also offer scholarships based on additional criteria, including an applicant's legacy status, a grandpar-ents' military service or even family ancestry.

Legacy Scholarships Certain colleges and universities provide lega-cy scholarships to descendants of alumni. These scholarships vary depending on the college or uni-versity, and many are not full scholarships. Still, legacy scholarships are rarely advertised, so par-ents and grandparents who want to help pay for their child or grandchild's education should inquire with the university as soon as their child begins looking at schools.

Military Service Scholarships More often than not, a military service schol-arship is restricted to the child of a military vet-eran. However, some scholarships exist for the grandchildren of men and women who served in

the military. The local American Legion might be able to help parents find such scholarships at nearby universities.

Ancestry Scholarships Scholarships based on ancestry or ethnicity are more common than parents might know. Eligibil-ity varies, but some scholarships only require an incoming student to have one parent of a particular ethnic descent (i.e., one Irish or Irish American grandparent). Finding such scholarships will likely require research on Mom and Dad's part, but par-ents of high school-aged children can get a head start and begin their research when their child is a freshman or sophomore. Paying for college has increasingly become a family affair. But even if grandparents can't make any direct financial contributions to their grand-child's tuition, they might have unknowingly put their grandchild in position to earn a scholarship through a variety of affiliations.

Grandparents Might Be Able To Help Pay for College Certain colleges and universities provide legacy scholarships to descendants of alumni.

2011COLLEGE FAIRS

• Georgia Probe College Fairs • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Gwinnett Daily Post • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Sunday Citizen Sunday Citizen • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Gwinnett Daily Post • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Georgia Probe College Fairs • Page 7


It has been frequently stat-ed that, “Scientists investigate that which already is; engi-neers create that which has never been.” Some of the great-est challenges of modern life have been overcome thanks to engineers. And their reach continues to grow.

Engineers do more than design bridges and buildings. Their work permeates many aspects of a person’s daily life. Beyond this, engineers help to solve many of the world’s most puzzling problems.

Many people do not fully realize how comprehensive engineers’ roles are. Nor do students recognize how fulfill-ing a career in this discipline can be. There are more than 1.6 million engineers worldwide. These people often cross the disciplines of math, science and engineering and venture into many different industries to conquer a host of challenges.

“Whether it’s the latest tab-let computer, electric sports car or other cool new product, people get very excited about innovation -- and more often than not these innovations are brought to market by engineers working in technology hubs like Silicon Valley,” says Vinton Cerf, IEEE Fellow.

Exploring just how far-reaching engineering work can be sheds new light on a field that can often be awe-inspir-ing.

Health, Medical and Humanity

Oftentimes, engineers are seen as being the builders of the abstract, working against the hurdles of logistics, roads, and other manmade materials.

But engineers also play a sig-nificant role in the fields that directly touch people’s lives and impact their well-being.

Engineers are instrumental in designing the products that help in the area of medicine and personal health. From cre-ating better, more innovative wheelchairs for the 67,000,000 people worldwide who require them, to developing custom-fit prosthetics that better mimic the function of actual limbs, to creating technology that enables blind people to “see” through electrical impulses in the brain, engineers are behind some of the medical field’s most innovative products. Individuals are often pouring over the hypotheses of how to build it better, including better hearing devices, such as surgi-cally implanted computers that allow for direct neural connec-tions instead of external aids. In many cases, engineers have helped develop products that rival the human body or even exceed its capabilities.

RoboticsRobots can be used to

replace human error in many instances. They can also be substituted for people when conditions may be too danger-ous. Robots are already used to defuse bombs or to collect intelligence in times of war.

Engineers have helped cre-ate more than 8.6 million robots worldwide. There are predictions that robots may be classified as their own subset of the population as early as 2040. These forms of artificial intelligence will replace humans in some of the more dangerous jobs, like military

personnel, loggers, industrial machinery repair people, and fishermen. Fishermen have one of the most dangerous jobs, with 200 deaths for every 100,000 full-time workers, according to data from The Discovery Channel. Robots might one day prove instru-mental in reducing such fatali-ties.

Environmental IssuesMuch has been learned

about the human impact on the planet and the fast-moving depletion of natural resources.

Engineers are often trying to solve the problems of the envi-ronment, including alterna-tives to reliance on fossil fuels.

There are some innovators who have posed questions about harnessing the power of natural weather phenomena, like hurricanes and tornadoes, to replace the 85 million bar-rels of crude oil used by the world every day. Hurricane power rivals nuclear stockpiles and tornado wind energy exceeds 300 miles per hour speeds. With the increase of

natural disasters, engineers are seeking ways to harness this power for the greater good.

In addition, in 2011 the world has witnessed tsunamis and earthquakes in Japan and a string of powerful tornadoes blow through the southern U.S. Engineers are in search of tech-nology that can better forewarn about impending disasters to reduce loss of life and damage.

“For me, making a positive impact on society is one of the primary reasons to become an engineer -- and also to become an entrepreneur,” offers John Cioffi, IEEE Fellow. “True engi-neering contribution does not arise solely from writing

papers and making presenta-tions, but requires a simultane-ous effort to realize ideas in practice. If you don’t develop these fine ideas into realistic implementations, there is a good chance no one else will either.”

The IEEE, the largest pro-fessional association for the advancement of technology, wants more people to know about the profound impact engineers have on the world. More information is available at http://solutionists.iee.org. Find out the ways engineers cross-collaborate across differ-ent fields to find solutions to improve the planet.

Engineers help improve the world Scientists investigate that which already is; engineers create that which has never been.

2011COLLEGE FAIRS

Sunday Citizen • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Gwinnett Daily Post • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Georgia Probe College Fairs • Page 9

2011COLLEGE FAIRS

College is a period of firsts. It’s the first time many students are away from home for an extended period of time; it’s the first time students get to choose their own coursework; and it’s the first time many are left to their own devices with respect to tak-ing care of themselves.

College is also the first time many apply for a credit card. Although at this point in life, it’s important for people to begin building their credit histories, it’s just as important for them to carefully consider the variety of credit card options before com-mitting to a card. All cards are definitely not equal, and college students should look for cards

that will help them start building a solid credit foundation.

So how can college kids find a card that’s fit for them? Consider the following tips.

Steer clear of cards with annual fees. Some credit cards charge annual fees, regardless of whether or not a consumer ever makes a single purchase. Since many cards’ interest rates are similar, try to find one that doesn’t charge annual fees.

Find the best annual percent-age rate. While interest rates are often similar, some cards have a better annual percentage rate, or APR. As attractive as low interest rates can be, especially cautious with cards that promise zero per-

cent interest for the first six or 12 months after signing. That’s because such cards typically have very high APRs. This isn’t a monthly fee, but rather a finance charge referred to as an annual rate. For college kids, whom his-tory suggests struggle to pay their balances in full each month, a high APR could add considerably to the cost of having a credit card.

Don’t overdo it with credit cards. A 2009 report from Sallie Mae titled “How Undergraduate Students Use Credit Cards” found that half of college undergraduates had four or more credit cards in 2008. No college student needs that many credit cards. If at all pos-sible, college kids should stick to

one card and one card only. The card should only be used to help build a credit history and in the case of an emergency. Students who need four cards are either finding themselves in far too many emergency situations or harming themselves by charging too many purchases to plastic.

Be skeptical of reward cards. In theory, reward cards are excel-

lent. The more a consumer pur-chases, the more rewards points they accrue. Those reward points can then be used toward a host of things, including airline miles. However, college kids typically do not make much money, and reward cards are really only ben-eficial to people who charge a lot of their purchases. Such people can typically afford to do so, whereas the average college kid cannot. Reward cards are better suited for men and women with full-time jobs and not so ideal for

college kids without steady streams of income.

Don’t be late. If payments are not made online,

they should be mailed at least a

week in advance of the due date. A history of late payments can quickly mar a credit report. Even if only the minimum payment is possible, make sure that payment is made on time.

Borrow from Mom and Dad, not the credit card company. Credit card companies will lend cash to their customers. These loans are called cash advances. But unlike borrowing from Mom and Dad, accepting a cash advance from a credit card company typically comes with a heavy interest rate, making it much more worthwhile to call home instead of taking a cash advance.

Getting a credit card is an important step for young people. Students should just be careful the credit card ends up building a solid credit foundation instead of dig-ging a significant financial hole.

Credit card pointers for today’s college kids

Sunday Citizen • gwinnet tdai lypost .com • Gwinnett Daily Post • SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 2011 • Georgia Probe College Fairs • Page 11

2011COLLEGE FAIRS

A student’s success in school is measured by the assignments completed and tests he takes. The students who garner the best grades and do well in class are often those who are effective lis-teners and note-takers.

Professor Dennis Jertz of Seton Hall University has said that tak-ing lecture notes effectively is one of the skills students must learn to make the transition from high school to college careers. Note-taking is also necessary in the business world, making it a worth-while skill to learn.

Despite its importance in higher learning, not much study has gone into the correlation between note-taking and performance improve-ment. As a result, statistics support-ing the importance of effective note-taking do not exist. But it stands to reason that the student who takes good notes, and studies well from them, has a sporting chance to improve his or her grades over others with poor notes.

Learning Note-takingIt may not seem as such, but

note-taking can almost be a lesson all its own. If only students could enroll in Note-Taking 101. Some elementary and high-school teach-ers attempt to teach strategies for taking notes, including developing outlines, but many students still struggle to maintain the essentials as they move through school. It can be confusing knowing just how much to write down without creat-ing a novel or having notes so scant that they provide little information when it comes time to study.

There are many systems of note-taking that a student can learn. These include using graphic repre-sentations to map out intercon-nected concepts. Outlines or charts can group terminology together with related ideas. There are other techniques that use cue words to trigger recollection of facts and dates. Mnemonic devices help recall information. Students can

experiment with different methods until they find a system that works well and offers measurable success.

No matter what method of note-taking is used, adequate listening skills are necessary to take effective notes. This helps students transfer what the professor is saying into ideas that can be put down on paper. Staring off into space or hav-ing your mind drift can cause a student to miss out on key parts of a lecture. To improve note-taking skills, a student must first improve listening skills.

Sit up closer to the teacher or professor. This enables eye-to-eye contact that may help a student

focus. It may also trigger visual clues to a professor to gauge wheth-er the class is catching on or missing what’s being taught. It’s also advan-tageous from a practical standpoint. It enables students to better hear what’s going on. If the professor is garbled or inaudible when sitting far away, moving closer is essential, especially in a large lecture hall.

Remove distractions. When a stu-dent enters the classroom, he or she should be ready to learn. That means silencing mobile devices and gearing the mind toward the lessons. Not every lecture will be exhilarating, so students should make a conscious effort to pay attention. Limiting dis-

tractions can help.Use an assistance device. Stu-

dents who are prone to “zoning out” may want to ask permission to use a voice recorder. This way if key ele-ments of the lesson are missed, they can be played back. This method also helps students fill in gaps when taking or studying notes.

Keys To Note-takingOnce listening skills have

improved, students can go onto to other note-taking pointers.

Sequencing material is impor-tant, so notes should be dated and numbered. If references are made to chapters that correlate to the text-book, jot those down so they can strengthen the notes.

Charles Kettering, an American engineer and inventor, said, “There

is a great difference between know-ing a thing and understanding it.” When jotting down notes, a student who discovers that something seems unclear can ask for clarifica-tion or make a point to research that component further.

Students should consider writ-ing notes on one side of the page so that they can each be laid out side-by-side. Looseleaf paper works well, or notes can be typed and printed out.

Students should develop their own method of abbreviations and symbols to cut down on the amount of writing needed. Notes needn’t be in full sentences; phrases are equal-ly effective.

If a professor writes something on a chalkboard, puts text up on a

projector or repeats something sev-eral times, it should definitely be written down. There is a good chance that information will be on the test.

Students may want to review note-taking strategies with one another. Maybe there is a successful method employed by one student that he or she can share with class-mates.

Rewriting or typing notes helps ingrain the information in the brain more than simply rereading it.

Note-taking is an important skill many students should make the effort to learn. Improved test scores can lead to a higher grade point average. This, in turn, can help with success in school and beyond.

How to take effective notes

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