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If you are a prospective School Counselor about to go on your first interview, it’s normal to feel nervous and unsure of what might be asked of you. Courtesy of Counselor Companion reader Tina, we present you with this guide to how a typical School Counselor interview might go. Tina has been a counselor with a special education focus, a counselor at a large public middle school and at a private high school. In addition to brushing up on your general interviewing skills, read about Tina’s experiences in School Counselor interviews. Read the rest of this entry »

If you are trying to decide on a college major, but none of the typical ones like Business, English or Political Science seem like they would be right for you, consider one of these majors that can lead to fast-growing careers. In fact, these areas are growing so quickly that none of these 10 majors even existed 10 years ago! Be a forerunner at your school by pursuing one of these exciting new options.

1. New media
Online media is one of the fastest-growing areas of journalism. New media majors combine traditional journalism studies with courses on the design and management of digital media. Some programs, such as the new media program at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco, concentrate on computer skills and design of online media. Other programs, like the one at Indiana University/Purdue University, Indianapolis, integrate communications and digital skills.
2. Biotechnology

Biotechnology combines biology and technology to solve agricultural, food science, and medical issues. It is an interdisciplinary field and is often combined with a business degree, as in he joint degree program at Johns Hopkins University. Read the rest of this entry »

Just toys? Researchers say video games may be key to teaching youngsters.

Tired of badgering the kids to quit wasting time with those computer and video games and get started on homework? Here’s a news flash for the 21st Century: It turns out many of the games might be better than homework.

In a series of research projects as likely to thrill young people as they are to horrify their parents and teachers, academic experts across the country are unearthing educational benefits in the digital games that surveys show are now played by more than 80 percent of American young people ages 8 to 18.

At the top of the experts’ lists are simulation and role-playing games, often played on the Internet alongside thousands of other participants, because of the vocabulary, reasoning and social skills they can boost.

Click here to read the rest of the Chicago Tribune article, ‘Skip the textbook, play the video game.’

By Howard Witt
Chicago Tribune senior correspondent

1) Attend Orientation With Your Kids

Orientation allows students to visit with counselors and advisors, set their schedule, meet other new students, and tour the campus. Parents have the opportunity to meet faculty, brainstorm, and bond with their kids. If you haven’t been involved in the decision process by now, Orientation is a great opportunity to get started with the transition.
2) Help Students Move In.
Whether they’re lucky enough to have their own apartment or are moving into a dorm the first year, they’re going to need your help. The experience can be overwhelming enough, so why not bring someone along (like you!) who can make sure all the paperwork is signed, clothing is packed, and trip is properly mapped out? Every parent has had to move at some point in his or her life, so consider taking time off of work to lend a hand.
3) Let Them Call You.
It will be difficult not to pick up the phone and dial your student’s number every five minutes just to “check up.” But resist the temptation! You and your student can make plans to call regularly once or twice each week, but give them at least one full week to adjust to college life alone. This time is crucial, for they are expected to start friendships, classes, social activities, and adulthood all at once. Believe me, if they need you they’ll call. If not, be proud of your great parenting skills and wait patiently. Read the rest of this entry »

Ten Questions to Ask Your Guidance Counselor by Grace Fleming:

It is a sad fact of life that high school counselors are often overworked. Often, one beleaguered counselor is responsible for hundreds of students. For this reason, you should plan counselor visits carefully, and know the right questions to ask when the opportunity arises.

It is the student’s responsibility to inform the counselor of his or her career and college goals. Smart students will visit the counselor’s office early and as often as possible.

Why? The more familiar you are to a counselor, the better advice you are likely to receive. It’s not that the counselor will play favorites, it’s just that (s)he is more likely to think of you if your face shows up in the office frequently, and is more likely to call on you when a scholarship offer appears in the mailbox .

This list can help you determine the questions that are relevant to your education goals. Read the rest of this entry »

Parents: when it comes to helping your child choose a college, you may be tempted to make a decision based mostly on cost, reputation and, possibly, your own alma mater.

However, campus visits can provide insight and information on a school that can’t easily be ranked in statistics. Visiting a school can give you and your child a chance to get a gut feeling about the environment, which becomes just as important as cost and how many professors have a PhD.

Knowing what to look for and what to do on a campus visit can help ensure that your child makes the right decision. Familyeducation.com offers these tips to make your campus visit as beneficial as possible. Read the rest of this entry »

“What will you major in?” Does that all-too-familiar question send you into a panic?

Relax. You’re still in high school, and you have plenty of time to choose a major. In fact, declaring your major early on limits the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity college offers: to explore different fields and discover ones you haven’t even heard of yet.

Why do students worry so much about choosing a major? Unfortunately, there are a lot of untruths floating around. Here’s your chance to compare myth to reality. Read the rest of this entry »

While high school can be a fun and exciting four years, many of you may be ready to ditch the labels that high school social workings usually impose on everyone. Whether you were called “jock”, “nerd”, “band geek” or something worse, college is the perfect opportunity to drop those restrictive titles while still embracing the talents and interests that made you join the football team, the math leagues or the marching band in the first place.

This article by Vicki Salemi found on msn.encarta gives great tips on how you can find your true self in the four years after high school. Read the rest of this entry »

If you have a few days off from school and aren’t going on any exciting family trips, check out this list of suggested reading to make the winter days go by a little faster. We at Counselor Companion have compiled a list of classics and not-so-classics (yet) that we consider a little more entertaining than some required reading. Enjoy!

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay by Michael Chabon
As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton
Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes
The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde
Lord of the Rings trilogy by J.R.R.Tolkein
Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolfe
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
The Princess Bride by William Goldman
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
White Teeth by Zadie Smith
The World According to Garp by John Irving

Your last year of high school is already half over. If you were considering applying for college scholarships and had not done so yet, now is the time to take action. But don’t apply without reading these tips from an article by Rebecca Vara on Collegebound.net.

“If winning a college scholarship was as easy as learning your ABCs, this article would be meaningless. Unfortunately, this is not the case. Instead, students have to submit their best stuff to be in contention for an award.

Every high school student in America is looking for the ultimate answer to winning a college scholarship, but we all know it’s no simple task. With as many as thousands of applications per competition, you need to do everything you can to make your application flawless. Using the advice of these scholarship judges is a good start in keeping your application out of the trash.

Read the rest of this entry »