Stepping Outa student's guide to education beyond the classroom |
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HOW??
The
following are a few commonly asked questions about the process of stepping out. For more questions and answers,
see
the concerns section.
All questions and responses are located on this page; you can click on them here or scroll on down...... How do I convince my parents this is a good idea? How do I finance this? How do I convince my school to let me take time off? I have already applied to college, now how do I get a deferral? How do I get credit? How do I use stepping out as a resume enhancer? How do I find programs that are right for me? CHECKLIST BEFORE I STEP OUT |
| How
do I convince my parents this is a good idea? All parents are different. Some may be supportive right off the bat, others may look at you like you're crazy. My guess is most are somewhere in the middle. Regardless of what your parents are like, here are some tips:
An initial hesitation for many people looking to step out is the cost. One may wonder: how can I afford to travel? Where do those people who are always taking off to new places get their money from? Some students have parents who support them financially, and they do not need to worry about this part. However, if this is not the case for you, or, if you'd prefer to take responsibility for yourself, here are some tips for financing:
How do I convince my school to let me take time off? Your strategy really depends on your school. If you are in college, talk to someone in administration. Most colleges allow you to take time off, although some have strict policies around receiving credit elsewhere during that time. If you are in high school, meet with your counselor. Figure out if you can take some courses online or during the summer in order to make up for lost time. Head to the programs page for a list of places that offer distance education and online courses (even degrees) for high school and college students--you may be able to make up for lost time online. Also, many universities offer online courses. Check with your university or potential university. In my experience, your best option is to talk to someone in your school as early as possible, and approach them with a clear plan of what you are doing with your time off and how it is educational. By talking to a counselor the spring before, I was able to miss the first two weeks of my junior year of high school to go to Argentina. I met with my teachers for the following year, did the work I was going to miss over the summer, and started school with no problems. Be clear, mature, thoughtful, and plan ahead! If your school sees that you are serious and responsible with what you are doing, you are more likely to get permission. Top
How
do I get credit?I
have already applied to college, now how do I get a deferral?
According to Gail Reardon, founder of Taking Off, over 3000 colleges and universities now accept deferrals. She explains, "The deferral process is not automatic. Students accept the college of their choice and then write to request a deferral. Some schools simply ask you to check a box (Harvard), while others want to have some sense of how you plan to spend your time. They don't expect a fully detailed plan in terms of what you will be doing, so students don't need to have it all figured out. I encourage students, in their letter of request, to talk about some of their ideas as to how they might spend their time and offer to provide further details when they are available, but I have never heard of anyone asking for follow-up. Your best bet is to contact your school after you have been accepted. Explain to them why you want to take time off, why it will be beneficial, and a little bit about what you plan to do. The easiest way to get credit for taking time off from school is by going through one of your school’s programs. While this website is focused on programs/opportunities beyond those academia already offers, that does not mean that you shouldn’t look into your school’s particular program. Study abroad, internships in the US and abroad, and different work experiences are offered through most universities. Check out your office of study abroad, career center, individual departments, or whichever resources your school has available. If you wish to get credit through something that your university or high school is not already involved with, it may be trickier. The best advice I can give you is to talk to a counselor or someone in your department at your particular university. If you go in organized, with a thoughful approach and a clear plan, specific reasons why what you are doing is related to your field of study or is a valuable educational experience, and how you intend to “prove” what you did deserves credit, you have a better chance. I have found that explaining the ways in which what you are doing relates to your academic goals, and why you need to pursue your goals in the manner you have chosen (i.e. instead of going through one of the University's programs), will usually get you pretty far. Also look into taking online courses or enrolling in a distance education university while stepping out. This is a way to keep getting credit while doing whatever it is you are doing; you may be able to take a math and writing course online for a term while interning in D.C. Head to the programs page for a listing of schools that offer distance ed courses, including high school courses. See if you can take a CLEP test in what you are studying. Over 2000 universities in the US and Canada award credit for passing these exams. They are similar to AP tests and available at many universities. This may be something to look into if you are studying a language abroad. Realize you may not get credit for what you do. And realize that education is about so much more than the number of credits you rack up. On the flip side of things, also consider whether or not you need the credit. Do you actually need more credits to graduate? Or are you just trying to get credit because that is what one usually gets for educational activities? Although it can be frustrating to not get credit (and therefore the academic acknowledgement) from what may be one of your most educational experiences, realize also that credit is something you have to pay for. Hopefully you will be learning throughout life, and, post-academia, you will not get any credit for these experiences. How do I use stepping out as a resume enhancer? The key in using stepping out as a resume enhancer, according to a number of different career counselors, is how you articulate what it is you learned. Here is what they have to say about it (emphases added): Clarice Wilsey, Associate Director of Career Development Services at the University of Oregon: I
believe that
almost any experience can be a positive advantage for a student in
their future plans. How that experience can be advantageous would
depend on how they want to communicate the benefits to a potential employer. If it's purely a travel
experience, the experience of understanding different
cultures, being independent, communicating with a variety of people,
problem-solving and decision-making could be skills
that the person has developed and could be beneficial to a potential
employer. If
we approach an employer with what we have learned they will be less
able to say...You wasted your time, why did you do that. They
will
see that you are a person that is growing, learning and trying to
develop through their experiences."
Donna Marino, Associate Director of Career Services, Skidmore College (New York): Internships
in [students'] fields would be viewed positively. As might
other
experiences, if the message is clear. For
example, if
someone traveled around Europe exploring the great museums and ancient
sites, and they were interested in art history, it could be seen as a
positive experience. If they traveled around Europe, working
on
farms, successfully making enough money for the next leg of their trip,
and they wanted to prove that they can take risks and initiative, have
strong enough interpersonal skills to pick up jobs like these quickly,
are diligent enough to get the job done and have a good referral for
the next job, again, it could be seen as a positive experience.
Judith Carruthers, Director of Career Development, Castleton State College (Vermont): As
the world "flattens", recruiters are looking for people with
international travel experience, familiarity with other cultures,
languages, etc. Personally I do not recommend people take
time
off unless they have a "plan". Having said that, I didn't
start
university until 31 with a grade nine education. Seven years
later, I graduated with a Masters Degree in English Literature.
I
became an international business and marketing consultant, a
professional cartoonist, author. Now I am adjunct faculty and
full-time Director of Career Development. I think the
eclectic
background makes me a dynamite director. So who's to say what is
the "right" road. Follow your heart.
Larry Sechney, Director of Career and Community Services, Kutztown University (Pennsylvania): I
would offer that any experience can be beneficial, but there are some
things that can prove to be more helpful. Certainly any
internship or other form of experiential educational experience would
be best. Again the important question to be asked is "what
did
you learn via this experience?" And don't forget the value
that
can be derived from volunteerism and public engagement.
It is important to use the time constructively. I don't care if students take a job in a paper mill or at Wal-Mart as long as they can articulate why they took the position and what they learned from it. To take time off to work on your tan or your serve/volley isn't going to cut it! Summary of How to Use Stepping Out as a Resume-Booster: Understanding what it is you learned from your experiences (whether good or bad) is essential. According to Clarice Wilsey, Associate Director of Career Development Services, University of Oregon, there are some generic skills (like interpersonal relations, problem solving, decision-making, organizing, planning, and conflict resolution) which are appropriate to a wide-range of career options. Explaining HOW and WHAT you learned while stepping out is key. How do I find programs that are right for me? If you check out the programs section of this website, as well as the what section, you will find more information on what is out there. In the meantime, realize there are a number of different things to take in to consideration when looking at what it is you want to do. Here are some questions to ask yourself:
Checklist before I step out.. Here is a short checklist of some things to think about before stepping out. By no means is it a complete list; instead, use it to start thinking about all the little steps involved.
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