You’re thinking about majoring in Criminal Justice. Many students pursuing criminal justice degrees are already in the field. They could be public safety officers, police force staff, civilian employees with the government, or other similar fields.  Often, these students decide to get a criminal justice degree because they love their jobs but realize that they could get further with a degree in criminal justice.

But, even if you aren’t already in the field, a degree in criminal justice or a similar sub-specialty is a great move. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many jobs in criminal justice fields are expected to grow in the next 10 years.

What exactly are those jobs?

The types of jobs you can get with a criminal justice degree primarily focus on areas of law or law enforcement and the justice system. Some areas of focus for criminal justice majors are:

• Law enforcement

• Corrections

• Pre-law or court professional

• Social work

• Criminology

• Criminal & forensic psychology

• Police science

Obviously, there are other paths towards the career areas listed above. It ultimately depends on your strengths and your opportunities if you want to pursue criminal justice or a similar major. Criminal justice can be a wonderful way to get a broad base of skills that could transfer into all sorts of areas like the ones listed above. So, it’s a great choice if you are not 100 percent sure where your career will take you. It’s also a great choice for law enforcement administration (and often required to advance in that career field).

Let’s look at some of the job areas of expertise and their degree requirements in more detail.

Law Enforcement Administration

For many entry-level jobs in law enforcement, a high school education is all you need. However, law enforcement agencies prefer candidates with an associate degree or higher. And, to advance to the administrative level, a degree is often required. Many police or law enforcement organizations prefer candidates for their management or administrative functions to have a deeper and broader understanding of criminal justice. A criminal justice degree can prepare current law enforcement personnel with tools for leadership plus an understanding of how policework fits within the broader society and within the justice system.

Corrections Officer

Similar to those who serve in law enforcement, many entry-level corrections officers are hired with a high school education. However, a correctional officer wanting to advance in their career or work in a federal penitentiary will often need a college education. There are schools that provide a sub-specialty of criminal justice just for those looking to serve in correctional institutions.

Pre-Law or Court Professional

There are many majors that can be helpful for those planning to go on to law school, and surprisingly, many law schools don’t favor particular undergraduate majors. Majors specifically labeled as pre-law aren’t offered everywhere and while they are designed to provide a mix of subjects that could provide a solid foundation for future law school studies, they certainly aren’t the only way to go. According to U.S. News & World Report, “There are other concentrations that can provide a solid foundation for legal education.”

Some other pre-law pathways may be more suitable depending on your end goal. For example, someone specializing in tax law may choose to do an undergraduate degree in finance and someone specializing in medical malpractice may take a more medical-friendly route towards their law degree. There is no one perfect path and there is flexibility in the end outcome for those who decide to pursue law or careers within the justice system.

For those pursuing other aspects of the legal system (besides pre-law) there is a diverse set of careers available. From paralegals who help lawyers prepare for hearings, trials, and corporate meetings to pre-trial and trial services like interpreters and other support services.

Social Work

There are many kinds of social workers and so there are also a few degree options that work for social work. Criminal justice may be a good fit if one plans to go into social work within some aspect of the legal or justice system. Within criminal justice, future social workers will find lots of opportunities like working with victims (forensic social work), working with those within the justice system or incarcerated individuals, case management, home visits, life skills or coping strategies for individuals at elevated risk of committing crimes or offenses. Social workers within these and other systems often deal heavily with the court systems so a working knowledge of criminal justice can be an advantage in this area.

Criminology

Criminology takes a more sociological approach to criminal justice. Sometimes criminology degrees fall under sociology, but they can also often fall under criminal justice. According to The Balance Careers, “Even though it may not hold the same glamour and excitement of other jobs in criminal justice, a career as a criminologist is no less important. In fact, for those of an academic mind, it may present the best opportunity to contribute to the prevention and treatment of crime.”

A criminologist takes a more holistic view of crime in much the same way that an epidemiologist takes a 1,000 view of disease. They look at things like demographics and trends that may be tied to increases in crime and they look for ways to reduce crime before it happens by improving access to things like afterschool care for troubled youth or drug treatment programs in areas where drug abuse leads to higher levels of crime. An important aspect of criminology is also the ability to collaborate with communities and law enforcement, so criminologists need to be able to take in and digest multiple (potentially opposing) viewpoints.

Many criminologists pursue advanced degrees, most often a master’s degree or higher. Job roles for criminologists often include working for state, local or federal government entities to pursue their work.

Criminal & Forensic Psychology

Made popular by TV shows like Mindhunter and Criminal Minds, criminal psychology is a branch of psychology specifically devoted to studying the minds of criminals. Many criminal psychologists start out with an undergraduate degree in psychology or forensic psychology, but criminal justice can also be a gateway to this professional path.

Criminal psychologists often pursue advanced degrees, and you must have a doctorate to be a licensed psychologist in many states. Similar to criminology, many criminal psychologists work for government-run institutions like prison systems or psychiatric hospitals. Another option for criminal psychology majors is to work in an academic setting as a researcher.

Forensic psychology is closely related to criminal psychology but can include services for a wider array of groups, including victims of crime, witnesses, attorneys, and law enforcement.

Police Science

Police science is an umbrella term referring to any science related to the investigation of crimes or the prosecution of criminals. So, police science includes the previously discussed criminal psychology, forensic psychology, criminology, and it can include other sciences when performed in relation to police work.

An Evolving Field

While this is by no means an exhaustive list, it should give you a general idea of the wide array of careers available for criminal justice majors. Criminal justice is an ever-evolving field and there are new ways to utilize these skills all the time. For instance, criminology is a relatively new field that was only recently identified as a subspecialty dealing with both criminal justice and sociology. Criminal justice is a great choice if you know you want to work in the field but don’t have a set idea yet of where you want to go. It provides a good general education in many areas related to police work, the study of criminals and criminal behavior and the justice system. Plus, starting out in a broader target major is a great way to gain exposure and experience with all these areas, which should help you narrow down your focus as you go. Good luck!

Did you know that Pearson Accelerated Pathways can help you down the path to a criminal justice degree? Find out how we can help you get started on your educational journey and learn more about our degree planning tools by speaking with our academic advising team.

Many students are experiencing burnout. It’s a common-enough situation in the best of times. But right now, students are struggling extra hard to stay focused on school and on their ultimate goals. If you’re looking for tips to help you stay focused and achieve back-to-school success, you’re in the right place.

I sat down with our Success Coach Manager, Peter Marshall, to chat about trends he’s seeing with students. “I think we’re just starting to see the effects of Delta. There is this underlying fear with students right now,” explains Marshall.

When so much is in flux, like it has been with the pandemic the past several years, it can be difficult to buckle down and do what needs to be done for your education. The good news is that Marshall has some excellent tips to help students get back on track (and stay on track) even through difficult times.

1. Practice Good Time Management

Marshall explains that protecting your study time is crucial to going back to school. This is particularly true for working students that may have many other competing priorities. “It all starts on Mondays,” says Marshall. “You’ll see this trick a lot with personal trainers too. If you want to really stick with something and make it a priority you should always make time for it early in the week.” The adage, “Never miss a Monday” applies to your schoolwork and not just your weight training sessions. Set aside some time early in the week to get started on your schoolwork. It will set the tone for the rest of your week.

2. Make a Place for School

A good study area is more helpful than you know. Just like having a dedicated fitness area (at a gym or at home) improves your likelihood of sticking to your exercise habit, having a dedicated spot in your home for studying improves your chances of getting study time in regularly and sets you up for success. A study space also gives you a place where you know you can focus on school and get into a routine – i.e., “When I sit down at this desk I study.” According to our partner school, Maryville University, “A study space can be a home office, attic nook, kitchen table, or – for those who have limited living space – an area in a bedroom or living room. Creating a dedicated space may be an ideal choice if you are easily distracted and have a hard time focusing amid other distractions, such as the television, smartphone notifications, and social media accounts." Marshall gives these tips for designing the right study space, “It is better to create a space that is not in a high traffic area where kids are running around, or your roommates are binging Netflix. It’s also good to keep all your materials you need in this space.”  You can think of this space as always ready for study time. You can store your books here when you are not in class, you can attend virtual classes here, and you can make sure you always have a pack of pencils here.

3. Give Yourself a Quick Win

Marshall often coaches older students who can be daunted by the thought of going back to school. “Giving these students a quick win to show them they can make progress can be a real game changer in the beginning,” says Marshall. Marshall recommends starting with a simple class. New students with Accelerated Pathways receive a complimentary StudySMART course that many students enjoy because it eases them back into school. StudySMART and an additional course called Student Success are available to students through Accelerated Pathways. Both provide valuable information for all students but especially those who may have been away from school for a while or students who need an extra boost to get going strong. Again, using the analogy of exercise, many personal trainers will start with a quick easy workout the first time. The point is not to burn 1,000 calories or lift enormous weights in your first session. The point is to show new exercisers that it can be done. That they can ease into a new way of life. The same goes for returning to school.

4. Break It Down

When confronted with a big, audacious goal, it must be broken down into easy actionable steps. Many top business leaders (and leaders in general) live by this philosophy. Taken even further, to achieve big things, start by thinking small. For example, if you want to go back to school, start with a goal of talking to an admissions counselor. Breaking down your big goals into small manageable chunks gives you a place to start. It also de-stresses the situation. Big goals tend to be paralyzing. It’s like you’re confronted with too many possibilities. By creating small actionable steps, you remove the paralyzing force and give yourself the push you need to move forward with more confidence.

5. Take Breaks

Research shows that taking purposeful breaks when doing schoolwork can improve your ability study. Marshall recommends the Pomodoro method to his students. “Every 25 minutes, take a 5-minute break,” he says. While the Pomodoro method calls for a very specific schedule of work to break time, you can find a rhythm that works for you. Maybe studying for an hour is more feasible for you. Great! You may want to consider increasing your break to 10 minutes to accommodate for that extra time. Many students find that having scheduled study breaks can keep them focused more reliably for their designated “study time.” Try it!

6. Hit Your Milestones

As you’re goal setting, don’t be afraid to really map out what both short- and long-term goals look like for your education. Give yourself some deadlines. Do you want to finish that bachelor’s degree you started in the next two years? Well, work backwards from that date and give yourself some milestones along the way. This can help you keep your sights not only on your short-term goals but on your long-term success too. Making your goals timebound is essential if you are a fan of the S.M.A.R.T. goals method, which helps people set very defined actionable goals and then gives themselves a deadline for achievement. We cover setting S.M.A.R.T. goals in this post on continuous learning. Setting milestones functions in much the same way.

So, whether you are a high school student jumping straight to college courses or you are returning to school after quite some time away, these tips should help you hit the ground running. College isn’t easy and it does require a lot of self-discipline. But that’s where Accelerated Pathways comes in. Our coaches are trained to help students—no matter what stage of life they are currently in—stick to and achieve their goals. Reach out for more information on how Accelerated Pathways can help you overcome burnout and use these strategies and more to achieve your educational goals.

Going to college when you deal with a chronic medical issue or other disability is stressful for many students. For students with underlying health issues, college during the COVID-19 pandemic is even more fraught.

College Students with Disabilities are Common

As many as 17% of young people may suffer from chronic conditions or other disabilities. When mixed with a viral outbreak (like COVID-19) those chronic health conditions become more serious. Those suffering from chronic conditions may be unable to be vaccinated or have suppressed immune systems that cause the vaccine to be less effective. The current CDC advice for immunocompromised patients is to remain vigilant (even when vaccinated) and take the same precautions as unvaccinated Americans against COVID-19. When trying to balance a health issue with higher education, it’s important to be kind to yourself. College is hard for healthy people and so it’s completely understandable to struggle if you’re balancing college with health issues.

Look for Accommodations in Advance

If this sounds like you, there are ways you can excel in college. If you choose an on-campus experience, be sure to investigate your healthcare options in advance. Find a healthcare provider you trust and get set up with them as a patient. Also, don’t be afraid to work with your school of choice to get the accommodations you need. If you have a documented illness that falls under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and you are attending a public or private school that receives federal funding, your school must “make their programs accessible to students with disabilities.” When you work with your school, ask if they may be able to offer you special housing, added time for tests or exams, priority registration, or other accommodations that fit your circumstances. To find out what accommodations your school can offer, contact their office for services for students with disabilities – most schools will have one.

Online Programs Are a Good Option

If you are struggling attending school on campus, then you could consider an online program to supplement or fulfill your degree requirements. Not only is online a good choice for many medical needs, but it also gives you more flexibility to complete your degree. And because many classes are self-paced, you won’t miss anything if you’re out sick or need to see a doctor.

Accelerated Pathways offers online programs, and we work with students that may struggle to attend classes in person for a variety of reasons. Our programs offer cost savings for college courses that are guaranteed to transfer to thousands of degree programs nationwide. Our academic coaches work with you to discover how you can complete your classwork in a remote setting that fits your lifestyle.

Peter Marshall, Academic Success Coach Manager for Accelerated Pathways, works with multiple students that have started online programs to get their college degree because of disabilities. He reports that many of them are happy with their remote learning options. “I recently coached a student with impaired vision that had trouble seeing the board in a traditional classroom setting,” says Marshall. “This student went from struggling to see the board to excelling in school through our online programs.”

The Key is Self-Care

Most importantly, take care of yourself. Don’t let all your self-care routines fall by the wayside when you get caught up in college life. Make time for wellness visits and doctors' appointments. Listen to your body and let your healthcare provider know early if you feel like you might be struggling physically or mentally in your new environment. According to Dr. Amy S. Paller in Teen Vogue, “Make sure you put your health care needs on the calendar. You’ll be incredibly busy, but don’t neglect your daily responsibilities related to health, and say ‘no’ if needed to make sure you get enough sleep.” Going to college either in person or online can be a rite of passage for many students. Whatever your pathway towards a degree, by managing your chronic condition, you can set yourself up for success.

As many schools moved to fully-remote learning last year, students saw their dreams of the college experience disintegrate. According to CNBC’s College Voices series, “Many students could no longer afford to enroll. Others didn’t want a diminished college experience as coronavirus forced most universities online and internships, jobs, and study abroad opportunities were canceled. Others were simply burned out from the stress of the pandemic.”

Thus, it’s no surprise that many students chose to step away from school last fall and take a gap year instead. Other students were forced to scrap the idea of college altogether. In fact, college and postsecondary enrollments dropped in 2020 and community colleges were hit especially hard as the most vulnerable college students were forced to make difficult family and life decisions. 

Now, as we drive towards fall 2021, students are still struggling with decisions around college and to reconcile their “lost year” and its effects on their future.

For some people, their gap year is ending, and they have decided to enroll or reenroll in school. They may be having a tough time deciding about college while there are still uncertainties. Still others have been hit so hard by the pandemic that maybe college doesn’t seem like a realistic choice for them anymore.

If you’re struggling to make decisions about college, you have choices. Don’t just dismiss your college education outright. Read on to find out more about some of the options available based on your circumstances. Whether you are considering taking time off, pursuing a gap year or a leave of absence, or you are thinking about returning to school after some time away, you should keep the following in mind.

Taking a Break for Mental Health Reasons

Your mental health must be your priority. If you're contemplating some time away from school or you've already taken time away, don't feel discouraged. You certainly aren't alone. Psychologist Adam Grant recently described the doldrums that many have been feeling during the pandemic...it’s called “languishing.” And that’s not to minimize the mental health crisis that COVID has only exacerbated for others during the pandemic.

According to Mental Health America, “...colleges understand that other things may come up for students, there are procedures that allow them time away when needed. In terms of Leaves related to mental health, schools have different policies and procedures depending on circumstances.” The important thing to note is that many students that take time off to deal with mental health related care report that the time was useful and helpful when looking at the long term.

If possible, work with your school or university. It’s in their best interest for you to succeed and graduate so they have a personal stake in you. In addition to that, you have rights! Documented mental health issues can qualify you for “reasonable accommodations” related to your illness. These accommodations are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Talk to your college or university to learn more and to find out what accommodations your school provides. 

Taking a Gap Year, a Leave of Absence, or Deferring Your Enrollment

If you want to take some time to explore before (or even during) college, you aren’t alone. As many as 40% of students last year opted to take a gap year, a much higher number than normal due to COVID-19. If you aren't sure what you want to study or need a little time to explore your interests prior to jumping into higher education, taking a gap year might be a solution.  

A gap year can yield positive results, if done right. On average, students that took a gap year had shorter times to graduate and higher grades than national averages. So, a gap year can help you set yourself up for success by allowing you to make important decisions about your future and helping you gain focus and perspective it’s hard to get just launching straight from high school into college.

The caveat to all these benefits for gap year students is to be sure you set guidelines on your leave, so your gap year doesn’t turn into a gap decade! And keep in mind that taking time out of school can reduce your earning years, so make sure it’s the right decision for you.

So, how to maximize your gap year benefits and minimize the downfalls? Keep these guidelines in mind as you plan your gap year: 

Guideline 1: Have a Re-entry Plan

Have you already been admitted to a college? Be sure to understand your college or university's policy around deferring or taking a leave of absence. While some schools have openly encouraged (see Harvard) students to defer their education, others have responded to the pandemic by tightening up their rules around deferments...so just be sure you know where YOUR school falls on that spectrum and have a plan to deal with it upon your return.

Edgar Lopez, a PhD candidate in Urban Education quoted in CNBC.com explains, “Research has shown for Latinx students in particular, the longer they take gap years, the less likely they are going to return back to campus.” So, having a plan to come back and setting some boundaries on the front-side of a leave of absence is essential. 

Guideline 2: Set Some Boundaries

Don’t just spend your gap year huddled up watching reruns of Real Housewives in your parents’ basement. Get a plan in place to maximize your time away from school and have a goal of when you want to return. This doesn’t mean every second of your year/semester/whatever has to be planned out, but it helps to have a few things lined up. Line up a volunteer gig or an internship to focus your time and energy while you are away. Or maybe you’ve always wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. Now’s your chance to plan that epic road trip. Now is a chance to mark off a bucket list item or do some soul searching. 

Guideline 3: Uncover Your Passions

This is what a gap year is all about. It’s a chance to explore what you are passionate about and maybe gain some real-world experience at the same time. While your high school (and much of your college) education is theoretical knowledge, a gap year is a chance to gain some real-world experience. And the best way to maximize your investment (because a gap year IS an investment of time and a deferment of your income-earning years) is to discover whether what you think you might be a good fit for is going to be a good fit in the real world. For example, have you ever heard of a student that spends time and money on pre-law and then law school only to discover they hate being a lawyer? If they’d taken some time to intern at a law firm prior or interviewed lawyers in their field of interest prior to earning that expensive degree, maybe they'd have realized it wasn't a good fit after all.

So, when used wisely, a gap year can actually save you time and money discovering what might or might not be a good career for your future self. It’s like a little glimpse into your proposed future. 

If you’re considering taking some time off from your education, you can use tools like Pearson Accelerated Pathways to continue your progress. Our advisors are available and can walk students through a plan to get online college credit during their gap year (even if it’s just one course at a time). When you speak with our experts, they can build you a plan that includes college credit that can be earned from anywhere and is guaranteed to transfer into your current degree program. Find out if you are a good fit so you can continue to make progress towards your degree while you’re away from school. 

Leaving School

Has the pandemic (or other financial or life stressors) forced you to drop out? Maybe your gap year has (either intentionally or unintentionally) morphed into an extended leave of absence or an exodus from higher education. If you ended up taking an extended amount of time off from school, you can get back into the swing of things.

Programs like Accelerated Pathways allow students with full-time jobs or those who are taking time off to travel a way to pursue higher education at their own pace. Our advisors speak to students like you to develop individual plans that allow you to pick a path towards education that fits your life and your goals. And our advisors can map degree plans to thousands of colleges and areas of study in the United States.

So, if you are struggling to get back into school after taking a COVID-related (or any!) leave of absence, it might be worth a look at programs like Pearson Accelerated Pathways where you can gradually ease your way back into school and you don’t have to give up your job, your family, your travels, or your life. 

According to Inside Higher Ed, “’State of the art’ is changing month by month in many fields. Not only are technologies changing, but applications are proliferating, industries are emerging, new consumer markets are sprouting and the road map for the future is clear only for the near term.” 

That’s why upskilling, continuing education, and other forms of lifelong learning are so important. With the way technology is advancing, you can’t graduate high school or college and expect to stay current on everything you need to know for your future career.

Pierre Vandergheynst and Isabelle Voneche in an article for Aeon (and republished by Fast Company) posit the idea that universities and other institutions should invest in the new realities of lifelong learning by subsidizing or at least aiding the workforce with reskilling, upskilling or continuing education. “Universities must realize that learning in your 20s won’t be enough. If technological diffusion and implementation develop faster, workers will have to constantly refresh their skills,” Vandergheynst and Voneche argue.

In my role in marketing, I am constantly pursuing new avenues to do my job better. From watching informational videos on social media strategy to earning a certification from Google, I am often exploring new things for my job. So, how do you learn to embrace a way of life where learning happens continuously through school, your career, and beyond. There are several strategies to embrace a continuous learning mindset. Here are my top 5:

1. Don’t be afraid of a challenge. This is probably THE most important tip I can give. Nothing encourages you to learn a new skill like tackling a new challenge or taking on a project with skills you don’t already have in your toolbelt. So many of us shy away from projects involving new skills but if you keep an open mind and you have a supportive team, then you can accomplish new things! If you work in an industry that’s stagnant and you want a reason to adopt new skills, consider volunteering or taking a freelance gig that will introduce you to learning opportunities. Or use your continuing education mindset to learn a new skill or hobby.  Part of the reason this works so well is that it forces you to commit to a new skill to accomplish your goals. Just be sure to choose skills that align with your current knowledge level. For example, it may not be wise to don’t to learning a programming language if you haven’t yet mastered replying to email. Otherwise, you might be setting yourself up for failure. 

2. Stay focused. According to John Boitnott for Inc.com, “The human brain possesses amazing computing abilities, but, like all processors, it can only do so much. To maximize learning time, prioritize what goals you have in learning and knock those out first before moving on to others. I have found this to be true in my own life. When learning a new skill, it helps to maintain an extended focus on that skill as much as possible. It gives your brain the time and energy to adopt that skill more fully so your better able to incorporate it into future projects. In other words, you’ll have a long-term skill you retain rather than just a skill you perform for the project at hand and then forget it for the future.

3. Make a SMART Plan. You have probably heard various theories around goal setting and achievement. There’s so much information floating around because it’s universally important no matter where you are or where you want to go in life. Achieving goals around your education are no different. To make it a priority, it’s best to establish it as a goal and make a concreate plan to Get. It. Done. When dealing with larger, more unwieldy or ambiguous goals like “continue my education” it can be helpful to use SMART goal setting techniques to quantify and map out your goals. Here’s how it works:

   1. SMART is an acronym for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. It’s a well-established system for goal setting in a clear and actionable way. First, you need to make your educational goal Specific. According to Kat Boogaard for software company, Atlassian’s blog. “A specific goal answers questions like: What objective needs to be accomplished?” When thinking through your specific goal, it’s best to work through the details so you can be specific enough to really get a handle on your goal.

   2. Next, make sure your goal is Measurable. That means it must be something that can be quantified. If you’re going for a certification, that’s easy. Earning the certification is a way to measure whether you’ve achieved your goal. If your goal is something around learning management skills it could be a little more difficult to quantify. But, maybe there is a management course you could take or a certain number of management books you could read. Think of a way you can make your goal measurable so you can easily chart your progress towards completion.

   3. Achievable. “This is the point in the process when you give yourself a serious reality check,” says Boogaard. “Is the goal you’ve outlined attainable?” Don’t give yourself an impossible task or set yourself up for failure.

   4. Relevant. Be sure the goal you choose has real world implications. It’s best if you pick something that you can use or that helps you in your work or in your personal life. Those are the goals you’re most likely to stick with and achieve in the long run.

   5. Time bound. Give yourself a deadline. This works best if it’s an external deadline (which, of course, you’re more likely to stick to). But, if there really is no external deadline you can create, then create a self-imposed limit. It helps you to map out your time and give yourself some parameters to work within.  

4. Regard it as an investment. An investment in continuing your education is an investment in yourself. Whether it’s a certificate, learning a new skill or getting a degree online, taking time to further your education is a wonderful way to gain confidence, learn new skills, further your career and just maybe make more money. So, regard education as the investment it is!  Are you looking to invest in college courses? Then Accelerated Pathways can help! Learn more about how we supply personal degree pathways and student advising for online college.

5. Reward Yourself. Taking the time to learn something new, while rewarding in its own right, still requires a level of dedication that isn’t always present in our day-to-day life. So, celebrate little milestones and small wins along the way. Go for pizza, take an afternoon at the pool, or do something else to reward yourself for a job well done. Try to program time to reward yourself for that 5-hour study session. Or take a day off family or work obligations after a certification course. You deserve to celebrate the big wins and the little wins too! 

A mindset of continuous learning is growing essential to staying ahead in many industries. By adopting these practices, you can learn new skills, keep your brain sharp, and set yourself up for future success.

We recently reported on the waitlist dilemma this year with waitlists growing for some colleges and universities while other schools struggle to get enrollments. You can read more about the waitlist dilemma colleges are facing in part 1 of this blog series.

Now, in part 2, we’re going to pivot to address students that have found themselves in the middle of their own waitlist dilemma.

Have you been waitlisted?  

Maybe you were on a waitlist, but you decided to forego college in the fall and try again later or you decided ultimately to attend another school. If that describes your situation, some of these tips may help you while you wait or at least reframe your situation.

It’s understandable to be confused or even depressed when you’ve been waitlisted for a school you really hoped to attend. College is supposed to be the best time of your life and you may have had a certain vision for how you thought you’d start your college career. It can be crushing to have it start off with such an uncertain outcome for admissions. Don’t despair! Waitlisted doesn’t mean denied. And, you have a lot of options if you are waitlisted. Don’t let it derail you from achieving great things. You may just have to reframe your outlook slightly.

In the meantime, review these tips below for ideas on how to get ahead in school, finances, and elsewhere while you’re waiting. 

5 Tips for Waitlisted Students 

1. Take a realistic look at your budget – If you haven’t already, think about how you’re going to pay for school. If you are accepted into your school of choice, is attending a real possibility for you and your budget? Unfortunately, for many schools, waitlisted students fall at the bottom of the pecking order for financial aid packages so you may find yourself scrambling to make ends meet. If budget is a concern, read more about affording college on a budget.

2. Save, save, save – It can be frustrating to be in limbo, and you may just feel like letting off steam, but don’t forget to use this time to sock away money for college too. If you’ve decided to take time off to travel, consider taking a job that will travel with you, like an au pair, or language teacher. Saving money on college isn’t just about putting money into a savings account, though. It can be about planning out your major and courses to save time and money on your degree path in the long run. Think about the total economics of a college degree and avoid wasting money on unnecessary credits by making sure you know what major you want and what classes you need to get there. Did you know that Pearson Accelerated Pathways provides students with a personalized college plan for their school of choice? This plan maps out every course needed to transfer into the school of your dreams and potentially graduate faster and for less money. Want to hear more about how it works? Talk to our team today!

3. Let your school of choice know you’re serious – Many students apply to multiple schools and sit on multiple lists, waiting for their best offer. Let your school of choice know how serious you are by claiming your spot on the waitlist (if you haven’t already) and you can even email your admissions counselor to let them know how invested you are. “In the industry, this is known as “demonstrating interest,” explains Joanna Nesbit for Money.com. “Send an email to the admissions counselor in charge of your region expressing interest in attending if accepted and include any notable updates you didn’t already submit.” Ideally, you want to try to keep your school of choice updated with everything you have done and continue to do to stand out of the pack. You want them to remember you. According to Princeton Review, “Request an interview, even if you interviewed with the school already. Face time can make a difference. Use this opportunity to showcase your most recent accomplishments and to reiterate your commitment to attend the school if chosen.”

4. Get ahead with online courses – Consider taking some courses online while you’re waiting for your dream school. Not only will you be earning college credits (that are less expensive) you also have the potential to do well in your classes and be able to provide that news back to your admissions counselor (see above tip). Pearson Accelerated Pathways would be an ideal choice to earn credits towards your dream school because we can build a college plan that includes credits that are guaranteed to transfer into your college and major of choice. Plus, online courses provide the flexibility you need to work or play during your gap year or while you’re waitlisted.  

5. Stay positive – Remember, even being waitlisted for your dream school is an accomplishment. Odds are that many applicants didn’t make it this far. And, if you don’t end up going to your dream school now, you can always start somewhere else. Try to see the positives about attending a different school or taking those online courses mentioned above. Maybe you can save some money and try again as a transfer student. You could even get to your alternate school and fall in love with it. Life is so crazy and unexpected that way. So, if you’re waitlisted keep your chin up and think positively!  

Maybe it’s a blessing...not a curse 

Hopefully these tips will help you see your situation in a new light. In time, you just might come to find that being on a waitlist allowed you to see things in a new way, to be more dynamic and flexible. I speak from experience when I say, having a dynamic and flexible outlook on life is probably going to benefit you in the long run...so learning how to pivot and evolve earlier rather than later in your life is a blessing. 

If you do decide to pursue some college credit, take a look at Pearson Accelerated Pathways with easy-to-transfer credit options for your school of choice. Find out if we can work to get you the courses you need to get started on your degree today. 

This is the first in a two-part series on waitlisted students. Be sure to check out our part 2 post with actionable steps for students that have been waitlisted for college.

Earlier this year, Art & Science Group, a college admissions consulting firm, found that 20% of students surveyed were on a waiting list for college. If that number seems high, you’re not wrong. But why, amongst all these reports of the declining rates of college enrollments are we seeing an increase in waitlisted students? There are several reasons: 

Increased Applications for Some Schools 

Many top colleges and universities have recently announced they are going “test optional” for their admissions process (that is, not requiring ACT or SAT scores as a part of their applications). In fact, all Ivy League schools - Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Brown, Columbia, Barnard, Dartmouth, UPenn and Cornell - report they will be test optional for Fall 2022 admissions.

The reasons behind this movement towards test-optional admissions are varied and complex. Some schools are seeking a more diverse student body, and many academic institutions cite grades as the primary indicator of future academic success. According to analysis of NACAC’s survey of college admissions officers by IvyWise, “the most important factor in admission decision is grades – colleges know that how a student performs day-in and day-out in the classroom is much more important than how they do on one day on one three-hour test.”

This movement away from test scores has encouraged many candidates to submit applications to prestigious schools where they are more likely to end up waitlisted. According to the Art & Science Group report, “...it seems possible that substantial interest in enrolling at a waitlisting institution is at least in part a ‘reach’ effect. In other words, as more students apply to schools they would normally consider out of reach, more are likely to find themselves on waitlists at their dream schools and consequently more than usually inclined to be willing to make a change if they have the chance.”

So, while established and prestigious schools may have an excess of hopeful candidates sitting on their waitlists, community colleges and other schools already hard hit by the pandemic are dealing with ever dwindling enrollments.

A Huge Disparity 

“While the top universities appear to have significant demand going into the home stretch for fall 2021, institutions in tiers immediately below may face greater uncertainty in the face of a pandemic that remains unpredictable in its impact on college campuses...If schools higher in the pecking order admit substantial numbers of students from their waitlists, schools further down could be more adversely affected” (Art & Science Group). 

So top schools, with more enrollments than ever, are maintaining large waitlists and more students are willing to sit around on the waitlist in the hopes that they can make it into their coveted dream school. Many students see only the possibility of attending a dream school even if their test scores previously wouldn’t allow it. And, in these strange times, we’re all perhaps a little more likely to go out on a limb to achieve our dreams. We’ve already been through so much turmoil, sitting on a college waitlist probably seems a minor inconvenience for most college hopefuls these days. 

According to Joanna Nesbit for Money.com, “This year’s admission season was wilder than most. While less competitive private colleges and regional public universities are still struggling to attract enough students, many brand-name colleges saw soaring application numbers, driven in part by a near universal shift to test-optional policies and a surge from international students who sat out last year. Colgate University, for example, saw applications more than double, from 8,000 to 17,000, while the University of California Berkeley fielded 112,821 applications — a 28% increase — for 6,000 spots.”

Are you waitlisted? You might think about getting a job or living rent free at home while you’re waiting on a college decision. Maybe you decided to take a gap year and go for a dream school next year. Whatever you’ve decided, if you’re waitlisted or waiting a year, we’ve got some tips to help you navigate your time wisely.

If you want to read more about being waitlisted for college, check out our next post in this series with steps you can take to get ahead if you've been waitlisted.

Want to learn more about Accelerated Pathways? We can help students get a head start on college with easy online courses that transfer into the college and degree of your choice. Learn more about how we're changing the college experience today.

Moving from high school to college can be intimidating, even if you’ve built up your college credit through dual enrollment or AP courses, deciding to declare your major can still invoke anxiety in many college students. The good news is that most students entering college or early in their college careers have time to figure out a major.

When you'll declare your major

Generally, college students do not need to pick a major until they have completed quite a bit of general education (to make your bachelor’s degree more well-rounded) credits. Usually these more low-level general credits make up around 60 of the ninety credits in a bachelor’s degree. However, if you end up choosing to declare a very specific major (like pre-med or a more technical field) you may need more specialized credits than say an English major.

If you want to see the types of general education courses that fit into many different majors, be sure to check out this previous post from our team on the credit breakdown of a bachelor’s degree.  And, if you get to the end of your general education courses and you still don’t have an idea of what you want to do, then, there are some general majors that lend themselves to lots of different career paths. It might be a good idea to pick one of those. Many (maybe even most!) students do just that.

Take a logical approach to declare your major

According to Cairn University, “Many freshmen enter college undeclared and even those who think they know what they want to study end up changing their minds.”  The experts at Cairn advise students to think about general areas they may want to pursue after college and try to choose an area of study that fits with those goals. For example, if you think you might want to do some sort of social work or have an interest in the human mind or human behavior, psychology might be a good general degree to pursue. And, if you really have no idea and you want some flexibility in your class choices, than a liberal arts/interdisciplinary studies degree could be your ticket to ride. 

Accelerated Pathways is a great choice for those who are undecided. We offer personalized degree pathways that are guaranteed to transfer into your school and degree of choice and we have one-on-one academic advisors to help you understand your options. Learn about the most popular majors and take a step towards your degree by speaking with our student counselors.

If you’re looking for the most popular majors across the United States that are a good general bet, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, they include things like: 

• Business

• Health professions

• Social sciences/history

• Psychology

Finally, if you are still unsure, it’s always a good idea to look at what worked for you in high school. What subjects made you the most excited? What subjects came to you more easily? Those may lead you down a path towards an area where you can really make a difference in your life and perhaps the lives of others.

To learn more about Pearson Accelerated Pathways or to book some time to speak with our higher education experts, reach out to us today! 

College enrollment numbers fell in both fall 2020 and spring 2021. Community college numbers took the largest dip, down 11% spring 2021 according to recent data from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center.

 It’s sobering news just as we’re contemplating our lives looking more normal. And, it has larger implications for long term success for marginalized communities. According to Mamie Voight, interim president of the Institute for Higher Education Policy, “These drastic shifts in enrollment are the latest example of how the pandemic has derailed higher education plans for students across the country, and exposed and deepened inequities along racial and socioeconomic lines. The drop in community college enrollment in particular will largely be felt for generations.”

Our own internal research shows a similar story. According to the 2020 Pearson Global Learners Survey, 74% of respondents feel that “fewer people will be able to afford a university education as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”  Evidence suggests that the effects of COVID-19 on higher education could be lasting. with more than 80% of learners in the United States saying they think colleges and universities will be fundamentally different post pandemic.   According to Karin Cantrell, Research and Insights Lead within Pearson Online Learning Services (POLS) “There’s a lot to be on the lookout for as we monitor the seismic activity in the higher ed landscape. Low enrollment in community college is going to have a long-lasting impact on the level of skills and credentials in the workforce. While elite institutions will still appeal to a certain segment, others will be looking for different ways to become employable.”

Opportunity for Learners through Online Programs

It’s not all doom and gloom. Online learning has been picking up some of the slack in higher education and it appears to be here to stay. According to NACADA, “Online education is an integral part of higher education...and online enrollments have continued to grow at rates far in excess of the total higher education student population.”  This points to a future where online learning is even more prevalent with the vast majority of those surveyed (87%) saying that online learning at the university level not going anywhere.  Globally, 78% of those surveyed believe online learning will give people more access to a quality education. However, some experts caution that while providing low-cost opportunities for higher education, online learning can lead to inequalities amongst at-risk students for retention and overall performance.

Looking for an online program that can help you succeed? Pearson Accelerated Pathways provides pathways to online education coupled with personalized degree planning and academic advising. It’s a combination of online courses and resources meant to reduce college costs and lead to success in online education. Learn more about our programs today! 

While online learning isn’t going anywhere, we shouldn’t just embrace it without question. Online education requires a student to be driven and organized with their time. In order to help online students feel more connected and have a good experience, Drexel University’s Master of Science in Higher Education experimented with programs to personalize the online experience of their courses. Among their findings? “The role of an academic advisor is essential in creating a sense of community and connecting online students to the institution.”  

If you’re looking for online programs for college, look for established online programs that provide well-rounded resources for students to excel in online environments. Drexel University’s research indicates that online students want programs that are personalized and where they can interact in ways that work for their schedule. “Technology allows academic advisors to reach out...and bring the campus to online students,” reports NACADA. 

Pearson Accelerated Pathways was designed specifically for that purpose. Our online programs offer a unique blend of custom degree pathways designed specifically for each student’s goals and needs coupled with academic advising to ensure students are set up for success in online learning. To learn more about our programs, sign up for a free advising session today.