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Total College Success: What You Absolutely Need to Know BEFORE Starting College

Total College SuccessTotal College Success provides the information you need to make a sound judgment on selecting and pursuing a degree program. Unlike other books that give you a cookie-cutter, 'one size fits all' approach to these subjects, the approach of this book is to educate you about the various aspects of choosing a college major, selecting a school, financing your education, and planning and pursuing your education. You will be able to effectively research schools, ask the right questions, develop your own thoughts, and make the right decisions that will benefit your career. This book provides insight and information that you won't find in other books.

Table of Contents   

Table of Contents

Preface..........xi
Why I Wrote This Book..........xi
Approach of the Book..........xiv
Conventions Used in this Book..........xv

Section 1 - About College..........1

Chapter 1 - Introduction..........3
Main Benefits of a College Education..........3
Alternatives..........4
Very Important Suggestion..........5

Chapter 2 - Terms and Credits..........7
College Terms..........7
College .......... 9

Chapter 3 - About College Courses..........11
Types of Courses..........11
General Education Courses..........12
Core Courses..........12
Electives..........13
Course Focus..........14
Course Levels..........16
Transfer Courses..........17
College Credit through Testing..........19
Grade Point Average (GPA)..........21
Withdrawals and Incompletes..........24
Transcripts..........25

Chapter 4 - About College Degrees..........27
College Majors and Minors..........27
Types and Levels of Degrees..........28
The Associate Degree..........29
The Bachelor Degree..........30
The Masters Degree..........31
The Specialist Degree..........32
The Doctorate Degree..........33
Doctorate Degree Tip..........35
Additional Degree Types..........36
Certificate and Diploma Programs..........37

Chapter 5 - About Colleges and Universities..........41
Public Colleges and Universities..........41
Private Colleges and Universities..........42
Ivy League Universities..........43
Government Study..........44
Sub-Categories of Colleges and Universities..........45
Political Bias..........46
Chapter 6 - Accreditation..........47
Regional Accreditation..........48
National Accreditation..........50
Specialized (Programmatic) Accreditation..........51
Other Accreditation..........52
Caution about Accreditation..........53
Other Acceptability Considerations..........53
Degree Mills..........55

Chapter 7 - About Online Education..........57
Types of On-Line Learning Activities..........61
Two Specialized Teaching Approaches..........63

Chapter 8 - Cost..........65
Tuition..........65
In-State Tuition versus Out-of-State Tuition..........66
Special In-State Tuition Programs for Non-Residents..........67
Additional Fees..........69
Large State Universities..........70
As Seen on TV..........71
A Financial Comparison of Public and Private Institutions..........71
Financing Your Education..........76

Chapter 9 - School and Course Quality..........79

Chapter 10 - Final Thoughts about College..........85

Section 2 - Selecting a College and Degree Major..........89

Chapter 11 - Picking Your Degree Major..........93
Some Real-World Stories..........93
Government Study..........97
Four Ideas..........100
Final Thoughts..........108

Chapter 12 - Selecting Your School and Getting In..........109
College Admissions..........109
Research the Schools..........112
Research the Programs..........116
Research the Instructors..........117
Aggressive Admissions Tactics..........119
Entrance Exams..........123
Red Flags..........125
Final Thoughts..........127

Section 3 - In College and Beyond..........129

Chapter 13 - Planning Your Degree..........131
Degree Plan..........131
Sequencing Your Courses..........136
Course Load..........139

Chapter 14 - In College..........145
Tips for Writing Projects and Papers..........145
Plagiarism..........148
Internet Research and Computer Literacy..........150
Netiquette, Email, and Respect..........152
Additional Suggestions..........153

Chapter 15 - After College..........157
Continuing Education..........157
Professional Development Courses..........158
Continuing Education Courses..........158
Professional Certifications..........158
Professional Associations..........159
Books and Periodicals..........160
Consider Another Degree..........160
The Bottom Line..........161

Chapter 16 - Conclusion..........163

About the Author..........165

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