Type Of College Degree

College Degree
College Degree

There is a certain sense of distinction that comes with having a college education. No matter what type of college degree you have, whether it is a 2-year associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, or a higher level graduate degree, you know that your chances for securing stable work are very high. In fact, many career fields are not even accessible to someone if her or she does not have some type of college degree. Whether you earn a technical certificate, a liberal arts degree, or a professional degree, you will be prepared to enter some field in which you will have the knowledge and the ability to excel in what you are doing.

Though not unheard of, it is unusual to see someone rise through the ranks of an organization of any kind, especially on a managerial level, without at least some formal college training. Where a high school diploma used to be enough to secure at least an entry level position and allow a person to work his or her up through the organization by hard work alone, that is just simply not the case any longer. Earning some type of college degree prepares you not only for specific subject skills, but also equips you with communications and decision-making skills that are appropriate to the professional world, no matter what the field is. Even self-employed business owners might find it tough to succeed without some type of business training. Very few people have the innate ability to understand the components of business and make them work profitably.

In a field such as medicine, you rarely, if ever, see people with successful careers on any level of employment that do not have some type of college degree. Many positions require a bachelor’s degree or higher to even be considered, along with several years of practical training as well as licensing. There are, however, careers in the medical field out there that do not require years and years of education and training. Positions such as laboratory technicians, respiratory therapists, and some nursing jobs are available to those who hold a 2-year, or associate’s, degree in the appropriate subject area. These types of jobs also require practical training, but not nearly as much as more advanced positions. The advantage of positions like these is that they offer stability and good pay, often with regular working hours. Higher-level medical positions, such as those of surgeons, general physicians, and psychiatrists, require highly intensive long-term training that goes beyond undergraduate studies. These positions also carry a very high liability, as well as intense stress levels.

Law is another field that largely requires individuals with some type of college degree for employment consideration. For practicing attorneys, they are required to have a professional law degree that takes several years to complete past a bachelor’s degree, as well as appropriate licensing. Certain positions in the legal profession, such as paralegal and legal secretary positions, usually require only an associate’s degree for employment consideration. These positions are not to be taken for granted, though. They are highly valuable jobs that require a great deal of skill and knowledge of the discipline of the law.

For fields such as business, marketing, or advertising, there is usually a minimum requirement of a bachelor’s degree in an appropriate subject area for a job applicant. These fields can be highly specialized, and earning the appropriate type of college degree shows that you possess the certain knowledge base required to handle the certain rigors that are a part of the world of business. Often, the jobs that are awarded to young applicants with a degree are entry-level positions that involve a certain amount of on the job corporate training. This training is an investment of an organization that benefits the employee in that it provides eventual opportunities for advancement into higher-level (including management) positions.

Whether or not you have a college degree can affect your professional livelihood. It can determine the type of job you are capable of getting, the pay that you receive, and the opportunities you have to advance in an organization. The type of college degree you have often reflects (to potential employers) how hard you have worked, the level of knowledge that you potentially possess, and the time an organization would have to spend training you. Many organizations go by the assumption that a college-educated individual will require little training, will learn faster, and be more diligent in a position. That is why it is important to consider getting some type of college degree in order to have a stable and satisfying career.

The Importance of a College Admissions Letter

College Admissions
College Admissions

The admissions letter or essay is often weighed just as heavily as the other elements of your application, if not more so. Why? The admissions letter allows admissions officers to learn more about you and your personality than is shown through your test scores. Additionally, the admissions letter shows your critical thinking and writing skills, which are important for college.

The Topic

When selecting a topic, it is important that you choose one that will allow you to show your personality, why you are a good candidate for the college, allow you to demonstrate your writing abilities, and answer the questions put forth on the application. Simple, right? It’s not an easy process, but it can feel more manageable if you break it into smaller steps.

Choose a topic that you are familiar and comfortable with. This is not the time to research a new subject. Examples of topics that might work include an experience from your past, a hobby, or an issue of personal importance. Choosing a topic that you’re comfortable with is particularly important if you’re feeling unsure of your writing skills or find writing the admissions letter to be particularly challenging. This will help build your overall confidence.

Develop an Outline

When writing the admissions letter, you need to accomplish two things. First, write a letter that demonstrates an understanding of writing basics. This means your admissions letter will have an introduction, body, and conclusion, and will follow a logical path from one section to the next. The other essential thing you letter must do is answer the questions set forth by the school.

Create an outline for your admissions letter using the basics of writing an essay. You’ll need an introduction, a body, and a conclusion for the letter. Open the admissions letter with something interesting, such as a quote, intriguing fact, or question. If you can engage your reader immediately, he or she will want to continue reading.

The body of your college admissions letter will cover the most important parts of the letter, showing your uniqueness as an applicant and answering questions. This part will require careful planning. Finally, the conclusion will bring your admissions letter to a logical close.

To ensure that all the important parts of the letter are included and to help you organize your thoughts, create an outline of your admissions letter. Ensure that everything is included that you need and wish to highlight.

Draft and Rewrite

Very rarely will a first draft of an admissions letter be the version that you use for your college application. Good writing is a process of writing and rewriting. Allow yourself plenty of time to outline, draft, and rewrite your admissions letter.

Your college admissions letter is an important piece of the college application, and could mean the difference between an acceptance and a rejection. By following a few simple steps and allowing yourself enough time to work on the letter, you can greatly increase your chances of earning that acceptance.

The Distance Learning Explosion!

Distance Learning
Distance Learning

A generation ago few would have given much thought to educating themselves apart from a ‘brick and mortar’ educational institution. Certainly, for several generations, correspondence courses allowed people to gain knowledge while studying in the comfort of their homes, but these schools pale in comparison to entire universities dedicated to instructing students remotely. Let’s take a look at this growing phenomenon.

Claiming to be the nation’s leading online university, the University of Phoenix was among the first accredited universities to provide college degree programs via the Internet. Founded in 1976, the University of Phoenix began offering internet degree programs in 1989. The program has exploded in popularity to where nearly 150,000 students are in the process of pursuing degrees on the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level. Degreed programs in Business, Education, Management, Nursing, and Technology are available online through the university which claims to be the largest private university in the US.

So, why are degreed programs like those offered at the University of Phoenix so popular? In one word: convenience. You can study at home, at work while on break, on vacation, while traveling on business, etc. Because everything is accomplished online you simply log on, click into class, and go.

Yes, you need a computer, but that is what gives students the freedom that they have vs. traditional route students. Many online universities allow students to take courses at their own speed, usually one course at a time. Disciplined students can finish a course in as little as five weeks and start another course the following week. Indeed, it is not unheard of that students can receive their degrees in as little as 2-3 years after beginning the program.

Most employers recognize online educational options the same as traditional route options, therefore students find themselves available for financial reimbursement. Tuition costs are comparable to that of the “brick and mortar” institutions.

Other online giants include: DeVry University, Westwood College, Walden University, and Kaplan University. At the same time, there are “degree mills” that offer degrees with little or no studying required in exchange for a fee. The reputable schools are accredited, while the “degree mills” are not.

All in all, online schooling is booming as Americans explore an option that is convenient and effective for them.

What Is School Accreditation?

School Accreditation
School Accreditation

In general terms, accreditation is the means by which a school is officially recognized as a provider of a satisfactory education that public institutions (i.e. employers) can trust. It is a voluntary process that requires the school to meet minimum requirements that are established by various regional accrediting agencies.

The lack of one official accrediting agency creates an opportunity for sub par online schools that are trying to obtain students through any means possible. In other words, just about any organization can say that they are an accrediting agency, so potential online school enrollers should do their research before signing up for classes at a particular online school.

Sadly, a number of online schools create false accrediting agencies in order to make candidates think that they are trustworthy and established. To avoid this conflict, be sure to check whether or not an online school is accredited by one of the six major regional accrediting agencies. These include the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), North Central Association of Schools and Colleges (NCA), Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges (MSA), Southern Association of Schools and Colleges (SACS), Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), and the Northwest Association of Schools and Colleges (NWCCU).

If your online school is accredited by one of the above agencies, your degree will be seen as legitimate by most employers. However, if your online school is not accredited by one of the above agencies but by a false accrediting agency, your degree may not be acceptable to most employers.

What Are Requirements for an Associate Degree?

Associate DegreeAssociate Degree

An associate degree is an undergraduate degree that can be earned in 2 years. An associate degree program consists of three parts: general education requirements, major requirements, and electives. An associate degree is a 2-year degree given by either Community Colleges or Junior Colleges upon completion of an associate degree program.

The two types of associate degrees offered are the associate of arts degree (A.A.) and the associate of applied science degree (A.A.S.). The tuition for associate degree programs at community colleges is typically much less than at a four-year college or university, even a public one. Taking this in to consideration, many students choose to attend a two-year college and enroll in one of the many associate degree programs as a way of lowering the cost of getting a bachelor’s degree.

It is important to make sure that the associate degree programs you are considering are fully accredited and the associate degree units you earn transferable. The best way to verify if associate degree programs are accredited is to ask major universities if they would recognize an associate degree from that college or online program.

When you earn your associates degree, you are ready to go in to the workforce immediately after graduation. Although the primary reason for earning an associates degree is employment, 2-year degrees can often transfer to four-year colleges. When you achieve an associate’s degree, you will be better suited for today’s competitive job market.

Schools offer Associate Degrees in areas such as:

Graphic Design – The median salary for a Graphic Designer $43,126

Criminal Justice – Median annual earnings of probation officers $39,600

Hospitality Management – Median annual earnings of lodging managers $37,660

Telecommunications – Average annual earnings of workers in the telecommunications industry were $44,356

Early Childhood Development – The median annual income for Preschool teachers $19,270

*Associate Degree holders earn $8,000 a year more than those with only a high school diploma.

Scholarship, Grants or Financial Aid?

Scholarship, Grants or Financial Aid

How much is the cost for a college education?

Is there an available financing scheme?

Let’s face the reality. College education is expensive! A lot of parents do a double take when their children are preparing and looking forward to attending a community college or a state university.

There are a lot of things which comprises the cost of college education and the tuition fee is just a part of the big picture of getting into college. Other everyday expenditure includes food, transportation, housing, pocket money, and other miscellaneous fees which when added up can create a significant portion in financing a college education.

A lot of families in this day and age, even if they belong to the upper-class society, think about applying for financial aid. College grants and scholarships are the most excellent kind of financial assistance.

Grant and scholarship programs do not entail students or the family to pay back. These could be of two kinds: (1) base on need, which is given due to the financial inability of the student and the family as a whole, and (2) base on merit, the talent of the student like in sports, is the main consideration. The student’s academic ability also falls under the merit-base college grant and scholarship.

Oftentimes, college grants and scholarships combine the merit and need criteria to ease out the whole financial aid process. Numerous students and their families are in the look-out for this type of financial aid. However, college grants and scholarships are limited compared with the growing number of students year after year.

Qualifying students can avail of federal and a number of state scholarship programs. Some of which are the following:

Federal or National Pell Grants – this is a program funded nationwide intended to endow assistance to any qualified undergraduate learner pursuing postsecondary schooling. Grants and scholarships of this kind are given to those who have not finished a baccalaureate degree.

The worth of the grant can vary year after year and will depend largely on the financial need of the students, the expenses that will be incurred while attending the chosen university or college, and the availability of funds from the national government.

This type of grant will open opportunity for the students to avail succeeding financial aid from the national government.

Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) – this is a program for ongoing undergraduate students with outstanding monetary need. However, not all students can avail this type of grant. This will depend on the eligibility of the students and availability of finances of the concerned school.

Another form of financial aid that students and families can turn to is through loans. This type of financial assistance should be paid back. The financial need of the family should be considered thoroughly to avoid paying high interest rates.

It is also a must to understand all the terms of lending agencies such as the schedule of repayment and interest rates, before signing in or making a commitment.

Work study is a form of financial assistance which calls for students to do labor to sustain their college education. Work study is commonly done on campus and is the most typical form of financial aid in all universities and colleges. Usually, the students will render service to schools for ten to fifteen hours per week.

Scholarships, grants and other forms of financial aid to acquire college education is really multifaceted, confusing at times, and even exasperating. The good thing is college education is a non-refundable and non-biodegradable type of investment. It is for the future!

10 Ways To Combat College Fatigue And Increase Your Vitality

Combat College Fatigue And Increase Your Vitality

We run around from work to class to home where we face more chores without the needed energy to accomplish these tasks. We spend weekends stuck to gaming systems, television screens and spend little time in the fresh air.

We spend time wishing we had more energy. We take unhealthy shortcuts by downing Red Bull energy drinks to keep us going, not realizing that these drinks contain high amounts of sugar and caffeine that have landed many people in hospital emergency rooms. The energy drink industry, which nets an estimated $10 billion per year is resulting in a rising number of patients, many of whom are young in being treated in emergency rooms for serious complications related to the high intake of caffeine in drinks like 5-hour energy, Monster Energy and of course, Red Bull.

According to a report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, visits to hospitals because of energy drink complications doubled from 2007 to 2011. 20,783 emergency room visits cited energy drinks as a primary cause of the health condition being treated, including headaches, anxiety, irregular heartbeats, and heart attacks. College students were one of the leaders in hospital visits.

Many college students are overweight and partake in a diet filled with processed fake food that does not nutrify our bodies and only weighs us down and makes us tired and sick.

Fortunately, there are natural and effective ways you can combat college fatigue and increase your energy and vitality. Some of these techniques and habits can also slow the process of aging.

There are some ways you can fight fatigue:

1. Make sure there isn’t something physically wrong. There are several physical reasons why you might have chronic fatigue, from thyroid disease, anemia, sleep apnea, heart disease, to arthritis. The only way you can determine if any of these are the problem is to visit your doctor and be evaluated for these diseases. Many can be treated or reversed so that you can gain energy back.

2. Pay attention to the medications you are taking. Many medications have fatigue as a side effect and only a few of them have this side effect wear off after continued use. If you feel especially tired after starting a medication, talk to your doctor to see if anything can be done.

3. Exercise. While it would seem logical that exercise would make fatigue worse, actually the opposite is true. Being physically active tends to boost your energy levels, not to mention maximize the function of many of your body’s organs. Exercise can help you lose weight, which can further significantly increase your energy. According to the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition, less than 5% of adults participate in 30 minutes of physical activity each day. More than 80% of adults do not meet the guidelines for aerobic activity that is known to increase energy and vitality, especially as we age.

4. Try yoga. Yoga is one exercise that has been shown to improve confidence, lessen fatigue, and clear the mind. Many types of yoga are ideal for just about any fitness level. Yoga has been found to be helpful by research in men and women.

5. Keep from being dehydrated. Keep a water bottle filled and chilled for more energy by fighting dehydration. Research on athletes has shown that being dehydrated zaps the energy from their activity. Even if you’re not athletic, staying hydrated with water will give you that added bit of energy you deserve.

6. Get enough sleep. The best way to get enough sleep is to go to bed early and get at least 7-9 hours of sleep. College students do not get enough sleep. In one 2004 study, it was found that people who got adequate sleep were more vigorous and reported less fatigue. Naps are other ways to freshen up your energy level. Try for short naps, no longer than 30 minutes. Any longer than that and you will have difficulty sleeping during the night. One study showed that a nap followed by a small quantity of caffeine such as a 5-ounce cup of coffee or tea can restore your energy even more.

7. Try omega-3 fatty oils. Fish oil capsules are good for you in many ways. One way, as shown by a 2009 Italian study, to boost energy and have quicker mental reaction times, is to take fish oil capsules containing omega 3 fatty acids. The capsules also restored physical vigor.

8. Become aware of your personal circadian rhythm. Everyone is different in terms of when they have the most energy. Find out if you’re a morning person or a night owl and work with it instead of against it. If you have especially demanding activities to do, choose to do them when you have the most energy to work with.

9. Lose weight. Carrying around extra weight can be exhausting and the only way to rid yourself of that exhaustion is to start a healthy exercise and diet program that will help you shed pounds and feel more vigorous. There are no specific diets that work any better than creating a calorie deficit and working out at least 30 minutes per day.

10. Eat smaller meals. Large meals zap you of energy because the body needs to use a lot of energy to digest them. Think about a time you ate a buffet, where everyone naturally eats too much food, versus a meal that included a salad. More likely than not when you left the buffet you felt exhausted and wishing someone would wheel you out of there, versus the energy you felt after a raw whole food meal such as a salad. Small and frequent meals will keep your blood sugars from fluctuating, giving you steady amounts of food energy throughout the day.

College Advice You Can’t Afford To Pass Up!

college adviceYou will learn many new things, meet many new people and prepare for your future. Make this chapter of your life the best it can be with the following tips.

Don’t work during your first semester. Use this first semester to determine the best schedule for you and the amount of time you’ll need to study. If you want a job, go with part-time.

Write down the phone number for campus security. It should be easy to get a hold of them quickly, and it is important for you to know how. You may never need to use the number, but it will be there if you do.

Hold off on getting credit cards until after college. The sort of credit cards geared towards students often feature exorbitant interest rates; making use of them while you’re not financially independent can establish poor spending habits. Avoid credit cards; student loans are enough to worry about.

Taking classes outside of your major is usually required. Do not take these classes too lightly; they still factor into your grade point average.

Do not work on your papers at the last minute. Allow yourself time to make revisions. Rewrite it if need be. Then take your second draft and proofread it, making any further corrections. This way, you are confident that you have included all crucial points of content in it.

Choose an adviser who is knowledgeable about the area you are wanting pursue. Your advisor is able to tell you what you need to take as far as classes. In addition, they may be able to let you know about schools to consider for an advanced degree. Do not just talk to the head of your department, talk to each adviser on staff.

If you are hesitating to choose a major, take a few classes in different areas of study. You can spend some time in each one to really get to know which one is right. In addition, whenever you graduate, you could have earned enough credit hours to earn a minor along with your major, resulting in a degree that’s even more impressive.

Even the seat you choose can have an impact on how successful you are in your college courses. Try to get a seat right up front so you get the best view and you can hear your professor. This allows you to hear everything said and clearly see the whiteboard or projector screen.

Your high school accomplishments won’t count much in college. College is nothing like high school. Even if you were a great athlete or a kid that got great grades, you probably won’t be around people who used to know you anyways. Make yourself work harder than you ever have and give new things a try instead of thinking everything will be just like it was in high school.

It really makes no difference where in the world you go. Nothing compares to college. It doesn’t matter what your major is, you can benefit from utilizing the tips provided above. Utilize the tips listed here and your life as a college student will be greatly enhanced.

Community College Advantages

Community CollegeCommunity College, junior college, 2 year college

If you happen to be fortunate enough to live in a community that has a community college you should really make the time in your schedule to check and see what kind of classes they can offer that can help you advance your education and your career. You might be amazed at the different types of courses you can take even on the community college level. I know that I have found some of the courses that are offered and the degree of learning that takes place to be quite impressive. I think that many people who have in the past disregarded the important role that community colleges play in providing an affordable venue for learning will be quite amazed as well.

Community colleges have an undeserved reputation for inferiority when this could not be further from the truth. A good many of the nations nurses are products of community college educations. In many states, the associates degree nursing programs are quite rigorous and provide more clinical experience than most bachelor’s degree nursing programs. This means that students graduating nursing school with an associates degree in nursing are often better prepared to deal with patient care than those who have the ‘superior degree’. This by no means is meant to disparage B. S. Nursing students at all. In fact, most hospitals will not even consider you a candidate for an administrative nursing position unless you have the Bachelor’s degree. This is only meant to point out that associates degree programs can be quite competitive and inclusive despite common misconceptions.

Of course there are other benefits to learning on the community college level, at least for the first two years of your education. One of those benefits that speaks volumes to me is the fact that teachers in community colleges are dedicated to teaching. They are not working on their own research or books. They are there for the purpose of helping you achieve your goals, which means you aren’t an interruption in their pursuit of their own goals.

Community colleges also offer an excellent buffer for students who may not have been on top of their game academically in high school or those who are returning to college after a long absence from academia. You won’t find the large auditorium classes on the community college level that major universities are famous for offering. You also won’t find that teachers do not have time for their students. There is a lower teacher to student ratio in community colleges so that professors will have time to address the needs of students.

Another benefit is that even if you do not go on to get your four year degree after completing your community college education you will find that your earning potential is significantly improved over those who do not have at least a two-year college education. Research also indicates that students who complete a two-year degree program at a community college are more likely to finish and get a four-year degree than those students who begin their educational experience at a four-year university.

There are a few problems that can be associated with a community college education and you should take note of these so that they do not become a problem for you. First of all, some universities do not accept many of the courses that are offered on the community college level as transfer credits. Make sure that you know what courses are required for the university that you are planning to transfer to in order to avoid this. You also may find that you are limited on the courses you can take and the times in which they will be available. Make sure that you have all the limited courses well ahead of time so that you aren’t taking another year of classes in order to graduate.

All in all, a community college education can be just as enlightening as a university education if you enter into the process with an open mind and a willingness to learn. I hope you take advantage of this much less expensive option before moving on to university courses if possible.

College Interview General Preparation

College Interview
College Interview

Lets first think of a college interview, what is it really, why do they even bother to take the time and personally meet each applicant, and what kind of power a good interview has. You have probably conducted your own national college search, and already know your preferences. Colleges have interviews for one simple reason, it works, it works for them – some data shows them that the applicants they personally meet and talk with, on average, succeed in their programs and have been succeeding in their program for some time now. So they know it works. But what is “it”? the college interview is the “it”, and it is no different than a job interview.

The college interview was not thought of as a mean to intimidate potential students, to keep them away, to embarrass and humiliate the next graduates of this college, it is meant for one simple, and very important, reason – to meet and evaluate the motivation and potential of the young person applying to the college. And that’s all it is. There is nothing personal or evil in it, other from the fact these people want to know what you are made of and how serious you are. You need to think of it as a part of your campus tour.

So a college interview is basically like a thoughtful conversation with someone you never met before and that wants to know who you really are, what you went through in your life and where you are heading. But when talking to a stranger about this you can allow yourself to be casual and say some things that you can not say in a college interview, you have to think of how you want to present yourself, and how not to get dragged to the pleasing “tell me what I want to hear” mode.

Preparation will get you a long way, it is the absolute key in getting through the college interview successfully. There is no such thing as over preparing for this, and in fact, if you do this the proper way, you will need to tell yourself at a certain moment that its time to stop preparing.
Let’s go over some of the points in the preparation procedure, things you will want to look into while getting ready for your college interview.

Try and know who your contact is – a simple thing, try and get the name (or names of the persons) that will be conducting the interview, when you will start the interview you will have a nicer way to present yourself and greet the interviewers than most applicants do. It will also show that you prepared in advance and that you are serious about getting this position, this will set you off in the right tracks. When you do your initial national college search, you can also look for the contacts interviewing applicants. No potential harm here. Only good can come out of this one.

Research – can I stress this enough? College interview success – research, research and more research. Lets ask ourselves one basic questions, if someone wants to get into his favorite spot team (any position) will he (or she) not know the names of past hero’s? The teams greatest moments? Its accomplishments? Or course the candidate will know. And you need to show that you are the same, your motivation and enthusiasm to get in to this program will shine when you provide enough evidence to prove you know everything there is to know about the place itself. Ways to get information, research the college web site, search engines for other information, people name search will give you some knowledge about the teachers and their accomplishments, any publications of the college itself are also good. If you are reading this while doing your national college search, you can enjoy the opportunity to add something to your list. Even the ordinary campus tour can give you a chance of finding a little more about the place.

In researching the college you can study materials of the college. College’s course book online, find interesting questions regarding the courses. Some students seem to think that asking questions at the interview might seem presumptuous, but in fact it makes you seem interested and sophisticated. Here are some questions you might consider asking The programs you might be interested in majoring in, construction on the campus and new facilities, financial aid, How the school treats AP tests, how they compare this college with national colleges, the campus tour, school advising, ask interviewers about their opinion of the school, what they like best, and why the courses are better than in other places (no example or names, just say other places).

Your answers – take a look at our “college interview questions” section to familiarize yourself with the potential questions you may face, and practice with family member or friend, keep answers short and sweet, know what you are saying and do not get too personal. Talk slowly, and think about each question before you answer, even if you have been practicing for this particular question for the past two months. Never cut someone when they are talking, not even if you are extremely excited about your answer.

Promoting yourself – think about a few strong points you got, and that you want the interviewer to remember about you, no need to mention these in every answer, but three or four times (with reference – “as I already told you, I think I am very good at managing people… that’s why I took the school paper publishing project”). If you have a problem identifying traits you want to promote – read your resume or application form again carefully and mark the points you think are worth focusing on. You can also try and add some humor to the interview, say something about the campus tour, and your impression of the college.