How can I combine two unrelated degrees?

A low-income student writes:

"It seems most who are interested in dual-majoring, dual-degrees, and the such usually have the duo linked. My interests, however, are in no way linked. 

If I'm interested in the BA/MA program at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, but also would like to attend a college (like the Fashion Institute of Technology) for Interior Designing -- how is that doable, and how would financial aid assess this situation, as they are clearly not linked interests? 

I'm not a first-generation student, but a non-traditional unemployed and low-income student who's unable to "settle" on one interest/direction. I'm too old to be having any more regrets of not having done things when I should've, and have issues with willingness when it comes to time commitments to do with my disability. 

I'd rather do more in less time, such as overlap the degrees. I'm currently attending a community college and will be obtaining dual A.S. degrees this Spring for Commercial Art and Mental Health (haha, no, I'm not interested in "Creative Arts Therapy"). I'm very anxious to figure out transfer plans, as I will also have to arrange disability accommodation plans! I'm pretty much an unique student in every way possible, haha."

In general, it is difficult to attend two different schools while pursuing two very different degrees. But, this may ultimately depend on the schedule of classes and the policies on dual enrollment and financial aid at each school. So, you may want to start with looking into the rules at the schools that you're interested in attending. Also check out this advice on going to two schools at once.

Having wide interests, especially as a non-traditional student, is not uncommon! The key to nailing down your transfer plans is to get more clarity on what jobs you want to end up after you're done with school.

Honestly, it seems unrealistic to be both an interior decorator and work in criminal justice once you're done with school, unless you plan to maintain two jobs. So, between the two options which appeals more to you based on the day-to-day activities of the job?

Do you lean more toward one than the other and can you think of ways to do both without going to school for both full-time? For example, would you be happy with going to school for criminal justice then getting a related full-time job while you took occasional interior design classes and decorated on the side only?

It is also important to consider if school is even necessary for the careers you're interested in. Some criminal justice positions absolutely require a degree, while others do not always. In interior design, a design degree may not be necessary either if you are able to build a portfolio through volunteering or interning and without additional schooling. These are both areas where a degree is not always going to help you get a job, so look into the requirements for jobs you're interested in around your local area to help figure that out.

Practically speaking, it may also help to speak with a transfer counselor at your current community college to see if which of your associate degrees set you up the best once you transfer. Do you end up with more transferable credits in one area over the other? That alone may make one option more attractive option.

Looking at costs, is one school cheaper or more expensive? Is it financially feasible for you to afford two schools? Will you be able to pay off the debt with the jobs you're hoping to land after graduation? Does one career path pay more than the other? Financial implications are often deciding factors when you're currently unemployed and a low-income student.

You don't mention what type of disability you have, but you might also consider if one career path could potentially accommodate your needs better than the other. For example, if you have a learning disability which might make the record keeping common in criminal justice jobs difficult, it might make more sense to lean toward interior design.

So, you have a lot to think about and there is no easy answer. I hope these considerations help you think about it, but no one can really answer the root of your question. Good luck!

If you know of other resources for first-generation and low income college students, please share them with Ask An Advisor!

Can I go to a different college if I owe money to another school?

A reader writes:

"I'm looking into signing up for a class but if I owe money to a community college I went to, is there another way I can apply for another community college?"

If you currently owe money to one school, there are likely two important factors that may interfere with your plan to apply to another community college:

1. Most colleges require you to submit official transcripts with your application, but most schools will not issue you official transcripts if you owe them money (or have other holds on your account).
2. Owing money may impact your eligibility for financial aid at the new school, especially if the schools are connected in any way like being in the same district. 

Your best bet to figure out how this will effect you is to talk to both schools. You should contact the financial aid and/or Registrar or Bursar's offices at your current school to check if there are any holds on your account or even to work out a payment plan.

You should also touch base with the admissions and financial aid offices at the new school you're looking to apply to so that you understand their rules and policies on your situation as well.

Some school policies will allow you to apply and some won't, so go straight to the source. Good luck!

If you know of other resources for first-generation and low income college students, please share them with Ask An Advisor!

Check out FirstGenerationStudent.com!

Whenever I discover a great resource for first-generation college students, you know I have to share. I just stumbled upon an awesome website for first-generation college students that I would highly recommend that you bookmark:

A goal near and dear to my heart, FirstGenerationStudent.com is providing awesome, free content geared toward helping first-generation college students make it to college and succeed.

It makes my advisor heart sing to see resources like this out there, so I hope you check it out!

If you know of other resources for first-generation and low income college students, please share them with Ask An Advisor!

I graduated 2 years ago, should I still list classes on my resume?

A reader writes:

"I graduated with my MBA 2 years ago, but haven't found a job in my field. Should I still list relevant coursework?"

The longer you've been out of school, the less relevant your classes become to potential employers. So, at the two-year mark, it is time to remove classes from your resume and look for other ways to get experience related to your field.

Look into related intern and volunteer positions if you are not finding a job in your field. You should consider both paid and unpaid opportunities, if your financial circumstances allow you to do unpaid work. If you need to work, try to find a part-time related intern and volunteer position that works with your schedule.

If you've been working, interning, or volunteering in the past two years, even if it isn't in your field, you want to highlight that experience over coursework on your resume by tailoring your resume to field-related positions. 

As I've said before, when your experience is not directly related to the position you're applying for but that "unrelated" experience gives you valuable skills that might be relevant, you want to highlight those on your resume. You should be focusing on what you think is important about your current "unrelated" experiences from the potential employers perspective.

One last thing: you may want to reconsider the types of positions you are applying for if you haven't landed anything in your field yet. I see a lot of students with graduate and professional degrees like the MBA applying for positions which require more experience than they have based on the assumption that their degree is enough. Unfortunately, and especially in this tough job market, experience far outweighs education when a graduate or professional degree is not a specific requirement for the job.

For example, some people mistakenly believe an MBA qualifies for a manager position on it's own. However, without any management experience outside of the degree, it would be pretty difficult to land a manager position. If you are in this boat, you may need to consider entry-level positions because, well, you ARE entry-level even with an MBA in many cases. Good luck in your job search!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How do I know which class to choose for vet school?

A reader writes:

"I'm going to apply for Vet school and i don't know if taking physics for sciences or general physics would be the same or which one is best."

Well, it depends. Veterinarian schools prerequisites vary by school, so although the prerequisites are pretty similar between vet schools, your best source of information would be to check directly with the schools you're interested in apply to.

Check out the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges' Summary of Course Prerequisites to see what the requirements are at different vet schools.

If the school's prerequisites don't make it clear which you should choose, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Challenge yourself. Vet schools, and graduate and professional schools in general, like to see students choose challenging classes instead of the "easy" class, so picking the class that is seen as more challenging from an outsider perspective might be a good option.

Give yourself a boost. Although challenging yourself can help make you a stronger applicant, it might make more sense to choose the class that you will do the best in. You want a high GPA, so keep in mind your potential grade based on your strengths and areas for improvement.

Get your hands dirty. If one of your physics options has a lab and the other doesn't, most vet schools would prefer you take the class with the lab component. The reason behind this is that vet school--and being a vet, for that matter--is a hands-on endeavor, so the class that is more concrete and active is more likely to help prepare you for vet school.

Good luck as you prepare and apply for vet school!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Is it a good idea to change careers in this economy?

A reader writes:

"I'm a 33 year old man who works part time as a nurse assistant, at this point I am not happy with what I am doing. By working at the hospital one thing I know is I don't want to pursue a career in nursing. So I thought about things and looking into schools and decided to get a degree in computer science online, which some of my credits from a previous college should transfer over. My question is this the right direction for me at this age and is this a good career choice at this economic crisis?"

I can't really tell you if this is the right direction for you or not--no one can, really--but there are a few things to keep in mind when contemplating a big change like this:

Will you be happy? Think about what makes you happy and what you're good at, career-wise. Do you enjoy solving puzzle, hands on work, and working with technology? These might be good cues as to whether computer science is a good match for you or not.

What would make you miserable? On the hand, thinking about the things that make you dislike nursing can be helpful in pinpointing careers you should avoid. For example, if you hate dealing with patients as a nurse assistant, computer science jobs that require interacting with customers might not be a good fit for you, but a position that didn't require customer interaction might work for you. 

Do your research. Look at the requirements for the types of jobs that you want after completing a computer science program and use that as a gauge to help you figure out if this is a good choice for you. Doing so will also give you a sense of what jobs are available in your area. 

Get experience. When you are thinkiing about changing careers, getting experience related to the new career can be enormously valuable in helping you make good decisions. You can get related experience by volunteering or finding a new job that doesn't require a degree. 

Where you are now? When contemplating such a big change, it is easy to think about where you want to be, but it is very important to think about your current circumstances. Can you truly afford to go back to school and possibly take on my student debt? Can your afford to give up your current income? What obligations do you have that will not be changed by your choice? And what about the obligations that will be changed? You need to get really clear on what makes the most sense for you given where you are now.

Again, no one can really tell you if this is the right choice for you or not. But, by keeping the above in mind you can make a more educated decision about your next step in life. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

My boyfriend has a 2 page resume with high school still listed

A reader writes:

"I have a question about my boyfriend's resume.  He has been working in customer service for more than 10 years now and his resume is 2 pages now, I know that it shouldn't be but my question is can we delete his high school education?"

A two-page resume is perfectly fine, as long as the experience on it is relevant to the position he is applying for. Generally, someone with 10 years of experience in the same field would be expected to have a longer resume. 

Just be aware that this can vary by field. To get the best idea about whether two pages is common in his field or not, your boyfriend can ask his manager or others working around him for their advice.

But, the two-page issue is actually separate from the high school on your resume issue. Once a person is in college, all high school stuff--both high school experience and the high school diploma--should come off the resume with a few narrow exceptions. 

In your boyfriend's case, I'm going to assume that his 10 years of experience means that he is at least 8 years of experience after high school, so his high school information should definitely come off his resume.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I list classes on my resume that aren't relevant to my current job?

A reader writes:

"I graduated with a BS in business administration,I work at a furniture store but I'm taking online classes to be a medical coder...should I include my medical coding classes on my resume even though it is has no relevance to my current job?"

What's relevant on a resume is based on the job or internship you're applying for, not the job you currently have. You want to use your resume to highlight the skills, experience, and education you have that are related to the position you're applying for.

So, if you are applying for medical coder positions, you can include the classes. On the other hand, if you are applying for a position that has nothing do to with medical coding, the classes don't belong on your resume.

Although you didn't ask about it, I wanted to bring up tailoring your resume because you're in working at a job that is not directly related to your career goals. Beside listing relevant classes, you also only want to include relevant jobs, internships, and volunteer positions on your resume.

When your experience is not directly related to the position you're applying for, but you have skills that might be relevant from an unrelated job, you want to highlight those on your resume. Put another way, focus on what you think is important about your current job from the potential employers perspective.

For example, go ahead and list your furniture store job when you are applying for medical coder positions, but highlight medical coder-related skills and accomplishments, like being detail oriented to manage inventory or using ten key while processing customer transactions.

Good luck in your medical coding classes!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I list classes on my resume if I didn't do well?

In response to "Should I list classes on my resume?" a reader writes:

"What if you did not do too hot in a course that is relevant to the job? should you still put it on the resume? I've taken this course, and although I did not do well in it, I still know the basics of it and it is completely relevant to the internship I am applying to. I'm not very good at test taking, which is what the grade reflected, but I can still talk about what I learned. The only thing I fear is if they ask me about my grade. I'm not lying on my resume when I said I took the course, but I am drawing attention to a bad grade."

This can be tricky because some employers don't care about grades and others put a lot of value on grades, but you have no way of knowing which is which from the outside. With that in mind, remember that your resume is a marketing document meant to highlight the very best you have to offer potential employers, so you only want to include relevant information that paints you in a positive light.

A less than stellar grade in a relevant class does NOT reflect well on you, so the class does NOT belong on your resume. You're absolutely correct that if you list the course and it comes to light that you did not do well in the class, it will not look good for you. Something like that can make potential employers question your credibility, integrity, or even  and once that's damaged it is almost impossible to recover from as an applicant.

The safest route is to not list the class on your resume, but potentially bring up your experience from the class during an interview if it comes up naturally. This way you'd have the chance to address it on your own terms, but only if needed.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

How can I ask my professors about their academic path?

A reader writes:

"From your post about "Making the most of office hours," it is recommended to ask the professor about his or her own academic path, and I was wondering what would be a good way to ask about this? Something that sounds better than, "Would you tell me about your academic path?""

First, it's great that you are looking for ways to connect with your professors! It can certainly be intimidating or awkward if you are not sure what to say, but asking your professors about their academic path is a great way to build a relationship with them.

Here are some suggestions for asking your professor about his or her academic path:

• "I'd be interested to hear about how you got into ___________"
• "When you were an undergraduate, did you have any particular experiences that made you want to get into ___________?"
• "You talk a lot about your research in ___________. How did you get into that?". 
• "What sparked your interest in ___________?"
• "I read your article on ___________. What inspired you to do that research?"

Really, all of these suggestions are variations on a theme, so pick one and re-work it into your natural language and you'll be all set to getting to know your professors. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I list well-known professors on my resume?

A reader writes:

"I graduated with my degree in the Arts, and I am unsure if it would be helpful to include the names of the well-known professors whom I took relevant courses with? If so, how would I go about including that?"

Generally, you would not list professors on a traditional resume, even if those professors are well known. Honestly, most employers just don't place a high value on who taught a class you took because it doesn't really add to making you a stronger candidate for a job.

You might want to work the name of a well-known professor into your cover letter if--and only if--you had a valuable experience with that professor aside from just going to class and turning in assignments.

For example, if you did a research project, independent study, or otherwise were able to build a professional relationship with that professor, you would drop their name in the context of the valuable experience.

So, name dropping famous professors for the sake of name dropping is not really appropriate for your resume. But, it may be fair game when you have had a relevant experience with that famous professor.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

I transferred schools but took relevant classes at my first school, do I need t list it on my resume?

A reader writes:

"Hello, I transferred to a university after 2 years. I have only listed my final school on my resume. Based on what I have read that is the best thing to do. However, some of my relevant coursework is from my previous school. Should I list my previous school or just include those classes along with the others?"

On your resume, if you want to include classes from your previous school, which I assume is a community college, you should list that previous school also. The only time I would suggest not listing your previous school but including classes from it would be if those classes appear on the transcript of your university.

Realistically, if you list classes as if they were taken at a university when they were actually taken at a community college and an employer figures that out, it makes you look like you're inflating your education. Worse yet, it could give employers the impression that   you are willing to lie to make yourself look better--and that is not the kind of impression you want them to draw!

But, before you list any classes from your first school, you want to make sure that they are truly relevant to the employer. Remember, you wouldn't want to list basic or introductory-level classes, only upper-division and more advanced classes, unless those intro classes help you qualify for the position. 

So, you'd just want to list both your previous and current school on your resume if you want to include classes for both. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Understanding the financial aid process

Navigating the financial aid process can be daunting for first generation and low income college students  Check out this handy infographic from our friends at Debt.org for some guidance to make the process less intimidating.

While I think this is a great representation of the financial aid process, one thing you should be aware of is that private loans should be an ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT.

Private loans are much riskier than government-backed federal loans. In fact, private loans have a history of predatory lending practices that "take advantage of a borrower’s lack of understanding about loans, terms or finances in general," according to our friends at Debt.org. With that in mind, it's no wonder that private loans have negatively impacted first generation and low income college students.

For most first generation and low income college students, you'll get enough financial aid between grants and federal loans. But for students where this is not the case, definitely apply for scholarships and talk to your financial aid office before you even consider private loans.

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Under Armour Internship/Scholarship

Under Armour, the sports performance apparel, footwear, and accessories giant, is looking for the  two college undergrads to join the brand this summer as the “Under Armour Ultimate Intern Team.” If you think you can be the "ultimate intern" check out the information below!

Students may apply from April 5 - May 3 at http://ultimateintern.ua.com/ by uploading a resume and completing a handful of social challenges throughout the application process including developing a 40 second speech, interviewing an athlete, and creating a video documentary and a custom Tumblr page.

 Two interns will be chosen to work in the areas of digital and social engagement at Under Armour and will be provided exclusive access to sporting events, athlete training sessions, and the opportunity to test some of the brand’s innovative new performance technologies. The “Ultimate Intern Team” will be a part of the digital marketing team that concepts, writes, and captures content to distribute through Under Armour’s social media channels, activating around everything from product releases to athlete initiatives.  

 Developed with agency partner Red Tettemer + Partners, the “Ultimate Intern” search has grown into a successful social franchise for the brand, bringing in thousands of applicants and pieces of user generated content across the social web over two years.

 “At our core, Under Armour is about inspiring the next generation of athletes to continuously push the boundaries of performance. The Ultimate Intern search serves the same mantra as we look for the next young professional who is competitive, humble and hungry to succeed,” said Dan Mecchi, Under Armour Director, Digital Media. “The unique application process is designed to be a social combine – the strongest performers on the ‘playing field’ are the candidates that have what it takes to intern and succeed at Under Armour.”

 The internship is open to current undergraduate students who will be returning to school following the summer. Selected interns will each receive a $5,000 scholarship paid directly to his or her school and $500 in Under Armour apparel and footwear. The top ten candidates will be announced on May 3 and will participate in a Skype interview with Under Armour executives. The final selected candidates will be announced on or around May 10 and will report for their summer internship from May 28 through August 9, 2013.

 For full terms, more information, or to apply, visit: http://ultimateintern.ua.com/.  

 About Under Armour, Inc.Under Armour® (NYSE: UA) is a leading developer, marketer, and distributor of branded performance apparel, footwear, and accessories. The brand's moisture-wicking synthetic fabrications are engineered in many different designs and styles for wear in nearly every climate to provide a performance alternative to traditional natural fiber products. The company's products are sold worldwide and worn by athletes at all levels, from youth to professional, on playing fields around the globe. The Under Armour global headquarters is in Baltimore, Maryland. For further information, please visit the company's website at www.UA.com.

Good luck if you're applying! 

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Should I choose a marketable major over an interesting one?

A reader writes:

"Currently I am pursuing a BS in Business Studies with a focus in Computer Information Technology. I chose this focus (IT) because I feel like it is necessary knowledge. However, I am only moderately (at best) interested in the IT world. I am trying to decide if I want to change my focus to Small Business Management or International Management (both of which I am very interested in) or keep the IT focus being that it seems this is more necessary (or seems this way to me). Am I wrong in thinking that the IT focus is necessary and would make me more competitive? Would a small business or international business focus be a good choice of a major?

Additional info: If there is such a thing as a dream job mine  would be owning a microbusiness (makes me want the Small Bus. Management) that interfaces with customers via the internet (Makes me want the IT focus). Also I speak Spanish and would be very interested in expanding business into Latin America, potentially (makes me interested in the International Business)"

Choosing a major is not always easy, especially when it comes picking a specialization area within your major. I usually encourage students to consider both their interests, professional goals, and what they dislike to help clarify what direction to go in. In your case, both your interests and professional goals are pushing you away from the IT focus. Pay attention to that.

Also, choosing a major or specialization based on what you think will be more marketable rather than what matches your interests, professional goals, and ultimately make you happiest can be a dangerous thing. Think of it this way: If you are unhappy in your classes and start to do poorly, would it have been worth it because you thought it was more marketable?

However, one important thing to keep in mind when it comes to business is that your experience is typically more important than your focus area in college. So you may be better served by seeking out leadership positions, volunteer opportunities, or internships in international, small, and IT business. Not only will this experience help you clarify which focus is the best fit for you, it will help you be more qualified for positions after graduation 

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Do I take prerequisites or the GRE before I apply for grad school?

A reader writes:

"My degree is in English literature, and I am looking to pursue a graduate degree in Occupational Therapy.  I need to take prerequisites.  Do I need to take my GRE and apply for the grad school first, or go ahead and sign up for prerequisites locally at a community college? How can I be sure that they will transfer?"

It depends! Your first step should be to check with each graduate program you are interested in applying to about whether or not you need to complete any prerequisites or take the GRE before you apply. 

Some graduate schools will let you apply without certain prerequisites, while others will not. Similarly, some graduate schools will let you apply before taking the GRE and others will require you have GRE scores before you apply. You won't know until you ask!

If you do have to take prerequisites before you apply, it is very unlikely that any classes taken at a community college will transfer into your graduate degree. This is because any classes from a community college--or a four-year college or university for that matter--are undergraduate level classes. But, this is also something that you'll need to ask each school you are applying to. 

So reaching out directly to each school which interests you is your best bet. Good luck applying to grad school!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Will applying for jobs jeopardize my standing in grad school?

A reader writes:

"I am a first year PhD student in Sociology and I am honestly contemplating finding something more fulfilling. I have looked at jobs that I would like to apply for (I want to have something lined up before leaving) but where applications ask for professional references, I would want to list my adviser and committee members (I have done Graduate Research Assistantships for most of them), but wouldn't I be shooting myself in the foot if they are contacted? I'm inclined to use my ongoing enrollment and assistantships to live on UNTIL I attain a job. However, I don't want to place myself in jeopardy by having my committee members contacted about jobs. Is there a way to do this or am I just stuck?"

I wrote back to ask if the reader had any reason to believe that his adviser and committee members would push him out of the program if they knew he were looking for a job? For example, if he knew they pushed out another student or have a history of behaving badly toward students.

I also urged the reader to consider the reasons he might be unhappy in his PhD program. Were they things you can change or could be helped by speaking with his adviser? The reader responded:

"My adviser and committee members have been nothing but great, and haven't done anything of the sort to my knowledge. My main concern is that by being "outed" as someone who contemplates applying for potentially ideal jobs, the impression that I'm not committed will result in less opportunities because "what's the point if he's just going to leave." I've not applied for any jobs but I frequently explore what's out there. It's just that, in an economy such as this one, I don't want to jeopardize what I do have due to chasing jobs that I might not even get.  

I enjoy graduate studies and I do pretty well, but the lack of free time on weekends & in the evening concerns me that I'm working my tail off for a career where the personal rewards don't match the all-consuming nature of the job. I may feel differently when I have more control over what I do with my time. I was attracted to graduate school out of a love for research but I am feeling increasingly hostile to things that take me away from it. There is a "burnt out" factor that I believe is underlying my sudden commitment issues. I also really dislike teaching as it's incredibly consuming and not remotely what I'm looking to do once I am finished with graduate school. I have a blue collar work history prior to academia so talking to my adviser about things I don't like (ie., complaining) doesn't come easy. She is tremendously helpful, though, and I think I'll work on how to bring up my concerns."

Given that you seem to have a good relationship with your adviser, I would recommend that you do speak with her about this. Don't approach the conversation like you're complaining, think of it as a brainstorming session. This is your opportunity to get some valuable information--it's research. 

Once you're ready to approach your adviser about looking at potential jobs, you might say something like, "Research is definitely my passion, but I came across a job that peaked my interest. If I wasn't in grad school, it would be the sort of thing that I would seriously consider applying for. I don't want to give you the impression that I'm not committed to my studies, but I can't help but imagine what it would be like to have that job. What would you suggest for someone in my position?"

Then, sit back and listen with an open mind. Your adviser's reaction and suggestions should give you an idea about your next steps. If she gives you the impression that she would not be supportive if you apply for jobs, you should consider ways to get references outside of your committee (like asking a more senior grad student or someone outside of your department who you've worked with to be references). 

On the other hand, if she seems supportive, you might consider asking if you can list her as a reference should you actually apply for a position. Make sure you tell her that you understand if she feels uncomfortable being a reference and be prepared for the possibility that she might decline to be your reference. 

To deal with your potential burnout, you might say something like, "You know how much I love research, so I'm feeling frustrated with my teaching responsibilities (or when things take me away from my research, or whatever). Do you have any suggestions for addressing this?"

In both of these examples, you are asking for guidance and potential solutions--both things you should be asking your adviser for--not whining about things you're unhappy with, so you shouldn't feel awkward about it. Good luck!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Help! I can't ask my professor questions

A reader writes:

"Is it rude to ask questions during a class about important details that you don't understand when a professor rushes through things and doesn't fully cover them? The other students don't speak up at all, even when they don't understand what she's covering either (some don't care, others hope the assignments will just "go away" if she doesn't discuss them). Recently this professor, who is head of the AA program I'm in, has reacted negatively to me on 2 occasions when I tried to clarify details regarding a course project and intern assignment.  

Unfortunately, I don't have a chance to speak to her after class as the student push and run up to her in a line (they're very competitive), and I have to leave to quickly get to daycare before it closes. I am unable to visit her during office hours which are during the time I'm at my job. I've tried emailing her, but I usually don't get an answer until after the course is done or the project is finished.

I don't want to cause any trouble with her, but it seems like she just flies through the schedule, doesn't give us assignment dates, gives us homework a day before it's due, and if she gives us 3 days notice when we have 8-10 assignments all due the same day (each take about 1-2 hours to complete).

I'm working very hard on this health care degree - it's an AA (I am a good student with a 3.6 average), but get frustrated as I feel I have to teach myself. If I wasn't so far through this program, I would quit, as it's very difficult having this teacher for 80% of my classes. Any advice you could give me would be appreciated."

No, it is not rude to ask your professor questions and no reasonable professor would think so. However, it doesn't sound like your professor is reasonable.

That being said, check out these previous posts about how to deal with professors who hate you, both Part 1 and Part 2. Both of these posts have some good advice about dealing with difficult professors. 

You might also consider seeking out another professor in the same department to see if you can get some of your questions answered. It might also be useful if you can get tutoring. If your campus offers free or cheap tutoring, try to sign up for it. I wouldn't recommend paying for tutoring unless you absolutely can afford it and can't get it any other way.

However, because this professor is the head of your major department, I'm not sure there is any real way for you to resolve this without escalating it and reaching out to someone above the professor, like a Dean.

Regardless of what you do, please take care of yourself!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

Can I attend 2 colleges at the same time?

A reader writes:

"Hello I am currently attending school for my BS in physiology, however I was wondering if I can also be enrolled at a smaller school to get my physical therapy assisting certificate so I can start doing internships and maybe find a job in the field while I complete my BS?"

Whether or not you are able to enroll in a second institution will depend on the college where you are earning your BS and the college where you want to earn your certificate. Some colleges have dual or concurrent enrollment policies, and others do not. So, your next step is to check the policies at both your current college and prospective school.

If you are able to enroll in a second institution, you just want to make sure that you are able to balance the classes at 2 campuses. Double check the academic calendars at each school and check for any potential conflicts.

Even if you are not allowed to take classes at two schools at the same time during the regular academic year, you might be able to during the summer, depending on the rules.

You also want to make sure to check in with Financial Aid at both campuses because dual enrollment can effect your eligibility or reduce your award.

Good luck pursuing your BS and hopefully your certificate!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.

I'm scared I'll never get into med school now!

A reader writes:

"I have just gotten my 1st semester grades for my sophomore year and they are not good. I'm really scared, they are not good to the point where I have basically all c's. My first year of college I actually went to a different private institute and did well. My grade point average was about a  3.7 there, but then I decided to transfer to another school to pursue pre-med. Here we started on a clean slate. I didn't think that this school would be any different from my old school, but it was much more rigorous. It took me a while to get used to the change. Now I feel like its too late. I feel like I may not even have the chance to go any farther in pursuing my goal. I'm scared that I will never get into medical school now. What should i do?"

First off, don't freak out over one semester. It is NOT too late! When it comes to medical schools (or graduate or other professional schools), one term of bad grades isn't going to keep you from getting in by itself. 

At this point, it is very important that you consider how you can improve your grades rather than focus on the bumps in the road. A medical school is going to be looking for improvement the next semester or quarter, so that's what you should concentrate on.

Think about what you can do to have a better next semester and move forward. Examine your study habits, time management skills, and other time commitments. Practice a little trial and error to figure out what works for you. Also, check out these tips for dealing with and preventing academic difficulty. 

It is going to take hard work to put yourself in a better position for next semester, but ultimately that is what is going to help you be a successful applicant to medical school in the future. 

I'm wishing you a semester of academic achievement in the new year!

Got questions? Please feel free to ask The Advisor about it.