Boost Your Grade Point Average with Free Tutoring

By this point in the semester, students can usually see in which subjects they might benefit from a little extra help.  The Paul L. Foster Success Center offers free tutoring in multiple locations around campus.  Interestingly, the majority of students who use tutoring services regularly are not students who are struggling to pass.  They are diligent students who know that tutoring just might mean the difference between a B and an A.  To learn more about your tutoring options at Baylor, check out this website.

Announcing…the VETS Center

Veteran Educational and Transition Services, or the VETS Center for short, is a new resource available to our student veterans.  Recognizing that student veterans have unique needs when it comes to transitioning to Baylor, the VETS Center staff offer personalized services.  The VETS Center Transition Coach can connect student veterans to Baylor’s various resources that help students achieve their academic, personal, and career goals.  Services are free and available to all student veterans on campus, as well as ROTC students.  Please visit the VETS Center website for more information.

What Can I Do with a Communication Major?

This space is inadequate to describe at length the wealth of possibilities a student could pursue with a communication degree.  Though most majors aid students in improving their communication skills, this post will address career possibilities with majors in Baylor’s Department of Communication:

Communication Studies (formerly Speech Communication)

Film and Digital Media

Communication Specialist

It should be noted that the Communication Specialist major combines coursework from Communication Studies and Film and Digital Media.  Students who are interested in the Communication Specialist major would be wise to check out careers that relate to both components of the major.

As I mentioned above, selecting a communication major opens up a wide variety of career options.  Think about it.  Most jobs require a person to communicate effectively, whether it means expressing oneself verbally, in writing, or in other forms.  Some nice starting points for information are the resources on the Career Counseling website related to choosing a major.  Additionally, a podcast is available for each of the three majors listed above.

Some of the more common occupations you will read or hear about in these resources are in business, media, law, social services, nonprofit, government/politics, and education.  Truly, the possibilities are endless, which is a nice feature for students seeking a major and career that offers variety.

Animal-Assisted Therapy

The therapeutic benefits of interaction with animals have been well-documented, and students planning careers in health care, education, or mental health professions might consider if animal-assisted therapy (AAT) is a method of treatment that they would like to explore.  Pet Partners (formerly Delta Society) is the most well-known organization dedicated to training and research in the area of animal-assisted therapy.  Their definition of AAT is below:

AAT is a goal-directed intervention directed and/or delivered by a health/human service professional with specialized expertise, and within the scope of practice of his/her profession. AAT is designed to promote improvement in human physical, social, emotional, and/or cognitive functioning.

Child life specialists, educators, mental health professionals, nurses, physical therapists, physicians, occupational therapists, recreation therapists, speech-language pathologists, and social workers are just some of the professionals who may choose to seek training in the area of AAT.

For more information on training programs in AAT, check out:

Center for Animal Assisted Therapy

Pet Partners

Opportunities in Publishing for Undergraduates

Writing.  Editing.  Publishing.  Whether you dream of informing the public of current events, entertaining others with your wit and creativity, or contributing to a scholarly body of knowledge, gaining experience in publishing can give a major boost to your career and graduate school opportunities.  Consider where your writing or editing skills might best be put to use in publications on Baylor’s campus.

The Pulse

Focus Magazine

The Lariat

The Round Up

The Phoenix

Foreign Language Minors

A foreign language minor could enhance your academic experience and open up doors for global opportunities.  Baylor offers minors in:

Modern Foreign Languages

Classical Languages

While it is not foreign, I would also like to note that Baylor offers a minor in Sign Language Interpreting for students who would like to communicate with populations who use American Sign Language.  It is also important to keep in mind that the foreign language classes that you take to fulfill general education requirements at Baylor, may or may not apply to a minor.  Consult the Undergraduate Catalog or your academic advisor for more details on any of these minors.

Calling All Future CEOs!

There are some people in life who have their sights set at the top from an early age.  Do you dream of life in the C-suite?  If so, you should already be preparing.  High salaries and prestige don’t come easily.  What exactly can you expect from a career guided by the goal of being a top executive?  Try these resources for starters:

Top Executives (Occupational Outlook Handbook)

The New Path to the C-Suite (Harvard Business Review)

Baylor Business Undergraduate Programs and Advising (Hankamer School of Business)

Baylor Business Graduate Programs (Hankamer School of Business)

Baylor’s School of Engineering and Computer Science

Baylor Law School

 

Hire a Bear Career Fair

Once again, our colleagues in the Office of Career and Professional Development (formerly known as Career Services) are hosting the Hire a Bear Career Fair.  Employers will be on hand to discuss full-time and internship opportunities.  Mark your calendar for the afternoon of Wednesday, September 19th to network with top employers in your field.  This is also a great chance for students who are still exploring their career goals to check out what is available.  More information regarding the Hire a Bear Career Fair, as well as information on resumes and interviewing, can be found on the Office of Career and Professional Development website.

An earlier version of this post used the former title, Career Services, in the place of the Office of Career and Professional Development.

Strengths & Vocation Seminar

Baylor’s Spiritual Life department is hosting the Be the Change Missions Conference next week, and the Career Counseling staff are taking part in the event this year.  On Thursday, September 20th, students will have the opportunity to explore how their strengths relate to vocation.  This seminar will emphasize how strengths can be used to glorify God and contribute to His work here on Earth, whether or not the occupation has traditionally been considered ministry.  This session will build upon students’  Clifton StrengthsFinder report.  Most students take the assessment just prior to starting their first year at Baylor.  If you are interested in attending this session, but you have not taken the Clifton StrengthsFinder assessment, please contact the Career Counseling office for instructions.

More information on the Be the Change Missions Conference, including the Strengths and Vocation Seminar can be found here.

Discover Nursing

Are you one of Baylor’s many students interested in a career in health care?  You may have seen our post on registered nurses.  This post is a brief follow-up.  The Johnson & Johnson company has put together a website as part of their “Campaign for Nursing’s Future.”  It is DiscoverNursing.com.  The site allows visitors to explore specialties within the field of nursing and obtain facts about the profession.  More information on the nursing programs at Baylor can be found at the Louise Herrington School of Nursing website.