College, Scholarship, Study, and Career Guides at Your Berkeley County Library System
Written by BriAnne Baxley, MLIS, Young Adult Librarian
For any High School Junior and Senior, the idea of being so close to graduation can be pretty exciting. For many, it means a chance to chase passions, experience new things, and make dreams a reality. However, with all that excitement there is a hint of fear that comes with it because let’s face it learning to be an adult can be sometimes scary and overwhelming. Trust me, there are times when I just want to go back to the good old days of blanket forts and Disney movie marathons. (Okay, so maybe I still do that now in my 30s but you get my drift.) So in order to help you find your way into this new world of adulthood, I thought I would provide you all with what I believe are some great resources we provide here at the Berkeley County Public Library.
Universal Class
I don’t know about you all but when I was in High School trying to find what I wanted to do for the rest of my life seemed a little bit daunting. What if I picked wrong? What if I wasn’t good at it? Even worse, what if I had to do math for the rest of my life?! Luckily for me, I was able to find my way but I promise you it was no easy task. So my great suggestion to you all is to try to explore new passions.
Universal Class can help with just that! Universal Class provides a great selection of online courses on all sorts of different subjects. If you think the medical profession is right for you why not take free courses on Anatomy and Physiology 101 or Introduction to Medical Coding to see if that is something you would want to study.
My favorite is Baking Pies 101! It’s free, can be worked around your busy social life, and you get Continuing Education Credit for it that could help build up your job resume. This resource is also fantastic because if you really struggle with a subject, like me and math, you can take courses to help you practice these skills before you set out into the workforce or college scenes.
LearningExpress Library™ – College Prep Center
For some of you college-bound is where you are headed, but in order to get there, you have to check off a few things on your to-do list like taking the ACT, SAT, and any AP exams you might want credit for. Purchasing those prep books can get costly and while we have some here at the library, getting your hands on the materials may be a challenge (especially after you all read this fantastic blog and run out to your local BCLS location).
As long as you have access to a computer, the internet, and your library card you will have access to prep materials 24-hours a day. LearningExpress has some great features but for those of you wanting some great practice for exam day, their test specific resources are great as they have interactive lessons and practice exercises.
Honestly, I wish I had these resources years ago when I was getting ready! Now of course once you are all done with your test it’s time to prepare that college admissions essay. One of my other favorite options on LearningExpress is their eBooks on how to write your essay and how to proofread, revise and edit your work. It never hurts to have information like this at your fingertips to help make your college essay stand out.
Center for Online Education
Heading off to a big college, like my beloved University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!), may not be the right fit for you and that’s okay! There are so many variables that you have to factor in when you try to decide what to do after high school. For instance, do you have the right grades, access to the necessary resources and the biggest one are you financially able to make that step. For many it’s not about not wanting to go but how to get there. That’s why in our day in age we are lucky to have the option to take online college classes.
There are programs all over that provide online programs that can work with your time so that means you can go to school AND work that full-time job if need be. That’s why our Center for Online Education is a great resource to use when trying to find the right fit for you. Search by degree, categories, and subject matters that interest you and they will provide with an online college that might work for you. While this does not provide you with a huge list of every online program available, it does help you get your feet wet in the researching of programs.
BCLS Materials
You’ve found the passion that you would like to pursue. You’ve taken all the necessary tests. You’ve found the college that is right for you. Now it’s time to figure out how to pay for it all. Here at BCLS, we provide all types of materials to help you through your journey from test prep to college search. The gem, however, in our college prep collection would have to be the ones about scholarships.
These resources will help guide you through the process of finding the scholarships, applying for them, and making the most out of the scholarships you win. Free money to help pay for school is always a nice thing to have as a poor college student.
Here are a few others:
I hope you find these resources just as useful as I think they are. I hope it provides you a place to start in this college admission process. As you continue on this path and you make it to your destination, my hope is that you continue to seek out your public library. Let us be your source of inspiration, a research partner, and place to rejuvenate while you get through those long semesters. We can’t wait to see all the great things you will accomplish!
