by Nasir Ismail | Mar 4, 2022 | Blog, Myth vs. Fact, Resources
What happens on the internet… stays on the internet.
Social networking accounts are digital identities, and every time an account creates a post, it essentially leaves its digital signature with it. A lot of people neglect this fact about social media and are irresponsible with the posts they publish, which has led to serious repercussions in many cases.
What if my account is private?
Even information from a private social media account can become public if someone takes a screenshot or recording of one of its posts and shares it publicly online. Having a private account can also restrict people from seeing beneficial information, like your portfolio. So always be mindful about what you post, regardless of your privacy preferences.
Who is checking, anyway?
Some colleges have admissions teams solely devoted to checking students’ social media pages. Everything and anything that you post can be traced back to you! The internet works in mysterious ways, but it is becoming easier to navigate every day. For example, even if you don’t have your name listed on your profiles, admissions counselors can utilize cross-referencing measures to verify you identity.
What can I do to avoid this?
It’s never too late to delete old posts that you think may come back to haunt you, but you cannot guarantee that someone else has not saved or screenshotted them. Be responsible, and be careful what you say online! A general rule of thumb for posts: if you don’t want a parent or employer to read or see it, you definitely wouldn’t want an admissions counselor to read or see it either!
by Nasir Ismail | Mar 4, 2022 | Blog, Myth vs. Fact, Resources
What’s there to do after high school?
Many people believe that the only option to ensure a secure, financially independent future is by completing a four-year Bachelor’s degree program. Not only is this false, but claims like these undermine the importance of vocational jobs and the credibility of associate’s degrees!
Myth:
Four-year college is the only type of secondary education that matters.
While colleges may provide you exposure to new ideas, paths, and schools of thought, if you believe your career won’t require a four-year degree, then pursue a credential in something else!
Fact:
There is real value in two-year degrees, credentials, and certificates! Transferring is not necessary for all students. (https://toandthrough.uchicago.edu/mythbusters)
For example, if you love to cut or style hair, it would be wise to enroll in a vocational barber program to obtain licensure, rather than a bachelor’s program in an unrelated field. That way, you can gain the credentials/license you’ll need to follow your passion and level-up your career! 📝
Trade school and 2-year programs often lead people who complete them to immediate employment after graduation. These programs often provide very specific job training, putting more weight on the practical aspects of education. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Construction, Healthcare, and Personal Care will account for more than 30% of new jobs through 2022!
Furthermore, the US Department of Education reported that people with technical educations are more likely to be employed, and significantly more likely to be working in their desired fields than their academic counterparts.
So if a quick route to a practical, well-paying job is what you’re looking for, or if you’re passionate about a certain skill that you have that you’d like to develop and use to earn a living, then a two-year program is the right one for you!
by Nasir Ismail | Mar 4, 2022 | Blog, Myth vs. Fact, Resources
Understanding Equal Opportunity for Women
Historical attitudes in the United States have unfortunately served to spread false gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes negatively impact the opportunities of our country’s women. These attitudes lead people to believe that women can not accomplish the same things that men can–and that is simply not true.
The modern exploration of gender expression has been restructuring the social attitudes that limited women’s lives for generations. Attitudes claiming that “women aren’t as smart as men,” or anything along the lines of women being unequal to men, are entirely inaccurate. They stem from outdated, prejudiced social norms that male-dominant (patriarchal) societies carried through history.
Children as young as six years old tend to show signs of internalized stereotypes. That means: a six-year-old girl might already believe, for example, that she has to be a nurse because society made her believe only boys can be doctors. This only limits the child’s potential!
Myth vs. Fact
A contemporary stereotype that limits opportunities for Women in the US is the misguided belief that women aren’t as good as men in STEM fields. Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are the component fields of study for these disciplines. The following examples will serve to show why that stereotype is not true.
People use backwards reasoning to justify attitudes against women. For example, the myth, “there are no women working in STEM” is a meritless claim.
More than 50% of researchers in Bulgaria, Latvia, and Lithuania, and above 40% of researchers in Latin America and the Caribbean are women! This is more evidence to show that many stereotypes involving women are unfounded claims.
People think men are simply better, perhaps by nature, than women in studying and understanding Science and Math. Also, recent studies show that girls often score as well or better than young boys on public school science and math tests.
People also believe the absurd viewpoint that women might not be as interested in the fields as men are, and this serves to gaslight women. Women and men are both extremely capable categories of humans, with about the exact same potentials in life. Society, however, has expressed biases–implicit and explicit–that can make women believe they are less capable. Due to classroom gender bias, teachers tend to put more faith in boys than they do in girls, especially in STEM subjects. Parents also put more pressure on sons than they do daughters to study STEM fields. So it is certainly not that women are less capable, it’s just that some groups of people have the misguided notion that women are lesser, and due to their influence, some people listen and perpetuate these falsehoods.
Conclusion
Shifting the societal narrative about equal opportunity can assist in building confidence in younger girls, so that from youth, they will never have to doubt themselves. Furthermore, they can build the resilience to never regard the false claims of backward-thinkers who want to limit their growth.
Also important to note is that not only men perpetuate these stereotypes. Women do too, and oftentimes nobody realizes that they spread these stereotypes. This shows how many of these attitudes come from implicit biases. Society has evolved in a way that economic policy dictates culture and indoctrinates everyone into the same system of beliefs and implicit attitudes, which is why people can self-discriminate and hold cultural biases.
by Nasir Ismail | Feb 17, 2022 | Blog, Myth vs. Fact, Resources
There is so much stress involved in when to attend college. Society sometimes makes it seem like if you do not attend college directly after high school, then you missed your opportunity to go at all. This cannot be further from the truth!
Debunking the Myths
Sometimes, people simply are not prepared to make a multi-year commitment, especially at the ages of 17 to 18 years old, which is when most young adults begin to apply for college. And in other cases, perhaps life gets in the way. Regardless, there is so much pressure surrounding what to study, what profession your major might result in, and ensuring that you enjoy your college experience.
More commonly than not, people will misjudge themselves at these young ages, and may even end up changing their major multiple times, or simply taking longer than expected to finish their chosen program of study.
The more time someone spends away from an academic environment, the harder it might be to reacclimate to that environment. There are, however, so many benefits to having real-world, real-life experience when it comes to education.
The Facts
It’s certainly true, going back to college or enrolling as an adult might be challenging… But luckily, you’re far from being alone. Recent reports have shown that almost 40% of adults over the age of 22 are still students. Don’t let your age discourage you!
Furthermore, studies have shown that older adults have more patience, problem-solving skills, and motivation than younger adult students, due to a higher amount of life experience. Several adults find the difficulty of college to decrease as they get older. This also serves as a bonus for employers after college who see that you may already have professional experience in another field. So not only will you have a more interesting story, but you might even be able to get paid more or land a better job for it!
So if you’re an adult who may have missed out on your initial opportunity to go to college as a traditional student, or you’re a high school student who may not be ready to commit years to studying and learning, it’s never too late to apply and enroll in a program of your interest!
by Nasir Ismail | Feb 17, 2022 | Blog, Myth vs. Fact, Resources
Often after high school or the completion of a GED, former students might find themselves unsure about their career plans. The societal pressure to attend a four-year bachelor’s program, in a time where several workplace environments demand certain post-secondary credentials, can leave students lost when considering a career path. While colleges may provide you exposure to new ideas, paths, and schools of thought, if you believe your career won’t require a four-year degree, then pursue a credential in something else!
Finding What’s Right For You
Several programs exist for the development of your trade skills and hands-on work, but not many people take advantage of these. For example, if you love to cut or style hair, it would be wise to enroll in a barber program to obtain licensure, rather than a bachelor’s program in an unrelated field. That way, you can gain the credentials/license you’ll need to follow your passion and level-up your career! As you will see, the benefits and the reward of going to a two-year trade school program are real, applicable, and sure to leave you with a job! How come, though, people attach a stigma to this kind of education?
Misconceptions
A common myth states that trade school isn’t worth the time or money. While usually only two years long, and for a fraction of the cost of a bachelor’s degree, this claim can not be more wrong! Although, it is true that trade school may not be the right fit for everyone. Generally, professions in the trades require more manual, skilled labor, and can be physically demanding. Professions include carpentry, electrician, plumber, mason, painter, construction worker, welder, and more!
The Facts
Although, there is real value in two-year degrees, credentials, and certificates! The average entry-level NJ Trade School Graduate earns $57,000 after they complete their two-year degree program. This is around the same amount as entry-level Bachelor’s Degree holders earn after four years of school! New Jersey has over 120 trade schools to choose from throughout the state, depending on your location and career preferences, so it shouldn’t be a hassle to find the right program to get you started.
Why You Should Consider Trade School
Trade schools have the unique ability to teach you hands-on, real-world, immediately-applicable skills that will get you employed the second you start looking for work! So for a fraction of the cost, and for half the time that it takes to get a bachelor’s degree, Trade school offers several amazing, competitive benefits.
by Nasir Ismail | Feb 10, 2022 | Blog, Myth vs. Fact, Resources
Got some bad grades from early on in high school? Worried that they might affect your chances of getting into college? While grades certainly reflect some aspects of your capability as a student, they’re not all that matters. Some people might have strengths in areas others will have weaknesses. It’s really important to know your own strengths and use them to your best advantage.
People stress about grades, but truthfully, if you are not the strongest student, there are still so many qualities that a college admissions office will see in you.
Myths
A common misconception is that if your grades are not where you want them to be, you won’t be accepted into any college! People might have told you things like:
“If your grades suffer at the start of high school, it will ruin your chances of getting into college,” or “your grades from 9th grade til 11th grade will determine your college acceptance.” Sometimes they will go so far as to say “you need perfect grades to get into college.”
It’s tough to know what to expect from college before having been there. Claims like the one mentioned above can’t be further from the truth! Such claims only help to discourage people from pursuing their dreams!
Admissions offices understand the challenges that students may face with adapting to harder courses each year. Although, these counselors also recognize and really value progress.
The Facts
Improvement Matters: The fact of the matter is: admissions counselors look for upward trends and improvements over the course of your high school career. If you show improvement throughout the course of your high school career, then your chances of getting into college are already competitive! Supplement that with some average to above-average test scores for some extra leverage, and you will be well on your way.
Build Leadership Skills: Although, don’t be alarmed! Consideration is not only limited to tests and grades! Admissions counselors consider and weigh what kind of person you are, your lifestyle, the activities in which you participate, your honors, and your achievements. These can often be more telling than a student transcript. And if a teacher with whom you share a good relationship can attest to this in a Letter of Recommendation, that will only boost your odds even more.
So, Do Grades Matter?
The bottom line: grades do have weight, but they are not a golden ticket to college. Not everyone realizes the importance of education early in high school. Not realizing this can make your GPA suffer, but that’s not a problem as long as you show consistent improvement afterward.
That being said, being a good candidate for college or university is less about your actual GPA than it is about your improvement and development of skills over time.
Colleges want to see that you want to go; that you are fully motivated. If you have good grades, then that’s great! Now it could be time to focus on an extracurricular activity. If your grades are not up to college standards, you still have time to make them better. Furthermore, you still have time to develop your skills to match those of someone who really wants to succeed in higher education.
Always remember, college is for the benefit of no one other than yourself. So no matter what kinds of grades you may have had, if they reflect an upward trend, and if you put some genuine effort into developing your personality through sports, clubs, or other extracurricular, documentable activities, then you can count on yourself to propel you to the next level.
