Degree counseling

[Kyle]

Does anyone know a good resource for a degree consultant, I receive alot of email on students that do not know what to study and I'd like to refer them to a right resource.

If anyone had experience with any company please post it.

[karenlyn]

I've never even heard of a degree consultant! But I took a look and found the following website, if it helps:

http://www.degreeconsultants.org/

[LyricB]

If you're currently enrolled in a school you should be assigned to an academic advisor and they can assist you with this stuff.

[kelkat]

My suggestion is that if they don't know what they want to do then they need to start out by taking just their core classes. As they get into it more, then they will have chances to taste of the different majors.

It would also help for them to take a career course. Lots of schools offer them.

I don't think anyone should declare their major until atleast their junior year.

[karenlyn]

Kelkat-- maybe it's smart for most student to leave that decision open for awhile, but a lot of people are SURE of what they want to be doing, and so can declare their major early. I know I did.

[kelkat]

I think most people THINK they know what they want to do. Unless you've already been working in that field, you really don't know. My husband went all the way through and got to get his degree for teaching English, only when he did his student teaching (at the end - what a horrible way for the school to set it up) he HATED it. Fortunately, he was also certified in other fields and found a job there instead. But he was sure he wanted to teach English!

I was sure I wanted to be a math teacher, but I couldn't get through the classes. Man, were those professors boring ZZZZZZZZZZ! I was taking a career counseling class (easy A by the way) at the time and the professor told me that although I would make a great teacher, getting through the classes would be nearly impossible. I guess he knew his stuff.

That's why I think it's important to get in and taste everything. There might be something new out there that you'd love more and be better at than anything you had alread set your mind on. Who knows. It may be that you just confirm your dreams.

College should be about getting the broadest education possible and then applying that education to your goals. IMO

[mtatum4496]

I would agree that students don't always know for sure what degree they want to pursue at first. That's where the counselor can make a great impact, by helping the individual identify aptitudes and strengths and matching those up with career paths. I've known a lot of people who started out after one degree, but changed at some point when they realized how much happier they would be in another field.

[LyricB]

Yeah, I went in sure that I would graduate to become an elementary school teacher. I've since changed my major and I'm really happy with that decision.

[dipmill]

hi guys,

need help.

do you have any info about instantdegrees.com? like where it is incorporated, the schools it represents, etc.

thanks

[Kyle]

I was researching that a while back but they are no as easy as belford.
I'll try and get you the answer this week.

[johann]

Hi -

I don't really know why anybody'd want a huge amount of info on this outfit, but here's what I have....

They're the people that tell you you'll get a good table, preferential airport treatment etc., particularly in Europe, when you flash your bogus 5-day doctorate. BALONEY! SALES GIMMICK! The only real credential you need for an Instantdegrees degree is your Visa or MasterCard!

They also offer apostilles at extra charge - and we've re-iterated several times in this forum what NONSENSE the apostille procedure is in this context. It merely certifies that a worthless piece of paper is a GENUINE piece of crap - i.e. not a forgery.

I was intrigued by the fact they wouldn't name the ...uh "Universities" the ...um "degrees" would come from. Back a couple-three years ago I managed somehow to web-link to the "wizard behind the curtain" - I forget how and can't seem to do it again - and there were a half-dozen names, all well-known as mills. The only one I seem to remember with any degree of certainty was "Ratchford University" - also known on this board as Retchford, Roachford etc. They likely have six different laser printers, labeled "Ratchford," "Ashwood," "Belford," etc. - or similar nonsense.

C'mon now - you're not serious about wanting info about these guys, are you? Why not choose a GOOD school? You can do it! :-)

Johann

[johann]

Hi -

The site I got the Ratchford/Roachford name from may have been University Consulting Co. rather than InstantDegrees.
I can no longer find a website for University Consulting although there is still a Wiki, which I have linked to, below.

These are two different outfits, but with very similar products and business methods, IMO. It was two or three years ago, back in the mists of time. I believe Buxton University, rather than Ratchford, may be one of the ...er "schools" used by InstantDegrees. I got that info from a wiki on Buxton, below, that refers to InstantDegrees:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buxton_University

The Wiki writeup on University Consulting (owners in Cyprus Panama Dominica and Belize) is here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_Consulting_Inc..

You will note University Consulting has at least sixteen er..."school" names on tap, including both Ashwood and Ratchford that I was ranting on about. (What? No Belford?)

Whatever else I said of an uncomplimentary nature about InstantDegrees is still my take on them. The m.o.'s of the two companies are so similar, IMO, that it's probably why I made the mistake - if I actually did.

Interestingly, InstantDegrees has a facility to provide diplomas (and presumably transcripts) in Spanish, from a sister-site, instantdegrees.us

I could see a... er, "Doctoral Thesis" on the site labeled "Universidad de la Colonia" but that was the only um...institution name I could glean today from their .us site.

Heck, why did I bother? :-(

Johann

[PeteDude]

In the past, I've heard of such things as a few legitimate educational consultants. But in these days of the Internet, who needs 'em? You can spend a few hours online and find out most of what you need to know. . . especially if you hang out in forums like this one! :)

Outside of the Internet, career counselors and college admissions counselors (at non-profit schools, mind you) should be all you need for live warm bodies. If there's a particular field you're into, just ask a manager over those folks. . . they'll probably help you figure out if it's a good fit for a degree program.

[johann]

Yes indeed!

I think it pays to be your own "consultant," in this matter. As you say, PeteDude, there's lots of info available -no need to pay any money for it.

Finding the school / course that fits is the first research project of a higher education. Go to the sources!

Cheers!

Johann