Subject Pathfinders

StudyingHow do I start my project?

Career and Education Information 

Destinations from Secondary School

If You do not know what destination to choose:

  • Financial Aid/Scholarship Resources

    • Essential Skills

    http://srv600.hrdc-drhc.gc.ca/esrp/english/general/home_e.shtml  

    Welcome to the Essential Skills and Workplace Literacy Initiative. Launched in April 2003, the Initiative helps to ensure Canadians have the right skills for changing work and life demands.

    You can use this site to search close to 200 occupational profiles. These profiles can help you learn more about the skills you need for the job you want, highlighting each of the nine Essential Skills.

    Helpful sites when choosing an Educational Institution

    Here are questions to ask when trying to decide among several options:

    This story refers to getting a grad degree, but many questions are applicable to post secondary as well.

    What is the average time to completion for the degree you're considering?

    • Will you be working as part of a team with other students? (Regular interaction with others means you complete your degree faster than those who work in relative isolation.)
    • Are graduate career and placement services offered?
    • Is the supervisor an active and productive scholar or researcher? How many graduate and postdoctoral students are under his or her supervision? (It should not normally be more
    • Is there a graduate student centre for socializing?
    • Will the department be able to give you lab or office space? What kind of graduate student space is available in the library?
    • How many students in the program are funded? At what rate? For how long? From which sources? Is funding guaranteed to students in the program? (Make sure funding commitments are explicit. Ask for the hourly pay rates, expected hours or specific sums in writing.)
    • Do people normally live on campus or off? Are there graduate residences on campus? Is there affordable non-university housing near campus? If not, what is the commute like?
    • Finally, here is something useful to read if you're thinking about a PhD program. In 1999, more than 4,000 doctoral students from 27 U.S. universities participated in a survey intended to provide a snapshot of their experiences and goals.
      • "We found that the training doctoral students receive is not what they want, nor does it prepare them for the jobs they take," said the report published in 2001 (http://www.phd-survey.org).
      • "Many students clearly do not understand what doctoral study entails, how the process works and how to navigate it effectively."
      • One question, in particular, attracted a lot of comments: "Knowing everything that you know now, what advice would you give others entering or in the early years of graduate school?"
      • The reply, "Understand the job market," came from 20 per cent of history and philosophy students and 25 per cent of English students. They counselled others to be cautious about starting a PhD because of the limited career opportunities.
      • "Select your adviser carefully," was the comment from 25 to 45 per cent of sociology, psychology, chemistry, geology and biology students.
      • Humanities students found this to be far less important.
      • "Get funding," said a quarter of history and English students and 40 per cent of art history students. The least concern was expressed by students in math, psychology and chemistry.

     
    from: Roseman, Ellen. "Pros, cons of getting a grad degree." Toronto Star 10 December 2006: A20.