Advice to Education Majors from a Second Semester Sophomore!
Ahh yes. It is getting to the end of spring semester. I can’t believe that next semester I will be a Junior in college. I repeat A JUNIOR. When people say that college goes by quickly, they are not lying. Since I have been here at Millersville for two years now, I would like to share a little advice for my fellow education majors.
1. Get your pre-service exams out of the way!
Lets’ just say this, in High School, I did not do the best on my SAT’s. Because of this, I had to pass pre-service testing. There are many testing options that you are able to choose from. I highly suggest taking the Praxis Exam. I also suggest taking this exam before your second semester of sophomore year. I had to take all three exams. Reading, Math and Writing. I took each one, individually so I just had one to focus on. Getting these tests out of the way during my freshman year, made my sophomore year less stressful.
2. Take the Basic Skills Test (BST) as early as possible.
During my freshman year, I took the BST twice and failed it. Don’t be like me. Take the BST as early as possible and study for it! Do this so you can get MATH 104 & MATH 105 out of the way.
3. Start your portfolio now.
This might sound like an odd tip, but start collecting all of your lesson plans, certificates, etc. Doing this now may help you land a job in the future. I started doing this the beginning of sophomore year and I have gone back to my portfolio plenty of times.
4. Stay organized and keep up with your work!
My planner is my holy grail. I write down every assignment, when they are due, and how many point they are out of. I highly suggest getting a planner that you like and will always use. I also have stickers that I put on my planner to make it more fun and personal. A big thing that I want to emphasize is to not get behind on your work. Procrastinating is going to be your worst enemy. Taking time out of your day to work on an assignment that is due the following week will help you not be stressed and it gets you busy!
5. It’s okay to put down the books & have fun!
Being a good student in college is very important, but having fun is also another important part of college. It is ok if you take a break from your work to go outside, hang out with friends, or to relax. College is such a great time, you just have to learn about time management.
“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” -Nelson Mandela
HCXO,
Sammi