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Career and Life Planning

Concurrent Enrollment Course ACAD 108

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You’ve heard that you need to go to college in order to get a good job, but what you may not have heard is that just going to college isn’t enough.

Why? Because simply going to college and obtaining a degree no longer guarantees employability. You will need to have a plan and seek out opportunities to prepare yourself for a career.

Deciding to “Go On” is just the first step. Once you’ve decided you’re interested in pursuing postsecondary education, you’ll have to answer the following questions:

  • How do I choose the right school?
  • How do I choose the right major?
  • How do I choose a career path that I will enjoy AND is in demand?
  • How do I gain the right skills, out-of-classroom experiences, and professional network required to be employable?

This course will help you answer each of these questions. Dual Credit ACAD 108: Career and Life Planning is a partnership between Boise State Career Services, Concurrent Enrollment, Advising and Academic Enhancement, and the Idaho Digital Learning Academy. It is designed to help you plan and prepare for a successful future. The rising cost of college and higher-than-ever employer expectations mean that your career preparation needs to begin NOW. This course will guide you through the process of choosing a career path that balances your interests, abilities, work values, and personality with the realities of the current job market. You will also learn what you’ll need to do during your time in college (besides taking classes!) to become employable, and you will even begin learning the job search skills, such as strategic networking and personal branding that you’ll need in the future.

While doing this, you will also be making progress towards high school graduation AND getting a head start on college with 2 college credits. Because the course is offered online, if you are a high school student in Idaho, it is available to you no matter where you live or what high school you attend.

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What Do Other Students Think?

Learning outcome data is available for 2014-2018. View this Course Assessment Report to see what other students learned in this course and what effect it had on their goals and plans.

Here are some things previous students had to say about the class:

“I have been so grateful for my teacher encouraging me to register for Career and Life Planning. It has been such a benefit to me in my life now and I know will benefit my future in so many ways. Instead of all of the fear and stress that I had for my future previously, I now feel peace and a lot of excitement for what is to come as a result of being enrolled in this class!”

“Just five months ago I had no idea what I wanted to do in my life. I was confused and wanted to go into a career for the money not for the enjoyment of having a job you love. I was wrong and didn’t know that until I joined the Career and Life Planning class. This class has taught me beyond what I was coming into the class wanting to learn. I was surprised with all the knowledge that I soaked up in such a short period of time. My career goals, insights and path has all changed and developed from this course. It helped me truly plan out my life better, pick a college and choose a career that suits me but also led me to have a better understanding of myself. I have gratitude for the experience I had in this class and would recommend it to any high school student.”

“Without this [class], I would have had to research all of this information in my own down time and it would not have been as structured. Instead I was able to learn about everything offered at BSU because of this class and formulate a plan to help me through college and the start of my career.”

“Being in this class has made everything so much simpler and crystal clear and I am glad I decided to take it.”

“Without this class I felt like I had no idea what I was doing and felt like I was going to make so many mistakes in deciding my career and college life. I now feel like I am truly ready for my life to begin. I have learned so much about myself it is crazy. Some of the stuff I thought would never work out is starting to fall into place. I learned the type of career I should go into because of my personality and my interests. I have truly gained so much through this class but I would have to say the most important thing I have gained would be the knowledge about the career and what I need to do I order to get to that end goal. I would be so lost without this class and am thankful for everything it has taught me.”

“One of the most important things I have gained in this class is my understanding of the job market and how to build a brand, create resumes and interview. No matter what I end up doing I will take those lessons with me. It’s something I feel everyone should know and I’ve already began to share my lessons with friends and family. Those lessons left me feeling confident and prepared for the rest of my life.”

“Over the course of this class, I have learned so very much about my personality, job options, school options, and even proper resume format. I have gained many insights, improved my career choice, and gained important knowledge. This class has given me the confidence that I lacked at the beginning of the semester. Now, I know which college I would like to attend. I feel that my plan for my future has become much more in-depth and meaningful. I not only know what I want to do, but I know why I want to do it. I have set my priorities in order and I plan on having a great college and career. I have loved this class beyond anything else, and I am so excited to see where it brings me next.”

“When I started this class I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I just needed a class and it sounded interesting. After I got started I was glad I chose it. Now I am extremely glad I chose this class and I learned a lot of valuable things. I also liked that it was more laid back but you still had to get your work done. It was nice to have a class like that! This course was a lot of fun and extremely helpful. I’d definitely recommend this course to others.”

“This whole course has been a blast. I have learned a lot about myself and my career. I have also gained a lot of reassurance about what I am doing, want to do, and how I’m going to get there. The things that I enjoyed the most were probably the self-branding and researching colleges.”

 “At first my career goals were go to college and get a good job. Now my career goals are so much better. I know what degree I need. I know what colleges have that degree. I know how to get an interview. I know so many more things from this class that will help me so much over my life time. My career goals have changed from a list of jobs I would like to do, to a few jobs that really interest me. The few jobs I have in mind all go hand in hand with each other. They aren’t all over the place now.”

“I learned how to broadcast myself and my abilities. This is a very important skill to have, because it is important for employers to know what skills one may have and how they will use them wisely. It is important to show you have the skills to get the job done correctly and thoroughly.”

“Throughout this semester I can honestly say this was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but I’m so glad I did. This semester prepared me so much. I feel like I am able to continue my career path without being nervous that I’m not doing things right. It clarified things for me and educated me on things I didn’t even know existed.”

“I loved this course, and would recommend anyone to take it in a heartbeat. :)”