Identify and Plan for Your Educational Goals
Learning Objectives
The different educational goals you can achieve at SMC;
The types of courses required for your degree;
The resources you can use to assist you in transfer;
The milestones you should reach based on the Counseling Roadmap.
“My life is mine.”
— Tracee Ellis Ross, actress and entrepreneur
Note: The Student Success Library item was customized for Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, CA. You may come across SMC-specific resources, links, or activities that do not apply to you. Search for your own school’s resources or google for similar tools that can help you where you live, study and work.
EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
Now that you have explored possible career options and majors, it is time to learn about the specific educational training required to help you pursue your career goal. The career you are considering may require specialized industry certification or licensing, an associate degree, bachelor’s degree or a more advanced degree. Santa Monica College offers certificates, associate degree and transfer programs.
Certificates
Certificates are short term training programs that are industry specific. These programs are typically designed to prepare students for employment, job enhancement and/or job advancement. Certificate programs vary in length and generally require less than two years of full time study. The required coursework allows students to gain specialized entry level skills and training to prepare for industry certification and licensing.
For example, to become a Cosmetologist one must become certified by passing the State Board exam and 1600 hours. Completing the Cosmetology Certificate of Achievement at SMC prepares students to take the exam to become certified and gain employment as a Cosmetologist. For a list of certificates offered, visit the SMC Counseling webpage or type in bit.ly/c20certsanddegrees.
Associate Degrees
The associate degree is a program that requires 60 units. These units are comprised of general education courses and major courses. The AA/AS degree is designed to help students gain employment and or job advancement.
For a comprehensive list of associate degrees offered through SMC, view the counseling website bit.ly/c20certsanddegrees.
Associate Degrees for Transfer (AA-T/AS-T)
The AA-T/AS-T degrees are designed to help facilitate the transfer process for California Community College students to the CSU System. It is a 60-unit program comprising at least 18 units in a specific major and either the CSU GE breadth or the IGETC-CSU GE pattern. The benefit of an AA-T/AS-T is that students are guaranteed admission to one of the CSU schools (a non-impacted CSU) and are guaranteed to have 60 units remaining towards their bachelor’s degree after transfer. For more information, visit the SMC General Education AA degrees page or https://bit.ly/C20smcAAs
Bachelor of Science in Interaction Design
SMC offers only one bachelor’s degree, a BS in Interaction Design (IxD). The Interaction Design Bachelor of Science degree program blends the fields of design, user experience (UX), and technology. Interaction Designers ensure that products are appealing, effective and intuitive for their users. For admissions information, visit https://bit.ly/c20certsanddegrees.
What Can I Do After High School Besides College?
You have so many choices for what to do after high school, and we understand that can feel overwhelming. Here’s an article with a list of some pathways you can explore that don’t include “going to college.” https://www.dyanavalentine.com/studentsuccess/afterhighschool
TYPES OF CLASSES YOU’LL TAKE
Just as you have choices about your educational goals, you also have choices about where specific courses fit academically into your chosen degree program. For example, you can choose to take various combinations of major, general education and elective courses in a given term. Typical college degree programs include both required and elective courses.
General education are courses required by your institution and every student must take it in order to obtain a degree such as English and math. General education courses are sometimes also called core courses. General education courses are always essential to an academic degree, but they are not necessarily foundational to your major;
Major courses on the other hand, are essential to your specific field of study;
For example, as an accounting student you would probably have to take classes like financial accounting and microeconomics. Your college counselor can help you learn which courses within your major are required;
An elective course, in contrast to both general education courses and major courses, may be a variable component of your degree. You choose your electives from a number of optional subjects. Some degrees may require additional electives to be completed while other degrees may not require elective courses.
Most educational programs prefer that students take a combination of general education, especially math and English, and major preparation courses during the same term. This is a good way to meet the demands of your program and take interesting courses outside your focus area at the same time. Since your major courses will be clearly specified, you may not have many options about which ones to take or when to take them.
It is important to track and plan your major and general education courses from the outset. Follow up with a counselor to help you make sure you are on the best route to graduation and help plan out your courses to balance out your schedule.
TRANSFERRING TO A FOUR-YEAR SCHOOL
SMC has transfer agreements with four-year institutions that allow students to complete their freshman and sophomore general education courses and major preparation work at SMC and transfers as a junior. The transfer agreements may be found on the SMC counseling website , https://bit.ly/SMCtransfer. For specific transfer articulation agreements between SMC and a UC/CSU school go to: www.assist.org
While at SMC you may work on multiple goals. You may earn a certificate, associate degree and/or transfer program.
Steps to Transfer
Learn more about the transfer process. SMC has different transfer agreements with the UC/CSU and some private, out-of-state institutions and even international universities! Understanding the transfer requirements will make for a smooth transition;
If you are considering transfer to a CSU school, you may wish to consider the AA-T/AS-T programs offered through SMC. These degrees are designed to help facilitate the transfer process for California Community College students to the CSU System;
If you are considering transferring to a CSU school, learn more about the CSU GE breadth. The CSU GE breadth is the GE pattern all CSU schools will accept as satisfying the lower division GE coursework. The CSU GE can be found on the SMC counseling website, https://bit.ly/csuinfoforsmc;
The IGETC is the GE pattern accepted by all UC and CSU schools as satisfying the lower division GE requirements. The IGETC GE can be found here https://bit.ly/ucatsmc;
NOTE: The CSU GE and IGETC GE patterns are generally safe for most majors except liberal studies students and some high unit majors, especially STEM. Read the notes on the CSU GE and IGETC regarding which majors and schools do not honor CSU GE or IGETC.
Explore www.assist.org to learn about specific major courses necessary for transfer. This site houses all the transfer agreements between all California Community Colleges, CSU and UC institutions;
Meet with a counselor to learn more about the transfer process and create an educational plan based on your major and transfer institution;
Visit the Transfer Center to learn about transfer related events and workshops. Oftentimes University Representatives come to campus to meet 1:1 with prospective transfer students. Each fall and spring semester the General Counseling and Transfer Services hosts a college fair where many college and university representatives are present to answer transfer admission questions. View the SMC Transfer Center for upcoming events and workshops.
How to Choose a Four-Year School
There are many factors to consider when choosing a four-year university. Below are just a few factors that you should consider:
Major: Does that university offer your major?
Size: How big is that university? How big are the class sizes? What is the student-faculty ratio?
Student life: Do they offer clubs, campus activities, fraternities or sororities, sports, etc?
Location: Do you want to stay local, go out-of-state, or even out of the US? Is it located in a city, suburbs or rural area?
Public or private: Do you prefer a private or public college?
Cost: How much is tuition? What is the cost of attendance? Keep in mind that many universities offer grants, scholarships, work-study, and other forms of financial aid to bring down the cost of attendance.
EDUCATIONAL PLANNING
Regardless of your goal at Santa Monica College, you will benefit from developing your MyEdPlan (the name of the software you will use to build your educational plan).
Once you determine the goal you wish to pursue at SMC, you are ready to declare your program of study and develop your educational plan. You may develop your MyEdPlan, an Online Academic Planning tool, through your Corsair Connect student portal. For a step-by- step tutorial on developing your MyEdPlan go to: www.smc.edu/myedplan.
Your MyEdPlan will allow you to track your progress and map out classes necessary to meet your goal. You are encouraged to discuss this plan with a counselor to ensure you have accounted for all necessary requirements!
If you are not yet certain about your major that’s ok for now. Choose what program may best suit you: certificate, associate degree or transfer. If you have a general idea of what program you wish to pursue, you can start focusing on your general education courses (if required) and consider taking some exploratory classes next semester to allow you to explore areas of interest. Undecided students should also take Counseling 12, Career Planning, and meet with a career counselor to help you choose your major.
Where are you on Your Educational map?
Are you at the start? Are you midway through your journey? Are you at the end of your journey? Your MyEdPlan will help you determine how far along you are on your journey and how much further you have to go. Consider connecting with resources and services on campus as recommended below based on where you are in your journey.
If you are at the START you will want to:
Turn in transcripts from your high school and previous colleges/universities and schedule an appointment with an academic counselor to have them evaluate;
Declare your major;
If you are undecided, you should take Counseling 12 or meet with a career counselor to help you choose your major;
Apply for financial aid;
View your math and English placement if you have not yet done so;
Meet with a counselor to develop at least a one-semester plan of what classes you’ll take.
If you have Up to 15 units you will want to:
Familiarize yourself with the Library, the Tutoring Labs and the Student Services Center;
Consider joining a student club or organization;
Meet with a counselor to discuss academic major and goals leading to the development of a comprehensive educational plan.
If you have 15 Units or more you will want to:
Continue to network on campus and build relationships with faculty, staff and peers;
Connect with the Career Center.
If you have 30 units or more you will want to:
Review SMC transcripts with a counselor;
Participate in an internship;
Apply to transfer;
Update your educational plan.
If you are at the FINISH LINE you will want to:
Petition for graduation;
Receive an associate degree and/or certificate;
Enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution.
There is a lot of support on campus to help you each step of the way. Take advantage of the resources available to you and ask for help when necessary. SMC offers many campus resources and services, for a comprehensive list, visit the SMC website, www.smc.edu/StudentServices.
Remember, you are not alone on this journey. There are many folks on campus here to support your efforts. Do your part and get to know them!
Your Turn: Activity
WHAT IS MY PLAN AFTER GRADUATION?
It’s easier to achieve a goal when you write it down, tell someone else about it, and have at least one helper to support you. For more on goals, check out our article Goals: Setting and Reaching Them, https://www.dyanavalentine.com/studentsuccess/settinggoals.
My Two Goals for After Graduation are:
Goal 1: I will: .
What date will you achieve your goal? .
Who can help you reach your goal? .
Goal 2: I will: .
What date will you achieve your goal? .
Who can help you reach your goal? .
List Three Small Actions for Each Goal:
Goal #1:
Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Goal #2
Action 1:
Action 2:
Action 3:
Follow Through with a Goal Buddy:
Choose a goal buddy from today’s participants or someone you know, or a mentor/advisor who has already achieved similar goals. Tell them about your goals and how you would like to check back in with them for support.
You set two goals today, take action now! Use this checklist to keep you going:
Set due dates for each of your goal actions;
Make a plan to address the obstacles that may come up;
Set up your next call or meeting with your goal buddy; and
Decide how you’ll celebrate or reward yourself when you reach your goal.
Key Takeaways
Pursuing a higher education provides many options such as certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees;
Typically, college degree programs include major, general education and elective courses;
If you plan on transferring to a university, SMC has many resources to assist you;
To ensure you are on the right path, make sure to create an Education Plan with a counselor.
N.B.: The Student Success Library item was customized for Santa Monica College (SMC) in Santa Monica, CA. You may come across SMC-specific resources, links, or activities that do not apply to you. Search for your own school’s resources or google for similar tools that can help you where you live, study and work.
This work, Identify and Plan for Your Educational Goals, is part of the Student Success Library, which is a derivative of Student Success, originally modified by Vanessa Bonilla, Dr. Tyffany Dowd, Jackeline Felix, Dyana Valentine, Olivia Vallejo and Daniella Washington from the original Student Success by Graciela Martinez, Anh Nguyen, and Liz Shaker under CC BY-SA 4.0. Student Success Library is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 by Dyana Valentine. Last edit date: July 2022.