Tag: associate degree

Follow Your Passion to a Degree

Posted on by NVC PR

College can be intimidating no matter how old you are. I tried attending school twice before and life just got in the way. Now, I am 26 years old with school age kids, working full-time and planning a wedding. I decided to go back to school in December of 2017, because after two failed attempts at school, I finally know what I want to be when I grow up!

I listened to other people on what I should get my degree in. You can never go wrong with a business degree, they said. I didn’t actually stop to think about what I was interested in or passionate about. Just what would make me the most money, or land me a job. So, I tried pursuing my degree in Business Management with the intent to transfer to a university. I had amazing professors, but I just was not interested in the classes so I fell behind.

After talking to many friends, family, colleagues and by passers, it seems that this is more common than I thought. So many of us get caught up in the money we can possibly make in the future, rather than what will make us happy. I’ve realized that if you love something, whether it be art, fitness, literature or whatever, there is always a way to make money off of your passions. This is why I’m now choosing to pursue an associates degree in Digital Media at Northwest Vista. I would never have guessed that my hobby of playing on Adobe Photoshop would be able to make me money one day. The classes feel like a breeze because I’m engaged with the material, rather than another boring class I have no interest in.

For those of you just starting out, or maybe you are considering school again, I would suggest to make sure you are truly pursuing your passions. One degree might not sound as important as another, but they all matter.

By NVC student Viviana Smith

Why NVC Wants You to Complete a Degree?

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
NVC President Dr. Ric Baser

You may have heard Northwest Vista College faculty and staff members say that earning your associate degree before transferring to a university gives you confidence and motivation to complete a bachelor’s degree.

Completing your associate degree also ensures the acceptance of your general education or “core” courses. In addition, getting a degree from NVC will increase your earnings while pursuing a bachelor’s degree. If you are enrolled in one of NVC’s outstanding Associate of Applied Science programs, completion of the degree increases your employability and opportunities for promotion.   

NVC faculty and staff understand and care about your success and they want you to transfer successfully. We also know that the costs of attending a university are much higher than attending a community college like NVC.

We know that if you complete your degree at NVC prior to transferring, you will receive an exceptional education that will save money. These are just some of the reasons why you should get an associate degree from NVC, which is the No. 1 ranked community college in Texas.

NVC faculty and staff wish for you to stay at NVC long enough to earn your degree, which usually means a minimum of 60 credit hours. If you have 60 credit-level hours or more, I urge you to speak with your academic advisor today or in the next few days. Set up an appointment with your academic advisor.  The deadline for summer degree completion is Thursday, June 29. 

Remember that the awarding of degrees is not automatic. You have to apply with your advisor who will evaluate your transcript and degree plan.

To find out who your advisor is:

  • Go to ACES
  • Click on “My Page”
  • Your advisor’s picture and contact info will be there

To find out how many hours you have completed at NVC:

  • Go to ACES
  • Click on “My Page”
  • Click on “Unofficial Transcript” to get completed hours
NVC President Dr. Ric Baser Congratulates Recent NVC Graduate

Finding My Niche

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
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Northwest Vista College

I am an adult learner, returning to school after completing a bachelor’s degree, raising a family and having over 20 years of work experience.

I want an associate’s degree from NVC in order to build upon my skill set and to make myself more marketable for a career. When I graduated from college 15 years ago, experience was the most important trait employers looked for.

Today, employers are caught up in the letters and numbers following your name. They want to see degrees and certifications. While I want an associates from NVC, I have to pay for the entire degree out of my own pocket because there is not any financial aid for going backwards in school degree levels.

I returned to school, beginning with a certificate at NVC, in order to determine what would be my best route for continuing my education. While a master’s degree seems like the logical next step for someone who holds a bachelors degree, it isn’t always feasible. Graduate school is expensive. In the science fields, a master’s degree is often a stepping stone to a doctorate, but it it often does not help a person increase their salary value. Who wants to spend two years of their life and thousands of dollars to be worth the same rate they were worth with a bachelor’s degree?

Then there is determining which degree to pursue. Do I want to be a medical doctor, a pharmacist, a nurse, a professor or teach at a two-year school like NVC? Do I want to continue being a research scientist or administrator? Do I want a MBA? The questions are numerous.

I have taken multiple aptitude tests over the years. One skill that regularly appeared was working with computers. I was raised by computer engineers and software programmers. I have considered computers my evil step siblings.

NVC offered a Web Design course and I enrolled in it. I decided I might as well prove I was either good with computers or rule out that idea. Guess what? I fell for it. Web design is challenging and very rewarding when I create a properly functioning and aesthetically pleasing website. Then I took a programming class. Wow. This fully allowed me to get very technical and very specific. Programming is control! My lifelong love of building puzzles has now been translated into a skill set I can utilize for a rewarding career. The drawback to discovering computers after completing my bachelor’s degree is that many jobs, and most advanced degree programs, require a bachelor’s degree in computer science. I am not interesting in reinventing the wheel for my career.

Now, I finally have a much more finite focus. I am very well versed in the science of biology and healthcare. I have over four years of professional medical research experience. This is a skill set that I want to build upon. I have finally found a program that combines all of my career interests and a decent salary when completed. I am applying for a Master of Public Health program that focuses on Public Health Informatics. This is where I can see myself being happy and productive, applying my skill set to a field that helps many people live healthier and more productive lives. I am grateful for NVC being available and affordable enough for me to sort through my interests and discover my marketable talents, even after I completed my associates degree.

By NVC Student C. Kalyn Reim

A Little Thanks

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

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Dear Northwest Vista College,

Another semester has begun, and with it responsibilities, both old and new will, come to partially define it. You see, I have decided to take the advice of people wiser and more experienced than me, and take advantage of something things you have to offer. I am currently a College Ambassador, a Peer Mentor, and the Vice President of Fellowship for Phi Theta Kappa.

It may seem like a lot, especially with the 13 hours of classes and a part time job on the weekends, but let’s be honest, this is where it all starts for me. Five years from now I’ll be in the midst of finishing a Master’s Degree in Economics at UT Austin, and five years after that I’ll be teaching. Hopefully I get to keep writing and publish some of my books along the way, but it is the work I am putting in on your grounds now that will make it all possible going forward.

I remember when I first got here, confused as to where to go when it came to classes, let alone how to get to the second floor of Live Oak Hall, but it all came together over time. You have given me every opportunity to be successful and to get to where I want and need to go. The only regret I have is that our relationship is only temporary, at least as a student, but that’s kind of the point isn’t it?

I will miss you when I’m gone, but just maybe I’ll return one day and walk through your halls with lessons of my own to teach. Thank you Northwest Vista, and I look forward to what should be another great semester.

Sincerely,

Bryan McCluggage

3 Tips to Balance College & Work Life

Posted on by NVC Public Relations

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As a returning college student, I have been struggling with figuring out how exactly to get through the semester with a 4.0 while still maintaining my home and work life.

The hardest part of this balancing act is keeping from drowning and giving up completely. I had a bit of a meltdown recently and that is when I decided to figure something out. The following tips are what I feel are the most helpful tips I have received from family, friends, and my experiences:

  • Organize, organize, organize – In order to keep your life together, it is imperative that you are organized. You should have a planner. Every week, write down all of the assignments, exams, quizzes, projects, etc. that are due that week and look at that planner EVERY day, twice a day. When you are organized with your school work, it is less likely that you will forget to complete something.
  • Make sure you give yourself at least one ENTIRE day off from everything – For me, this day is Saturday. Saturdays are my no-work, no-school, ALL PLAY days! I make sure that anything I have due on Saturday is completed a day in advance so I don’t have to log on, go in, or do anything for school or work. I use my Saturdays for relaxation and family.
  • Remind yourself every day that this is only temporary and it will all be worth it in the end. On the days when I feel like giving up or I am feeling guilty for not giving my daughter the attention she needs, I remind myself that this is only a temporary struggle. I think about the end of the road, when I am walking across the stage at graduation and seeing my daughter’s face smiling at me. I remind myself that I am doing this so she will be proud of me and so she can have everything she deserves in life.

We are all going to experience some sort of struggle in our college careers, but just remember – in order to get to the goal, you have to get through some struggles. That is what life is all about and that is how we become stronger in the end.

By NVC Student Christina Garcia

Earning a Degree to be More Competitive

Posted on by NVC Public Relations
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Discover the Power of a Degree: http://alamo.edu/nvc/current-students/degree/

In 2010, I was hired as a case manager for a local home health agency. I had no medical experience, but I knew medical terminology. I had a caseload of 70+ Medicare patients with a variety of medical needs. In 2011 and 2012, Medicare regulations changed which affected the home health agencies nationwide.

Unfortunately, I lost my job in the summer of 2012. I thought it would be fairly easy to find a job as a case manager, especially here in San Antonio. As I looked through job postings, I noticed all the case manager positions available required some kind of degree— and I didn’t have one.

After talking with my husband, I came to the conclusion that it was time for me to go back to school. I wanted to become more marketable for higher-paying jobs. I knew if I didn’t go to school to get a degree, I could get stuck in some measly dead-end job. I knew I didn’t want that.

It took me almost a year to decide what my major was going to be. With the help and advising of an instructor, I was able to narrow down my possible degree paths.

Gerona Nylander
NVC Student & Public Relations Administrative Assistant