Must-Have College Prep Resources for STEM Majors
You have done your research as described in my last post, and have a general idea of STEM careers that you are interested in. Congrats! Identifying your field of interest is often the hardest part. Glad that is over 🙂 Now you are ready to start preparing for college as a STEM major! Here are five of the top college prep resources for STEM majors:
CareerOneStop: Not sure where to start? Begin with CareerOneStop! This site is quite literally a one-stop-shop (hence its name?). On the home page, select the choice that matches what you want to do. Whether you want to write a resume, find job search help, finish high school, or more, CareerOneStop has tons of simple, clear, and concise resources to help you get started. This website is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Online STEM Career Mini Courses: How do you know what you want to do when you grow up if you have never DONE it? Truth is, you won’t. That is why it is critical to participate in opportunities to learn and DO what real STEM professionals do. Now! Fortunately the internet is making this easier by the day. Video Game Design Challenge, Robotics 101, and many more in this growing list of STEM Career Challenges – try it before you go to college for it!
CollegeBoard Big Future: This website, maintained by the makers of the SAT (CollegeBoard), offers a host of free resources to help you find colleges, pay for college, and make a plan. Start by creating a free account at the top of the page to save all your college prep resources. Navigate to the ‘Get Started’ tab at the top to explore introductory resources such as knowing yourself better and building a support network. Unsure of which colleges might be right for you? Use the Find You Future tool for customized advice. From scholarships to to essays and everything in between, the Big Future site has many resources to help you along your college prep journey.
College Prep Ideas: You know that Pinterest is great for recipes and the latest hair styles, but did you know that it is brimming with high quality college prep resources? Check out this popular College Prep Board for valuable information, including an Accuplacer practice test, insider tips to rock freshman year, interview tips, college student approved education hacks, and much more! Be sure to create your own College Prep Ideas board to save all the great ideas you find!
NOVA Labs Career Resources: Brought to you by PBS (the same people that brought you Curious George as a kid!), the NOVA Labs Career Resources page is a comprehensive collection to help you explore career options, find role models, and scope out colleges and majors that might lead you to the STEM job of your dreams. The top of the page features STEM career exploration resources. Scroll down to the middle of the page to find seven awesome college prep resources, including links to FASFA info.