<p>I'm on track to graduate in four years as a Secondary Education major, and currently, I'm a sophomore. Because education is such a stringent program, I really have no time to experiment in other subject areas. Some people have advised me that it would be wise to stay an extra year so that I can pick up a second major or at the very least, dabble in other disciplines. I'm very interested in taking coursework in Russian, urban planning, and anthropology, but taking classes in these areas probably wouldn't help me land a job. I am considering the possibility of going to grad school in a different discipline, but at this point, I have no definite plans. Staying an extra year most likely wouldn't yield benefits financially; people are suggesting it so I don't pigeonhold myself into teaching and experience different options. Originally, I wanted to enter an anthropology Ph.D. program, but I've ruled that out because of the extremely competitive job market. If anything, staying an extra year will give me a little taste of what I'm really fascinated by, and it will give me more chances to work on research.</p>
<p>As a sophomore, the prospect of staying longer in college sounds enjoyable, but do you think that by senior year, most students are reeling to leave college? I'm hesitant to start a second major now because I am worried I may be eager to graduate by the time I'm a senior. I'm looking at about $12,000 in debt for all four years (most of which is from my freshman year because I opted to live on campus that year; staying an extra year would probably add $2,000-$3,000 to that total). This isn't a crushing amount of debt compared to many people, however, it is something to consider. Do you think that the intellectual benefits of an extra year are worth it?</p>
<p>I agree with the above poster. Try meeting with an academic advisor or counselor so you can map out both short-term and long-term goals. It sounds like you have a lot that you want to do at your university, but you’re unsure of what to do after college, and that’s what you have to figure out before making any other deciscions. If you are a rising sophomore, you should probably do this soon. </p>
<p>I have a friend who had a lot of things she wanted to do in her college years that you can’t really squeeze into four years, and her hefty scholarship was valid for five years. Because of this, in her sophomore year, she decided to graduate a year late. Granted, she knows what she wants to do after college, so there wasn’t too much “figuring out” in her situation as there seems to be in your case. Still, the extra year allowed her to do things that she wouldn’t have normally been able to do, including focusing on her extracurriculars, spending summers traveling, and spending an entire year abroad. She says she felt kind of weird and sad when her friends that she’d met freshman year were all graduating and getting ready to move on with their lives and she still had another year to go, but overall she is very happy with her decision and doesn’t regret it one bit. Since spending an extra year in college is so financially feasible, it’s definitely something you should look into, IMO.</p>
<p>I know with 95% certainty that I want to teach. The additional coursework is more for purposes of self-enrichment, not to guide myself toward another career path. My parents suggested a fifth year because the job market for teaching is difficult right now, so it’d be good to have experience in other areas.</p>
<p>That is an extreme amount of debt for someone entering the workforce as a teacher. I would recommend not staying another year for the sake of money. Moreover, I don’t think it’s possible for the teaching job market to be bad. The world will always need teachers, unlike other professions. You can always study those subjects later, whether it’s independently, or just taking the class for fun.</p>
<p>If you do teach, you probably will have ongoing continuing education requirements. In PA, at least, you can take any course in an accredited institution. It doesn’t need to be related to what you studied or what you teach. You just need the credit hours.</p>
<p>Best job prospects are in special ed, science, and math.</p>
<p>To backtrack a little…would anyone happen to know if financial aid is applicable toward a fifth year? If I can’t use my Pell Grant, SEOG Grant, or take out additional Stafford loans, than that’s pretty much a deal breaker.</p>
<p>Okay you love to teach, but what subject? In Mathematics and other Sciences, we usually get undergraduates to teach (recitations/labs) sometimes. I don’t know if such thing exists in the Arts. </p>
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<p>I reside in Canada and last I check, the government helps any year.</p>
<p>Have I understood you correctly? You’re a U.S. citizen (getting U.S. financial aid) living in Canada (your answer just now) who can get financial help from the Canadian government to go to a U.S. university?</p>
<p>Do you plan to teach in Canada or the U.S.? If the former, then what we’ve told you may not be accurate.</p>