College - Cady

Hi. Welcome to this video on the Texas Transition & Employment Guide or the Guide as we like to call it. My name is Katie. I'm twenty years old. And like my friends, Jenny and Jose, I'm excited to share my experiences with you. There are a lot of options when it comes to what you can do after graduating high school, like going to a university, community college, career college, or online learning. Check out the college section of the Guide. It has all the information you need to help you start making some decisions. The Guide helped point me in a good direction. Along with help from my family, teachers, and counselors, I was able to enroll in the classes that would help me reach my goals. Right now, I'm attending Tarrant County College and studying for a career in fashion merchandising. I want you to think about your life and the people in it for a second. Who can you go to for advice or even ask about your future? Work towards developing a network of people you trust help you along the way. When I was in high school, I knew I wanted to go to college, but didn't have a single clue about how to make it happen or how to get on the right path. So I scheduled a meeting with the transition specialist at my school. It was easy. Together, we went over the college chapter in the Guide. I was able to narrow down my choices. The Guide helped me understand what my education and training options were and what their differences are. Four-year colleges or universities are where you can earn a bachelor's degree or more advanced degrees. Community colleges usually take about one to two years to earn an associate degree. Career colleges, also known as vocational, technical, or trade schools, allow you to learn skills by participating in hands-on education. Online learning is where classes are taken virtually and may count towards a college degree or certificate. Some post-secondary programs allow students to earn certificates or take college courses without working towards a college degree. Community and informal classes are offered through local businesses or centers like Texas Workforce. Skills can also be learned through on-the-job training. Whether you're looking at a four-year college, a certification program, or on-the-job training, make sure that you design your transition plan with help from teachers, counselors, and family. The Guide will help you narrow down your options. Here's a crazy thing about college I bet you didn't know. You don't have admission, review, and dismissal, or ARD Committee meetings anymore. That's right. When you get to college, it's up to you to tell them what your disability is and what accommodations you need. Different colleges provide different services, so keep that in mind when looking for the right one. To help me prepare, I set up a meeting with my guidance counselor and used the Questions to Ask list at the end of the college section of the Guide as a starting point. My counselor helped me find the disability services page for Tarrant County College and print the forms I needed to receive the correct accommodations. When thinking about college, there's no right or wrong way to go about it. Most importantly though, start by focusing on what you want to do and develop a good support system so you can make intelligent choices and excel in whatever you choose to do. Overall, I'd say this process was pretty fun. Remember, the questions and checklists at the end of the college section can help you plan the questions to ask at your ARD Committee meeting about the transition to post-secondary education. Ultimately, it's up to you to make the best decision for yourself. I hope this video helped you learn about the role transition plays when planning your future education or training. Don't forget to check out the other video in this series to learn more about using the Guide to plan your transition.