Transitioning into the Real World

Seven former graduates spoke to Landrum seniors offering tips for success in post-secondary education. The former graduates represented technical college, community college, and four year colleges or universities. Some of the tips they offered were complete your FAFSA now, make sure you are taking the right courses (meet with your advisor and read the catalogue), stay out of trouble, join clubs, and study. The former graduates also discussed opportunities to earn money while in college like being a resident advisor and applying for foundation scholarships at the college you are attending.

Free ACT and SAT Prep

South Carolina Virtual School is offering a free SAT and ACT preparation class. You can register at anytime. Studies show that studying for these tests will help your scores increase. To register, follow these 3 easy steps:
1) Go to www.scvspconnect.org
2) Click on course information tab
3) Click on test preparation - Follow the starter guide to Getting your Schmoop On

Engineer's Day

Engineers from CH2M Hill visited Landrum science classes to discuss careers in engineering. Students were given activities to complete, showing them how engineering relates to their science class. To become an engineer, you need a four year college degree in engineering. There are a variety of engineering fields including mechanical, civil, electrical, and much more. The average starting salary is $50,000. For more information about engineering, click here.

Physical Therapy

Physical Therapists are healthcare professionals that diagnose and treat people of all ages. They work with people who have injuries that limit their ability to move and perform daily life activities. Each person is examined and then given a treatment plan to follow to improve their movements and function.

Katie Rhodes, a physical therapist from Shriners Hospital, spoke to students about careers in physical therapy. To be a physical therapist you need a Master's degree in Physical therapy. Typical starting salary is $52,000. There are a variety of physical therapy specialities including pediatric, geriatric, sports injury, neurologic, and many more.

There are also Physical Therapy Assistants who work under the supervision of a physical therapist. You need a two year college degree in physical therapy assistant and pass the National Phyiscal Therapy exam.

To find out if physical therapy is the career for you, click http://careerplanning.about.com/library/quiz/career_quizzes/blphysicaltherapist_quiz.htm.

Spartanburg Methodist College

Spartanburg Methodist College (SMC) is a two year, private college located in Spartanburg, SC. At SMC, you can earn a two year Associate of Arts (AA) degree. The AA degree allows you to transfer to any four year college or university in the state of SC. If you have a 3.0 grade point average by the time of graduation, you can receive free tuition at SMC through the LIFE Scholarship.

Interested in learning more about SMC and want to see the campus for yourself? Sign up to attend the field trip to SMC, scheduled for March 23rd. Sign up with Ms. McCrimmon no later than February 29th.

IGP Time

It's IGP time. IGP's are individual graduation plans. During an IGP meeting, you and your parent discuss your plans after graduation, choose courses for the following school year, and select courses that will compliment your cluster/major of interest. Your Guidance Counselor will also discuss your SAT/ACT and PLAN/PSAT results. Expect to receive a letter with your IGP date/time in the mail soon.

Financial Aid 101

Here's a link to information on how financial aid works. Remember, to fill out your FAFSA. This is the only way to determine if you are eligible for financial aid.