Letter to Students:

Dear Indiana Students,

Welcome to Learn More! It’s time to start thinking about your future. It might seem like a long way off, but you can begin planning now for the future you want. In Learn More, you will learn about careers in Indiana, how to save for college and what to expect once you get there. This website will also encourage you to think about the skills you have today and how to develop new skills in the future.

We want you to dream big. Think about what you want to do and set goals. Try your hardest every day. Ask for help when you need it, too. Doing these things will help you get ready for high school, college and your future career.

After you finish this digital magazine, talk to your family and teachers about your goals. They can help you succeed.

Have a great school year!

Click here to enter the Indiana529 contest for a chance to win a $1000 toward a college savings account.

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Discover You!

This website will help you start thinking about your future. Lots of things can change between now and when you graduate high school, but it’s fun to imagine what your adult life can look like. Thinking about what you like to do and what you’re good at can start giving you ideas of what kinds of jobs you might like as an adult.

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Before you read this digital magazine, think about and answer the questions below.

 

  1. What is your favorite part of the school day?

  2. What makes you happy?

  3. Who are your favorite characters from books, TV, or movies? What jobs do they do?

  4. What are your favorite things to do on the weekend?

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What is a Career?

A career is the job you will do after you finish high school, college or job training. You will probably have your career for a long time, so it is important that it is something you like to do. There are many careers to choose from and all of them are important!

Having a career is important because it is a way to support yourself when you grow up. If you start planning for your career now, you will set yourself up for success in the future!

When I grow up I want to be…

What do you want to be when you grow up?

One of the best ways to start thinking about your future is to consider what you like to do and what you do well. Your interests and skills can help you decide your future career. There are so many to choose from! Picture yourself in 15 years. What do you see?

Once you’ve thought about what you might want to be when you grow up, you can figure out what subjects will be most helpful. Want to be a doctor or nurse? Work hard in science! Thinking about being a teacher? Teachers need to understand many subjects to be able to teach them!

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If you’re still not sure what you want to be when you grow up, that’s ok! Brainstorm careers you think might be cool or fun to start. It’s okay to change your mind as you get older and your interests and skills change.

Hey Parents & Students

Indiana Career Explorer (INCE) is a free career and education planning tool that integrates state resources to provide “one tool for all.” INCE offers easily navigable, intuitive support for students of all ages to help with career exploration, skills assessment, high school and post-secondary course selection as well as military options.

Top Indiana Careers

When you graduate from college, you will start your career. There are a lot of different kinds of careers! Here are some jobs that are popular in Indiana. Which one sounds most interesting to you and why?

School Counselor

If you like helping people, you could be a school counselor. School counselors help students with academic, career and college advice. They also help with social and emotional problems. To be a school counselor, you need six years of college.

Veterinarian

If you love animals, you could become a veterinarian. Veterinarians work with all kinds of animals to help them stay healthy. To become a veterinarian, you will need to go to college for about eight years.

Software Developer

If you enjoy spending time on a computer, you could be a software developer. Software developers create new programs and apps for computers, tablets and phones. To be a software developer, you need to go to college for at least two years.

Welder

If you like to build things, you could be a welder. Welders use special tools to join metal pieces to make or fix things, like buildings or cars. To be a welder, you will need to go to school for a few months or a couple of years.

Marketing Manager

If you are creative and persuasive you could be a marketing manager. Marketing managers help companies sell products. They might create ads like commercials. Most marketing managers go to college for four years.

Getting Ready for your Career

Work hard in school—it’s your job right now!

  • Work hard in school—it’s your job right now!
  • Learn as much as you can about careers that interest you.
  • Ask a parent or another adult if you can visit a job that interests you.

What to Do When Stress Strikes

JUST BREATHE:

When we are stressed, our breathing and heart rate become faster. To slow everything down, breathe in and out slowly and deeply.

  1. Sit quietly.
  2. Close your eyes & drop your shoulders.
  3. Breathe in slowly for 2-3 seconds.
  4. Breathe out slowly for as long as you can.
  5. Repeat these deep breaths until you start to feel relaxed.

You’ve Got Career Skills!

Everybody has skills – things they are especially good at. Just like life, our skills and our interests don’t always stay the same as we grow. That’s fine. Changing and growing is good!

If you are good at helping people…

You might want to be a Teacher, Doctor, or Social Worker.

You might want to be a Teacher, Doctor, or Social Worker.

You might want to be a Writer, Lawer, or Teacher.

If you are good at building legos…

You might want to be a Construction Worker, Architect, or Engineer.

If you are good at Science…

You might want to be a Pharmacist, Electrician, Computer Scientist.

If you are good at Math…

You might want to be an Accountant, Computer Programmer, Business owner.

If you are good at doing lots of things at once…

You might want to be a Restaurant Manager, Administrative Assistant, Pilot.

What is College?

The word “college” means a lot of different things. College is the education and training you get after high school. There are other kinds of education and training, too. Some students enroll in an apprenticeship or join the military. No matter what option you choose, college is all about learning and preparing for your future career.

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You can learn more about college by watching videos about Indiana’s colleges and universities.

Why Should You Go To College?

College can help you be what you want to be. Most jobs now and in the future will require some kind of education or training after high school. If you have a degree or certificate, you are more likely to find a job you enjoy. That’s not the only reason though!

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  1. College can make you smarter

    . Most of your classes will help teach you what
    you need to know for your future career.

  2. College can help you earn more money

    . College graduates who earn a bachelor’s degree earn about $1 million more over the course of their lifetime!

  3. College can help you grow

    . In college, you make friends, learn new things and develop new skills. Trying new things can help us be more open to new experiences.

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Getting Ready for College

It is never too early to start getting ready for your future. Here are some ways to start getting ready for college this year:

  • Do your best in school.

    Some subjects are hard and require a lot of studying. If you don’t understand something, make sure you ask questions.

  • Read as much as you can.

    As you get older, you will have to read a lot. Start reading now to create good habits and expand your vocabulary.

  • Learn new things.

    Be open and explore new things! Try to learn something new every day.

  • Talk to adults about college.

    Find someone in your life who went to college and ask them about it.

Learning is for Life!

There are a lot of different types of college. Here are some examples of education and training programs you can earn after high school:

Workforce Certificate:

A program that’s less than two years that teaches skills specific to a job.

Associate Degree:

Going to school—mostly in a classroom—for about two years.

Bachelor’s Degree:

Going to school—mostly in a classroom—for about four years. This is what most people think of when they hear the word “college.”

Graduate Degree:

Getting a Bachelor’s degree and then going to school for another two to four years.

Apprenticeship:

A program where you learn on the job and in the classroom—while you get paid! Apprenticeships usually take three to five years.

Military:

Also called the Armed Forces, the military includes the Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard and Air Force.

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You’ve Got College Skills

It’s never too early to practice the skills you will use in your career. No matter how old you are, you can build skills to use throughout your life.

Discussion:

What are other skills you can practice?

GET ORGANIZED:

Practicing organization skills will help you with just about everything.

  • Keep your schoolwork in folders by their subject
  • Keep a calendar that lists your tests so you have time to study

MANAGE YOUR TIME:

​​Organizing your time is as important as organizing your stuff! Setting aside time each day for the things you need to do helps make sure it gets done.

  • Do your homework at the same time every day
  • Make sure to get some exercise every day

SET GOALS:

Setting goals helps keep you organized and form good habits. Goals can be big or small.

Let’s set some goals now. Write your goals on a separate sheet of paper!

  • Something you do every day
  • Something later this year
  • When you are a grown-up

Explore colleges in Indiana! Use the Learn More Indiana school finder tool.

Celebrating Our Differences

Surrounding yourself with people who are different from you can teach you new things. Maybe you celebrate different holidays, eat different foods or speak a different language. Everywhere you go, including high school, college and your future job, you will meet people who are
different from you.

That’s awesome because we need people who are good at different things to do different jobs. This is one reason why being different makes our world a better place.

What have you learned from someone who is different from you?

Ask An Adult

It can be hard to imagine what your life will be like in the future. Talking to an adult about their own experiences can help you understand what your future might be like.

Find an adult who went to college and ask them about their experience

 

  • When did you know you wanted to go to college?

  • How did you know college was right for you?

  • What did you like most about college?

  • Is there anything you wish you had done differently?

  • Do you have any advice for me?

College Costs Money…But it’s Worth it!

College costs money, but it’s worth it. In college, you’ll learn what you need to know for your future job. Your degree or certificate will show the people that you are ready for your career.

The cost of college will depend on what kind of degree or certificate you decide to earn (shorter programs might cost less money).

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Start Learning about Financial Aid Today

You can get help paying for college through financial aid (or the money you get for college). Financial aid can come from colleges, government agencies, businesses or even community organizations. There are three main kinds of financial aid:

 

  1. Scholarship: This is money for college that you don’t pay back. You can earn a scholarship for getting good grades or for activities like sports, music or art.
  2. Grant: This is also free money for college! These come from the government or your future college. They are given to students who need help.
  3. Loan: This is money for college you have to pay back. The bank will charge extra money (called interest) for letting you borrow their money.

Hey Parents

See if you qualify for Indiana’s 21st Century Scholars program to earn money for college.

Goal Setting

Setting goals can help make sure you are prepared for when you graduate high school. It is never too early to be thinking about it, especially as you set goals to pay for college. The more years of college you have, the more it costs, but the more money you can make when you are done!

Answer the questions below to create goals that will help you attend college.

 

  1. College Goal – What kind of college do I want to attend (training school, 1 year, 2-year, 4-year)?

  2. Academic Goal – What kind of grades will I need to go to college?

  3. Savings Goal – What ways will I pay for college?

  4. The Payoff – Why it’s worth it (what kind of great job I will have)?

START SAVING

Do you get money for your birthday or for doing chores? Try saving a little bit of it. As you grow up, the money you save will grow too. In the future, you can use some of that money to help pay for college. Your future self will be proud that you saved money!

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What are scholarships?

Scholarships are one way to help pay for college. They are given out by different groups, people, schools or government organizations. Scholarships are awarded for many reasons, including:

  • Financial need

    – People who have less money for college can be given scholarships.

  • Academics

    – Colleges give money to students with good grades.

  • Special talents

    – Scholarships are awarded to people who are really good at something, like music, science or sports.

  • Community involvement

    – There are scholarships for people who have worked hard to help others in their community.

There are many other types of scholarships available. The company your parents work for may have a scholarship program for the kids of families who work there. Scholarships are also available for children of military families, police officers and others.

 

You Can Practice Skills to Help your Chances of Getting a Scholarship!

  • Work hard in school to get good grades.
  • Practice your writing skills. Many scholarships include an essay. A great essay can get you a scholarship.
  • If you really love doing something, make sure you keep working at it to get better.
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A partnership of the Indiana Commission for Higher Education, Indiana Department of Education and Indiana Department of Workforce Development