The_Biggest_Decision_Thus_Far

The Biggest Decision Thus Far Making the decision to go to college is one of the most important decisions anyone will ever make in their entire life. With 714 colleges, universities, and technical schools in Pennsylvania to choose from, the decision becomes harder. A person has to decide where to go and what to study. I have narrowed it down to 3 different colleges and careers. One question is which Western Pennsylvania University is right for me; Clarion University, Waynesburg University, or Edinboro University. Another question is which career is right for me--becoming a Registered Nurse, Radiologic Technician, or Financial Manager. I need to figure these questions out soon because in just a few months I will be off to college and I can’t afford to pick the wrong university or career. My first career choice is becoming a registered nurse. This career has been first on my list for a long time, and all the colleges that I have been looking at have this course of study. The salary for being a nurse can range anywhere from $60,000 and beyond yearly. The salary usually is determined by the degree that the student received while in college. The higher the degree that one receives in college, the greater the amount of money that they will make in return. For example, if someone goes to college for a longer period of time to receive their masters degree, they will make a lot more money than someone who just goes for the required 1 year and only becomes a licensed practical nurse (LPN). When deciding what career one wants to do in life, their interests and abilities are incredibly important. The interests and abilities for becoming a registered nurse are-- communication skills (speaking and writing), Cooperating with others, working as a team member, coordinating tasks, following instructions, managing people and groups, paying attention to and handling details, and also performing scientific, mathematical, and technical work. Being a nurse one must perform many duties and responsibilities that are essential. The duties and responsibilities of a nurse are greeting and familiarizing new patients with hospital routines, determining health needs of patients, tending to wounds and injuries, preparing patients for surgery, aiding the physician during examination and treatment, assisting the operations and deliveries by preparing rooms, equipment, and supplies and assisting the physician, administering prescribed drugs, injections, and treatments, observing and recording the condition of patients, directing and supervising less skilled nursing personnel, teaching and counseling patients and their families, and helping people improve or maintain their health. (Coin Registered Nurse 1, 2) Another career that I have been looking into is radiologic technician. A radiologic technician is the same as an X-Ray technician. The only college that I am looking for that offers this course of study is Clarion University. Clarion University offers the career preparation and its occupation specialties which are--Nuclear Medicine Technologist and Ultrasound Technician. The yearly income of a Radiologic Technician is $51,000-$59,000. The income depends on the size of the area one is working in and how skilled they are. To consider this career you have to be interested in, and have the abilities to cooperate with others, work as a team member, pay attention to and be able to handle details, analyze information, develop evaluation strategies, perform mathematical and technical work, and be able to work with machines, tools, or other objects. The duties and responsibilities are very important in this career, just like they are in any medical career. The duties and responsibilities include, arranging devices which reduce discomfort and prevent the patient from moving, positing the patient for imaging of the most wanted area, adjusting equipment to give a clear and exact view of the patient’s body, determining proper voltage, current exposure time for each procedure, preparing or administering drugs or chemical mixtures, operating x-ray therapy machines to treat patients, and keeping records and files and preparing reports of procedures. (Coin Radiological Technician 1, 2) The third and final career that I have been looking at is Financial Manager. Financial managers oversee the activities of banks and personal credit institutions such as credit unions and finance companies (Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance 341). The yearly earnings of a Financial Manager are $60,000 or beyond. The yearly earnings depend on the individual’s abilities and position and the type and size of the employer. The interests and abilities needed for this career are—Speaking efficiently, writing quickly, being sensitive to others, cooperating with others, working as a team member, coordinating tasks, making decisions, managing people/ groups. Being a financial manager requires a lot of responsibilities and duties and are very important. The duties and responsibilities of a financial manager include-- establishing policies and procedures of operation, directing the activities of workers, approving or rejecting lines of credit and loans, controlling assets, records, collateral and securities held by the institution, representing customers in business affairs with the institution, preparing financial reports, and advising individuals and businesses on financial planning (Coin Financial Manager 2). None of the colleges that I have looked at have this course of study, but they all have a related or similar course of study. Clarion University offers—Corporate Finance and Personal Financial Planning (http://www.clarion.edu). Edinboro University offers—Economics, Business Administration—Financial Services, and General Business Administration (http://www.edinboro.edu/). Waynesburg University offers—Economics, Finance, Management, and Accounting (http://waynesburg.edu). At the end of each program mentioned a bachelor’s degree is received. After a long and grueling process of research, I have figured out where I want to go to college. I also have figured out what I want in at college. My college choice is Clarion University. I have chosen this college because it’s the least expensive being only $15,000 a year. It is also a small campus with a low student to faculty ratio. The course of study that I have chosen is radiologic technician. I chose this because I can help doctors and patients see what is wrong and why they are hurting. I also have always been interested in x-rays and how taking a picture can show what’s wrong inside of someone’s body. I recently took a visit to Clarion’s campus, (Describe visit). I am very excited to start at Clarion University in fall 2011. Altogether research has helped me realize which University and career is right for me. Each career is different and all require different interests and abilities. They also involve important duties and responsibilities. I chose Clarion University because I believe that I fit best there, especially with a degree in medical imaging. I chose the degree of medical imaging because I can help contribute to diagnosing what is wrong. College and Career choices are some of the most important decisions I will ever make in my life and I am confident I picked the right ones for me, and I can’t wait to start!