Ask the Counselor

If you have a question for Dr. O’Connor, register to join our community and post your comment on this page. He will answer it as soon as he can. You can also view any of the articles and questions in Returning to School or Starting College.

Dear Counselor, Can you tell me the difference between a Liberal Arts college and regular college or university? Is it beneficial for someone to attend a Liberal Arts college if one doesn’t know his or her major yet? Since I am not working a part-time or summer job, will it affect my application?

Answer:
This is a great question. Liberal arts colleges usually focus on broad, traditionally academic-based subjects– English, History, Biology, Philosophy, Economics, etc. They are great colleges to attend if you want to learn about everything; they are also great places to go to if you’re not sure what you want to major in, since you can try lots of things…but there are a couple of things to consider.

First, it’s hard to describe the curricula of all liberal arts colleges– while some may not offer music or engineering, some may, so be sure to look closely at what each college offers. Second, some students choose to go to a university– which is just a collection of colleges– so they can try some courses out in the liberal arts college, but transfer to a different college within the university later (like transferring from Philosophy to the College of Nursing).

Third, remember that trying out all these classes may take some time– it’s not unusual for some liberal arts students to spend 5 years in college because there were so many things they wanted to learn. That’s great for learning– but if you’re tight on money, be careful.

Colleges don’t specifically require work experience– they often see it as part of your extracurricular activities, so if you are involved in other things that take up your time after school (music, sports, duties at home), don’t worry.

As a counselor and college adviser for 25 years, Patrick O’Connor has helped unemployed workers, veterans, returning students, and new high school graduates learn new skills, earn degrees, prepare for graduate school and get better-paying jobs. He’s a past president of the National Association for College Admission Counseling, and author of the widely acclaimed college guide College is Yours in 600 Words or Less. Most important, he’d like to help you realize your goals for college and career success.

3 Comments to “Ask the Counselor”

Richard says:

February 4, 2010 at 7:08 pm

What are the main reasons for continuing your life long dream of going to college later in your life.

Reply
MistyDFox says:

January 7, 2010 at 12:13 pm

I was wondering what is the difference between LPN to BSN and LPN to RN. I’m an LPN now and I’m looking for the fastest way to advance my career. I work now 40+ hours a week and need an online school with regional accredation. An online school that I can advance to the highest level in Nursing. Thank you so much for taking the time to help me out. Have a blessed day!

Misty D. Fox

Reply
- myFootpath Advisor says:
  
  January 29, 2010 at 11:36 am
  
  There are actually three ways to become a registered nurse (RN): you can get your Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing (the BSN), your Associate’s in Nursing (the ASN), or a diploma from an accredited nursing program (usually offered by hospitals). Once you graduated from one of these programs, you will also have to pass a national licensing exam called the NCLEX-RN.
  
  Here is a breakdown of the differences. It probably took you about a year to get your LPN certification. The three programs described above all take additional time in order to prepare you for the duties of being an RN, which will include the hands-on tasks you perform now, but will also prepare you to treat patients, take their histories, perform tests, analyze results, establish a care plan and administer treatment.
  
  To cover this material, A Bachelors’ in Nursing will take roughly four years, the diploma course would take roughly 3 years, and the Associate’s of Nursing would take roughly 2-3 years. So the quickest route for you would be to earn your Associate’s Degree in Nursing. Unfortunately, because there is so much clinical work involved in Bachelor’s, Associate’s, and nursing diploma classes, many of these programs tend to be held on campuses rather than online. Our college experts have information on a wide variety of schools that offer the Associate’s in Nursing degree, and will be able to help you find a school that fits your needs. You can contact them at 1-866-305-8525 to get your search started.
  
  Once you earn your Associate’s in Nursing, there are many online programs that make it easy to earn your Bachelor’s in Nursing (which will allow you to continue to advance your career.) These are known as RN-BSN programs. For more information on online RN-BSN programs, visit http://www.myfootpath.com/career-profiles/registered-nurse/” rel=”nofollow”>http://www.myfootpath.com/career-profiles/registered-nurse/.
  
  Reply