Academic & Financial Planning

The most important resource for you in college may very well be your academic advisor. John & Betsy offer their advice on how to develop and achieve your academic goals, even if attending college from home, with the help of your academic advisor.

It's never too early to get started on your career planning. John & Betsy discuss how to utilize the resources of your college's career center to develop your career readiness and to explore potential career pathways, including new fields that may be growing as the economy changes due to COVID-19.

During a time of uncertainity and economic hardship, keep sight of your long-term goals and remember that you are not alone. John & Betsy discuss why your investment in your degree is a smart decision, and offer some tips on how to maintain your financial health while working towards it.

John N. Gardner is universally recognized as one of the country's leading educators for his role in initiating and orchestrating an international reform movement to improve the beginning college experience, a concept he coined as "the first-year experience. The recipient of his institution's highest award for teaching excellence, John has over forty years of experience directing and teaching in the most widely emulated first-year seminar in the country, the University 101 course at the University of South Carolina (USC), Columbia. "

Read more about John here.

Betsy O. Barefoot is a writer, researcher, and teacher whose special area of scholarship is the first-year seminar. During her tenure at USC from 1988 to 1999, she served as co-director for research and publications at the National Resource Center for The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition. She also taught University 101 and graduate courses on the first-year experience and the principles of college teaching.

Read more about Betsy here.

For more help on developing academic, career, and financial plans, see John & Betsy's book, Understanding Your College Experience.