Career Profile: Interior Designer

Interior designers plan and design spaces, as well as furnish interiors.  They work in many types of settings, including private homes, public buildings, and commercial buildings, but some even design the interiors of boats and airplanes!  Interior designers work meet with clients to learn about what they want for the space and what their budget and style is.  They need to be knowledgeable about building codes when planning for additions, remodels, and redesigns.  Interior designers draw sketches, use computers to design spaces, and create detailed plans with an estimate of costs and materials.

Helpful high school courses for a career in interior design include:

• Art
• Computer-aided design (CAD)
• Drawing or painting
• Interior design

Because many interior designers are self-employed, you may also want to take accounting, entrepreneurship, or introduction to business while in high school as well.  It also is a great idea to get a feel for what the job actually entails, so you may want to consider doing an internship or mentorship in interior design too!

Interior design might be the field for you if...

• You are artistic and are drawn to patterns, colors, designs, and like to use art as a form of self-expression
• You like starting up and carrying out projects and making decisions
• You like to see the results of your work
• You enjoy working independently
• You like building relationships with others, as developing a relationship with your clients is a key element to being an interior designer
• You like to find the solutions to different problems.

Information gathered from www.mncis.intocareers.org.

Food for Thought

College Profile: Minnesota State University, Mankato

Minnesota State University, Mankato is a public, 4-year university just 45 minutes away from Owatonna.  It is a part of the MnSCU (Minnesota State Colleges and Universities) system and offers Bachelor’s degrees, Master’s degrees, and Ph.Ds.

Admissions

To apply for admission to Minnesota State University, Mankato, you will first need to complete their application, either online or on paper.  There is a $20 application fee.  You will also need to submit your high school transcript through Docufide (you can pick up instructions on how to submit your transcript in the Career Center) as well as your ACT test scores.  Your ACT test scores should be on your transcript, but you may also request for them to be sent directly to MSU-Mankato from the ACT website.  If you have taken any courses for college credit, you will also need to submit your official college transcripts.

Minnesota State University, Mankato has some criteria for guaranteed admission.  If you rank in the top 50% of your high school class and have met the College Preparation Requirements (see below), you are automatically admitted to Minnesota State University, Mankato.  Students who do not rank in the top 50% of their class but have an ACT score of 21 or better, have met the College Preparation Requirements, and have a satisfactory class rank will also be admitted to Minnesota State University, Mankato.  If students do not meet the admission requirements outlined above, their file will be reviewed for college preparation coursework, grade point average, probability of success, academic progression, class rank, and ACT scores.

The College Preparation Requirements are as follows:

• 4 years of English
• 3 years of math (including two years of algebra and one year of geometry)
• 3 years of science (including biology and physical science; all courses should have a lab component)
• 3 years of social studies (including one course in US history and one course in geography)
• 2 years of the same world language
• 1 year of world culture or arts (world culture courses include classes that teach about other cultures or provide a global perspective; arts courses include music, drama, visual arts, or art survey courses)

Academics

Minnesota State University, Mankato has over 150 programs of study for you to choose from, including more common majors such as Nursing, Education, Management, and Psychology to more unique majors such as Aviation, Food Science Technology, Dental Hygiene, and Scandinavian Studies.  You can view a comprehensive list of Minnesota State University, Mankato’s majors here.

Athletics

At Minnesota State University, Mankato, there are many different intercollegiate athletic opportunities.  Men’s teams include baseball, basketball, cross country, football, golf, hockey, track and field, and wrestling.  Women’s teams include basketball, cross country, golf, hockey, soccer, softball, swimming and diving, tennis, track and field, and volleyball.

Student Life

Minnesota State University, Mankato has an energetic campus environment that includes over 200 student groups, intramural sports, religious organizations, leadership groups, and special interest groups.  Additionally, there are 9 fraternities and 4 sororities at Minnesota State University, Mankato as well.  Students have the opportunity to live in the residence halls on campus for their freshman (and sometimes sophomore) year, which provides another way for students to get involved on campus.  Certainly, there is something for everyone at Minnesota State University, Mankato!

College & Career Day!

Tomorrow, we are hosting a College & Career Day at Owatonna High School!  We are so excited to be welcoming 28 colleges and universities and about 14 of our local businesses to our school tomorrow to talk with our 9th-12th grade students about college and careers.  We'll have several breakout sessions for students to attend, including sessions on financial aid and scholarships, mentorships and internships, and drug awareness and prevention, to name just a few.

We also want to wish all of our 10th grade students good luck as they take the PLAN test tomorrow morning!  This is an important test because it helps students learn whether or not they are college ready or if they are on track to be college ready.  Good luck, class of 2017!

College Visits: November 10-14

Winona State University
Monday, November 10
1:45-2:00 pm

Please note that we will have over 20 different colleges coming to our College and Career Day, this Thursday, November 12 for you to visit and learn more about!

Food For Thought

Career Profile: Forensic Science Technician

Forensic science technicians gather and analyze evidence to help solve crimes.  There are two types of forensic science technicians: crime scene investigators and laboratory analyzers.  Crime scene investigators determine what and how much evidence to collect, as well as take photos and make sketches of crime scenes.  Evidence may include bloodstains, drugs, pieces of clothing, weapons, fibers, and hair.  Laboratory analyzers examine the evidence collected by crime scene investigators to recreate the crime scene.  They help to determine relationships among the evidence to identify a crime suspect.  Laboratory analyzers also prepare reports of their findings, and may testify in courts.

High school courses that might be helpful if you're interested in a career in forensic science include:

• A strong background in math and science (and take as many advanced classes as you can in these subjects!)
• Anatomy & Physiology
• Computer Applications
• Criminology

You might make a good forensic science technician if...

• You like to work with ideas and critical thinking
• You enjoy solving problems
• You like to search for facts
• You like working with your hands
• You are detail-oriented

Information gathered from www.mncis.intocareers.org.

Six Study Tips for High School Students

 As you all know, last Friday was the end of quarter 1 of the 2014-2015 school year.  It's hard to believe that we are already 25% done with this school year!  Now that you have your quarter 1 grades, you may be feeling proud to see the results of your hard work this quarter.  You may also, however, be feeling a little disappointed about how your quarter turned out.  Here are six study skills and tips that you might consider practicing for quarter 2 to help improve or maintain your grades.

1. Develop your own organizational system.  Perhaps you are a student who likes to use folders and notebooks for each of your classes, or maybe you prefer to use a binder for your schoolwork.  Whatever you choose to do, however, adopt an organizational system that will work for you.  You might need to try out a couple of different methods to find the one that works for you, so do not get discouraged.
2. Avoid distractions in your study space.  The best places to study are those free of distractions...so try to find a location that does not tempt you to watch TV, talk with a friend, get up constantly to find a snack, or start a spontaneous dance party.  Ensure that your study space is only for studying and working hard.
3. Reward yourself!  Positive reinforcement is such a useful tool to keep you motivated!  When you have completed certain tasks, reward yourself in small ways.  Need ideas for rewards?  Try giving yourself a 10-minute break to check social media, grab a snack, watch your favorite cat YouTube video, or go for a quick walk around the block.
4. Organize and manage your time.  You know that Owatonna Huskies planner you received at the beginning of the school year?  Use it!!  Successful students keep track of their homework assignments in a planner (or perhaps in an app on their phone) and schedule time to complete such assignments based on how long they anticipate the assignment or project to take.  Remember to prioritize your schoolwork and take care of the most urgent and time-sensitive things first.
5. Take efficient notes.  Because you will likely be the only person reviewing your notes, do not try to make them grammatically correct or overly thorough.  Do your best to shorten your notes as much as you can - this will allow you to take notes at a faster speed  so that you do not fall behind.  Just make sure that you don't shorten them too much, or else you won't remember what they said when you go back to review your notes!
6. Learn how to effectively communicate with your teachers.  Your teachers are a fantastic resource for you, and they want to help you learn!  If you have questions or need some extra help in a class, be sure to ask your teacher for some help.  This shows that you care about your academics, and teachers love to see that you care and are driven to succeed.

Here's to a fantastic second quarter!

This list is adapted from http://www.studypoint.com/ed/back-to-school-study-tips/

College Visits: November 3-7

St. Thomas University
Thursday, November 6
9:00-9:30 am

Minnesota State University - Mankato
Thursday, November 6
11:00 am-12:00 pm

Iowa State University
Friday, November 7
10:30-11:00 am