Occupational Outlook Handbook

Mustangs, what is all your hard work in high school leading to? Is it preparation for college? The workforce? Technical school? Often students only have vague ideas about what a career or occupation entails. Researching and investigating careers is not just for Seniors, for underclassmen will also benefit by examining future careers and occupations now. This week we call your attention to the online version of a highly useful reference: The Occupational Outlook Handbook. It is the product of the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics. When you click the link below, you will first see an A-Z Index. You can then either click a "letter" to search occupations in that group, or you can enter an occupation into the search box to go directly to the career you want to learn about. Imagine, even if you only examined one different occupation a day, you could become well informed about a couple of hundred occupations during this school year. Perhaps you can work your occupation searches into a paper for one of your classes. Visit the Occupational Outlook Handbook online and try a few searches. Each one is an article onto itself. Click here to begin your search.

College Entrance Tests

The first two College Entrance Tests are just around the corner. Seniors who have not yet taken either the SAT or ACT need to act quickly. Those of you who plan to retest, need to do so early. Keep in mind that your scores are needed for college admissions, financial assistance, and scholarships. Also, it's important to know if you will need the "writing" subtest, since the SAT includes the exam, while on the ACT it is optional. Consult with your counselor and college representatives for more information. The next two College Entrance Tests are noted below, with the Test Dates and the Deadlines for Registration. For more registration details, click the highlighted test names. Registration packets are available in the Counseling & Guidance Office.

Texas Education Agency Website

This week we want to direct your attention to three sections of the TEA website with useful information about high school graduation and test required.

Students and parents will find the Student Guide to Graduation quite informative. Underclassmen will especially gain by viewing this guide. Course requirements and exit level tests are covered. This is an excellent overview of the high school graduation requirements.

Another valuable feature at the TEA website is it's Spring 2003 TAKS™ interactive tests. Here students are able to get online practice on interactive tests for the various grade levels and subtests of the TAKS. Even though the questions are based upon a previous version, the practice is still worthwhile. After you open the website, select the grade level and then the subtest.

Another section that will assist in looking ahead, is the Testing Calendars. By selecting the 2005-2006 school year, the TEA schedule for testing will be displayed. The listing covers all tests and the grade levels for the various state examinations administered during the school year.

To view these three selections at the TEA website, click on the highlighted links above, or refer to the "Links of Interest" page on our website, where the links will remain during this school year.

College Financial Aid Tips

The earlier students and parents begin to look at how a college education will be financed the better. Below we are listing three websites that deal with information about the financial aid process. It's a bit early for Seniors to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), however families can begin to examine the process and become familiar with the documentation that will be needed to apply at the beginning of 2006.

• FinAid
• FastWeb
• Federal Student Aid

Note: Always be aware of the fact that each year many individuals fall for scams that promise a lot, or want to charge a fee. If someone is trying to charge you a fee, or if the deal sounds too good, it probably is; so, be cautious. Check with your Counselor if you're not sure about the "too good to be true" offers and programs. For more information about financial aid and scholarship scams, click here, or look for the link on our "Links of Interest" page.