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How to pick a women's studies program
Whether you're looking for women's studies in college or graduate school, here are some approaches to try when picking the particular school:
Difficulty Level: Average Time Required: Varies
- Find a nearby college with a women's studies program.
- Call and ask for an interview with the program's dean or director, with a teacher in the program, or with an upper-level student.
- In the interview, ask what the program's like, what preparation you'll need, and what options you'll have.
- Also ask about what life as a women's studies student is like at that school.
- Ask the interviewee how she or he would assess their own program: it's strengths and weaknesses.
- Ask a student, "What do you most wish you'd known before you came here?"
- Also ask, "how do you define a student's 'success' in this program?"
- Tour the campus, including where students live.
- Research other schools' women's studies programs, using the Net and also resources in your guidance office.
- Write for written descriptions of the programs.
- Remember to ask about financial aid programs if you need them.
- Narrow down your list to those programs which might be affordable given your financial resources.
- Repeat the interview process for any of the more distant programs that you might consider attending.
Tips:
- Research, research, research, but listen to your gut instincts, too.
- If your perfect program seems out of your financial reach, talk to the women's studies program director there and ask for help to make your attendance possible.
- Remember to ask about after-graduation potentials, too, if you've got specific career goals in mind.
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