COLLEGE Pathways Program

YOUR ADVISING SESSION:Planning that Helps You Find Your Path

and Reach Your Long Term Goals

ADVISING, TRANSFER, AND CAREER SERVICES

The mission of the Advising, Transfer and Career Services Office is to assist students in accomplishing their academic,

career and lifelong learning goals.

Did you know?? Students who start at OCC can: � Complete a two-year associate degree and transfer to a four-year school � Start in a certificate program that can lead to an associate degree � Complete a two-year degree that will prepare you to begin a career

Students who start at Ocean County College can go anywhere! Advisors at OCC can help you understand your options and make a plan that works for you.

COLLEGE PATHWAYS:

ACADEMIC ADVISING

AT OCC

Short Term Planning

that supports your Long Term Goals

Transfer Services

Academic Planning

Career Exploration

CAREER EXPLORATION AND DEVELOPMENT

What do you want to be when you “grow up”? Career Exploration and Development will help you discover the answer and take the right steps to reach that goal. Planning begins before your high school graduation, and Career Advising at OCC has many tools you can use right now to start exploring.

� Explore careers and majors by using the resources available to you at OCC � Learn about your skills, talent and dreams through assessments

and conversations with advisors � Identify the right career path and the major you need to pursue jobs

in that career path

Career CoachOCC students have access to Career Coach, an online resource that will help you discover majors and in-demand careers based on your interests! Find Career Coach at ocean.emsicc.com

� Take assessments to discover your interests and start thinking about the right major and career for you

� Explore the careers and jobs that interest you, and find out which OCC degrees can put you on the path to these careers

� Find information about wages, employment outlook, and the training/education needed to excel in various careers

What Can I Do With This Major?What Can I Do With This Major helps you connect majors to careers. Find this resource at go.ocean.edu/career

� Explore majors typically offered at four-year institutions � Learn about career areas and employers that hire people with different majors � Meet with an advisor at OCC to create a plan for transfer

Career exploration and development is more than just deciding on a major and what job you want to get when you graduate. It is a lifelong process to give you a plan to reach milestones and adjust to life changes. Career Advising at OCC can help you at every stage of discovery to find the right career for you. Our team at Advising, Transfer, and Career Services will help you take that first step to fulfill your dreams and reach your full potential!

PLANNING FOR TRANSFER TO A 4-YEAR SCHOOL

What should incoming freshmen know about transfer?The majority of OCC graduates transfer to four-year colleges and universities. Advising, Transfer, and Career Services assists students in aligning their studies, transfer goals, and career aspirations.

Students are encouraged to start planning for transfer early! A great place to get started is at go.ocean.edu/transfer, where students will find information on events, tutorials on NJ Transfer, and a timeline for transfer preparation.

How do I start the transfer process? I am only a freshman! � Planning is the key to transfer success. � It is never too early to start planning for transfer!

Narrowing down where and what you want to study can help you to make decisions about your coursework at OCC.

� Visit your advisor often to map out a plan for a major/career.

Will my credits transfer? � NJ has the Lampitt Law to help students transfer from a NJ Community College

to a NJ Public 4-year College/University. � OCC provides comprehensive transfer advising including course selection,

articulation agreements, and transfer events to help you explore options. � Utilizing tools for transfer, including NJ Transfer, makes the transfer process

smooth (www.njtransfer.org).

What happens when I am ready to transfer? � The process can be very simple! If you are getting your associate degree,

in many cases, SAT/ACT testing is not required. � OCC provides Instant Decision Days to meet with representatives from 4-year

colleges on the OCC campus for a non-binding decision. � Acceptance rates for transfer students are typically the same as freshmen. � Scholarships and financial aid are often available at the 4-year college for

transfer students.

NJ STARS (FREE TUITION)

What is NJ STARS?The New Jersey Student Tuition Assistance Reward Scholarship (NJ STARS) Program is an initiative created by the State of New Jersey that provides New Jersey’s highest achieving students with free tuition at their home county college.

Eligibility: ��� �Top 15% of class at end of junior or senior year��� �Proof of college readiness by either SATs, PARCC or Accuplacer��� �Filing of FAFSA and state financial aid documents � Residency

Maintaining Eligibility: � Full-time (12 – 18 credits), continuous enrollment (unless approved medical or

military leave) in a degree program � 3.0 GPA � File financial aid paperwork by deadline each year

NJ STARS can be awarded for up to 5 semesters. Students who graduate within 5 semesters and have a GPA of 3.25 or higher may be eligible for the STARS II program ($1250 per semester) if transferring to a 4-year New Jersey participating college to earn a bachelor’s degree. (Nursing and engineering students have 6 semesters to graduate although scholarship is only awarded for 5.)

TOOLS TO KEEP YOU ON TRACK

Ocean ConnectOnce you have applied to OCC, you will be able to log into Ocean Connect! Ocean Connect is OCC’s portal to College email, courses, grades, and finances. Log on at connect.ocean.edu

Your Ocean Connect AccountNew Students User Name: firstname_last name@students.ocean.edu

Initial password 7-digit student ID

Student PlanningStudent Planning is an online resource that provides students and advisors with the tools they need to plan and track progress toward degree completion. Students can use Student Planning to:

� Review degree requirements � Create an academic plan � Register for courses � See how credits would apply to a different degree program

Students can access Student Planning by logging into Ocean Connect. For help using Student Planning, students can visit go.ocean.edu/studentplanning.

SAY WHAT?!

I Hear What You’re Saying, but I Don’t Understand!Don’t be intimidated by “college lingo!”  Here are some terms and

phrases you’ll hear frequently in college, and what those words mean. You’ll be “speaking college” in no time!

Common OCC lingo � Semester – A 15-week academic term

that occurs twice per year beginning in September and January.

� Accuplacer Exam/Placement Test – The computerized set of tests used by the College to determine your place-ment into English and Math courses

� Class Schedule – The course sections which a student registered for in a specific semester. This includes the course’s name, section, location, hours, instructor, and amount of credits awarded after completion. 

� Curriculum Guide/Course Map – A detailed list of courses or areas of study a student must fulfill to meet the requirements of his/her degree or certificate program.

� Full Time Student – A student who registers for 12 or more credits during a semester.

� Major – Academic degree program. � Adding a Course – Adding a course to

your current schedule, when you want to take an additional course or courses in the current semester.

� Dropped/Dropping Courses – When a student or the college decides that a student will not take a course that they were registered for. A dropped course will not appear on a student’s transcript.

� Withdrawn/Withdrawing from Courses – When a student or their instructor removes that student from the course during the term. A “W” shows on the student’s transcript and the student is not entitled to a refund. Excessive withdrawing can affect a student’s eligibility for financial aid as

well as their academic standing. This will not impact your GPA.

� Change of Curriculum – When a student decides to officially change their degree program (major) at the college.  

� Census Date – The date during the semester in which the courses that a student is registered for appears on their official record. No adding or drop-ping of courses may be done after this date. If a student no longer wants to be in a course after this date, the student would request a course withdrawal.  

� Corequisite – Required course that must be taken in the same semester as the selected course.

� Prerequisite – A required course that must be complete before taking a more advanced course.

� Developmental Courses – Are required for students who do not place directly into college-level English and/or Math. These courses assist students in reviewing basic skills to make sure they are ready to be suc-cessful in college-level coursework. Developmental credits count toward a student’s GPA and full-time status, but do not satisfy graduation requirements or count toward graduation credits.

� Credit Hour – The number of hours per week a student can expect to be in class for each course. A 3 credit hour course will meet for about 3 hours per week.

COLLEGE Pathways

Program

Ocean County College is a public two-year community college sponsored by Ocean County and the State of New Jersey. Ocean County College prohibits

discrimination on the basis of race, color, creed, sex, national origin, age, religion, veterans status, marital status or disability. This institution complies

with the provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

If you are a person who needs accommodations due to disability, please contact the Center for Student Success, Library, Room 124

at 732-255-0456 or gzippo-mazur@ocean.edu.

For more information about how to benefit from OCC’s College Pathways Program, contact

Office of Admissionsoccadmissions@ocean.edu732.255.0400 x2960www.ocean.edu