Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Comp Questions

I have heard from more than one student that there is confusion regarding the comps. Let me try to see if I can sort some things out for you.

First, comps are given twice a year. We offer them in December and then again late May or early June (depends upon when weekend classes occur). These are the only times and there are no exceptions. So, you want to watch the blog for information for when and how to register. The calendar of testing for comps and NCE is given here on the blog. The only thing missing is the May/June date. That is being worked on and we should know in a week or two.

The second question that keeps coming up is "when should I take the comps"? There are two ways to answer this. First, you must have most or all of your courswork completed. Certainly you must have the basic core courses completed because these are what is tested. These classes are the first 6-8 courses that are in your sequence. For more specifics, see your advisor. Second, even if you have the core 6-8 classes completed, most students wait until their last term or second last term. In other words, usually during your practicum and internship phase.

Finally, people ask how to prepare. Again there are multiple answers. You should know the information being tested because your classes have covered the material. However, if you feel you may forget what was to be learned in your classes, you can study your textbooks again or get the book, Encyclopedia of Counseing. This is used by most. If you really want to study, there are study courses you can take as well. You can find out more about study courses from your advisor.

I hope this helps some. If you have more questions, again speak with your faculty advisor.

Dr. Septeowski

Argosy is almost a winner

As I have mentioned to many of you, every year at the ICA conference they identify which university has the most students in attendance. For the last three years Argosy has either had the most or been in second place. Again this year, we got second place. As I understand it, we lost by one student to Northern Illinois University.

So, good and bad to this. It is good that we are making a great show at the conference. Believe me when I say, people know that Argosy has a quality counseling program and isn't just a casino. At the same time, I like winning. So, we have work to do for next year.

Dr. Septeowski