Call it theultimate road trip.

West Virginia University students can learn how to map out strategies for college and beyond at two free presentationsthe first at 7:30 p.m. in the Evansdale Residential Complex Gold Room and another at 9 p.m. in the Mountainlair BallroomsThursday, Sept. 23.

For many freshmen, juggling classes, part-time jobs and extracurricular activities, and finding time for friends and family is a hard schedule to manage, said Rhonda Hall, Residential Education program specialist.

The program called �€~The Ultimate Road Trip: Campus2Career’gives our first-year students a roadmap for success,she said.They learn how to balance a social life with schoolwork and set goals in their collegiate and professional careers. Learning how to make big decisions will ensure a successful college experience.

The presentations are interactive and students follow along in a workbook, Hall noted. Topics covered include career opportunities of the future, successfully managing the transition to college, tips for getting great grades and managing time, the power of work experience and internships and meaningful extracurricular involvement.

W hile the presentations are especially helpful for freshmen, all students are welcome to attend and learn strategies to make the most of opportunities in college and after graduation, she added.

Those enrolled in University 101, a course that helps freshmen and transfer students become acclimated to University life, can receive credit for attendance.

The presentations are given by Making It Count, a subsidiary of the national online job service Monster.com, which speaks to more than 350,000 students on college campuses around the country.

Currently, only 70 percent of college freshmen progress to their sophomore year,said J.R. Cifani, vice president of Making It Count.Couple that with the fact that only 50 percent of students entering college will graduate within five years, the importance of the program becomes very clear. We are providing students with a map to realize their goals and ambitions.

For more information, call 304-293-4686.

Making It Count on the Net:http://www.makingitcount.com