LifeMap is:

• A student's plan of action for utilizing Valencia resources to achieve his or her career and educational goals.
• Students' guide for figuring out where they are going and easy step-by-step directions for getting there.
• Valencia's planning process through which students identify and achieve their career and educational goals.

Valencia Community College is dedicated to helping students achieve their career and educational goals. Whether you are here to take a few courses, to improve job skills, or to earn a degree, Valencia is organized to assist you with your plans.

Coming to college is like starting anything else that is new.it takes awhile to learn the "lay of the land" and all of the "insider tricks" for success. With LifeMap, our aim is to reduce the anxiety and confusion of starting on a new "journey" and to help you "get on the road" quickly and comfortably.

Faculty and staff are willing to serve as "partners" with you in your journey. Early in your experience at Valencia, you will have interaction with Advising Center staff through New Student Orientation. Faculty and advising staff welcome the opportunity to assist you in your career and educational planning and implementation process. We describe this process as:

A -->  As -->  AS -->  aS -->  S

"A" stands for "Advisor or Faculty" member, "S" stands for "Student". We understand that at first you may need extra assistance from Valencia faculty and staff to get started on our "journey". We welcome the opportunity to provide the information and support you need. However, our expectation is that as you gain experience at Valencia, you will become increasingly self-sufficient in implementing your career and educational goals, until you are totally directing your own learning process. Once you learn this process, you will be able to repeat it when needed throughout your life.

LifeMap is based on Valencia's developmental advising model. Developmental advising is a student-centered approach that fosters advising alliances among students, faculty, and other college professionals. This alliance develops through mutual trust, shared responsibilities; and commitment to helping students to identify, clarify, and realize their personal, academic, career, and life goals. Developmental advising is on ongoing growth process that assists students in the exploration, clarification, communication, and implementation of realistic choices based on self-awareness of abilities, interests, and values. The results for students are social and academic integration, educational and career plans, and acquisition of study and life skills.


What benefits will students get from LifeMap?

LifeMap enables students to:

• Learn how to make a plan and implement goals.
• Achieve educational and career goals in a shorter time.
• Understand how courses relate to personal goals and chosen career.
• Maximize use of Valencia resources (faculty, staff, programs, services).
• Stay in college and complete their degree.

How do students get started with LifeMap?

To get started, students develop an educational and career plan as they:

• Interact with faculty about their goals.
• Enroll in Student Success (SLS1122).
• Complete assessments and follow directions in the LifeMap Student Handbook.
• Use the LifeMap web-based planning tools to design and save your educational and career plans.
• Discuss your plans with a Valencia advisor or mentor.

How do students know if they are using LifeMap?

Students are using LifeMap when they:

• Have well-defined educational and career goals.
• Have an educational plan that supports their career plan.
• Use Valencia resources to implement their plan.
• Successfully complete their educational goals.

What is the ideal LifeMap planning progression?

• Start with determining your Life Goals. The LifeMap Student Handbook has an assessment to get you started.
• Next, determine your Career Goals. Use My Career Planner on-line, complete the assessment in the LifeMap Student Handbook, go to the Career Resources link in Atlas, or visit a Valencia Career Center on campus. There is a wealth of career planning resources available.
• Next, determine your Educational Goals based on your career goals. Use My Education Plan on-line to design and save your plan to complete your Valencia degree. Use the facts.org site to plan for your bachelor's degree or use the resources in a Valencia Career Center.
• Next, build your course schedule each term based on your educational plan so that you enroll in the correct courses. More schedule building tips are included in the Building a Schedule chapter of the LifeMap Student Handbook. Be sure to consider the amount of time you have to devote to college based on your other life commitments (work, family, social obligations).
• As you near completion of your Valencia degree, follow the guidelines in the Graduation Transition LifeMap stage to make a smooth transition to transfer or to employment.
• Repeat throughout Life, as necessary!