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CIST Student Sandbox

IST 605: College & Career Readiness

Your Guide to Life After High School

Keywords and Search Tips

Use these keywords and phrases to jumpstart your searches in databases and search engines. Try combining terms with AND/OR to expand your results. Add your state or specific career to get more personalized results.

College Exploration

  • college admissions
  • choosing a major
  • two-year vs. four-year colleges
  • "college essay examples"
  • SAT prep / ACT prep

Career Pathways

  • career exploration for teens
  • career assessments
  • trade careers for high school graduates
  • apprenticeship and (your state)
  • job outlook for (career)

Financial Aid

  • FAFSA help
  • federal student aid
  • scholarships
  • grants vs. loans

Tip: Use quotation marks " " for exact phrases, AND to narrow your search, OR to broaden it, and replace (state) or (career) with your own interests. 

Step-by-step guide to using your library’s databases effectively:

  1. Choose a database – Try ERIC for education, Career & Technical Education database for career info, or Academic Search Complete for broad topics.

  2. Enter your keywords – Start with one or two phrases from the Keywords tab.

  3. Use filters – Check “peer-reviewed” for scholarly articles, and select date ranges to get recent info.

  4. Use advanced search – Combine keywords with AND/OR, and quotation marks for exact phrases.

  5. Review abstracts – Read the summary to see if the article matches your topic.

  6. Access full text – Download PDFs or open links provided by the database.

Example Search:

  • "career pathways" AND "high school students" in ERIC; select peer reviewed and publication date within 10 years => finds peer-reviewed research on career planning for teens.

Level up your searching skills with these strategies:

  • Quotation marks " " → Use for exact phrases: "college essay examples"
  • AND → Narrow your search by combining terms: "career assessments" AND "high school"
  • OR → Broaden your search to include multiple options: scholarships OR grants
  • Add context → Include state, city, or career: apprenticeships AND "New York"
  • Check keywords – Use synonyms to capture more results: career pathways OR career exploration
  • Boolean logic – Use parentheses for complex searches: ("trade careers" OR "technical programs") AND "high school graduates" 

If you are not finding the information you are searching for, try simplifying your search options.

Quick Tips to Remember When Searching

  • Start broad, then narrow

  • Check the publication date. General guidelines for dates:

    • College admissions & readiness → last 5 years

    • Career & workforce pathways → last 5–10 years

    • Trade schools & apprenticeships → last 5 years

    • Financial aid & scholarships → last 1–3 years

  • Use trusted sources: Look for .gov, .edu, or reputable organizations. Peer-reviewed journals are great for research.

  • Skim abstracts first: Save time by making sure the article fits your topic.

  • Keep a checklist: Write down keywords, database names, and useful articles so you can track your research easily.