Get Ready For Your College Education
Globalization a Key Player in Higher Education Changes
Globalization alone is reason enough today to motivate students and even adults to get a college education. The point has been pounded home it seems, but clearly not enough. No longer is a college education typically debatable, in fact many education advisors now urge undergraduates to seek a graduate degree in order to remain competitive. But higher education, or learning beyond high school, has evolved. College now has come to mean a wide array of higher learning opportunities, choices that are available to national as well as international students.
Redefining College and Students
A reformation of the definition of college student must take place. Yes, many students are those college age that matriculate straight from high school. However, thanks to progress made in the area of adult learning as well as a business and industry’s big push for more highly trained professionals, the age of non-traditional students has arrived. In order to suit the needs of all types of college students, the kinds of colleges have evolved. Students may attend physically or virtually, pursue traditional college degrees or target technical and vocational training. As if in cadenced response to the past decade of muscling every high school student into a college box, the population of technical professionals is dying out. High school students with a more technical or vocational aptitude are being encouraged to reconsider technical programs. A far cry from assembly line dirty work, today’s technical professional may find a well-paying job as a product engineer, hospital surgical technician or in any of a wide range of other jobs.
Staying Competitive
Surprising statistics have shown that contrary to the No Child Left Behind Act and education’s well-publicized efforts to beef up critical student skills, students continue to fall short in reading, writing and math. These three skills areas are those assessed by the SAT and ACT exams. Colleges far and wide continue to use SAT scores as an academic measuring stick and as a means for sorting through the initial stack of college applications. In order to remain competitive many high school students may access resources for improving reading, writing and math skills that can help them ace the college entrance exams.
Make College Work
I was one of the high school students whose skills were severely lacking. I performed poorly on my SAT exam and my general malaise wound me up at a community college where applications are not based on SAT scores and almost every student is considered. As second rate as community college might sound, the environment could not have been better. I received the personal attention I needed, improved my grades, developed study and academic skills and ultimately figured out how to successfully transfer to a four-year college. While my high school academics proved I was not mature enough personally or academically for a campus environment, most students, regardless of academic prowess, face common challenges in their transition from high school to four-year college.
Prepare for College When a Child is Born
The steps leading to college admission ought to begin as soon as a child is born, according to many advisors. As soon as parents commit children to a college goal, the sooner good study habits and skills building becomes part of that student’s life. But no matter how well prepared, high school students continue to ask the same questions regarding college enrollment, from how to fill out the FAFSA, to the biggest mistakes made on college applications.
