So I finally found an interesting article that didn't have to do with Libya, politics, or what's going on with Charlie Sheen.
The article is from the Akron Beacon Journal's Eric Gorski, and it concerns, well...you.
Read it HERE.
What does this mean? Are you actually getting something out of your college education? Or is this merely a trampoline for you to bounce on for four (or five or six) years until you're ready to feed yourselves?
You know what I want...300-400 words, on this topic. Be thoughtful about your experiences. I want to know if this guy is right, and if so, why.
-- MP
With my experiences in my first year of college courses I would have to agree with Eric saying that not all that much is learned in college. Personally because I took all AP classes my junior and senior year in high school it prepared me very well for the college work load. In high school I had at least one paper due every week combined many times with a test and regular every day homework on top of everything. So many nights I had 5-6 hours of homework. From a stand point of work load and time management I have learned all I need is from high school. I also have experienced the same thing in the actual courses themselves. I have not learned one knew thing in any of my math, science or English classes. The only classes I learned anything new from is my major related classes like studio and architecture history. I hate paying the 20,000 dollars a year to set through information that is already common knowledge to me. But I suppose that the courses will start getting harder and hopefully I will get something out of college. Also I think it helps me that I most of the time study quietly alone and even when I study with a study group I always study before I get there to make sure I know the information.
ReplyDeleteLooking at all the students in a whole I would also say their not getting anything out of college either because the college restrictions aren’t harsh enough. For example missing classes supposedly a student will fail with missing x amount of classes but in all my experiences if the student comes up with some crappy excuse the student gets let off easy. Also I don’t think students who have parents paying their way quite understand how much an education is worth and goof off instead of taking this chance to better educate themselves.
Because students don’t have the responsibility and can’t take learning seriously they don’t get anything out of college. And now because you can take college courses in high school it is not needed to take at least for first year of college and the general education courses.
I think at some point everyone has said the famous when am I going to use this? Whenever this is said it is normally out of frustration. I’m applying to the physical therapy assistance program and some of the classes I’m required to take seem like they have nothing to do with physical therapy. One of the required courses is Core Math III. I understand that a person should know the basics of math but I really do not understand why I need to know anything about proportions to do well in physical therapy. Another required course is Psychology. I can understand why that is important because when working in the medical field especially it is important to know how to communicate with the patients. This course is also required which I can understand because this is something that will be needed; when applying for a job you need to know how to write or the company is not going to take you seriously. The math is what baffles me. My mother said universities have those classes so that can make more money.
ReplyDeleteI think high school classes are more of a waste than anything else. I remember getting so frustrated with English literature because I know there’s never going to be a time where I need to know the story of Beowulf. High school classes are the waste.
Even though classes (college) get tough and frustrating, most of the courses we take will benefit us in the long run. We’re not going to remember everything but the basics are what matters. 5 years from now I’m not going to remember what the percentage of babies are securely attached but I will remember some of why people may operate differently than others.
The focus shouldn’t be on those who haven’t been successful with academics or in the workplace. Instead the focus should be on those who have been successful.
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ReplyDeleteI have the fresh” this is pointless” mind right now, I feel I am paying $23,000 and that money is being useless. I really didn't take classes based on what I want to do and that was frustrating because I can honestly say I really didn't give this whole college thing my all because it didn't hold my attention. I know that sounds bad but some classes I really just sat there like really? Really? This is what I’m paying for? My advisor made me take "Study Strategies" a class that helped you how to study. Yes, I walked away from that class with nothing but a waste of time. I know a lot of times we say "When will we use this" and a lot of times I really end up using it but my freshman year of college I feel I learned more off experience. I don't really know if it's more off of my prior education or how I went about things in high school but I really would rather been taught how to do the job I want to do hands on without spending all this money on other things besides that. In time it shall get better in I will be placed more in my major but I do think college is a scam but education is still important to me that’s why I’m still here. I know that getting your degree will open doors in the work world for myself and that’s exactly what I want to do. So far I have not learn much book wise and I have learned that if I need to read this to get this so I can just pass and move on to the next level and that’s exactly what I will do to land the job or get me the job I want!
ReplyDeleteI think this article is all about personal preference and it seems to me that there is no possible way the authors of the article or of the studies used could lump all the students together and say people learn better by studying together or people don’t learn when studying in a group. Everyone studies differently and there is no way in my opinion that they could generalize that. As for classes being a waste of money, it is you that chooses the courses, its not like high school where you didn’t really have much say in the matter, you have the final word on the courses you take and if you feel cheated, take a more challenging course, its as simple as that. Finally when it comes to getting a job, the article talks about a great number of people moving back home and becoming unemployed, that cant be blamed on the school, there is no one to blame but themselves. If they had wanted a job they would have worked hard for it. I have a bit of a different experience than most college students, I decided to join the military after high school, realizing that after my stellar performances in high school, that’s sarcasm just to be clear, it would not be worth going to college it would be a waste of money and time and maybe that’s another road people should look at, not necessarily joining the military but working full time somewhere before college and getting some of that all good “experience” and allowing them to better forming their goals before jumping into college. It comes down to the simple fact that you take away from college what you want.
ReplyDeleteI believe that I am getting a great education from attending college. The fact that today it is almost required to have a degree to work somewhere is a fair example that a degree helps you. People with degrees are able to work the more advanced jobs and do things that those with only a high schools degree cant. They can be managers and work their way up the corporate ladder faster. As far as a college education, it comes down to one thing. You get out what you put in. Simply putting, if you put for the effort, you are going to see results. The tests that this company did on college students were only done on kids in their freshman and sophomore years. These are the years that college students are becoming more accustomed to the life of being away from mommy and daddy. They tend to do a lot of partying and focus less on school work. Once they reach their junior and senior year I think they start to realize that they are paying for this education and the real world is coming up so they start to crack down. College is a great tool that I think everyone who wants to go should have the opportunity. I have only been in school for a year now and I feel like I have learned so much about my major. I feel successful so far. College also is not a place that you learn a wide variety of trades to take out and use, it’s a place where you hone your skills in on a specific practice. Therefore, test results can be a bit skewed if the same one is given to all varieties of majors. No matter what tests may be given, I still feel like college is the best tool anyone can have under their belt.
ReplyDeleteThats actually a high percentage rate...I somewhat agree with this, only because I'm almost done with my freshman year and im still Exploratory because I have no idea what career I want! Sometimes I think to myself 'why am I in school?' But I know that college can open doors for me to help me be successful. So that's what I keep in my head wheneveer I question myself. When people say "college isn't for me", I agree with that statement because college isn't for most people. Some people can maintain a decent job in their community and be just as fine as someone who went to college. I would recommend for people to go to college because I believe it can open new doors for you in your life.
ReplyDeleteJust finished reading everyones comments and I'm thinking that a few people are really onto something. It seems like a lot of people are talking about feeling generally unconcerned, if thats the right word, or maybe apathetic, about the whole college situation. Can't deny that I've felt that way myself about it.
ReplyDeletePersonally I'm coming up on finishing my fourth year of this and honestly I'm still wondering what its all for. I'm a history major meaning that while I've learned a tremendous amount of information these past 4 years I cant say that a whole lot of what i learned is gonna be applicable in the job market (unless you know anyone hiring position requiring an indepth understanding of antebellum south and its relationship with Indians tribes, anyone?
4 years is a long Long time, and its given me plenty of time to think all about college and if its worth it and all those feeling of doubt and guilt about spending money and your youth studying instead of doing.....What?
Thats the thing, what would you all like to be doing if you werent in school? I know when i entered college I wouldnt have had the damnest idea how i would answer that and well 4 years later i dont really have anything more to add to that, but atleast I have the last 4 years of learning and excercising/expanding my cognition to feel assured that whatever comes next i will be smart enough to handle it.
So yes, College is most certainly about the degree, thats perhaps the best reason for being here. The second is its a good excuse for coasting before getting around to anything major, and third college is really a time to learn. Its corny as hell but here at college you get to study whatever you want, take courses on the most obscure areas of your interest, learn about things that if you had even spoken about a few hundred years ago youd risk getting your damn head cut off, and really isnt that what college is all about... well, that and coitus
According to a Collegiate Learning Assessment study of more than 2,300 undergraduate college students, 45% of these students show no significant improvement in key measures of critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore year. Correlate this with the 49% graduation rate of Kent State University (http://www.aei.org/docLib/Diplomas%20and%20Dropouts%20final.pdf), and you shouldn’t be surprised. I believe there are several reasons behind this.
ReplyDeletePerhaps out of the 51% who fail to graduate from Kent State, 45% of them showed no significant improvement? Could this lack of improvement account for the drop-out rate?
Another, more probable, explanation for the lack of improvement is the social network factor. The next time you attend class, go early and watch how many students are face down in their phones or computers exploring Facebook. During class, take another look around and compare how many of those people are still plugged into the social network. Hopefully you will observe, as I have observed, many students who simply cannot let go of their window into the void known as the Internet. Additionally, as the article mentions, I believe group studies (S.I. is not exempt) are more detrimental to a student’s performance than helpful. If you are struggling in a class, seek a tutor instead of your friends. You are more likely to focus and accomplish your task when you are with your tutor than you are with your friends. Most likely, you will end up socializing and talking about last week’s party.
The Collegiate Learning Assessment is not in the clear either. According to the Collegiate Learning Assessment’s facts and fantasies,(http://www.collegiatelearningassessment.org/files/CLA_Facts_and_Fantasies.pdf), “The CLA program does not measure general intellectual ability or intelligence, nor does it aspire to. Moreover, the CLA program does not measure content or procedural knowledge or understanding in the various academic disciplines”.
I believe the key word in this study is “sophomore” year. At least at Kent State, students are required to take entry level courses with LER courses filling up the majority of their time. Most students don’t even begin to engage in upper tiered and engaging classes until their junior year. Of the three LERs that I am taking this semester, two of them have over 180 students. With one instructor for all of these students, it is clear that the primary emphasis is not the complex reasoning and critical thinking development but rather the ability to memorize and recognize (think multiple choice tests rather than written examinations). Since each of these LER classes specialize in a particular discipline, the potential knowledge gained from them would not be assessed.
I suggest the CLA creates a new study that assesses students at the end of their senior year. As curriculum and degree plans vary from college to college, it would only be fair to assess all four years of undergraduate study.
College years are a lot more challenging than high school years. Many people move out of their parent’s house and start on their own. Many take advantage of this freedom and it takes a hold of them. I feel that is why many don’t get much out of college. I, however, have taken a lot out of my college experience. Reality has kicked in. My mom is helping me pay for college and we don’t have much money. I know I had to buckle down or not come at all. I have learned more in my first year here at Kent State than I did in my four years of High School. A part of the study showed people in science majors did better. This might be partially why I am doing better. I am a health science major. It is not exactly science, but a branch off of it. I am not also in a frat or any group along those lines. I feel they might not get the full education because of obvious reasons, partying! I’ve tried studying in groups before and they always turn into social sessions. People need to study unlike High School and many aren’t even taught how to. I took a course on how to properly study in college because in High School I never had to. Nobody ever showed me how to.
ReplyDeleteSince after about the first half of my first semester here at college I have been saying it is making me dumber. In high school even though I hated it the environment encouraged learning in the fact that you had to be there the majority and the majority of teachers seemed that actually wanted to become teachers. One interesting thing the article pointed out was that colleges hire teachers more for research than to actually teach. As a matter of fact today in my education course we watched a video about exactly that. Some professors consider the teaching aspect of their job a burden. This is not ok for students to develop critical thinking. I am currently in two classes that the teachers don’t seem to mind teaching but they also don’t care if you are learning. They are both lecture halls that don’t take attendance and all of the information is online and you know what you need to study because of study guides. To me it seems like these teachers just want to let all of their students pass so they don’t look like poor teachers. They probably are able to set the bell curve because I’m sure some students don’t even bother with the study guides and fail their exams. The last blog about the “pre-adults” relates to this one as well. It’s difficult to develop critical thinking when all you’re doing is playing video games partying and forgetting all of the information that you forced yourself to cram into you head. The whole college lifestyle is not set up in a way that is conducive to critical thinking. Another issue is the pressures to go to college. Some student’s probably felt pressure to go, I know I did. There really is not many other options to become successful. The problem is that one does not even know if going to college will make them successful, they do know however that they will leave it in debt. A number of things need to change so that going to higher education is actually worthwhile. Also one’s own personal effort helps. You get what you give; just you can’t always get good teachers.
ReplyDeleteI feel college is a good thing. For starters you don't want someone running a businesses right out of high school or someone who is 18 to be your nurse. Its just wrong and inappropriate. I looked at this way, if you go to a good college that is more focused on learning instead of memorizing information and spitting it out on tests then yes college is wonderful. The teachers goal should be to teach you though hands on activities and constantly referring the things you are learning to real life. How can you understand something if you don't see it or do it yourself? I like the reference of doctors, they spend up to eight years in college and a lot of people consider that a waste. Well have you ever taken the time to look and see what their doing? Probably not but they are learning not only by reading books but by shadowing procedures and other doctors at other hospitals. Also they use cadavers to practice on and even get some hands on intern time before finally becoming a resident. So yes there process is long but I think its worth it compared to other majors. Basically the amount of learning and the so called memorizing and spitting comes with what major you choose. If you are someone on here complaining that all you do in your major is read and you hate it, don't you think you should change something about that?
ReplyDeleteAfter reading the article, I personally do not believe that students are getting much out of their college learning because of the subjects that are taught. More than half of the things learned in colleges aren't even going to benefit or affect students in the long run. My father who is the project manager and leader of all civil engineers in the company he works in told me that the highest math he uses is basic algebra, but while he was in college he had to take math courses as high as calculus 4. I believe that most of student's college experiences aren't that great because not everyone can afford the tuition of an Ivy League school. I think that once a student gets into their job, they forget pretty much everything they learned in their college years because it's not going to be used in their future so why should one remember and keep information learned from college years in their mind if they're not going to use it? People could actually just get a job, get trained to do the job, and succeed at what they do in most careers out there. What one can say is: College is somewhat a waste of money; all one gets out of it is social experiences. How much a student learns merely depends on their where they came from, (family), and whether they are actually willing to want to learn or just want to get out of college and get a career as soon as possible. I do believe though that this isn't right and I think some professors should go through more education on how to teach students. A little motivation can get anyone further in life.
ReplyDeleteI'd like to hope that I'm going to get something out of my college education especially when it comes down to the foreign language requirement. I came to Kent wanting to learn Japanese, and that drive still exists. I'm also hoping that I'll be able to learn about the field of biological and forensic anthropology throughout the rest of my years here. I'm not entirely sure as of right now how long my education is going to take. Because of my major change, and the required classes that I haven't taken, I know for a fact I'm behind at least one semester. Though in reality I know I'll probably be here for an extra year.
ReplyDeleteI haven't learned too much academic wise as of yet, but in just this year alone I've learned skills in communication and socialization that I can use for the rest of my life. The 45% of students who didn't learn much throughout their college education might not have learned academically, but there's a chance that they too learned social skills that wouldn't have been developed if they hadn't gone to college.
I'm paying tens of thousands of dollars to come to Kent to learn, and I'm going to try my best to do so. I don't want to graduate not knowing how to handle myself. I want to know not only how to do the job I'm going to get after graduation, but also how to live and interact in the real world. Being on your own in college isn't the same as living your life after graduation. There's still a slight buffer that a college campus gives you, that bit of shelter is still there. The campus is like it's own little world, and outside in the actual world is much different. If you go to college and keep to yourself I don't feel like you make the social connections required to be able to branch out in the post-graduation world.