At first glance, colleges and universities across the country look much the same to prospective students and their parents. They all offer a variety of classes, fields of study, amenities for resident students and/or commuters, and a variety of sports, activities and organizations. But what about the students who get overwhelmed at the thought of college or those who cannot decide on a major? What do these institutions offer them?
Starting college can be stressful for many students. In high school they knew the people in their classes, the way things worked and what it took to succeed. Then they graduated and left the “comfort zone” of high school.
To help students adjust to college life, many colleges and universities have implemented First-Year Experience programs. Students participate in special sessions where they are introduced to practical guidelines on the academic issues they’ll face their first year and strategies that will help them succeed in college. They learn how to manage their time, hone their skills and connect with other students.
Some incoming freshmen have a difficult time deciding on a major, so they declare to be “undeclared.” Studies have found that approximately 20 percent of all students are undeclared when they begin college, and that about 80 percent change their majors at least once before making a final determination. Choosing the right major requires careful planning and consideration. Some colleges recommend that the best time to “try out” courses, as well as to learn more about their talents, skills and interests, is during a student’s first two years.
Many institutions have responded to these trends and statistics and are now offering exploration programs that allow students to progress at their own pace, become part of a learning community with other undeclared students, and receive lots of personal attention and counseling about majors and classes. As their future unfolds, students explore options and interests as they discover their talents and aptitudes.
Students also build relationships and support systems by attending linked classes with other students who are undeclared. Through linked learning, students strengthen their critical-thinking and problem solving skills as they explore topics in depth. Students who have been a part of learning communities report that they were highly motivated to learn, found their learning to be meaningful, and as a result, experienced success in college.
To help students blaze their own trails to success, the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio, offers the Academic Exploration Program (AEP) specifically designed for college freshmen and sophomores who have not declared a major and who want to investigate all the various options. AEP helps students challenge themselves with upper-level courses, team projects, oral presentations, research projects, independent studies, cooperative education, and academic internships.
The Mount is an undergraduate and graduate Catholic college of 2,200 students that provides an interdisciplinary liberal arts and professional curriculum emphasizing values, service and social responsibility. U.S. News & World Report ranks the Mount as one of the Best Master’s Universities in the Midwest in the 2007 edition of America’s Best Colleges.
http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/editorial/CD/first_year_fear.htm
Tuesday, May 1, 2007
Higher Education in Ohio
Education is the gateway to great things. Your decision to continue your education beyond high school represents a major step toward increasing your lifetime earning potential by broadening your career opportunities and improving your overall quality of life for the future. It will require a commitment of time, money, and energy on your part, but the potential rewards are substantial.
Consider that a high school degree will never again provide a guarantee of a comfortable middle-class life. The rising complexity of most occupations, the increasing reliance on technology in almost all businesses and jobs, and the rapid pace of change will require that more and more of you obtain two-year, four-year, or even more advanced degrees.
Besides, how does an extra million dollars sound? An individual with a four-year college degree will earn one million dollars more in his or her lifetime than the average high school graduate. But Ohio also wins in this equation. A highly educated, highly skilled workforce keeps companies in Ohio and attracts new companies to Ohio. The state also benefits from better-educated citizens who earn more money. Ohio needs its residents to make more than they’re currently earning. The state would have more money in its coffers in the form of additional state income tax revenue, which would mean fewer taxes for Ohio residents.
As you prepare yourself to move beyond high school, you will face many options and choices on how best to equip yourself for the global knowledge- and innovation-based economy of the twenty-first Century, including where to continue your education. I urge you to take a close look at post-secondary institutions throughout the state as you make your college plans. Some of the most respected colleges, universities, and trade and technical schools in the nation are located right here in Ohio, and they may not be in your backyard.
Ohio’s higher education system is large and diverse, with thirteen public university main campuses, twenty-four university regional campuses, one freestanding medical school, twenty-three public community and technical colleges, and sixty-three independent colleges and universities. These institutions can be found in Ohio’s major urban areas, rural areas, and quaint towns that are built around the campuses. Ohio’s public and private colleges and universities currently enroll more than 600,000 students who are seeking advanced skills, certification, and/or associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees.
It’s important to spend some time considering which school fits you best. Different colleges and universities have different missions. If a large research university is your cup of tea, you can gain access to some of the leading researchers and scientists in the world in the Buckeye State. If you prefer a flexible schedule, smaller class sizes, and a technically focused education, then maybe a two-year community/technical college is more up your alley. Or maybe a well-rounded liberal arts education at a small private college that will prepare you well for graduate school is what you seek. No matter which option you choose, all of Ohio’s public and private colleges and universities are adept at creating a “just-for-you,” “just-in-time” education that matches your individual needs. Long gone are the days of a “just-in-case” education where you learn all you need to know for a lifetime by the time you’re twenty. Learning how to learn and developing a passion for lifelong learning are the keys to success today.
The state’s rich tradition of advocating for education dates back to Ohio’s formation from a portion of the Northwest Territory in 1803. Your decision to move on to higher education is an important one, and there will be many choices and challenges facing you in the years to come. One of the first is to consider going to college away from home in another part of the state. Congratulations on your success thus far and good luck in all your future endeavors.
Ohio’s system of higher education is coordinated by the Ohio Board of Regents, a nine-member board created in 1963. The Regents website (www.regents.state.oh.us) features details on many facets of higher education, including a list of links to most of Ohio’s college and university web sites.
http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/editorial/CD/higher_ed_ohio.htm
Consider that a high school degree will never again provide a guarantee of a comfortable middle-class life. The rising complexity of most occupations, the increasing reliance on technology in almost all businesses and jobs, and the rapid pace of change will require that more and more of you obtain two-year, four-year, or even more advanced degrees.
Besides, how does an extra million dollars sound? An individual with a four-year college degree will earn one million dollars more in his or her lifetime than the average high school graduate. But Ohio also wins in this equation. A highly educated, highly skilled workforce keeps companies in Ohio and attracts new companies to Ohio. The state also benefits from better-educated citizens who earn more money. Ohio needs its residents to make more than they’re currently earning. The state would have more money in its coffers in the form of additional state income tax revenue, which would mean fewer taxes for Ohio residents.
As you prepare yourself to move beyond high school, you will face many options and choices on how best to equip yourself for the global knowledge- and innovation-based economy of the twenty-first Century, including where to continue your education. I urge you to take a close look at post-secondary institutions throughout the state as you make your college plans. Some of the most respected colleges, universities, and trade and technical schools in the nation are located right here in Ohio, and they may not be in your backyard.
Ohio’s higher education system is large and diverse, with thirteen public university main campuses, twenty-four university regional campuses, one freestanding medical school, twenty-three public community and technical colleges, and sixty-three independent colleges and universities. These institutions can be found in Ohio’s major urban areas, rural areas, and quaint towns that are built around the campuses. Ohio’s public and private colleges and universities currently enroll more than 600,000 students who are seeking advanced skills, certification, and/or associate, baccalaureate, and graduate degrees.
It’s important to spend some time considering which school fits you best. Different colleges and universities have different missions. If a large research university is your cup of tea, you can gain access to some of the leading researchers and scientists in the world in the Buckeye State. If you prefer a flexible schedule, smaller class sizes, and a technically focused education, then maybe a two-year community/technical college is more up your alley. Or maybe a well-rounded liberal arts education at a small private college that will prepare you well for graduate school is what you seek. No matter which option you choose, all of Ohio’s public and private colleges and universities are adept at creating a “just-for-you,” “just-in-time” education that matches your individual needs. Long gone are the days of a “just-in-case” education where you learn all you need to know for a lifetime by the time you’re twenty. Learning how to learn and developing a passion for lifelong learning are the keys to success today.
The state’s rich tradition of advocating for education dates back to Ohio’s formation from a portion of the Northwest Territory in 1803. Your decision to move on to higher education is an important one, and there will be many choices and challenges facing you in the years to come. One of the first is to consider going to college away from home in another part of the state. Congratulations on your success thus far and good luck in all your future endeavors.
Ohio’s system of higher education is coordinated by the Ohio Board of Regents, a nine-member board created in 1963. The Regents website (www.regents.state.oh.us) features details on many facets of higher education, including a list of links to most of Ohio’s college and university web sites.
http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/editorial/CD/higher_ed_ohio.htm
How to Win at College
Graduating from high school is one of the most satisfying and simultaneously scary times of your life. For the first time, you are faced with the task of navigating yourself to a successful future. Advice floods in from everybody in all directions and eventually you have acquired so much information about how to do well in college that it starts to become confusing and maybe even contradictory. Counselors and teachers try to generalize college life on a single sheet of paper, but the fact is that college is as unique as the individuals enrolled in it.
Many people say the best way to get through college with the best grades possible is to study most of the time and relax the rest of the time. While this is a terrific strategy, the whole social aspect of the college life is completely ignored. Social life plays a large role in overall well-being. College offers the best chance you will ever have to surround yourself with great people for the rest of your life. Once you build a solid foundation of friends, you will be able to assist each other in achieving the ultimate goal—graduating with good grades.
You will need to create schedules for yourself to manage your time. It is sometimes difficult for students to separate having fun and studying. If you want to make it through college, you must go to class. Oftentimes students fail out because they completely neglect going to class and doing required assignments. And then there’s the complete opposite side, the students who graduate with a 4.0 grade point average but have never been to a social event in their college career. The key to success is balance. What is the point of spending approximately four years in the same place if you build no supportive relationships, good memories or funny stories?
Obviously, college is no cake-walk. You will sometimes need to lock yourself in your room and turn off your cell phone for a few hours to crack down on loaded projects and abandon all contact from the outside world. But after you are finished with the project and you know you nailed it, you should reward yourself by relaxing and having a good time. As long as there is good balance of work and play, you should have few problems. And as long as you have your work-time designated in a time slot before your down-time, you should be able to juggle the two effortlessly and, best of all, happily. To be successful, you need to create your own unique schedule; if one thing doesn’t work, shift your schedule around until it does. When you and your best friends finally graduate, you can reminisce about all the great times you’ve had together, and talk about how college wasn’t as difficult as you once thought it was going to be.
Editorial provided by Mathew Matusek, Journalist, Slippery Rock University Graduate.
http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/editorial/win_college.htm
Many people say the best way to get through college with the best grades possible is to study most of the time and relax the rest of the time. While this is a terrific strategy, the whole social aspect of the college life is completely ignored. Social life plays a large role in overall well-being. College offers the best chance you will ever have to surround yourself with great people for the rest of your life. Once you build a solid foundation of friends, you will be able to assist each other in achieving the ultimate goal—graduating with good grades.
You will need to create schedules for yourself to manage your time. It is sometimes difficult for students to separate having fun and studying. If you want to make it through college, you must go to class. Oftentimes students fail out because they completely neglect going to class and doing required assignments. And then there’s the complete opposite side, the students who graduate with a 4.0 grade point average but have never been to a social event in their college career. The key to success is balance. What is the point of spending approximately four years in the same place if you build no supportive relationships, good memories or funny stories?
Obviously, college is no cake-walk. You will sometimes need to lock yourself in your room and turn off your cell phone for a few hours to crack down on loaded projects and abandon all contact from the outside world. But after you are finished with the project and you know you nailed it, you should reward yourself by relaxing and having a good time. As long as there is good balance of work and play, you should have few problems. And as long as you have your work-time designated in a time slot before your down-time, you should be able to juggle the two effortlessly and, best of all, happily. To be successful, you need to create your own unique schedule; if one thing doesn’t work, shift your schedule around until it does. When you and your best friends finally graduate, you can reminisce about all the great times you’ve had together, and talk about how college wasn’t as difficult as you once thought it was going to be.
Editorial provided by Mathew Matusek, Journalist, Slippery Rock University Graduate.
http://www.thehighschoolgraduate.com/editorial/win_college.htm
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