I think I heard the most amazing thing ever on the radio driving home yesterday. Talking with a panel about community organizations in a small, northern MN iron range town a local woman came up and said "If you're going to complain about apathy, start with yourself." This one hit home.
I moved back to a small town a little over a year ago from living in a mid-sized city as well as two large metro areas for almost 10 years- in which time I became accustomed to the variety of resources and opportunities that were available for any interest that a person could have.
Upon moving up to this area I knew that there wouldn't be as many organizations and whatnot, however I was not expecting the attitude that surrounded them. I kept hearing over and over "This town needs a ______" (there would be a variety of things to fill that gap). But when I would ask "Then why don't you start one?" I would get a look of complete and utter astonishment, followed by a myriad of excuses from I don't have time to I don't know how to nothing at all....
So, after my experiences in Student Services of trying to get student organizations up and running on campus, which often came up with the same excuses (and that students wanted to be involved but didn't want to start something) I got myself in order and started three organizations in the city. Two are still growing but one took off like a rocket, and it's brought together over 500 people in the community. Was it a risk? Sure! Was it time consuming? Sure! But I have gotten to meet a lot of really fun, neat people that I would not have otherwise met.
So, the moral of this story is: if you get to campus this fall and realize that there isn't a group for whatever activity it is that you like to do: start one! Don't complain that your college doesn't have a group for people like you- chances are there are others on campus complaining about the same thing! Start with your own apathy, get rid of it and dive in head first!
PS- it's a resume builder too!
Showing posts with label college experience. Show all posts
Showing posts with label college experience. Show all posts
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
What does "College" mean to you?
Just read a good blog post on the different connotations that "going to college" has with some people.
I'd like to revisit a few, and ask you to see where you fall in the list:
"Going to College" means a thing you just do after high school... a time to move out, meet people, party, and then move on with your life. (Whether or not that college pertains to it...)
"Going to College" means trying to get into the most prestigious college available... whether or not you like it, it's all about how hard it is to get in. Eventually you'll have a piece of paper you can brag about on the wall.
"Going to College" is about expanding your knowledge. Taking classes you wouldn't have the opportunity to anywhere else and learning about... well, whatever you can learn about!
"Going to College" is the first step towards a career and career training.
"Going to College" is something you do when you don't know what else to do with your life.
Chances are, one or more might apply to you... but I think it's something important to think about. Where were you when you started your college search? What did going to college mean then that it doesn't mean now? Why did it change? Why do you think you fall into the category you do? Did I miss any categories?
Just some food for thought for the week...
I'd like to revisit a few, and ask you to see where you fall in the list:
"Going to College" means a thing you just do after high school... a time to move out, meet people, party, and then move on with your life. (Whether or not that college pertains to it...)
"Going to College" means trying to get into the most prestigious college available... whether or not you like it, it's all about how hard it is to get in. Eventually you'll have a piece of paper you can brag about on the wall.
"Going to College" is about expanding your knowledge. Taking classes you wouldn't have the opportunity to anywhere else and learning about... well, whatever you can learn about!
"Going to College" is the first step towards a career and career training.
"Going to College" is something you do when you don't know what else to do with your life.
Chances are, one or more might apply to you... but I think it's something important to think about. Where were you when you started your college search? What did going to college mean then that it doesn't mean now? Why did it change? Why do you think you fall into the category you do? Did I miss any categories?
Just some food for thought for the week...
Monday, June 29, 2009
Pointing Fingers
I have heard some variations of this theme in my time through higher education, and it's one that has perplexed me quite a bit.
There seems to be a pointing fingers game within student success between student and professors. Students blame the profs for being bad teachers, and the profs blame the students for being lazy and unwilling to learn. So where is the line?
Many of the professors that I know are unwilling/unable to change their teaching style. To many, "changing teaching style" is equated with "dumbing down the class", which obviously they are unwilling (rightfully so) to do. However, as many in education know, there are many ways to teach the same material without "dumbing down" the class or making it easier. Making the material easier to learn does not mean making the material easier overall.
I guess I come down on the side of the student: if the material is being taught unsuccessfully then the style of teaching needs to change. I think the way to tell this is the continued success rates in a classroom. If semester after semester large numbers of students are failing the same class taught by the same professor, then maybe that professor should take a look at the teaching methods (not material...) being used in the classroom.
Maybe it's that I have a hard time thinking entire classes of students would not turn in homework in class after class... again, if that is happening where is the information getting lost?
However, this isn't to say that there aren't lazy or bad or poor students out there (I've been one too at times!), but when it's consistent then I think it's a problem.
On the other side, if there is a student failing similar classes over and over and over again at what point is there an intervention to understand how the student learns best and find where s/he is struggling? I know this takes time and manpower on the side of the school, but isn't the retention of a student worth it? Again, this isn't to say to put together a specialized plan for the student, but simply to help him/her understand how best to approach school work.
I was 23 before I realized I was an auditory learner. If I take notes I am far less likely to remember information than if I simply listen to it- at which point I can replay it in my head like a tape recorder. I recall a class in which I was yelled at in front of the class because I was not taking notes- and when I tried to explain that I learn better by listening and processing the information rather than mindlessly writing down the words being spoken it just resulted in being forced to write down the notes that he insisted people took to remember things- he even stopped to check that I was writing at points that day. It's a good thing that was only a one day for work kind of class, because I would have never gone back had it been a regular college class! (Yes, I'm stubborn like that.)But it would have been much better had it simply been accepted that I knew what kind of a learner I am and moved on from there. I think also had I known this earlier in my college career some classes would have been easier and I would have learned more, rather than trying to fit into what I "should" be doing to retain information.
The latest place where this has come up is with online vs. traditional vs. blended education. Obviously the some of the three formats work for some students and professors better than others. But they seem to all be pointing fingers accusing the other style (whichever one that is) of holding them back. A study came out showing blended education to be bringing in a lot of good results with students as well as high retention rates, but naturally there is outcry against having to change a teaching style or a learning style.
Again... we get profs blaming students for not knowing how to use the software (Blackboard, Angel, etc.) properly and students blaming the profs for not structuring/designing the class to be online user friendly. (A lovely quote from a comment on the subject: When it works, it's not an online utopia--it's just another space for meaningful learning. )
So at what point must the student or professor or admin at a school step back, stop pointing fingers at everyone else and say "Maybe it's not "them"... maybe it's me?"
Sadly, that's a very, very hard statement for many people to make.
There seems to be a pointing fingers game within student success between student and professors. Students blame the profs for being bad teachers, and the profs blame the students for being lazy and unwilling to learn. So where is the line?
Many of the professors that I know are unwilling/unable to change their teaching style. To many, "changing teaching style" is equated with "dumbing down the class", which obviously they are unwilling (rightfully so) to do. However, as many in education know, there are many ways to teach the same material without "dumbing down" the class or making it easier. Making the material easier to learn does not mean making the material easier overall.
I guess I come down on the side of the student: if the material is being taught unsuccessfully then the style of teaching needs to change. I think the way to tell this is the continued success rates in a classroom. If semester after semester large numbers of students are failing the same class taught by the same professor, then maybe that professor should take a look at the teaching methods (not material...) being used in the classroom.
Maybe it's that I have a hard time thinking entire classes of students would not turn in homework in class after class... again, if that is happening where is the information getting lost?
However, this isn't to say that there aren't lazy or bad or poor students out there (I've been one too at times!), but when it's consistent then I think it's a problem.
On the other side, if there is a student failing similar classes over and over and over again at what point is there an intervention to understand how the student learns best and find where s/he is struggling? I know this takes time and manpower on the side of the school, but isn't the retention of a student worth it? Again, this isn't to say to put together a specialized plan for the student, but simply to help him/her understand how best to approach school work.
I was 23 before I realized I was an auditory learner. If I take notes I am far less likely to remember information than if I simply listen to it- at which point I can replay it in my head like a tape recorder. I recall a class in which I was yelled at in front of the class because I was not taking notes- and when I tried to explain that I learn better by listening and processing the information rather than mindlessly writing down the words being spoken it just resulted in being forced to write down the notes that he insisted people took to remember things- he even stopped to check that I was writing at points that day. It's a good thing that was only a one day for work kind of class, because I would have never gone back had it been a regular college class! (Yes, I'm stubborn like that.)But it would have been much better had it simply been accepted that I knew what kind of a learner I am and moved on from there. I think also had I known this earlier in my college career some classes would have been easier and I would have learned more, rather than trying to fit into what I "should" be doing to retain information.
The latest place where this has come up is with online vs. traditional vs. blended education. Obviously the some of the three formats work for some students and professors better than others. But they seem to all be pointing fingers accusing the other style (whichever one that is) of holding them back. A study came out showing blended education to be bringing in a lot of good results with students as well as high retention rates, but naturally there is outcry against having to change a teaching style or a learning style.
Again... we get profs blaming students for not knowing how to use the software (Blackboard, Angel, etc.) properly and students blaming the profs for not structuring/designing the class to be online user friendly. (A lovely quote from a comment on the subject: When it works, it's not an online utopia--it's just another space for meaningful learning. )
So at what point must the student or professor or admin at a school step back, stop pointing fingers at everyone else and say "Maybe it's not "them"... maybe it's me?"
Sadly, that's a very, very hard statement for many people to make.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Your College Advisor
Without a doubt, this is one of the most important, influential people in your college career. He/she will help you figure out your classes, help you figure out some direction for your overall education or other general academic matters.
I've gone through a few of these over the years and have seen what good and bad ones can do for your academics- and have a few thoughts on working with them.
Advisor #1 was a very well respected professor in her field (she liked very much to talk about the various people she had trained with and trained herself). This was cool, except for the fact that she had her favorites in the department and I was not one of them. This meant my advising meetings were about half the time of some of the other students- I would ask quite a few questions (after reading this blog I'm sure you can imagine how many questions I will ask in an actual conversation) because I was very interested in doing much of the same kind of work that she had done. But I hardly got the time of day with her. To be honest, while I was thrilled to have her as an advisor I was very happy when I switched to...
Advisor #2 who is still to this day my favorite advisor. After one conversation with me he suggested a completely different track within the field that I was studying, and immediately figured out where my actual interests were. While he was not as well known in the field, he taught some of the most interesting classes I've ever taken and always had advice on whatever I wanted to ask him about- from extracurricular activities to other classes he didn't teach. He kept in touch with me as well as many other students after we left the college for some years and was still even then a great person to approach for questions.
Advisor #3 was at a different college and we simply did not see eye to eye. Ever. He wanted me to follow the track that he taught (never mind that it was a complete 180 from my interests and prior education that advisor #2 laid the foundation for). It's frustrating as a student to have the person who is supposed to be helping you never really listen to where you're trying to go with your education and career. However, there was another professor who taught the classes that I really liked who was much more helpful in assisting me at this time.
Advisor #4 was at yet another university, this one of over 50,000 students. I met him only once in the course of two or so years. He signed the papers needed for graduation, asked how my last class was going and flipped out when I said "Fine...". He kept asking "Just, fine?" Well... yes! I was fairly indifferent to it at that point and I didn't see the use of getting all excited over the last week of classes. I told him I was passing it with a good grade and there was nothing to worry about. I really couldn't get out of the office fast enough.
Advisor #5 in grad school was pretty good. He really had some good suggestions for my classes and helped me get an independent study so I could live 200 miles from the campus and finish the last class. Again, it made a big difference that he listened to what I wanted to do and based on my employment history (in higher education) and prior education (in fine arts) he was able to really help me get my thoughts in order for after my graduation.
Advisor #6 is my current advisor, for my final thesis/capstone project that will finish my graduate degree. Granted I am living about 200 miles from campus so in person meetings are more than a little hard, but the beauty of email is I can instantly send her everything that I'm working on, and typically she gets it back quickly. That is, when she's not busy. It's been a little frustrating trying to finish the degree and having to wait and wait and wait for her schedule to allow her the time to take a look at my work when I'm trying to wrap everything up quite quickly at this point. Granted yes, I know she's busy at the school, but it's frustrating being in the position of having to wait for your adviser's approval and spin your wheels in place until that happens.
So I've run the spectrum from very involved to barely knowing my advisor. I recommend highly trying to get to know him/her and open yourself up to that person enough that you can get good advice from him/her. You won't always get along. That's frustrating, but it happens. When it does I would recommend either trying to switch to someone else once you've gotten to know a few professors or just do what I did and have an informal advisor. Either way, having someone at the school who knows you as more than just a name on a paper or a seat in class will be beneficial when you run into the inevitable roadblocks that will come up.
I've gone through a few of these over the years and have seen what good and bad ones can do for your academics- and have a few thoughts on working with them.
Advisor #1 was a very well respected professor in her field (she liked very much to talk about the various people she had trained with and trained herself). This was cool, except for the fact that she had her favorites in the department and I was not one of them. This meant my advising meetings were about half the time of some of the other students- I would ask quite a few questions (after reading this blog I'm sure you can imagine how many questions I will ask in an actual conversation) because I was very interested in doing much of the same kind of work that she had done. But I hardly got the time of day with her. To be honest, while I was thrilled to have her as an advisor I was very happy when I switched to...
Advisor #2 who is still to this day my favorite advisor. After one conversation with me he suggested a completely different track within the field that I was studying, and immediately figured out where my actual interests were. While he was not as well known in the field, he taught some of the most interesting classes I've ever taken and always had advice on whatever I wanted to ask him about- from extracurricular activities to other classes he didn't teach. He kept in touch with me as well as many other students after we left the college for some years and was still even then a great person to approach for questions.
Advisor #3 was at a different college and we simply did not see eye to eye. Ever. He wanted me to follow the track that he taught (never mind that it was a complete 180 from my interests and prior education that advisor #2 laid the foundation for). It's frustrating as a student to have the person who is supposed to be helping you never really listen to where you're trying to go with your education and career. However, there was another professor who taught the classes that I really liked who was much more helpful in assisting me at this time.
Advisor #4 was at yet another university, this one of over 50,000 students. I met him only once in the course of two or so years. He signed the papers needed for graduation, asked how my last class was going and flipped out when I said "Fine...". He kept asking "Just, fine?" Well... yes! I was fairly indifferent to it at that point and I didn't see the use of getting all excited over the last week of classes. I told him I was passing it with a good grade and there was nothing to worry about. I really couldn't get out of the office fast enough.
Advisor #5 in grad school was pretty good. He really had some good suggestions for my classes and helped me get an independent study so I could live 200 miles from the campus and finish the last class. Again, it made a big difference that he listened to what I wanted to do and based on my employment history (in higher education) and prior education (in fine arts) he was able to really help me get my thoughts in order for after my graduation.
Advisor #6 is my current advisor, for my final thesis/capstone project that will finish my graduate degree. Granted I am living about 200 miles from campus so in person meetings are more than a little hard, but the beauty of email is I can instantly send her everything that I'm working on, and typically she gets it back quickly. That is, when she's not busy. It's been a little frustrating trying to finish the degree and having to wait and wait and wait for her schedule to allow her the time to take a look at my work when I'm trying to wrap everything up quite quickly at this point. Granted yes, I know she's busy at the school, but it's frustrating being in the position of having to wait for your adviser's approval and spin your wheels in place until that happens.
So I've run the spectrum from very involved to barely knowing my advisor. I recommend highly trying to get to know him/her and open yourself up to that person enough that you can get good advice from him/her. You won't always get along. That's frustrating, but it happens. When it does I would recommend either trying to switch to someone else once you've gotten to know a few professors or just do what I did and have an informal advisor. Either way, having someone at the school who knows you as more than just a name on a paper or a seat in class will be beneficial when you run into the inevitable roadblocks that will come up.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A College Contradiction
This issue is one that has puzzled me for a long time because it's one that puts both the college and the student in between the proverbial rock and hard place.
How does a college balance the fine line between "come to our school and you'll have a wonderful career" and the reality of "you can get a college degree here but that doesn't entitle you to anything afterward"? Because if colleges advertised with the latter, more realistic statement a lot of practical thinking people would wonder why in the world even go to college... and if you push the initial statement only then you will set your students up for certain disappointment.
I recall a student who called me when I was working in admissions who asked what he could expect to make upon degree completion. I told him it would depend where and if he was hired in the field, an answer he wasn't too happy with. He then pressed on, asking if there was a range that could be expected, and if it was too high on your resume if that was deterring employers from hiring graduates from the college I was at. (It turned into a bit of a strange phone call...)
That was when I first started thinking about this paradox of college- and not just the one I worked at but of the whole idea of college. It is a reasonable expectation when one graduates from college to think one will find a job in the chosen field. What I have often heard from students I worked with was disgust at still having to start at entry level positions with entry level pay- despite having a bachelor's degree. They had had the less reasonable expectation of graduating and walking off the graduation stage right into a well paying job doing exactly what they had always dreamed of doing.
In a perfect world it would work like this... but unfortunately our world isn't quite perfect. So at what point do you start introducing the idea of having to still start on the bottom rung and work up with the college degree in hand? Naturally it's hard to recruit that way- though you have to be careful not to go overboard with what's said there on the positive side- but I truly can't imagine anyone would attend Debbie Downer University who says "You can come here, but who knows how long you'll wait to get a job in the field making less than you made at your college job!"
In addition to when is this idea introduced how do you do it without sounding like you're contradicting everything that the student initially thought (whether it was said or not) about the university and disillusioning them about the school that seemed perfect coming in? It's definitely a tough call and line to walk for the college career counselors. This isn't to say that no students do find jobs or that it's impossible... but sometimes the reality of the time between graduation and finding the "real" career job can get a little murky at the beginning of a college career.
What has been your experience with job prospect expectations upon graduation? What are yours? What was your experience after graduation?
How does a college balance the fine line between "come to our school and you'll have a wonderful career" and the reality of "you can get a college degree here but that doesn't entitle you to anything afterward"? Because if colleges advertised with the latter, more realistic statement a lot of practical thinking people would wonder why in the world even go to college... and if you push the initial statement only then you will set your students up for certain disappointment.
I recall a student who called me when I was working in admissions who asked what he could expect to make upon degree completion. I told him it would depend where and if he was hired in the field, an answer he wasn't too happy with. He then pressed on, asking if there was a range that could be expected, and if it was too high on your resume if that was deterring employers from hiring graduates from the college I was at. (It turned into a bit of a strange phone call...)
That was when I first started thinking about this paradox of college- and not just the one I worked at but of the whole idea of college. It is a reasonable expectation when one graduates from college to think one will find a job in the chosen field. What I have often heard from students I worked with was disgust at still having to start at entry level positions with entry level pay- despite having a bachelor's degree. They had had the less reasonable expectation of graduating and walking off the graduation stage right into a well paying job doing exactly what they had always dreamed of doing.
In a perfect world it would work like this... but unfortunately our world isn't quite perfect. So at what point do you start introducing the idea of having to still start on the bottom rung and work up with the college degree in hand? Naturally it's hard to recruit that way- though you have to be careful not to go overboard with what's said there on the positive side- but I truly can't imagine anyone would attend Debbie Downer University who says "You can come here, but who knows how long you'll wait to get a job in the field making less than you made at your college job!"
In addition to when is this idea introduced how do you do it without sounding like you're contradicting everything that the student initially thought (whether it was said or not) about the university and disillusioning them about the school that seemed perfect coming in? It's definitely a tough call and line to walk for the college career counselors. This isn't to say that no students do find jobs or that it's impossible... but sometimes the reality of the time between graduation and finding the "real" career job can get a little murky at the beginning of a college career.
What has been your experience with job prospect expectations upon graduation? What are yours? What was your experience after graduation?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
What if my major turns into a nightmare??
I just read an excellent advice column written to a student who had switched majors and was now not happy in the second one either:
http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/04/22/what-if-my-dream-major-turns-into-a-nightmare/
I agree with the author in that it's good to know that sometimes it happens in your junior/senior year of college where you're burned out on the subject and overwhelmed. I would also agree with the "don't jump!" advice given... it's totally worth it in the end.
I would compare my undergrad experience a little bit like a marathon, which I've done a few of (on skis). It seems like a great idea when you're starting out. There is excitement, anticipation and and the feeling of rising to a challenge. This feeling lasts into the race for a few kilometers where it feels like you're flying and could do it forever. Then comes about mid race where you're starting to get a little tired but keep plugging through because, hey, you're halfway!
After that, about 3/4 of the way in I start to wonder why in the world I thought doing this was a good idea. It's not fun at that point, everything hurts and I swear up and down at that point I will never do this again. But I keep going. And going. And going. Then I get into the angry part. I HATE the race and the course and my skis and that harmless tree over there. They're all conspiring to make me miserable. And then... miraculously you can SEE the finish line. I think the last 50 meters or so of the race are truly the longest because you are pushing so hard and it seems like the line stays the same distance away.
Suddenly, though, you've crossed the finish line.
And then, as you start to recover and look back you realize how great the experience was. And what funny things happened along the way. And how it really wasn't so bad. And, most importantly that YOU DID IT!
I think back to my undergrad in much of the same way. Though for the first two attempts for me as soon as the burn hit I jumped ship and tried another college all together. Hindsight, being 20/20, that was a pretty dumb idea. This isn't saying that I screwed my life up, but it's just saying that really I should have reached inside to that part where it's about toughing it out and, well, toughed it out.
So will all of college be a dream and a great time? No, probably not. But will it be worth it when you've made it through? Absolutely! Only instead of a big banner that says FINISH (which I think colleges should have) you get a big stage and a handshake from the president. Still pretty cool...
http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/04/22/what-if-my-dream-major-turns-into-a-nightmare/
I agree with the author in that it's good to know that sometimes it happens in your junior/senior year of college where you're burned out on the subject and overwhelmed. I would also agree with the "don't jump!" advice given... it's totally worth it in the end.
I would compare my undergrad experience a little bit like a marathon, which I've done a few of (on skis). It seems like a great idea when you're starting out. There is excitement, anticipation and and the feeling of rising to a challenge. This feeling lasts into the race for a few kilometers where it feels like you're flying and could do it forever. Then comes about mid race where you're starting to get a little tired but keep plugging through because, hey, you're halfway!
After that, about 3/4 of the way in I start to wonder why in the world I thought doing this was a good idea. It's not fun at that point, everything hurts and I swear up and down at that point I will never do this again. But I keep going. And going. And going. Then I get into the angry part. I HATE the race and the course and my skis and that harmless tree over there. They're all conspiring to make me miserable. And then... miraculously you can SEE the finish line. I think the last 50 meters or so of the race are truly the longest because you are pushing so hard and it seems like the line stays the same distance away.
Suddenly, though, you've crossed the finish line.
And then, as you start to recover and look back you realize how great the experience was. And what funny things happened along the way. And how it really wasn't so bad. And, most importantly that YOU DID IT!
I think back to my undergrad in much of the same way. Though for the first two attempts for me as soon as the burn hit I jumped ship and tried another college all together. Hindsight, being 20/20, that was a pretty dumb idea. This isn't saying that I screwed my life up, but it's just saying that really I should have reached inside to that part where it's about toughing it out and, well, toughed it out.
So will all of college be a dream and a great time? No, probably not. But will it be worth it when you've made it through? Absolutely! Only instead of a big banner that says FINISH (which I think colleges should have) you get a big stage and a handshake from the president. Still pretty cool...
Friday, April 10, 2009
A good run!
It's pretty cool to see when a collegiate sports team does well how the community rallies behind them, especially in the case of a smaller school.
Quick disclaimer: I live in Minnesota, which I believe means I'm pre-disposed to be a huge hockey fan.
The Bemidji State University Beaver's run to the Frozen Four in the NCAA Men's Hockey tournament was incredible and super fun to watch. Once they upset Notre Dame I think the entire state of Minnesota rallied behind them. Suddenly in places that only vaguely knew about BSU were sporting "Beaver Fever" stuff all over the place. I've never seen that happen with the U of MN Gophers or the UND Sioux. Yes people get excited about them when they do well but it's not the little-kid-at-Christmas kind of excitement that I saw across the entire state with BSU's run to the finals. Even my dad called me earlier in the week to ask if I was going to make it a point to watch the game. (Unfortunately due to work and my commute I only caught the 3rd period...)
Anyway, I thought it was super cool, though a little heartbreaking when they lost last night to Miami Ohio. Don't get me wrong though, this Frozen Four has been super cool with all of these lesser known teams in and not the usual suspects. I think this was definitely a great year for college hockey!
And even though they didn't take the title, I think everyone in Minnesota who followed it was pretty excited about the game and the run to the semi finals. It's cool to see how much a collegiate team can bring together people from all over the place, even some who might normally cheer for another team.
I'm excited for the finals tomorrow...
Quick disclaimer: I live in Minnesota, which I believe means I'm pre-disposed to be a huge hockey fan.
The Bemidji State University Beaver's run to the Frozen Four in the NCAA Men's Hockey tournament was incredible and super fun to watch. Once they upset Notre Dame I think the entire state of Minnesota rallied behind them. Suddenly in places that only vaguely knew about BSU were sporting "Beaver Fever" stuff all over the place. I've never seen that happen with the U of MN Gophers or the UND Sioux. Yes people get excited about them when they do well but it's not the little-kid-at-Christmas kind of excitement that I saw across the entire state with BSU's run to the finals. Even my dad called me earlier in the week to ask if I was going to make it a point to watch the game. (Unfortunately due to work and my commute I only caught the 3rd period...)
Anyway, I thought it was super cool, though a little heartbreaking when they lost last night to Miami Ohio. Don't get me wrong though, this Frozen Four has been super cool with all of these lesser known teams in and not the usual suspects. I think this was definitely a great year for college hockey!
And even though they didn't take the title, I think everyone in Minnesota who followed it was pretty excited about the game and the run to the semi finals. It's cool to see how much a collegiate team can bring together people from all over the place, even some who might normally cheer for another team.
I'm excited for the finals tomorrow...
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Summer sessions = savings?
Similar to another blog post about the three year plan versus the four year plan for a bachelor's degree, I was presented with the idea of taking summer classes to help reduce costs.
I wonder if that is true?
There is the obvious payment of tuition fees, but I have heard (don't know if it's true) that some schools do reduced tuition to attend summer classes? Anyone else heard this?
The other thing I was thinking of was ability to hold a job while you're in school. If you spread out your credits a little thinner each semester/trimester due to taking classes in the summer while you wouldn't have as much time in the summer you would have more time during the course of the traditional school year enabling you to work more hours during that time than not.
I would think, and of course this depends on what industry you work in and the city, but you would be able to bring in more income during the school year by working a few more hours part time all year than by only working full time in the summer.
In addition, while the summer courses tend to be somewhat accelerated (in my experience) the classes tend to be a little smaller and I found them to have a slightly more engaged group of students. This may have only been my observation, but I always liked my summer classes.
As far as graduating sooner, it would depend on how many classes you took over the summer and how that worked into your overall schedule. I still hear of it happening where a student gets ahead of schedule with class completion only to have to wait until spring semester to take that one last class that is only offered in the spring or every other year... etc.
Anyone else have observations on summer classes? Help/hurt finances?
I wonder if that is true?
There is the obvious payment of tuition fees, but I have heard (don't know if it's true) that some schools do reduced tuition to attend summer classes? Anyone else heard this?
The other thing I was thinking of was ability to hold a job while you're in school. If you spread out your credits a little thinner each semester/trimester due to taking classes in the summer while you wouldn't have as much time in the summer you would have more time during the course of the traditional school year enabling you to work more hours during that time than not.
I would think, and of course this depends on what industry you work in and the city, but you would be able to bring in more income during the school year by working a few more hours part time all year than by only working full time in the summer.
In addition, while the summer courses tend to be somewhat accelerated (in my experience) the classes tend to be a little smaller and I found them to have a slightly more engaged group of students. This may have only been my observation, but I always liked my summer classes.
As far as graduating sooner, it would depend on how many classes you took over the summer and how that worked into your overall schedule. I still hear of it happening where a student gets ahead of schedule with class completion only to have to wait until spring semester to take that one last class that is only offered in the spring or every other year... etc.
Anyone else have observations on summer classes? Help/hurt finances?
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Watching the River Rise...
Sorry I've been quiet on the blog this week... (two weeks in a row! Eek! Was in Europe last week, visited Queen's University in Belfast and Oslo University in, well, Oslo. :))
As you may have figured out from previous blogs we're located in Moorhead, MN and less than a block from the rapidly rising Red River of the North. A few of our staff have homes directly in the flood path (who wouldn't want a home on the river, right?) and the rest of us have friends and family directly affected by this so we've been out filling, tying and lifting sandbags all week.
It's been amazing- the comradarie among everyone out helping out, and the THOUSANDS of college students out giving all they've got to the effort. Frankly, a few of us worried that some college students would see this as a free week off and not come out and help but that has not been the case at all. At one point I was the oldest person in my sandbagging line! (I'm only in my late twenties!) So, like a local said in the Fargo Forum, "I'm going to throw a sandbag at the next person who complains about the college kids in the area and ask anyone who complains about high school kids to kiss my wet, muddy, sandy @$$".
See a view of the river from our office: http://www.inforum.com/pages/floodcam
We're waiting now for a load of sandbags to be delivered across the street from the office and are going to head out and start piling them up... I don't want to swim to work this week! :)
As you may have figured out from previous blogs we're located in Moorhead, MN and less than a block from the rapidly rising Red River of the North. A few of our staff have homes directly in the flood path (who wouldn't want a home on the river, right?) and the rest of us have friends and family directly affected by this so we've been out filling, tying and lifting sandbags all week.
It's been amazing- the comradarie among everyone out helping out, and the THOUSANDS of college students out giving all they've got to the effort. Frankly, a few of us worried that some college students would see this as a free week off and not come out and help but that has not been the case at all. At one point I was the oldest person in my sandbagging line! (I'm only in my late twenties!) So, like a local said in the Fargo Forum, "I'm going to throw a sandbag at the next person who complains about the college kids in the area and ask anyone who complains about high school kids to kiss my wet, muddy, sandy @$$".
See a view of the river from our office: http://www.inforum.com/pages/floodcam
We're waiting now for a load of sandbags to be delivered across the street from the office and are going to head out and start piling them up... I don't want to swim to work this week! :)
Monday, March 23, 2009
Good Things From Bad Situations...
I'm sitting in my office right now watching the Red River of the North get higher and higher and higher... it's currently predicted to be about 20 feet below it's flood crest which is supposed to come on Friday at 41'.
And it's raining.
What good can come of this? I was thinking about that on my (rather sleepy, jet lagged) drive to work this morning. It's forcing the community out and together. It's unfortunate that it sometimes takes crisis to bring people together, but it does seem to have that effect.
Where I really see this is in the local colleges, all three of them have cancelled classes today with the instructions to students to go help fill sandbags. Now, I don't know how many are helping given that Spring Break is over and my 10:30 pm flight last night was filled with college students returning from Mexico... but I do know that both of our part time people here who are college students called this morning to tell me they wouldn't be in today because they're out sandbagging.
So I really hope that these local college students are out helping out where they can, and lending a hand to their community, or adopted community right now. It's really an experience that, while the whole situation is unfortunate, will probably influence your actions later in life- being more willing to help out someone in need.
(I had a rude awakening this past week myself in Norway when I was hopelessly lost and was brought back to my group through the kindness of a stranger. I wondered if I'd ever do that for someone else...)
I'm glad the colleges are lending a hand- they're a huge part of whatever community they're in and the civic involvement that students can have should almost be mandatory (I think.).
Imagine what a world we'd live in in everyone pitched in every time someone truly needed help...
And it's raining.
What good can come of this? I was thinking about that on my (rather sleepy, jet lagged) drive to work this morning. It's forcing the community out and together. It's unfortunate that it sometimes takes crisis to bring people together, but it does seem to have that effect.
Where I really see this is in the local colleges, all three of them have cancelled classes today with the instructions to students to go help fill sandbags. Now, I don't know how many are helping given that Spring Break is over and my 10:30 pm flight last night was filled with college students returning from Mexico... but I do know that both of our part time people here who are college students called this morning to tell me they wouldn't be in today because they're out sandbagging.
So I really hope that these local college students are out helping out where they can, and lending a hand to their community, or adopted community right now. It's really an experience that, while the whole situation is unfortunate, will probably influence your actions later in life- being more willing to help out someone in need.
(I had a rude awakening this past week myself in Norway when I was hopelessly lost and was brought back to my group through the kindness of a stranger. I wondered if I'd ever do that for someone else...)
I'm glad the colleges are lending a hand- they're a huge part of whatever community they're in and the civic involvement that students can have should almost be mandatory (I think.).
Imagine what a world we'd live in in everyone pitched in every time someone truly needed help...
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Saving (Earning?) Money in College
First- thank you all so much for reading! I couldn't believe how many hits this blog has had lately! So a HUGE thank you, I hope you're finding it interesting. If you read it frequently will you follow it if you can? It lets me know who I'm writing to! Again, THANK YOU!
OK- I tossed this blog idea around for quite some time before I decided on actually writing it. I wasn't sure if there was too much of a "well, duh" element to it, and when I laid these plans out for students in the past it was met with some... well, ok... a lot of resistance.
Back story: when I was in student services students frequently came to me complaining that they had no money. They would frequently ask if there were any types of county assistance programs or aid for people in their situation. First off my answer was: unless you have several children and are in pretty dire straits then no... because you are already receiving aid from the government in the form of your student loans. And typically those places that give out aid figure that if you can afford to attend college, you can afford to feed yourself.
That being said, I would ask students about a few lifestyle changes that they could consider making. This is where the resistance comes in, because it does require something of a lifestyle change. But then again, I figure you're attending college and life doesn't always go on as normal... and hey, if you learn some good financial habits while you're in college then you're going to set yourself up pretty well for life. (OK, I will step off the soap box now.)
Here is what I suggested to the students:
#1- Lay out a budget. Exactly (don't round) how much is coming in.
Then lay out what you spend money on. The key here is being truthful with yourself. Do you eat at McDonalds 3 times a week at $5.13 each time? That's then $15.39 per week you're spending there. The idea here is not to do any cutting yet, but simply to know exactly where your money is going. If you have online banking it's helpful to print out your last month's transactions.
#2- Prioritize. Do you have a rent payment? That should be up in the top 3. Do you have school bills? Them too. Discretionary spending (restaurants, music, entertainment, and yes, beer) go towards the bottom.
#3- Figure out where you can save. What would that $15.39 get you at the grocery store? I bet it would cover a loaf of bread, some sandwich meat and some kind of dressing... and enough for the entire week, not just 3 days. Reaction: "I don't have tiiiiiime to make a sandwich in the morning" or " I don't liiiiiike sandwiches". I timed myself making a packed lunch one day. I did it (and put everything away) in less than 2 minutes. It's just a matter of making yourself do it.
Eating out, for the record, is defined in my book as anywhere you did not make the food.
#4- This goes with #3. At the grocery store, can you buy unprepared foods? Because the frozen lasagna dinner is going to be quite a bit more expensive and you'll get less leftovers from it (i.e. dinner for 4 nights rather than 2) than simply making the whole thing yourself. Yep- learn to cook. Reaction: "I can't cook". Well, this is a great time to learn. BONUS: it will impress a future significant other. Trust me. Another tip? Go in with friends. Get 5 people, each contribute $2 and you can make a pretty fantastic dinner for all of you! (Spaghetti: $1.00, Sauce: $2.50, Ground beef: $4.00, bread sticks $2.50= dinner for 5 for $10)
#5- Can you walk (or bike) anywhere rather than busing or taking the car? This one is from my experience: my first undergrad school I walked EVERYWHERE. I was about as broke as they come and didn't have money for bus fare, so I hoofed it. And you know what? I got in pretty dang good shape doing it. Reaction: "I don't have tiiiiime" or "I can't walk that far!" (That was from a student lived less than a mile from campus) It might take you a little time, but figure out what you spend on gas, and if you can get around that by getting up 15 minutes earlier and walking you're going to save a bunch of money. I know it's not possible in every situation but it's something to really consider if it's possible. Oh, a second hand bike works pretty good for this too.
Part two to the car: Beyond gas, cars have expenses. You need to change the oil sometimes (Yes, you really do...). They break. They need new tires. The less wear and tear you put on your car the less you have to do these extra added expenses!!
#6- Just say no. Your friends won't hate you if you have to say no to going out one night because you simply can't afford it. They might even have a little more respect for you! Is it crappy that you can't always afford to hit the bar/club/dinner with your pals? Yep, but if it's a night at the club or your rent payment, well... I'd rather have a roof over my head all the time than one night.
#7- CDs/MP3s/Video Games are not a necessity. Reaction: "Yes they are!" No... they're not. I almost fell off my chair and refused to help a student figure this out once when he told me the week before he bought an $80 video game and this week he couldn't figure out how to find money for groceries. No sympathy whatsoever.
#8- Share the rent. I learned the hard way in college that having roommates is much cheaper than living alone. I lived alone, which admittedly was nice but expensive, for a while then simply couldn't afford it and had to suck it up and live with someone. I didn't always like it but it really opened my eyes to different lifestyles and forced me to grow some new social skills. Reaction: "I don't know anyone here!" Honestly, that's OK. If you're generally compatible on the first meeting you will be OK. Remember this doesn't have to be your best friend (and I don't recommend living with that person either), just someone to share the rent with.
Reflection: I did have one student take my advice on the grocery store and walking bit. Within a month he came into my office, said he was actually SAVING money now, had lost 10lbs and felt better than he had in a long time which was also reflecting in his grades. Funny how that works!
OK, enough saving money, let's MAKE some money now. This often entails trying to find a job... which adds one more thing to your plate while you're in school. The unfortunate thing about growing up is having to juggle more than one thing at a time, such as being at classes and then being at work.
#1- Try for a job on campus. This will eliminate driving/bus and the gas it takes to get there. Also, campus jobs are more likely to let you do homework during slow times. (Depending on your boss, of course.)
#2- If you can't get one on campus see if you can get one within walking distance of your house or the school.
#3- Donate plasma. Hey, $20 is $20, right?
#4- Did the Freshman 15 put you out of a few pairs of jeans? Bring them to a second hand store and see if you can get some cash for them. (Just make sure you still have something to wear!:))
#5- Try to find a job where you can work full time in the summer or over breaks. I know that's not fun but if you can squirrel away some money over that time you can work less hard during the other times.
Lastly:
Overage on student loans is tempting. I know it is. It can allow you to not work during college or get a little nicer apartment... but if you can get away with holding a part time job to pay the rent instead of taking the overage do it. You will thank yourself down the road. I did that and now I'm looking at an extra almost $5,000 to pay back, which translates into a few more years (YEARS!) of loan payments.
OK- I tossed this blog idea around for quite some time before I decided on actually writing it. I wasn't sure if there was too much of a "well, duh" element to it, and when I laid these plans out for students in the past it was met with some... well, ok... a lot of resistance.
Back story: when I was in student services students frequently came to me complaining that they had no money. They would frequently ask if there were any types of county assistance programs or aid for people in their situation. First off my answer was: unless you have several children and are in pretty dire straits then no... because you are already receiving aid from the government in the form of your student loans. And typically those places that give out aid figure that if you can afford to attend college, you can afford to feed yourself.
That being said, I would ask students about a few lifestyle changes that they could consider making. This is where the resistance comes in, because it does require something of a lifestyle change. But then again, I figure you're attending college and life doesn't always go on as normal... and hey, if you learn some good financial habits while you're in college then you're going to set yourself up pretty well for life. (OK, I will step off the soap box now.)
Here is what I suggested to the students:
#1- Lay out a budget. Exactly (don't round) how much is coming in.
Then lay out what you spend money on. The key here is being truthful with yourself. Do you eat at McDonalds 3 times a week at $5.13 each time? That's then $15.39 per week you're spending there. The idea here is not to do any cutting yet, but simply to know exactly where your money is going. If you have online banking it's helpful to print out your last month's transactions.
#2- Prioritize. Do you have a rent payment? That should be up in the top 3. Do you have school bills? Them too. Discretionary spending (restaurants, music, entertainment, and yes, beer) go towards the bottom.
#3- Figure out where you can save. What would that $15.39 get you at the grocery store? I bet it would cover a loaf of bread, some sandwich meat and some kind of dressing... and enough for the entire week, not just 3 days. Reaction: "I don't have tiiiiiime to make a sandwich in the morning" or " I don't liiiiiike sandwiches". I timed myself making a packed lunch one day. I did it (and put everything away) in less than 2 minutes. It's just a matter of making yourself do it.
Eating out, for the record, is defined in my book as anywhere you did not make the food.
#4- This goes with #3. At the grocery store, can you buy unprepared foods? Because the frozen lasagna dinner is going to be quite a bit more expensive and you'll get less leftovers from it (i.e. dinner for 4 nights rather than 2) than simply making the whole thing yourself. Yep- learn to cook. Reaction: "I can't cook". Well, this is a great time to learn. BONUS: it will impress a future significant other. Trust me. Another tip? Go in with friends. Get 5 people, each contribute $2 and you can make a pretty fantastic dinner for all of you! (Spaghetti: $1.00, Sauce: $2.50, Ground beef: $4.00, bread sticks $2.50= dinner for 5 for $10)
#5- Can you walk (or bike) anywhere rather than busing or taking the car? This one is from my experience: my first undergrad school I walked EVERYWHERE. I was about as broke as they come and didn't have money for bus fare, so I hoofed it. And you know what? I got in pretty dang good shape doing it. Reaction: "I don't have tiiiiime" or "I can't walk that far!" (That was from a student lived less than a mile from campus) It might take you a little time, but figure out what you spend on gas, and if you can get around that by getting up 15 minutes earlier and walking you're going to save a bunch of money. I know it's not possible in every situation but it's something to really consider if it's possible. Oh, a second hand bike works pretty good for this too.
Part two to the car: Beyond gas, cars have expenses. You need to change the oil sometimes (Yes, you really do...). They break. They need new tires. The less wear and tear you put on your car the less you have to do these extra added expenses!!
#6- Just say no. Your friends won't hate you if you have to say no to going out one night because you simply can't afford it. They might even have a little more respect for you! Is it crappy that you can't always afford to hit the bar/club/dinner with your pals? Yep, but if it's a night at the club or your rent payment, well... I'd rather have a roof over my head all the time than one night.
#7- CDs/MP3s/Video Games are not a necessity. Reaction: "Yes they are!" No... they're not. I almost fell off my chair and refused to help a student figure this out once when he told me the week before he bought an $80 video game and this week he couldn't figure out how to find money for groceries. No sympathy whatsoever.
#8- Share the rent. I learned the hard way in college that having roommates is much cheaper than living alone. I lived alone, which admittedly was nice but expensive, for a while then simply couldn't afford it and had to suck it up and live with someone. I didn't always like it but it really opened my eyes to different lifestyles and forced me to grow some new social skills. Reaction: "I don't know anyone here!" Honestly, that's OK. If you're generally compatible on the first meeting you will be OK. Remember this doesn't have to be your best friend (and I don't recommend living with that person either), just someone to share the rent with.
Reflection: I did have one student take my advice on the grocery store and walking bit. Within a month he came into my office, said he was actually SAVING money now, had lost 10lbs and felt better than he had in a long time which was also reflecting in his grades. Funny how that works!
OK, enough saving money, let's MAKE some money now. This often entails trying to find a job... which adds one more thing to your plate while you're in school. The unfortunate thing about growing up is having to juggle more than one thing at a time, such as being at classes and then being at work.
#1- Try for a job on campus. This will eliminate driving/bus and the gas it takes to get there. Also, campus jobs are more likely to let you do homework during slow times. (Depending on your boss, of course.)
#2- If you can't get one on campus see if you can get one within walking distance of your house or the school.
#3- Donate plasma. Hey, $20 is $20, right?
#4- Did the Freshman 15 put you out of a few pairs of jeans? Bring them to a second hand store and see if you can get some cash for them. (Just make sure you still have something to wear!:))
#5- Try to find a job where you can work full time in the summer or over breaks. I know that's not fun but if you can squirrel away some money over that time you can work less hard during the other times.
Lastly:
Overage on student loans is tempting. I know it is. It can allow you to not work during college or get a little nicer apartment... but if you can get away with holding a part time job to pay the rent instead of taking the overage do it. You will thank yourself down the road. I did that and now I'm looking at an extra almost $5,000 to pay back, which translates into a few more years (YEARS!) of loan payments.
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
More college students with fewer high school grads?
This morning on my drive to work I heard an interesting feature on the radio about how this year will be the peak year for graduating high school students in the state of Minnesota with 64,000 students expected to graduate. In just three years that number is expected to fall off to 58,000.
However, colleges are still expecting just as many applications and enrollments out of that group due to a higher percentage of the kids graduating attending college. In order to achieve that higher percentage some of the Minnesota colleges are reaching out to students as young as 7th and 8th grade to get them started thinking about college.
The interesting thing I thought was that it's not really a recruitment effort... it's more to get some kids (and many who would fall into the category of less likely to attend college being from low income, first generation American or first generation college student families). They're trying to reinforce the idea that college is for everyone, you CAN attend college and it is within your reach to go.
I think that is pretty cool. That makes the job of the high school counselor much easier when helping the student figure out life after high school in that college is more of an automatic choice. (Yes, I am of the mindset that everyone should at least try college. Every college might not be for everyone but there are so many types of colleges out there that there has to be one that will appeal to each person... plus you don't know until you try!)
I knew quite a few people who always said "College isn't for me, I hated high school and I will hate college so I'm not going." Personally, I've experienced three types of colleges though work and attending them and none of them had the feel of a high school. So again, to present the idea at a young age that college is something different and that is attainable is something that I think is great that these theatres are doing!
When did you really start thinking college was an option? Have you run into the mindset of "I'm not going?"
However, colleges are still expecting just as many applications and enrollments out of that group due to a higher percentage of the kids graduating attending college. In order to achieve that higher percentage some of the Minnesota colleges are reaching out to students as young as 7th and 8th grade to get them started thinking about college.
The interesting thing I thought was that it's not really a recruitment effort... it's more to get some kids (and many who would fall into the category of less likely to attend college being from low income, first generation American or first generation college student families). They're trying to reinforce the idea that college is for everyone, you CAN attend college and it is within your reach to go.
I think that is pretty cool. That makes the job of the high school counselor much easier when helping the student figure out life after high school in that college is more of an automatic choice. (Yes, I am of the mindset that everyone should at least try college. Every college might not be for everyone but there are so many types of colleges out there that there has to be one that will appeal to each person... plus you don't know until you try!)
I knew quite a few people who always said "College isn't for me, I hated high school and I will hate college so I'm not going." Personally, I've experienced three types of colleges though work and attending them and none of them had the feel of a high school. So again, to present the idea at a young age that college is something different and that is attainable is something that I think is great that these theatres are doing!
When did you really start thinking college was an option? Have you run into the mindset of "I'm not going?"
Thursday, February 26, 2009
First Generation College Students
I just read a fantastic blog post about First Generation college students.
This is one of my near-and-dear subjects with college students. I absolutely loved working with First Generation students- one of the easiest ways to get me to tear up would be watching them graduate and the proud/astonished looks on their parents faces as they crossed the stage with their diploma. Usually because these folks do not have an easy road into college.
This was a HUGE wake up call for me. I grew up in a mostly college educated family where it was simply assumed from Day One that I would attend college. There simply was no other alternative, period. But when I started working with students where this was not the expectation it was a rather large slap in the face.
Many of the parents I met who did not attend college were more fearful than their child about attending college. Many did not think their child would succeed, or that their child needed a college education- after all, they did not have one and seemed to be OK. Again- I could not imagine my parents thinking I would not be successful or that I did not need higher education... but that was the reality for some of these students.
The first step for many of these students was simply to get onto the college campus. I don't care if you are on the Harvard campus or your local community college's campus- there is an atmosphere of excitement, hope and overall activity when you step onto a college campus. When you're physically visiting some place it is far easier to see yourself (or your child) fitting in as a member of that community rather than simply hearing about it. There is the feeling of "Yes, I want to be here!"
It also takes away any pre-conceived notions about college when you are physically on the campus. The image of the sweater-vest wearing elitist goes away pretty quickly when you see the student walk by toting a backpack that is more than 50% of his body weight wearing a tattered hoodie and jeans that look like they were dug out from under the bed. So while in general you should always visit a college campus, I think it's especially important for a first generation student to visit the college campus and spend a little time there.
Pre-conceived notions or stereotypes are going to be somewhat of a theme in this blog, since it seemed like the first-gen students I worked with along with their parents had much stronger (and more inaccurate) ones than many students who came from college educated families.
Another was that not only was college far too expensive for that student but financial aid was far too difficult to untangle that you pretty much need a PhD to get through it. Maybe I was blessed with getting to work with a great set of financial aid people , but they were all super nice, very patient and willing to explain all of the mysteries of collegiate financial aid. But the key here again is to take a little time to sit down with the FA crew(and yep, these folks work evenings and weekends for this reason) and talk it through with them. Their job is to make financial aid easy to understand- not sell it to you!
Finally the last important part of starting a good college experience for first generation students is to meet classmates. These folks are your support network in school, when at 2 AM you realize there is a paper due tomorrow, you have lost the syllabus for the class, your significant other is being a $%@# and you realize there is no food in the fridge. (It happened to me more than once.) You can call them up for the assignment details and they'll talk you off the ledge and into coming to class in the morning. (Note: you will be expected to do the same for them.) This is where having a non-collegiate support group is hard; not having ever been in the situation they don't always understand and often the encouragement to quit school is given. I truly, truly wish I could say I was hypothesizing here and that I have never seen this happen. Unfortunately it happened with first generation students more than most.
Disclaimer: I am not trying to paint parents as the "bad guy" here. They just often seemed to be so afraid for their student that they would present a major roadblock in the student's success! My advice to them: It's OK! Your student will be just fine- maybe a few bumps along the way but everyone in college gets those! It's part of the growing/learning curve.
So, to sum it up: visit campus, talk to financial aid and make friends. Recipe for anyone's success, but especially important for the first-generation crowd. This may be why there are so many first generation college student organizations and programs.
Oh did I mention organizations? If your campus is big/lucky enough to have a First Generation College student group/club... JOIN IT!
Any experiences from students on being the first one in the family to go to college?
This is one of my near-and-dear subjects with college students. I absolutely loved working with First Generation students- one of the easiest ways to get me to tear up would be watching them graduate and the proud/astonished looks on their parents faces as they crossed the stage with their diploma. Usually because these folks do not have an easy road into college.
This was a HUGE wake up call for me. I grew up in a mostly college educated family where it was simply assumed from Day One that I would attend college. There simply was no other alternative, period. But when I started working with students where this was not the expectation it was a rather large slap in the face.
Many of the parents I met who did not attend college were more fearful than their child about attending college. Many did not think their child would succeed, or that their child needed a college education- after all, they did not have one and seemed to be OK. Again- I could not imagine my parents thinking I would not be successful or that I did not need higher education... but that was the reality for some of these students.
The first step for many of these students was simply to get onto the college campus. I don't care if you are on the Harvard campus or your local community college's campus- there is an atmosphere of excitement, hope and overall activity when you step onto a college campus. When you're physically visiting some place it is far easier to see yourself (or your child) fitting in as a member of that community rather than simply hearing about it. There is the feeling of "Yes, I want to be here!"
It also takes away any pre-conceived notions about college when you are physically on the campus. The image of the sweater-vest wearing elitist goes away pretty quickly when you see the student walk by toting a backpack that is more than 50% of his body weight wearing a tattered hoodie and jeans that look like they were dug out from under the bed. So while in general you should always visit a college campus, I think it's especially important for a first generation student to visit the college campus and spend a little time there.
Pre-conceived notions or stereotypes are going to be somewhat of a theme in this blog, since it seemed like the first-gen students I worked with along with their parents had much stronger (and more inaccurate) ones than many students who came from college educated families.
Another was that not only was college far too expensive for that student but financial aid was far too difficult to untangle that you pretty much need a PhD to get through it. Maybe I was blessed with getting to work with a great set of financial aid people , but they were all super nice, very patient and willing to explain all of the mysteries of collegiate financial aid. But the key here again is to take a little time to sit down with the FA crew(and yep, these folks work evenings and weekends for this reason) and talk it through with them. Their job is to make financial aid easy to understand- not sell it to you!
Finally the last important part of starting a good college experience for first generation students is to meet classmates. These folks are your support network in school, when at 2 AM you realize there is a paper due tomorrow, you have lost the syllabus for the class, your significant other is being a $%@# and you realize there is no food in the fridge. (It happened to me more than once.) You can call them up for the assignment details and they'll talk you off the ledge and into coming to class in the morning. (Note: you will be expected to do the same for them.) This is where having a non-collegiate support group is hard; not having ever been in the situation they don't always understand and often the encouragement to quit school is given. I truly, truly wish I could say I was hypothesizing here and that I have never seen this happen. Unfortunately it happened with first generation students more than most.
Disclaimer: I am not trying to paint parents as the "bad guy" here. They just often seemed to be so afraid for their student that they would present a major roadblock in the student's success! My advice to them: It's OK! Your student will be just fine- maybe a few bumps along the way but everyone in college gets those! It's part of the growing/learning curve.
So, to sum it up: visit campus, talk to financial aid and make friends. Recipe for anyone's success, but especially important for the first-generation crowd. This may be why there are so many first generation college student organizations and programs.
Oh did I mention organizations? If your campus is big/lucky enough to have a First Generation College student group/club... JOIN IT!
Any experiences from students on being the first one in the family to go to college?
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
The Ivory Academic Tower?
There is some outrage going on right now in the academic community about a Florida professor who is making a little less than 100k/year and who has a contract which limits her teaching load to one class and is fighting the University about raising her teaching load due to budget cuts. Read the story here: http://www.insidehighered.com/news/2009/02/24/babb
Did you read the comments?
There seems to be a lot of outrage at the general academic community as being sheltered, under worked (or under-cooked as my spell check just tried to change that to) and overpaid. Many folks asked how many other academics have this admittedly cushy agreement with their colleges/universities... and many others from the academic world responded with outrage at the former comments saying this one example is not indicative of the entire academic community.
I would have to agree with the latter. None of the administrators who are friends or colleagues of mine are what I would even remotely call under worked. Most admissions directors I know put in at least 60 hours a week, often 7 days a week. Professors and instructors are at the college at all times of the day/night (especially those night classes... getting out at 9PM!) on top of doing some of their own work/research depending on their post at the college. And while many of these people do well (though not as well as the professor in the story), I would certainly say every single one of them works very hard for their paychecks. By mid quarter or semester many of these professors are so burned out from going full out for so many weeks they hardly know what day it is. (And no, it's not due to being an absent minded professor!)
Sometimes I wish I couldn't see both sides of the issues. While it certainly is nice to get on the high horse and demand that this professor pick up more since everyone else undoubtedly is as well it does not bode well for the University to break it's contract with her. That could set up some of the other academics who are less "bloated and lazy" (as one commenter described all academics) to have already heavy loads increased which would in turn reduce the service that is being provided to the students.
When I was working at the college I always considered myself lucky not to be one of the ones laid off, but yet every time there were lay offs I knew that another dollop of work would be headed my way since the person who previously did it was let go. (As with many other colleges, I imagine, this increase in work load was not accompanied by an increase in pay.) Eventually I knew I was not doing as good of a job with many of my demands as I would have liked to, but there simply were not enough hours in the day to cover all the various things I had picked up and do well at all of them. It became a matter of doing 6 things well or 15 things halfway. But that was just how it went.
So again, this situation I think requires a lot more thought... while certainly this professor may have a very comfortable situation, it may be hard for the University to only break contract with her and not lay the groundwork to do with with others which could turn into a scary situation. It also doesn't help the overall view of many people who are not in higher ed or involved with it in any way (i.e. no kids in college) that all of us higher ed academics/admin are "bloated and lazy".
All in all, not a good story to be breaking at this point in time. What do you think about this?
Did you read the comments?
There seems to be a lot of outrage at the general academic community as being sheltered, under worked (or under-cooked as my spell check just tried to change that to) and overpaid. Many folks asked how many other academics have this admittedly cushy agreement with their colleges/universities... and many others from the academic world responded with outrage at the former comments saying this one example is not indicative of the entire academic community.
I would have to agree with the latter. None of the administrators who are friends or colleagues of mine are what I would even remotely call under worked. Most admissions directors I know put in at least 60 hours a week, often 7 days a week. Professors and instructors are at the college at all times of the day/night (especially those night classes... getting out at 9PM!) on top of doing some of their own work/research depending on their post at the college. And while many of these people do well (though not as well as the professor in the story), I would certainly say every single one of them works very hard for their paychecks. By mid quarter or semester many of these professors are so burned out from going full out for so many weeks they hardly know what day it is. (And no, it's not due to being an absent minded professor!)
Sometimes I wish I couldn't see both sides of the issues. While it certainly is nice to get on the high horse and demand that this professor pick up more since everyone else undoubtedly is as well it does not bode well for the University to break it's contract with her. That could set up some of the other academics who are less "bloated and lazy" (as one commenter described all academics) to have already heavy loads increased which would in turn reduce the service that is being provided to the students.
When I was working at the college I always considered myself lucky not to be one of the ones laid off, but yet every time there were lay offs I knew that another dollop of work would be headed my way since the person who previously did it was let go. (As with many other colleges, I imagine, this increase in work load was not accompanied by an increase in pay.) Eventually I knew I was not doing as good of a job with many of my demands as I would have liked to, but there simply were not enough hours in the day to cover all the various things I had picked up and do well at all of them. It became a matter of doing 6 things well or 15 things halfway. But that was just how it went.
So again, this situation I think requires a lot more thought... while certainly this professor may have a very comfortable situation, it may be hard for the University to only break contract with her and not lay the groundwork to do with with others which could turn into a scary situation. It also doesn't help the overall view of many people who are not in higher ed or involved with it in any way (i.e. no kids in college) that all of us higher ed academics/admin are "bloated and lazy".
All in all, not a good story to be breaking at this point in time. What do you think about this?
Thursday, February 5, 2009
2 Year Schools Vs. The Economy
My favorite blog today had a post that made me re-think the advice that I've been giving students for several years now: Pick a school and stay there. Make sure it's the right one because you don't want to transfer if you don't have to.
The reasoning behind this is fairly simple: You don't know what will and won't transfer until you start working with the school you are transferring to. You may have taken English Comp 101 in School #1, but if School #2's writing requirement is English Comp 201 you may very well be out of luck on the transfer. Then, in addition to paying for the class the first time at School #1 you've also got to pay it again at School #2.
Now, the other school of thought is go to a 2 year community college and get some of these generals out of the way at a cheaper price. I know of one CC that charges around $76/credit. That's like giving away education! :) So, at that rate you figure your entire 3 credit writing class costs you $228 plus whatever books you needed. That may very well be less than one credit at a four year school (the private school I am attending now is $333/credit- fairly reasonable) so the savings are obvious. Pay $228 for the writing class or $999? (Or, as I would say, risk ending up taking both at $1,227?)
But now our economy is in the crapper and parents are often re-looking at that four year college tuition bill as something that is out of their reach for the time being. For the time being, yes, but maybe not in two years. So this is causing an influx of students who would, in normal times, go to a four year college (public or private) but are choosing the least expensive route for the immediate moment and planning on transferring either with a 2 year associates degree or at least the general education credits taken care of.
What is causing me to re-think my position is that is this going to end up being more expensive in the long run? If you can transfer in... let's say 5 of 8 classes in the required general education classes and one of those three leftover requirements at 4 Year College was going to be retaken because the 2 Year credits weren't transferred what are you looking at? Let's use the $76/credit example vs. the $333/credit for the four year and average a three credit class.
-You would have saved $3,885 on those five transferred classes.
-The remaining three classes cost you $2,997 plus the $228 of the class you had to retake at College2.
- Total cost of "Gen Eds" with transferring: $4,365
-Total Cost had you done it all at School #2: $7,992
Now, this model is assuming that a college is a college is a college is a college and that any student would like College #1 every bit as much as College #2 up the road. That is where I have the hardest time swallowing this.
What if the student hates College #1 and gets such a poor impression of college (I've seen more than one student assume every college is as bad as their first bad experience at any school, no matter what type) that they decide not to transfer into College #2. Then we're possibly left with student loan debt and no degree to show for it.
There are students that thrive on the culture of college who may not get it if they stick to the cheapest, closest to home option. So it makes me wonder if we're not setting ourselves up for long term failure to save a few dollars right now.
Of course, there are also the students that will thrive anywhere and these are the students that are pointed to when it's said "But this system works!" Of course it does... for some. But for some students I worry that the risk of not going to the "right" college (not just financially) the first time will have bigger risks of the student not persisting through either to the AA degree or transferring on to get a bachelor's degree.
That's where this economy puts us in such a hard place with education. Do we go for what is the most feasible at the moment but possibly sacrifice some long term outcomes or do we put ourselves in over our heads to do it right the first time?
The reasoning behind this is fairly simple: You don't know what will and won't transfer until you start working with the school you are transferring to. You may have taken English Comp 101 in School #1, but if School #2's writing requirement is English Comp 201 you may very well be out of luck on the transfer. Then, in addition to paying for the class the first time at School #1 you've also got to pay it again at School #2.
Now, the other school of thought is go to a 2 year community college and get some of these generals out of the way at a cheaper price. I know of one CC that charges around $76/credit. That's like giving away education! :) So, at that rate you figure your entire 3 credit writing class costs you $228 plus whatever books you needed. That may very well be less than one credit at a four year school (the private school I am attending now is $333/credit- fairly reasonable) so the savings are obvious. Pay $228 for the writing class or $999? (Or, as I would say, risk ending up taking both at $1,227?)
But now our economy is in the crapper and parents are often re-looking at that four year college tuition bill as something that is out of their reach for the time being. For the time being, yes, but maybe not in two years. So this is causing an influx of students who would, in normal times, go to a four year college (public or private) but are choosing the least expensive route for the immediate moment and planning on transferring either with a 2 year associates degree or at least the general education credits taken care of.
What is causing me to re-think my position is that is this going to end up being more expensive in the long run? If you can transfer in... let's say 5 of 8 classes in the required general education classes and one of those three leftover requirements at 4 Year College was going to be retaken because the 2 Year credits weren't transferred what are you looking at? Let's use the $76/credit example vs. the $333/credit for the four year and average a three credit class.
-You would have saved $3,885 on those five transferred classes.
-The remaining three classes cost you $2,997 plus the $228 of the class you had to retake at College2.
- Total cost of "Gen Eds" with transferring: $4,365
-Total Cost had you done it all at School #2: $7,992
Now, this model is assuming that a college is a college is a college is a college and that any student would like College #1 every bit as much as College #2 up the road. That is where I have the hardest time swallowing this.
What if the student hates College #1 and gets such a poor impression of college (I've seen more than one student assume every college is as bad as their first bad experience at any school, no matter what type) that they decide not to transfer into College #2. Then we're possibly left with student loan debt and no degree to show for it.
There are students that thrive on the culture of college who may not get it if they stick to the cheapest, closest to home option. So it makes me wonder if we're not setting ourselves up for long term failure to save a few dollars right now.
Of course, there are also the students that will thrive anywhere and these are the students that are pointed to when it's said "But this system works!" Of course it does... for some. But for some students I worry that the risk of not going to the "right" college (not just financially) the first time will have bigger risks of the student not persisting through either to the AA degree or transferring on to get a bachelor's degree.
That's where this economy puts us in such a hard place with education. Do we go for what is the most feasible at the moment but possibly sacrifice some long term outcomes or do we put ourselves in over our heads to do it right the first time?
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
College Education... What?!
Today I have been listening intermittently to Hillary Clinton's Senate Hearing to become Secretary of State. For some reason, hearing a very well educated and well spoken woman applying for one of the top jobs in the country reminded me of a few run-ins I've had in the past.
For a little background, I'm about 3 months away from obtaining my Master's degree in Education, (which then obviously I have an undergraduate degree as well), and I don't consider myself any type of feminist or anything like that. I'm just, well, you know... a regular person. I'm mid twenties, and have been working since I was 15 (including the college years).
But, when asked what I do for the past several years I have always been fairly vague- I don't want to bore anyone with the details of what I do... "Oh, I work at a college" or "I work for a marketing company" works just fine. However- it seems to always get the response, "So are you the secretary?"
Am I the what? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a secretary, administrative assistant or anything else of that nature. That being said, why would anyone assume immediately that that is the position I hold? I think it's fairly clear that I have a college education and have always been fairly ambitious... so why the secretary? And WHY do I get the really amazed look when I tell them that I have been in charge of running the Student Services office? Or that I handle a majority of the client retention efforts from the marketing company? I may be in my mid-twenties and female but that doesn't immediately qualify me for only secretarial duties!
The only thing I can think of is that A) these folks are typically of a generation older, where maybe that was one of the main ways for women in their twenties to work back in the day or B) I look like front desk material. (ha ha) Either way, I wonder if there is some kind of education/generation gap between someone 20-30 years older than I am with understanding that us young-uns with our college edjamacashun are capable of holding positions of responsibility within a company.
So, here's my call to you of the similar generation; current or future college students or recent grads: go out there and don't settle for anything less than what you want to do! And even if they try to tell you you'd be the best secretary in the world, if that's not what you do let them know it! :)
For a little background, I'm about 3 months away from obtaining my Master's degree in Education, (which then obviously I have an undergraduate degree as well), and I don't consider myself any type of feminist or anything like that. I'm just, well, you know... a regular person. I'm mid twenties, and have been working since I was 15 (including the college years).
But, when asked what I do for the past several years I have always been fairly vague- I don't want to bore anyone with the details of what I do... "Oh, I work at a college" or "I work for a marketing company" works just fine. However- it seems to always get the response, "So are you the secretary?"
Am I the what? Now, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a secretary, administrative assistant or anything else of that nature. That being said, why would anyone assume immediately that that is the position I hold? I think it's fairly clear that I have a college education and have always been fairly ambitious... so why the secretary? And WHY do I get the really amazed look when I tell them that I have been in charge of running the Student Services office? Or that I handle a majority of the client retention efforts from the marketing company? I may be in my mid-twenties and female but that doesn't immediately qualify me for only secretarial duties!
The only thing I can think of is that A) these folks are typically of a generation older, where maybe that was one of the main ways for women in their twenties to work back in the day or B) I look like front desk material. (ha ha) Either way, I wonder if there is some kind of education/generation gap between someone 20-30 years older than I am with understanding that us young-uns with our college edjamacashun are capable of holding positions of responsibility within a company.
So, here's my call to you of the similar generation; current or future college students or recent grads: go out there and don't settle for anything less than what you want to do! And even if they try to tell you you'd be the best secretary in the world, if that's not what you do let them know it! :)
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
New Years... Resolutions?
Welcome back! I hope everyone had a wonderful winter break and is back feeling a little more relaxed after some lighter weeks.
We are getting to the time of year where colleges are beginning to make decisions, send out decision letters and help students moving along with the dreaded Financial Aid since it's the beginning of tax season.
Financial Aid... why do these words inspire absolute terror in so many parents of college students? It's not just the looming possibility in this economy of not getting enough, but merely the thought of filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) that sends folks into a tizzy. They're overwhelmed with the prospect of filling this out before they've even looked at the form because they've heard how difficult it is.
But where on earth is that perception coming from?
Every financial aid officer that I personally know will tell you the FAFSA is an extremely easy document to fill out. Most of them will walk you step by step through the process as well, unless you're at one of those massive schools that seem to have 3 financial aid officers for every 15,000 students. (Exaggeration, yes, but when you're waiting in line for three hours to talk to one that's how it feels.) But there are workshops and other community resources offered in many places to assist parents with walking through the forms. Heck, the FAFSA form itself shows you how to fill it out- all you need to do is be able to match the instructions on the FAFSA with the line number on your taxes since it tells you exactly where to find the information it's asking for.
It also frightens me that a simple Google search for "FAFSA" offers so many places that will fill yours out for a nominal fee of $79.99. First off, the very first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free"... so why pay? And, what scares me even more is that these rather disreputable (in my opinion) companies will have your tax information as well as your birthday, social security number... etc. Would I trust them with this? Personally, absolutely not.
So, if you're coming up on starting your Financial Aid for the first time take a deep breath. The FAFSA isn't that bad. If you fill it out online it will even be remembered for next year. I think the last time I filled it out about a year ago I did the whole thing in a little under 15 minutes, so if I can do it and receive aid (so it must have gone in correctly) I believe a trained monkey could figure it out.
We are getting to the time of year where colleges are beginning to make decisions, send out decision letters and help students moving along with the dreaded Financial Aid since it's the beginning of tax season.
Financial Aid... why do these words inspire absolute terror in so many parents of college students? It's not just the looming possibility in this economy of not getting enough, but merely the thought of filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) that sends folks into a tizzy. They're overwhelmed with the prospect of filling this out before they've even looked at the form because they've heard how difficult it is.
But where on earth is that perception coming from?
Every financial aid officer that I personally know will tell you the FAFSA is an extremely easy document to fill out. Most of them will walk you step by step through the process as well, unless you're at one of those massive schools that seem to have 3 financial aid officers for every 15,000 students. (Exaggeration, yes, but when you're waiting in line for three hours to talk to one that's how it feels.) But there are workshops and other community resources offered in many places to assist parents with walking through the forms. Heck, the FAFSA form itself shows you how to fill it out- all you need to do is be able to match the instructions on the FAFSA with the line number on your taxes since it tells you exactly where to find the information it's asking for.
It also frightens me that a simple Google search for "FAFSA" offers so many places that will fill yours out for a nominal fee of $79.99. First off, the very first F in "FAFSA" stands for "free"... so why pay? And, what scares me even more is that these rather disreputable (in my opinion) companies will have your tax information as well as your birthday, social security number... etc. Would I trust them with this? Personally, absolutely not.
So, if you're coming up on starting your Financial Aid for the first time take a deep breath. The FAFSA isn't that bad. If you fill it out online it will even be remembered for next year. I think the last time I filled it out about a year ago I did the whole thing in a little under 15 minutes, so if I can do it and receive aid (so it must have gone in correctly) I believe a trained monkey could figure it out.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Weather and College Culture
There is a blizzard coming tomorrow and I am very excited. There is just something about the first major snowfall of the year.
This also reminds me of three vastly different experiences I had at three colleges in three different parts of the country that were directly related to weather.
First, I started my college career in Northern MN (where I again reside, though in a different city). I never really noticed the snow falling and falling and falling in the winter until I got my first car my junior year. Then I realized just how hardy this school was- 18" of snow (and it's still falling!) and we are expected to still be in class on time. This usually meant knowing if it was going to storm the day before, making sure your shovel and boots were in the car, and getting up an hour earlier to dig your car out before class.
Then I transferred to a college in the Dallas, TX area. What a change! The area had a completely different attitude towards snow. My first winter there it snowed about 2" one night. I got up the following morning, hopped in the car and drove to class... only to find the campus completely dead! I thought maybe a few people chose to stay home (OK maybe I wasn't that observant back then) but when I walked to the building my first class of the day was in and found it locked I was shocked! It hadn't occurred to me to check to see if classes were cancelled- after all it's only 2" of snow! They ended up being cancelled for two days if my memory serves me correctly. I couldn't believe it- two days for a measly two inches of snow?!
I transferred again (note for any future college students reading this: don't imitate me. Transferring that many times= not smart and not fun) to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This school turned into the weather service place for all of the other schools in the Twin Cities, from what I could tell. The way to determine if classes were going to be cancelled was if the U of M was going to cancel. (Of course, with as many students as they have it takes very little short of a complete disaster to actually cancel classes). I was also working at another college at this time and I recall a few days anxiously watching the University of Minnesota website to see if they were going to close.
I was amazed at how three colleges treated the weather so differently. Looking back I probably would not have made the choice to go to TX if I had realized how much I would miss the snow once I got down there, but it was certainly a live and learn experience! When you're searching for colleges remember to ask about the weather in the area- and prepare yourself to cope with it!
Happy snow day!!
This also reminds me of three vastly different experiences I had at three colleges in three different parts of the country that were directly related to weather.
First, I started my college career in Northern MN (where I again reside, though in a different city). I never really noticed the snow falling and falling and falling in the winter until I got my first car my junior year. Then I realized just how hardy this school was- 18" of snow (and it's still falling!) and we are expected to still be in class on time. This usually meant knowing if it was going to storm the day before, making sure your shovel and boots were in the car, and getting up an hour earlier to dig your car out before class.
Then I transferred to a college in the Dallas, TX area. What a change! The area had a completely different attitude towards snow. My first winter there it snowed about 2" one night. I got up the following morning, hopped in the car and drove to class... only to find the campus completely dead! I thought maybe a few people chose to stay home (OK maybe I wasn't that observant back then) but when I walked to the building my first class of the day was in and found it locked I was shocked! It hadn't occurred to me to check to see if classes were cancelled- after all it's only 2" of snow! They ended up being cancelled for two days if my memory serves me correctly. I couldn't believe it- two days for a measly two inches of snow?!
I transferred again (note for any future college students reading this: don't imitate me. Transferring that many times= not smart and not fun) to the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. This school turned into the weather service place for all of the other schools in the Twin Cities, from what I could tell. The way to determine if classes were going to be cancelled was if the U of M was going to cancel. (Of course, with as many students as they have it takes very little short of a complete disaster to actually cancel classes). I was also working at another college at this time and I recall a few days anxiously watching the University of Minnesota website to see if they were going to close.
I was amazed at how three colleges treated the weather so differently. Looking back I probably would not have made the choice to go to TX if I had realized how much I would miss the snow once I got down there, but it was certainly a live and learn experience! When you're searching for colleges remember to ask about the weather in the area- and prepare yourself to cope with it!
Happy snow day!!
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