Category Archives: Students

It’s STEAM Not STEM!

Granville Sawyer, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Non-traditional Students, Parents, Student Success, Students, Success In College, Uncategorized

A few weekends ago, I went with my wife to a conference sponsored by Americans for the Arts in Sundance Utah.  My main reason for being there was to accompany her and enjoy the resort.  I learned some things there too.  In talking with other arts administrators from around the country, I realized how important knowledge and appreciation for the arts is for all students regardless of their major. Something I experienced when I was in college.

As an undergraduate engineering student, I had to have 223 quarter hours to complete my degree.  Only three of these were for a free elective.  I took the easiest sounding course I could find – music appreciation.  It wasn’t what it sounded like at all!  Our teacher started with the Gregorian Chants from 900 AD and went right up to the present day popular music at that time including the classics.  She really challenged us.   I took the time to study and learn to appreciate all the music we listened to.  In addition to passing the course, I developed an appreciation for classical music I still have today.  We are subscribers to the Baltimore Symphony and go at least three or four times a season.  I have thanked my teacher many times for helping me learn and appreciate the arts.  Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are all very important areas of study but no student’s education is complete without developing an appreciation for the arts.  It’s STEAM not STEM.  The arts are important too.

Racism and White Privilege In America

Granville Sawyer, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Parents, Students, Uncategorized
Three Keys by mmarchin via flickr

The current racially charged environment in America and the 400th anniversary of slavery have resulted in two articles I want to highlight in this post. The first is The 1619 Project in the New York Times. It’s a series of essays that comprehensively address slavery, which began in 1619, and the consequences of racial oppression and exploitation throughout history up to today. The essays clearly show that slavery isn’t something that happened in the past and is over now. They insightfully chronical the political, social and economic costs of slavery to African Americans and the society as a whole today. The 1619 Project is a must read for everyone interested in knowing the truth about slavery’s past, present and future in America even if these truths are uncomfortable.

One consequence of racial oppression in America is the strongly held notion of White Privilege. In All College Students Should Take a Mandatory Course on Black History and White Privilege, Emily Walton discusses the course she teaches on this topic. She writes that “…. race still exerts a powerful influence on life chances, working through institutions like higher education, the criminal justice system and the labor market. ” The result has been “white blindness”, i.e., the inability of some persons in America to even see the pervasive presence and influence of White Privilege. One of her challenges is getting a diverse group of students to take the class. Most of them are black which may show, in another way, how important addressing this issue is. According to Ms. Walton ” By the end of the term, students have a deep understanding of these complex social problems, and realistic ideas for how to make change through our relationships and institutions. “

I strongly recommend reading these articles and discussing them with a diverse group of people. That’s the only way we can begin to move forward from where we are today.

The Most Affordable Colleges in America

Higher Education, Students, Success In College, Uncategorized, ,

From the U. S. Department of Education on Flikr

The cost of a college degree today requires that parents and students get the most for every dollar spent on higher education.  Spending whatever it takes to get the “best” education money can buy is not an option.  The question then is where should students go to get the best combination of quality and affordability in America.  A recent article from Business Insider  provides some answers to this important question.  It lists the most affordable colleges in all 50 states based on a combination of cost and quality.  It might help you make the right college choice.

A Great Way To Save For College Few Families Use

Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Students, Success In College, Uncategorized, , ,

Copyright State Farm

Paying for college is a real challenge.  Tuition, room, board, books and other expenses can easily exceed $30,000 a year.  There is a way to save for these expenses that is effective and flexible.  In spite of this, few families take advantage of it.  In a recent article from Business Insider I read that only about 13% of families surveyed reported using a 529 plan to cover college expenses – down from 16% the prior year.  The plan allows parents or anyone else to open a 529 account and contribute through direct contributions, payroll deductions or automatic transfers – before a child is even born.  The money grows tax free and can be withdrawn tax free at any point as long as it’s used to cover college tuition, fees, books and supplies.

Each state runs their own plans so check with your state department of higher education for relevant details.  You can read about 111 options for investing funds in 529 plans at savingforcollege.com.  Starting a 529 plan early can help make paying for college easier and reduce the need for student/parent school loans.

A New Way To Reduce The Cost Of A College Education

First Generation College Students, Granville Sawyer, Higher Education, Parents, Students, Success In College, ,

Several states offer free tuition programs for students to attend state colleges and universities.  The programs require various qualifiers including but not limited to state residency, maximum income cutoff, community service or attendance requirements and/or a minimum 2.5 grade point average in high school.  All programs also require parents and students to fill out the FAFSA form to assess financial need.  All the Places in the U.S. Where You Can Go to College for Free by Kaitlin Mulhere outlines 37 programs in 19 states.  One of these could reduce your cost of a college education by thousands of dollars.

Being The Only One—Then and Now

Students, Success In College

The Black & White by Robin Mehdee via Flickr

I started as a freshman at the University of Tennessee in 1967, not that long after The Civil Rights Act of 1964 outlawed discrimination in public places based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin.  In my entering freshman class of 5,000, I was one of only 67 blacks. We often had to deal with racial insensitivity and, sometimes, outright racial hostility from whites and black students.  White students didn’t believe we were smart enough to be there and some black students thought that if you performed well that meant you were “trying to be white”.

In “Black Like Me Meant White Like Them”, Boluwaji Ohumymi writes about his experience several decades after mine. His situation was similar to mine, a minority student in a majority educational setting. Sadly, from my time to his, some things just hadn’t  changed enough. He writes about his challenges dealing with black and white students in high school, college, and medical school.  He emphasized the importance of mentors to help with being successful in environments that are still like my yesterdays because the absence of this critical assistance could mean academically talented students of color may not be successful in college and beyond.

As you start to make decisions about where you will continue your education after high school, it is important that you consider the support available to you because the isolation of academic achievement is part of college life today and will continue to be into the foreseeable future.  With proper planning and outreach, however, these issues can be dealt with successfully  just as they were in 1967 when I went college and as they are today, when to some,  ‘Black Like Me means White Like Them.’

Is High School Enough?

Students, , ,

 I recently read an article in The New York Times by Jefferey J. Selingo entitled, “Wanted:  Factory Workers, Degree Required” that speaks to the new reality of joining the workforce after high school graduation.  Selingo states that the high school diploma is not enough to fill jobs that once sustained the working class.  He doesn’t say that everyone must get a four-year college degree however if you don’t, more training will be necessary to compete for increasingly technical factory jobs traditionally defined as “blue collar”.  The idea of graduating from high school and getting a “good factory job” and keeping that job until retirement is now completely obsolete. Today’s future factory workers need more training now and more training in the future as manufacturing technologies continually change.

The good news is that employers are working with community colleges to meet this challenge and for students willing to keep learning after high school the additional time spent gaining valuable skills is well worth it.  Selingo states that over 40% of middle-skill jobs, jobs that require a high school degree and more specific training after graduation, pay $55,000 a year and, 14% of the jobs pay over $80,000 per year.  Additionally, firms are struggling to fill these positions and good job opportunities are out there for those with technical training—no matter what color collar they wear.

Five Steps To Better Grades This Semester

Student Success, Students, ,

In my post, So, How Did You Do Last Semester, I talked about making a plan to better your performance this semester. Here are five steps that will improve your performance in any course in any semester.

  1. Go see your instructors from last semester. Make sure your instructor knows you aren’t there to argue for a better grade. You’re there to find out what grades they have for you on all assignments and tests and how your final average and grade were calculated. You want to find out how you did and how you can do better in the future. In other words, you are there for information and advice. If you actually do deserve a better grade, that will come out in your discussions.
  2. Take this information and your syllabus for that class and match the grades you received with the corresponding assignments. Are there certain assignments you did well? Some not so well? What are they and why did you perform the way you did. Do the same analysis with each test you took? Take the graded test home and figure out why you did problems wrong. By doing this you’ll find out where your test preparation was successful and where it failed you. I’ve found that a student’s poor performance most often comes from poor preparation—not from lack of understanding.
  3. Assess your own commitment in each class during the last semester. Were you in class every day? Did you read the assignment?  Were you prepared for class?  Did you pay attention, ask questions about what you didn’t understand and take good class notes that you could use later? Did you see your teacher at least once last semester to make sure he/she knew you? This can make the crucial difference if you are close to a better grade.
  4. Based on what you learned, make your “New Semester Resolutions.” Write down at least five things you are going to do next semester to improve your grades. Don’t just say them—write them down and read them every day. Share them with your professors this semester so they know how serious you are about doing well in their classes. This is how you generate and sustain commitment to doing better.
  5. Use your performance in classes to check on how well you are at keeping your New Semester Resolutions. Also, check in with your teachers—they’re there to let you know how you’re doing. Stay on track this way every week of the semester.

These five things are not hard to do—but they do require courage and commitment. Facing a poor or failing grade from last semester takes courage; resolving to do better takes commitment. The biggest challenge is doing this consistently; use what you learn to do even better. This is the secret to college success. Don’t use that standard cop-out that the other students are “smarter than me.” They aren’t. They’re just doing the things I have shared with you in the last two posts. Now that you know better, you can do better.

3 Keys to Success – Knowing When, Where & Who

Students, Success In College

Three Keys by mmarchin via flickr
Three Keys by mmarchin via flickr

You are going to need help to complete this semester and every semester thereafter if you want to complete college—as in graduate—successfully. Everyone does. The only way  to do well every semester, earn a degree and graduate with great job prospects, is to seek and accept  some help along the way. Be it academic, career planning, social or emotional issues – stuff comes up during the semester. That’s the bad news. The good news is that no matter what school you attend, there are resources available to get you the help you need. To access the right advice at the right time the following rules always apply:

  1. Never hesitate to ask for assistance. If you think you need help, ask. If you think you’ve got this, ask anyway. In college you are surrounded by a wealth of information; access as much of it as you can, whenever you can. At no other time in life will you be in a place where the primary goal and objective of everyone there is to help you succeed. Rather than take full advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity, students do not ask for help because they don’t want to appear academically weak to their instructors. This can be a fatal mistake. The longer you wait to get help, the further behind you get. Then, the  temptation is to just give up. Don’t do it!  If you ask you’ll get the help you need when you need it and you’ll be on your way to success.
  2. Go to the source. When you need information that’s important to your success, always go to the source of that information. And, when you can, go to more than one source to verify what you’ve been told. Don’t go the source that is convenient or that will give you the information you want to hear – like your roommate, Facebook, the Internet or people who can only tell you what they’ve “heard.” Remember, an opinion spoken and repeated twice becomes fact. The first time it’s “I think” the second time it’s “I heard” and the third time it’s a fact! Don’t be misled this way. Go to the person who is responsible for creating and disseminating the information you need. This is even more important at the end of the semester.  You don’t have time to be misled.  You should have already been to see your advisor and talked to your professors. Now, visit the registrar to confirm you’re on track to graduate on time based on the plan you worked out with your advisor. Register with the career services office to get information on the job market. If you don’t get the information you seek directly from the source – it’s all just hearsay.
  3. Go to the decision maker. Make sure you are always dealing with the decision maker and that they are empowered with the authority to make a decision and stand by it. No one else can give you the definitive answers you need. Others can tell you about decisions that have been made in the past or what they think about the decision; but if they are not the decision maker, they can’t ensure your outcome. Remember, the only one with something at risk is you. This means going to your advisor for decisions about what courses to take,  when to take them, to get information about any course substitutions you want to make and, to learn about anything on your academic records that you don’t understand.  It means going to your instructor to determine what is needed to complete each of your courses this semester.  Don’t take chances with your success this semester or any other by assuming what you don’t understand is just a “glitch in the system.” That glitch may cost you more time and tuition and it could prevent you from graduating. Always go to the person with  the information you need and  the authority to make a decision you can count on – preferably in writing.

Knowing when, where and who to ask for advice – the 3 keys to success in college and in life.