Tag Archives: Advising First Generation College Students

Is Passing The Course Enough?

First Generation College Students, Granville Sawyer, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Parents, Student Success, , , ,
© Stephen Coles on flickr

Having been in higher education for almost forty years, I have heard many reasons for students to go to college – some good and some not so good.  The focus is pretty much on getting a good paying job after graduation.  To do that, students take and pass courses until they’ve completed their requirements for graduation, so this is the focus – not learning anything or being able to use what was learned in the real world or even how to use it.

As an educator, I think we must shoulder some of the blame for this.  Too often, we present information to the students without really helping them understand why it’s important other than that it may be on the next test.  Because of this, the students retain information well enough to repeat it on the test and then forget it never really understanding its value.

This is not what we should do and this is not how learning takes place.  I tell my students that they are smart enough to learn the material, my job is to put it into context for them so they know how it fits with what else they should have learned and how to use the information after they graduate.  Put another way, I want them to be able to recognize an application of knowledge they obtained and know how to use that knowledge to solve real world problems and answer real world questions.  In the long run, this is what makes them valuable to an employer and to society in general – not what grades they got in college.  A few years after graduation, no one will ask them about their college experience any more.  They will want to know what they’ve done with what they learned since graduation.  Graduating may get them employed but what they learned while they were in school and how well they can use it will keep them employed.

Is Artificial Intelligence Going To Change Education?

Higher Education, Mentoring Students, New Technology For Education, Parents, Student Success, Success In College, Uncategorized, , ,

I’m reading a book on artificial intelligence (AI) that has made me think about how it will impact the future of education at all levels from k-12 to college.  What AI is doing is creating “thinking machines”.  That is, computers that are capable of original thought, not just executing instructions that they have been given.  Now I don’t want you to think I’m talking about Terminator type evil robots because I’m not.

I’m talking about a tremendously valuable resource for teachers and students.  It’s obvious that one teacher can’t custom tailor his/her teaching style for each student in every class even if they knew what worked best for each student.  To assist teachers, we have developed computer aided instruction which will quiz students and change questions asked based on what they get correct and what they get wrong but these systems can’t learn why students perform the way they do.  This is the wonderful potential of AI in education.  Thinking learning machines may be able to understand why students learn as they do and custom tailor a curriculum just for them that is dynamic so it can change with the student’s preferred learning style day to day even hour to hour even if the student or teacher can’t clearly state what that learning style is.  This will give educators a capability we have only dreamed about having.  It will also give students learning opportunities they have never had before.

This truly is disruptive technology which can make people uncomfortable.  Let’s push through the discomfort and realize the potential AI can have to radically improve education for all students everywhere.

Is An Ivy League Education Really Worth It?

First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Non-traditional Students, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , , ,
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From the U. S. Department of Education on Flikr

Should you send your son or daughter to an Ivy League college or university or another high quality school that does not have the prestige or the cost of the Ivies?  This is a question parents all over the country wrestle with every year as decisions about where students will be in the fall are made.  The choice of a college or university depends on many things the most important of which is the student.  Each family should send their son or daughter to the school the fits him or her best and that fits their budget for college.  In Ivy League or Bust? , Kristin Battista-Frazee’s recent article on Huffington Post does an excellent job of setting out the factors to be evaluated when making this important decision.  I strongly recommend that you read this article before deciding on a college or university.

 

 

How To Reduce College Dropouts

First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, New Technology For Education, Non-traditional Students, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,

Dropout PictureFollow the link below to read an interesting article on what some universities are doing to significantly reduce the number of students who start but don’t finish college.  How do you think these strategies would work at your college or university?

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/01/opinion/sunday/what-can-stop-kids-from-dropping-out.html?_r=0

A Review of ‘Where Everybody Looks Like Me’

Book Review, First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Non-traditional Students, Success In College, Uncategorized, , , , , , , , ,

bookreviewimage
I just published a review of “Where Everybody Looks Like Me”  By Ron Stodghill on Afro.com.  You can read it at:

http://www.afro.com/where-everybody-looks-like-me-and-the-challenges-facing-hbcus/

Let me know what you think.

How Good Is That High School Diploma?

First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Success In College, The Costs and Benefits of Higher Education, Uncategorized, , , , , , , ,
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Copyright State Farm

I’ve been reading with some concern about accountability for k-12 education going back to the individual states as a result of No Child Left Behind being discontinued.  This will make national evaluations of high school students’ abilities harder.  Every high school graduate should have some idea of how he/she compares with graduates from other high schools across the nation because the market for jobs is national and becoming more international every day.  Allowing states to be individually responsible for assessing what their students know and can do will make this more difficult.  An article from the New York Times shows why this is so important.

How can we ensure that all students get the quality public school education they deserve?  Let me know what you think.

CARRYING ON THE TRADITION

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by Rashida S. Mar b. courtesy of Flikr

In my blog post “Talking Good Talk” I shared the important role family dinners had in my life as I grew up. When I had my own family, my wife and I  instituted the same rule as my parents—six days a week, Sunday through Friday, our family ate dinner together. The tradition had the same effect on our children it did on me. We talked and laughed about everything which helped us bond as a family. We also talked good talk about what was happening the world and what it meant to each of us. My wife and I intentionally kept the conversation at a high level so our kids could learn from the discussion and the thinking behind comments  made.

My oldest daughter, who had a very good public school education, got a scholarship to a university in upstate New York. After a few weeks on campus she called and said “Daddy, I’m going to school with trust fund babies.”  When I asked her what that meant, she said these kids were from successful,  affluent New York families who provided them with everything they needed. From the day they were born their families set aside trust fund all they would need for the best private schools. “They had and still have advantages I don’t have,” she also told me, “but I have  no trouble keeping up with these students academically or socially because of what I learned around our dinner table.” I’m sure some other things contributed to confidence but I believe what she was telling me was that she knew what she had to say was valuable and valued and she could hold her own in any environment – with or without a trust fund.

From her experience and mine, I know that what happens to outside of school is as important, perhaps  more important than what happens in school. School is where you get your knowledge but home is where you learn your values. Let me know if you had similar experiences growing up or as a parent.

GradeUP! Challenge #6: You Can’t Study Your Textbook!

Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Success In College, , , , , , , , , ,
  • studying-studentIn the last post, I talked about how to use your textbook to prepare for and get the most out of your classes. You’re a few weeks into the semester so you’re probably preparing for a test on the material you’ve covered so far – let’s talk about how you prep for that.

First, don’t use your textbook to study for your test – it was never meant for that. The textbook is a reference source of all information about certain topics and concepts – you can’t remember all of what is in there. That’s why there are study guides that go with textbooks. However, you need to create your own custom study guide, one that works for you, not a generic one written by someone else. The best way to fully grasp the information that you’ll need to retain for an exam and use as a foundation for more learning is to process what’s in the text – not memorize the text. Here’s how you do that:

  • Get organized. Gather together everything you need to know and understand for the test – text, notes, handouts, your syllabus;
  • Using the textbook do the following;
    • Read a portion of the material you are responsible for on the test;
    • Close your book and summarize what you read in your own words – don’t look back at the book and don’t use or copy what the author wrote;
    • Read the section in the book again to see if your summary includes all of the important points;
    • If you missed some of the material, it means either you didn’t remember or you didn’t understand so go over that material again, summarize it;
    • Repeat the process for the next section of the text and repeat until you have created your own outline for all the material you are responsible for knowing for the exam;
  • Use this same technique for any additional resource material you need to know for the exam. Use the syllabus to make sure you’ve covered all the material you’re responsible for;
  • Don’t use anyone else’s study guide – you must do your own. This process creates a study guide specifically tailored to the way you process and learn material;
  • Now, use your study guide to prepare for the test. Don’t study the book or that stack of class notes – you’ve covered that in creating your guide so everything you need to know is in it.

Yes, this will take time – a lot longer than just reading the material but it is the best way to actually understand and be able to use what you learned when test time comes because doing your study guide well requires that you understand everything you outlined. You can’t finesse this – you’ve either got it or you need to go back to your resources and get it. Getting that understanding and creating your study guide is when learning takes place. When you’re finished, you will know and understand everything in it because that is the only way you could have done the guide well. A bonus, you’ve already started your comprehensive study guide for finals!

In Chapter 11 of College In Four Years, “How to Use Your Textbook the Right Way,” you’ll find more information on how to outline different types of study material to maximize understanding and ensure it works well for you.

Next GradeUp! Challenge, Tuesday, February 24.

GradeUP! Challenge #3: Go See Your Professors

Coaching, First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Success In College, , , , , , , ,

student-talking-to-college-professor - croppedIf you haven’t yet visited the professors for the classes you’re taking this semester, Go Now! Make sure your teachers know you and understand that you’re serious about doing well in their classes. If they know you as more than just a name— you give your professors the opportunity to respond to you as a person, not just a name or number on the class roll.

See every teacher from every course, outside of the class time, at least once during the semester. The biggest chunk of the money you spend on college pays for your professors, so go see them, make them know you, let them help you and get your money’s worth!

When you go to see your professor, you’re not just going to introduce yourself – try to accomplish the following:

  • Be prepared! Show your instructor that you have read and thought about the material you’re covering in class. If you don’t understand something, formulate reasonable questions beforehand so the meeting will be beneficial for you and your instructor will gain more appreciation for you as a scholar.
  • Ask open-ended questions about the class. For example, “What can I do, other than the assignments, to improve my performance in class?” or “ Are there things you can tell me that I should avoid doing in this class to improve my performance?”
  • Ask your instructor how he/she thinks you are doing in class and whether he/she can project a grade for you based on your performance so far. This is the assessment that counts. Find out how it is being made and the best ways to monitor/influence your performance in a positive way.
  • Act on the advice you are given. If your instructor suggests that you do something to improve your performance in class, do it and make sure he/she knows you did it.
  • Be grateful. Make sure your professor knows you appreciate the help and advice you are given. Saying thank you, and meaning it, is important.

Get more information and advice on the benefits of talking to your professors and, read about the time a visit to a professor saved my grade in Good Players Talk to the Coach, Chapter 15 of College in Four Years. If you don’t yet have College in Four Years, during the GradeUP! Challenge you can purchase the book for $14.99 (normally $19.99), a special 25% discount. I’ve set up a special College in Four Years storefront that will only be open during the Challenge and it is the only place you can buy the book for $14.99.

To get the discount enter the code BBQ86MXV at checkout from the special College in Four Years GradeUP! Challenge storefront. Use this direct link to the storefront.
If you prefer an eBook, you can purchase it for $9.99 on Amazon.com.

Next GradeUP! Challenge,Thursday, 2/12: Why your professor isn’t the only person you need to see.

 

GradeUP! Challenge #2: Make Your Syllabus Your Action Plan

Coaching, First Generation College Students, Higher Education, Mentoring Students, Success In College, , , , , , , , , ,

Syllabus from Flickr by Grace KatRead the syllabus for each class you’re taking. Really read them – all of them. Find out what is expected of you and when, then use a planner – paper, electronic, virtual – and plan out what you need to do and when you plan to do it so you stay current in all your classes. If you don’t have a system for scheduling your time – get one NOW! Don’t get behind because trying to catch up and keep up at the same time is a losing proposition.

From the syllabus in every class you should:

  • Confirm the location and time for class – be there on time from the first day forward.
  • Learn the instructor’s name, office location, contact information and office hours so you’ll know who to contact and how to contact them when you have questions about class;
  • Find out what you need for class – the textbook (if it’s required) and any other material or equipment, (calculator, software package, etc.) you’ll need to be successful. Get everything now, not having the materials is not an excuse for not doing your work;
  • Understand the assignments for each class including reading, homework, projects, reports – know when each is due then schedule when you plan to tackle that assignment so you can turn it in on time;
  • Know when exams are scheduled and what they will cover so you can plan when and how to prepare for them;
  • Find out how you’re going to be graded in class so you’ll know how you’re doing at any time during the semester (more about this in a subsequent post;
  • Note any other information about how the class is going to be run and what is expected of you; and
  • Find out anything that you think you need to know to get the most out of each class, now is the time to ask for it.

The next Challenge posts on Tuesday, 2/10/15. Learn more about the GradeUP! Challenge here. 

To let me know what you think about this post and the GradeUP! Challenge, please leave a comment below.