The following infograph has been submitted to TPQ by Alexandra Campbell of the College@Home group which campaigns on education. It initially featured on the College@Home site.


 "Give it the ol’ college try.”

We’ve all heard it. Whether from a coach, a parent or other authority figure, the phrase is often used as encouragement when one is faced with a seemingly insurmountable task. It instructs us to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and do our best, even in the face of possible, or even likely, defeat. 

Lately, the phrase seems all too apt as post-secondary students worldwide are dropping out of school at alarming rates. In fact, a recent study found that one in four freshman in the U.S. do not complete their first year of school, despite giving college a try.

It’s possible that high school students simply do not have a realistic idea of what college is actually like. Although 80% of students graduating high school think they are ready for college once they have their diplomas, the reality does not reflect this confidence. If students base their visions of college on the pop culture representation in movies like Van Wilder or Old School, they are in for a shock when their first week of classes results in the expectation that they will complete two personal essays, an analysis of the role abolitionists played in the Civil War and 140 pages of background reading over the weekend. Highly motivated individuals are able to navigate the initial adjustment to college by tweaking their study habits. But many are not up to this challenge. This is not solely an American phenomenon, either; studies suggest that up to half of all college students drop out of college for various reasons before earning a degree. To put it in perspective, China has a 55.8 percent attainment rate, which measures the percentage of students who complete their degrees, compared to Japan’s 53.7 percent; New Zealand’s 47.3 percent; Ireland’s 43.9 percent; and America’s 40 percent.

Of course, it’s possible that many of these students simply don’t see the point of staying in college. With a record 50 percent of young adults unemployed or underemployed (meaning they either have part-time jobs or jobs for which they are overqualified), more American college graduates are living at home with their parents after school than at any time since 1950.

However, despite such discouraging job statistics, it would be unfair to blame the job market for the ill preparedness displayed by many high school graduates. Consider the following:

    - At the time of graduation, nine in ten American high school graduates cannot identify Afghanistan on a map of Asia
    - Three in ten cannot find China—the biggest country in the world—on a globe
    - Roughly half cannot find New York state on a U.S. map

As a result of these and other findings, more than 2.2 million college freshman must take remedial courses that teach high school material during their first year in college in order to catch up with their peers. Taxpayers shell out $5.6 billion for these remedial courses. To put that figure into perspective, if differently allocated, that money could pay for 175,000 students to attend four years of college.

High school achievement aside, some people argue that the point of college is for students to expand their social and mental horizons rather than to scale new academic heights. Still, while strong arguments can be made for the value of experience over formal education, the bachelor’s degree has become the new high school diploma in many professional circles. Even if students don’t end up pursuing a career in the same field as their major, completing a degree signals to prospective employers that students are hard workers who can finish their commitments.

Students who are currently struggling with school should know that there are many resources available, from reaching out to on-campus advisors, joining study groups and taking advantage of technology to help them study more efficiently through online classes. College is hard work, despite its sometimes-hazy portrayal in pop culture. But it doesn’t have to be impossible, provided students prepare themselves socially and academically for the challenge.



Unprepared For College

The following infograph has been submitted to TPQ by Alexandra Campbell of the College@Home group which campaigns on education. It initially featured on the College@Home site.


 "Give it the ol’ college try.”

We’ve all heard it. Whether from a coach, a parent or other authority figure, the phrase is often used as encouragement when one is faced with a seemingly insurmountable task. It instructs us to pull ourselves up by the bootstraps and do our best, even in the face of possible, or even likely, defeat. 

Lately, the phrase seems all too apt as post-secondary students worldwide are dropping out of school at alarming rates. In fact, a recent study found that one in four freshman in the U.S. do not complete their first year of school, despite giving college a try.

It’s possible that high school students simply do not have a realistic idea of what college is actually like. Although 80% of students graduating high school think they are ready for college once they have their diplomas, the reality does not reflect this confidence. If students base their visions of college on the pop culture representation in movies like Van Wilder or Old School, they are in for a shock when their first week of classes results in the expectation that they will complete two personal essays, an analysis of the role abolitionists played in the Civil War and 140 pages of background reading over the weekend. Highly motivated individuals are able to navigate the initial adjustment to college by tweaking their study habits. But many are not up to this challenge. This is not solely an American phenomenon, either; studies suggest that up to half of all college students drop out of college for various reasons before earning a degree. To put it in perspective, China has a 55.8 percent attainment rate, which measures the percentage of students who complete their degrees, compared to Japan’s 53.7 percent; New Zealand’s 47.3 percent; Ireland’s 43.9 percent; and America’s 40 percent.

Of course, it’s possible that many of these students simply don’t see the point of staying in college. With a record 50 percent of young adults unemployed or underemployed (meaning they either have part-time jobs or jobs for which they are overqualified), more American college graduates are living at home with their parents after school than at any time since 1950.

However, despite such discouraging job statistics, it would be unfair to blame the job market for the ill preparedness displayed by many high school graduates. Consider the following:

    - At the time of graduation, nine in ten American high school graduates cannot identify Afghanistan on a map of Asia
    - Three in ten cannot find China—the biggest country in the world—on a globe
    - Roughly half cannot find New York state on a U.S. map

As a result of these and other findings, more than 2.2 million college freshman must take remedial courses that teach high school material during their first year in college in order to catch up with their peers. Taxpayers shell out $5.6 billion for these remedial courses. To put that figure into perspective, if differently allocated, that money could pay for 175,000 students to attend four years of college.

High school achievement aside, some people argue that the point of college is for students to expand their social and mental horizons rather than to scale new academic heights. Still, while strong arguments can be made for the value of experience over formal education, the bachelor’s degree has become the new high school diploma in many professional circles. Even if students don’t end up pursuing a career in the same field as their major, completing a degree signals to prospective employers that students are hard workers who can finish their commitments.

Students who are currently struggling with school should know that there are many resources available, from reaching out to on-campus advisors, joining study groups and taking advantage of technology to help them study more efficiently through online classes. College is hard work, despite its sometimes-hazy portrayal in pop culture. But it doesn’t have to be impossible, provided students prepare themselves socially and academically for the challenge.



18 comments:

  1. You state you can't blame the "Jobs Market", that is the major problem for students all over the world, with today's modern technology, most of the work is being done by, either Robotics withing major industries, container ships being unloaded/loaded by computerised systems via fast rolling giant cranes, No manual work for dockers throughout the world, no manual work for those , mostly in the car industry, the population has outstripped the job markets because computers have taken over. If every student started reading computer science and then went onto university, there would still be insufficient work for them. Its called Mother nature, and, modern times.

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  2. I have to say the most shocking statistic among this is the fact that African Americans are still at the bottom of the pile, still getting the rawest deal - and by such a huge gulf.

    I don't even want to ask how the indigenous peoples are faring.

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  3. With 10,000 qualified teachers registered as unemployed in the 26 counties, it's fair to say that education is waste of time for many. During the 5 yrs I spent in Dublin seondarary school, not a single employer came to the school to offer career advice or work experience. Irish people have no problems identifying parts of the globe, next stop -- Melbourne! Anybody can do a degree online, they are as worthless as a packet of toilet paper . We don't need 70,000 school leavers per annum.

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  4. I remember my son's primary school teacher telling me that kids are so bolstered up these days that when the bolster is removed some crumble.
    I think this is quite true, tutors and special additional equipment now seems to be the order of the day.
    Props are used sometimes to over compensate for intelligence, to the extent and I am quoting Mr Lecky my son's teacher, 'In the end we don't know we if we have intelligent children or not.'
    I think the end product is what the research has shown, a huge amount of people leaving university with degrees and low levels of intelligence.

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  5. alexandra and her colleagues have to be congratulated for bringing more information into the public domain through this type of format.

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  6. Education is a business, simple as that. Especially university education. It would be interesting to find out how many graduates are unemployed or underemployed here in Ireland. I wouls say the figure would shatter the perception that going to university will set you up for a better job and a better standard of life. For example, I have worked in a call centre and I tell you it was basically factory work in a office. It was mental torture, to the effect that certain jails in the US are allowing inmates work through acting as a call centre operative. After all of the qualifications I achieved Alevels were by far the hardest for me.
    Belfast bookworm,
    Apparently at any given time there are 2 million african americans in jail in USA, now image that, the jailhouse is also a business as well especially after privatisation in the USA. There will always be a steady flow of inmates especially if the legislation is pretty repressive in a lot of the states. Anybody know which companys run the jails? Are they linked to the defence industry, I have a suspicion they are.

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  7. James; it's funny you should mention company's 'owning' prisons, the huffington post did a really interesting story a while back on the privatisation of prisons in the US and how work is being outsourced for prisoners to do.

    Thinly disguised slavery.

    I looked for the link there but can't seem to paste it into this post. Interesting reading.

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  8. Fionnuala; 'leaving university with degrees and low levels of intelligence'

    Has Michael Henry got a degree then?

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  9. Belfast Bookworm-

    Nope- I have no degrees and no intention of getting any-Another without a degree made idiots out of Fine Gael and Labour in the dail
    tonight-today by telling them to leave the dail bar to debate- Not A
    bad leader we have-

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  10. michaelhenry
    Don't think they hand out degrees for bar work.
    I'm sure Adams will get an honourary something or other.
    Can't think what though spoilt for choice.

    ReplyDelete
  11. @ MichaelHenry Adams will get an honoury something "bar none"
    There are other factors than prepared for university academically and socially although its definitely a big factor especially accessing initial course on "study skills for college" totally different type of study to school.
    I don't have any figures on financially how students are supported in comparison in different countries but finance plays its part especially if from low socially economic background-and also university has become a business-not about education.
    we can bail out banks for billions but invest in education?

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  12. Michaelhenry,

    that's only coz it was his turn to buy a round

    ReplyDelete
  13. Fionnuala-

    Gerry is on twitter and Facebook as i type about being locked out of his Dundalk office and him contemplating going up the drainpipe to get in through the top window LOL-he will get no awards if he is nicked for being a cat burglar-

    AM-

    " that's only coz it was his turn to buy a round "

    You still have it- [ a wee bit of humour that is ]

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  14. Michaelhenry, Adams has his minions who are quite willing to do these things for him....

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  15. His mates in mi5 will have a spare set of keys

    ReplyDelete
  16. Michaelhenry
    Who locked him out, clearly somebody who knows him.
    Probably someone who could not listen to anymore of his economic debates or border pole shite.
    Isn't there a connection between rats and drainpipes?

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  17. Fionnuala:

    "Isn't there a connection between rats and drainpipes?"

    Of course there is, its "ADAMS and Co. He is so low he could slide down inside a drainpipe with his 2ic and 3ic Kelly!. as for the Border Poll, that is a no win situation, and SF know it, People are eventually coming to their senses , they don't want SF spin doctors coming around at Election time spoofing crap from forked tongues. Like visualise it, Gerry being locked out, He just has to call his private numbers, PSNI o28.Com/Ruc sb/028.co/MI5 o2.com, or, a few of his mates hoods!!!, those same hoods are from ex PIRA families who have gone astray after watching their father, or , mother come out of prison and hit the drink, I like a drink, when I can afford it, Its now 8 years ago since they tried to force me out of my car on ardoyne Rd, They know know they made the biggest mistake of their lives when they saw what was pointed at them, I shouted, Stay were you are, I could smell there Pants for hours, and ,My car was well over weight!. Moving furniture!!! that night.

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  18. Apologies for using the wrong pole. Maybe I was thinking it could aid Adams vault during his distress.
    Nice to have seen him scrambling down the drain though, especially if there was a bit ice lying around.

    ReplyDelete