Education
In today’s unstable economic times and increasing unemployment rates, the need for a college education has never been more important. Gone are the days where high school diplomas are sufficient, as more employers are requiring potential applicants to possess a bachelor degree or higher. According to the United States Census Bureau, in 2008, 79.6% of all Texans had a high school diploma or more, while only 25.3% of Texans possessed a Bachelor’s degree or higher. The problem lies with students’ adjustment from high school to college. I feel the state education board should mandate that all publicly funded Texas schools offer additional college credited classes at the high school level because it will ease the transition between high school and college and allow students to succeed at the university level. When examining the differences between high school and college, one can look at the differences in the class sizes, the subject matter, and the amount of outside study time, to realize that high school and college classes are polar opposites. The things that make you successful in high school don’t always translate into college success. In most instances, high school students’ time is structured by others. Students are told where to go, when to do it, and at no time taught real world time management skills. Once these students enter college, they are overwhelmed by the amount of free time on their hands. Most college professors recommend that students spend two to three hours a week studying outside of class for every credited hour taken. For a full time student, that is a minimum of twenty –four study hours a week. In high school, students are typically taught everything in class and seldom spend more than two hours a week studying. How can you expect these students to study twenty or more hours a week without being taught? Even if students are disciplined enough to study the recommended amount, most do not know how to decipher between what is important and potentially testable. High school students are expected to read short assignments in class and then told what they need to know from the readings. College professors typically only use readings as a supplement to their lecture to help amplify the material covered in class. Unfortunately, most first year college students learn too late and receive either poor grades or they drop classes. Another advantage of offering college credited classes in high school is that it benefits students when applying to colleges. As every future, current and past college student knows the admission process for most colleges are demanding and places an increased amount of stress on college applicants. College admission offices, in general, look at student’s grade point average, class rank, and standardized test scores when evaluating potential students. While some debate the validity of standardized test in regards to college success, it’s hard to dispute that grade point averages and class ranks are vital when assessing potential students. High schools that offer college credit are typically done through advanced placement or honors classes. Due to the rigors of these classes, overall scores are often weighted and allow for increased grade point averages and higher class ranks. Additionally, when advance placement and honors classes are evaluated by college admission offices, it shows a willingness to challenge oneself and indicates that a student is prepared for college. This could be the deciding factor when choosing between two applicants.