While reading the first couple chapters of our text book, I found two things that interested me.
1). The context of the first chapters goes over the fabulous history that created student affairs as it is today. I am interested in getting to know everyone as classmates, and finding out what your history is. What formed you, what experiences did you have, what was that one thing that made you want to get into the student affairs field. What you were involved in at your undergrad, what is your favorite aspect of the field, and what area you hope to work in/with in in the future (those are some ideas as how you got here, you don't have to answer all of the questions). I think it would be interesting to find out each others strengths and interests, since we are at "sleep away camp for two years" together.
2). I found on page 8 an interesting statement that may or may not correlate with events happening today (open to many different debates/opinions). It says that one reason colleges "lacked qualified students during the period 1800 to 1860", was the country "lagged in providing secondary education, the obvious and necessary source for college applicants." Today we have many more students progressing and graduating from high schools than in the 1800's, however my question to you is... Even though students are graduating from high school, are they adequately prepared and given the appropriate education and skills they need to compete and be successful in a higher education setting? - My personal thought is because of the massive amounts of budget cuts occurring all across the country, leaving schools understaffed and classes over sized. The other issue that can be seen is the possibility of more inadequate teachers remaining employed during budget cuts. It is much harder to get new/quality teachers in a school district, than it is to cut a teacher that has been at a school for more than 5 years. Evaluating how good a teacher is based on time spent at the school rather than basing it on performance evaluations, is an injustice to the students. I feel that our students today are not getting the appropriate attention they deserve to be fully successful in their pursuit of future education.
I know that's a lot for the first blog, but thanks for reading and I look forward to people's responses!
1. Iowa is famous for very few things, but one of them is politics. I grew up around it and I was loved studying it at the U of I (I was an English/Political Science double major). I did two internships in politics as a junior, but by the end of the second I knew that really wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. I was pretty down when I started senior year and REALLY confused about what I wanted to do after graduation. Luckily I had an awesome supervisor who pointed out that I’d always loved my job in admissions, my two part time jobs in Athletics, and being a peer advisor for the Study Abroad Office (I’m the shamrock nametag, from my semester in Ireland). For some silly reason it had never occurred to me that I could actually turn those loves into a career. That same supervisor suggested getting my masters degree, so that I could keep learning and working in student affairs. 2. As for the question about secondary education...I don’t know if I can speak about high schools generally, but I do remember my freshman year pretty well. The toughest part of my first semester was that I didn’t know how to write a college level paper. I got straight A’s in high school English, but my first college paper got a C. The professor wrote a note at the bottom saying I was a good writer, I just didn’t know how to write in college yet. She spent most of that semester re-teaching me how to write a paper. She taught me how to structure an argument, how to use topic sentences and transitions effectively, how to utilize research in a way that supported my own ideas instead of just borrowing from someone else, etc. I definitely wasn’t ready to write at the college level when I started out, but I’m not sure that was the fault of the high school I attended. College is just a big academic step up from high school, no matter where you went to high school, and I think it’s hard to walk in on day one 100% ready to do college level work. That’s what we’re all here for ☺ to make that transition a little easier
1.I was a student athlete in college.And I worked in Academic Advising for Athletes for one semester my freshman year. I became an RA and had to leave my previous job.My experience as a student athlete was interesting.I found myself feeling like the outsider of the team. This is a feeling far from what I ever thought I’d feel in college.To bring it back a little more,in high school I was a 3 sport athlete.I come from a town that has about a 50/50 split of Whites and Blacks, but I come from a high school where 97% of students are Black. During High School my teammates and I learned how to work hard as a team and we learned how to win even when we loss as a team. I hope that makes sense, we celebrated each other strengths and didn’t dwell on weaknesses in a negative way.In college, I didn’t have that same team dynamic. I spent a lot of my time capitalizing on teachable moments with respects to race and I felt the relationships were superficial.You know when you feel like someone doesn’t have your best interest at heart? It’s very difficult to build trust in such cases. Besides my family supporting me, the Assistant Athletic Director at the time who was also my supervisor when I worked in Athletics shared some wisdom with me. She did not tell me to walk away from the team and she didn’t tell me to stay, she let me make my own decision based on what was best for ME. Needless to say, after my second year of playing, there came a time where I felt I could no longer associate myself with our “brand” if you will. I was done. I had an emotional conversation with my coach and I spoke with all my teammates wishing them the best. Ever since then I knew that I wanted to be the Assistant Athletic Directors position. I wanted to support student athletes on a counseling/advisory level. Besides that, my last two years of undergrad I joined clubs and orgs, held office in a hand full, and sat on different advisory boards. 2.Clara you’ve asked some great questions. From my experiences, I’ve always made the best of what I had and to me regardless of whether you’re an above average or average student work ethic determines where you will be in the end. I can say both yes and no to your question. I do think there are a great group of educators who love what they do and who are in the classroom for the right reasons. On the other hand, there aren’t enough! Some are waiting for retirement.
During my AmeriCorps year I witnessed a small city vote FOR budget cuts in the education system because they wanted one of the public schools to close. That didn’t happen, but instead of the school closing now classes of 20-25 students will be sharing textbooks in school and they have to sign them out to take them home because there isn’t enough for all of them to do so. The majority of these students are English learning students and are coming from households where little to know English is understood. Where in that scenario is the success of the student? Here we are as grad students. Do you feel valued as a student in the CSA program? I do, I am so grateful. he middle school students I referred to do not.If the student doesn’t feel valued then why would they think their education is important? Beyond that,if the student doesn't understand why education should be valued then there is a huge disconnect.Most of those students want someone to show a genuine interest in their success by leveling with them.There seems to be major nurturing gaps in education, but that varies on an individual basis. don't think we should have to rely on the educators who love their students, rather we need to hold everyone accountable.
How can education and overall student success not be limited by socioeconomics?
1. I came to college with the mindset that I can try just about anything. When I took a campus tour before deciding where to attend, I told myself, I could do that job. I did become a campus tour guide my first year. From there it was a spiralling motion - I joined the Ultimate Frisbee club team, I was an orientation leader, I was in Student Government as the Class of 2007 president. Each opportunity arose because the supervisors and advisors suggested I expand my experiences. (I'm sure my will try try new things also had something to do with it as well.) The one things that got me hooked was Orientation. I don't know if I see myself working in orientation when we graduate, but it was the most eye-opening to the world of student affairs. Right now, I hope to work in academic advising helping students get on the track of their choice and graduate on time. I think the student interaction and advising role interests me because I do want to make a difference to the student and provide some of the same great encouragement my supervisors and advisors gave me.
2. This topic is very interesting to me. I was a math major and secondary education minor in college, hoping to become a high school math teacher. I realized the classroom management wasn't what I wanted and so I never taught beyond a semester of Student Teaching. From those education classes and many close friends teaching in high schools, this is a very hot topic. In general, I think most students are prepared. One downfall is that this can vary depending on location, budgets, socioeconomic status, family history, etc. I think the schools in Massachusetts are preparing students well to move on to college, but my experience is just in Massachusetts. I know MA has a state wide testing system where if a you don't pass, you can't graduate. This puts a lot of pressure on students and teachers but in the end, students who aren't successful wouldn't be eligible for admission to most colleges. More funding, better recruitment and retention of teachers, better rewards for teachers, etc are always needed but I do think that high schools do prepare students for college academically. The adjustment socially to college isn't something necesarily taught in high schools and I don't know if it can be. Many colleges now offer first year experience courses like USF's University Experience that help with the adjustment to college.
1.To put it in one sentence, I was the over involved guy in college. My freshman year I started working in the admissions office as an assistant to the transfer admissions counselor and volunteered for the campus tour program there. I was also the first student to write a school-sponsored blog about my freshman experience. In the spring semester, I joined Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity where I took on various leadership roles throughout my college career. I worked as an Orientation Leader for summer and fall in between my freshman and sophomore year and a position was created for me for the following years to become the Orientation Coordinator. I left the Admissions’ Office and worked for the Office of Student Involvement the remainder of my time. I was the VP of Activities my Junior year and President my senior year for Student Government. I was also involved in various committees on campus and served as a Presidential Fellow for the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. It was through all of my involvement with everything (and being a conference junkie) along with some great mentors that helped sway me into the field. I had planned on going for my masters straight out of my undergrad, but took a job for my Fraternity (still in the field I think) the past couple years and now here I am! There is a lot more to my story, but this is already getting way long! ☺
2. This is a tough thing to think about. I think it all depends on the school system and where it is located. Some high schools definitely excel in preparation for college while others sadly lack. If I were to classify all high schools together, I do not think it prepares the average student for higher education. The alternative for that student however is the real world, and what does high school really teach about that? Not a whole lot. A majority of freshman are overwhelmed with the excitement of being independent and meeting new people to truly dive into their studies as much as they should.
1. I completed my undergraduate work at USF. During this time, I was highly involved in a scholarship organization that provided funding to me. I also worked in the Athletics' Academic Enrichment Center for 2 years. During this time, I became interested in pursuing a career in Higher Education. I knew a few students in the program and this prompted me to pursue admission. My experiences, however, were not overwhelmingly characterized by college activities. I have worked and been involved in fields outside of the university, which have in some ways reinforced my belief that I am pursuing the right program.
2. As noted in Chapter 2, the development of public education is primarily a state right, not a federal one (although the federal government does have measures which allow them to intervene). Furthermore, the state governments do not necessarily manage the individual schools; often (if not always) there are districts by county or town which handle the specifics of the school. Additionally, there are private schools, vocational secondary schools and other educational alternatives. Given the assumedly large number of high schools (and their equivalents) in many towns and many states, I do not think it is possible make a judgement about the preparation of all students for higher education. I do think, however, that students, for the most part, follow the most appropriate avenue for them after high school graduation. While there will always be exceptions, I think that given the wide range of postsecondary educational options, a student can find a suitable fit for his academic and social history, economic ability and other deciding factors.
I've always been involved in Athletics. I came in as a track and cross country athlete to USF. Most of my undergrad was spent in the athletic building and becoming part of the athletics family. One thing that formed me in my undergrad years was having to deal with a coach that I couldn't relate to. My sophomore year I was placed in the hands of a new coach, and this brought my comfort level to an all time low. Yes I can be a bit of a control freak! Needless to say it was a nightmare! I came to an all time low performance wise and mentally and this was something that had never happened to me. During the same time my father was in Iraq (Airforce) and he has always been the one parent I could relate to. So that point in my undergrad shaped me because I had to learn to block out the negativity of the coach, and gain strength. For some this may not seem like a lot but for me it was a challenge. There were times I wanted to quit, but I am not a quitter, and I made it through, and realized that Athletics was more than just competing...we all (if we liked it or not) became part of a family. We could always count on someone to be there, and being part of something like that really helped me in my undergrad. To have that support system. To be able to express what I was feeling to someone who understood. I kind of fell into Student Affairs. I worked as an Academic Coach a semester after graduation. I have always wanted to work in a field that helped people, and helped guide people to find what's right for them. I loved the job and enjoyed working with the student athletes. Although sometimes stressful I love working amongst the athletes. Ive learned so much about what makes up not only the academic but professional side of athletics, and I've taken a definite liking to this field. Although I am interested in learning about different areas in Student Affairs, Athletics is where my interest lies right now.
To the second question, I have to say I do not feel a lot of high school graduates are adequately prepared for college. I fortunately went to a high school that had a college setting and my undergrad was very similar and I was very ignorant in thinking everyone had this opportunity. I was sadly mistaken. With tutoring and even helping other students out it became very apparent, many weren't able to study, take notes, or even write a simple essay! They were never taught! This is shocking to me, but with my sister working in the school system, it's a sad fact that with our school system many teachers are inadequate and/or not provided the materials they need to prepare students. A lot of undergrads come in overwhelmed and not prepared for the workload they are given their first year. I definitely agree that high school instructors should be evaluated on the quality of students they pass, and not the quantity.
1. I wasn't quite as involved as some of you during my undergrad years. I was part of the French Club on campus, studied abroad my junior year, and loved attending all sorts of events on campus. I also became a member of Kappa Delta Pi (Education Honor Society) my sophomore year, and did some volunteer work in the community. Even though I didn't work in any of the student affairs offices on campus, I loved being in the collegiate environment. I was seriously bummed when I graduated and had to leave all that behind. When I decided that teaching wasn't really for me, I was so excited to learn that I could actually earn a degree that would allow me to work on a college campus. Like some of you mentioned, I never really thought about that as a major before talking to some people in the field and finding out what I needed to do to become one of them. Now I'm so excited to be here!
2. Having just come from teaching secondary education, I can tell you that no, high schools are not properly preparing the majority of students for post-secondary education. I think that's reflected in the rising attendance rates and declining graduate rates at community colleges. I think it goes back further than high school though. I taught freshmen my first year and I could not believe some of the basic skills students were lacking. Emily mentioned how the states have rights to decide what is being taught. I think that could potentially be a huge topic for debate. As a result of states rights in the area of education, each state, each county, each school district is teaching a different curriculum. And yet, they are all expected (for the most part) to be able to make a smooth transition into college. Are we doing students a serious disservice by allowing this? Clara poses an excellent point; however, because to make any significant changes there would need to be a massive overhaul nationwide of how we are running our educational institutions from pre-K all the way up through post-secondary education.
1) My path to this program began as a tour guide here at USF. As a very active member of Green and Gold guides, and organizations within New Student Connections, I developed many great relationships with excellent mentors. These relationships always encouraged me to pursue my passion for helping students and families as they inquired about the opportunities available here at USF. These discussions on the bog are interesting to me because early in my undergrad, I considered being a classroom teacher. However after becoming involved with campus activities I realized my true interesting serving with in higher education.
2) I agree that it is sad to consider the inadequate preparation of high school students for success in college. The two chapters in our text were very interesting to me because of the historical perspective. I like how the chapters presented a foundation for our understanding of higher education in American history, and the classifications of types of institutions. I am very impressed with this textbook and look forward to learning more. One last thought, USF is a research level 1 institution as designated by the Carnegie Foundation; this is something to be very proud.
1. When I came to USF I was young, dumb, and believed I could get away with things if I made people laugh. I still feel the same now. I graduated with a Bachelor in Mass Communication and minor in Political Science. I was very involved as an undergrad, but I never really thought so when I was in it. Everything I was doing was fun; so it never really seemed like work or an "extra curricular activity." I came into USF through a program called FSI (Freshman Summer Institute) from there on I stayed working on campus. I refereed Intramurals, worked at the bookstore, and then became an OTL (Orientation Team Leader). I later was hired as the Late Nite/Comedy Director for CAB (Campus Activities Board) and was promoted to Executive Director. I also joined Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and here I molded my skills in leadership and with the help of my brothers won many prestigious awards over the last two years including Chapter of the Year at USF and in our council back to back. I'm sure I did a bunch of other things, but won't get into it now because this would just get too long. Student Affairs captured my attention when I worked at CAB and saw all the student programming and development a campus does. This is where I hope I can be in the future and help students gain pride in their college by giving their campus the best programming and activities they can.
2. This is an interesting topic, but I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. It simply depends on where you are from. Do high schools prepare students for college? The answer is it depends on which high school it is. I do not think you can categorize all high schools because there are public and private schools and I believe regions play a big part. I believe the success of an individual in college comes from the desire of that individual. Perhaps someone was not taught how to succeed in college, yet if you put them in the environment and they want to succeed they will. You can prep someone to go to college for years, but if they do not care about it they are going to leave the first chance they get in it.
Clara, I must say that these questions are pretty intriguing.
1. Like Ashley, I, too, fell into Student Affairs. I went to undergrad aspiring to be the next top TV Journalist, working for Good Morning America or the Today Show. My sophomore year, I became a Resident Assistant working on the living-learning floor dedicated to Broadcast Communications. Not only was I enhancing my experience within media, I was starting to emerge and grow as a leader. Before you know it, I was working for my college TV station with on-air and production work. I became even more involved as I worked as a Knight Guide, conducting historical tours of Rutgers, planned campus-wide events within Residence Life and even got involved with NRHH. However, the turning point for me was when I worked one-on-one with a resident my junior year. To keep the story short, he was a mess when he came in as a first-year. One year later, he is on the Dean's List and an e-board member for his fraternity. I don't credit myself at all for his success. I credit him for allowing me to help him. I knew then that I needed to work with students at the college level. In the end, the interest in media was still there, but the experience I was gaining from working in a college setting became more rewarding for me, and I wanted to help foster that for other college students.
2. With high schools successfully preparing students for college, I would agree with CJ. There are many school districts in the nation that really are invested in the educational experience of their students. Not only does it stem from administration and teachers within the schools, it comes from support in the communities. Parents and guardians should be taking ownership of their child's education, making sure they have the best. Within those communities, they will do whatever it takes to receive the best. On the other hand, there is a large number of school districts are not invested in their students at all. It is about getting the funding they need from the state government to keep these schools functioning. It is more about keeping salaries afloat rather than expanding the knowledge of a student. Andrea is speaking from first-hand experience. I'm sure that she was a phenomenal teacher, but with providing education, you need an army of educators ready to equip their students with everything they need to know.
SN: I love how my CSA cohort as a "2-year sleep-away camp" comment has risen to near-infamy in just a few days!!!
1. I knew I was going to be a doctor my whole life. I did research in high school (http://www.psqh.com/sepoct06/studentsurvey.html) with USF, did international poster presentations at academic conferences, worked at the hospital...I was going to be a pediatric oncologist. My first semester I failed Chem and got a D in pre-calc. That shook me up to say the least. I decided to persist in my dream of becoming a doctor and thought, "Let me double major, yea! That'll make it easier!" So I became a Journalism/Pre-med Biology double major with a minor in Spanish. Long story short, I realized that I was not destined to be a doctor. I loved writing, teaching, and learning and I was going to stick with journalism (an English major was too restrictive) and add an Education minor. I wrote for the communigator, was managing editor of Sistersspace.com, and freelanced here and there. My writing interests were Fashion/Beauty (I was a professional high-fashion model for 5 years), Education, and minority affairs. Education had always been a passion of mine (for the sake of keeping this post short I won't go into all of my pre-undergrad work with Education..). I knew I wasn't going to work "in the field of journalism." It was just a matter of narrowing down what aspect of education I wanted to go into. I toyed with the idea of becoming a principal/superintendent (I still may open my own charter school in the future). While I am still passionate about the school system, I decided on college student affairs. To be frank, I really disliked my undergraduate experience. Run-ins with uncaring, inept student affairs professionals and "advisors" who were too high-profile/caught up in their personal research and publication interests to counsel a "non-conventional student" like myself really informed my perception of my alma mater and colleges/universities as a whole. I worked with the College Reach-Out Program for a little over year, teaching "at-risk," low-income students at Santa Fe High School. I applied to some Educational Psychology and Educational technology programs, however the CSA program had something special and here I am!
I am the Founder/CEO of Ntoso Nexus Inc. A non-profit organization that puts undergraduate women of color in touch with mentors in their fields of interest; So I do that full time as well.
2. I love to talk about this kind of stuff, because this is the area were my education passion was born. The answers to this question are as long and complex as the issue itself. There are too many root causes and contributors to the problems in the system to pin it on any ONE thing. However, Clara made some valid points on which I'd like to expound. First my answer to this question is a general "No." With the Bachelors degree becoming the new diploma, our high schools are conduits to higher ed or no ed. Meaning those who are marginalized, labeled, behind, falling through the cracks or just uninterested are getting left behind. They are dropping out or being passed along to fend for themselves with no other options (vocation, technical jobs etc...) presented to them. My experience is in dealing with very poor high schools/school systems that are not preparing their students for higher educational opportunities. Some of the schools have had class graduation rates as low as 20%! I could go on for days, but to piggyback off Clara, funding is definitely one of the root causes of the problem. Until education is made a priority in the country as a whole, and adequate and appropriate funding is made available to attract and retain good teachers AND PAY THEM ENOUGH, repair infrastructures, create engaging and relevant curricula, and commit to the needs of our students, change will be slow to come.
Anyone who'd like to talk more about this, violence/sex/drugs in schools, schools as reflections of the neighborhoods they serve, homework, the Opportunity Gap, the Achievement Gap, standards, behavior problems, labeling etc... Can find me in my bunk in Cabin 3.
***Monica made some GREAT points too...all issues are part of the problem. Gotta start tackling them somewhere. And Andrea is right. A massive nationwide overhaul is in order. In higher ed we're dealing largely with the "made-its" not the ones who didn't (who are much more numerous). We're in our exciting, cushy bubble of academia where you can find people who value you, share your opinions, find your niche. There's truly something for everybody in higher ed. In secondary ed, you're largely stuck where you are (district, county, state) with what you've got (No textbooks, poor instructors, crappy buildings). Our poor secondary ed system is a crisis. It plays into democracy, higher ed issues, the economy..People don't realize how far-reaching the implications are.
1. College was a huge growing experience for me. I decided to go to College 11 hours away from home in TN and take on two collegiate level sports. I thought this was a great decision at the time because I was going to play the two sports that I loved, but it got to be overwhelming. I also started feeling the same way Monica felt about some of my teammate's not having my best interest out and everyone just worrying about themselves. I decided to transfer my sophomore year to FSU and really focus on school. I changed my major a bunch of times and finally settled in PSychology. I really liked everything about psychology, but could not pinpoint what I really wanted to do within that field as a career. I also started getting really involved with on campus activities and clubs. Then one day I had a guest speaker in one of my classes who happened to be the director of the career center. He explained his background to the class about how he had a master's in college student affairs. I was very interested in his profession and decided to contact him and learn more. Since then, I have wanted to pursue a master's in this program and hopefully work in a career or counseling center on a college campus.
2. I believe that I was pretty well prepared for college from my high school. However, I did have a very similar experience to Alyssa. I have always enjoyed writing and have gotten good grades in English, but my first college paper came back to me as a C. I was also told that I wasn't taught how to write a college level paper yet. It took a little getting used to, but with time I was writing very well organized papers with thesis statements, topic sentences, and etc. Also, I agree with Clara's opinion on teacher's budget cuts. My mom has been a teacher for many years. She is a very experienced teacher who knows what she is doing, but even she thinks that the class size and budget cuts are insane. She has had many young aspiring people who have student taught along with her who have never gotten the opportunity to teach on their own because schools are just not hiring right now.
I was a student athlete in high school, definitely considered a “Jock.” At my high school academics were valued highly, more so for student athletes than others. Most students’ athletes were in AP, advance, and honor classes. Like in the sports we played, we became competitive in academics as well. As a result I was found myself in a in a psychology course the intrigued me so much that I decided at that moment, that I would major in psychology. The first undergraduate institution that I experienced was the University of West Florida (Pensacola, FL). Great campus, great academics, but it was not Tampa. I received my fundamentals from UWF, but after 3 years I decided to come back home (Tampa) and try USF. Being that I grew up in Tampa, USF was not first on my list for attending college. It actually was the last institute I wanted to go, not because of the reputation but because I had been there before. Little did I know! I transferred to USF my senior year, and in the last year of my undergraduate studies I learned more than the three years I had spent at UWF. I’m not knocking UWF at all it is a great school, what it lacks is practical experience (very small city). My first year at USF, I worked at USF campus recreation. Six months in, I was promoted to a student supervisor. In that role is where I learned practical information. How to create programs, how to run programs, how to present programs to professional staff, how to supervise peers, outreach, etc. I had a supervisor who allowed me to be creative. My supervisor also provided me with learning opportunities, not just giving me answers. It was my supervisor at campus recreation that helped guide me in the direction of student affairs. I initially was looking for something along the lines of sports psychology. My supervisor had a conference with me, asking me what my short terms and long term goals were. After expressing my goals she then suggested the student affairs program. My thoughts on whether high school students are appropriately equipped for higher education is , in all honesty, no. My opinion is a bit biased though. When I started college I was not equipped in the least. The environment alone is so different let alone the academic and social aspects of being in college. I graduated from a Florida high school and Florida is not known for the best education system. I do believe that there are high schools that do adequately equip high school students, but in general, I think it is something that could use more research, continual research because the education realm is forever changing
1.Like some have said here already, I totally fell into student affairs as a profession. I came to USF intent on studying Business but that did not last long. I ended up majoring in communications because it involved practical everyday issues involving interactions and human nature. Since I am a sports nut, I worked full-time at the rec center and played every sport possible through intramurals. It was after working for 2 years at the rec center that I decided it was time for a different challenge. I applied to a position in the student enrollment communication center or SECC,(now defunct)which was part of the Admissions Office. I actually was completely under qualified for that position but impressed the interviewer enough that she reccomended me for a spot in the call center. I worked 2 years in that office and following graudation was offered a job as an EMS (enrollment management specialist), which is essentially front desk triage work, but where came to learn a great deal about admissions policy and procedure. I also came to realize that working in higher education was my true calling. I became a recruiter shortly after, visiting high schools and giving on-campus presentations. After leaving for more $ at a for profit institution, I realized I TRULY belonged at a more traditional collegiate setting working with and for students. That experience, while awful at the time, helped me gain perspective and the necessary motivation to go back to school for a masters degree. I could not be more excited to be starting this new part of the journey!
2. This subject seems to evoke many different responses. I feel it is a combination of hard work and parenting early on that allows students to succeed in college. I understand curriculum is important and good teachers are invaluable, but ultimately it is the student and parents responsibility to ensure the proper steps are taken. Now I definitely do not mean we need more "helicopter parents" but I would bet students who recieve help and/or guidance from parents regarding college will be more likely to succeed. How many times have we heard "most of what you learn in college is outside the classroom"? Knowing how to be proactive rather than reactive and time management are just as important as what your AP calculus score was coming out of high school. When it comes to grading teachers, there is a lot of subjectivity. It is difficult to easily identify a good or bad teacher based on 1-2 factors. The one concern I have heard from teachers the most has to do with students getting the proper help and guidance at home. If a student is a disciplinary problem, a teahcer will waste class time dealing with them. This hurts the other students who are there to learn.
Also, Bill Gates has gifted a ton of money toward Hillsborough County schools, so there are some great opportunities for schools in our community. New teachers are also being evaluated more rigorously, so this may help retain better teachers. It might work against schools also, since the new evaluation process involves a mentor visiting a classroom of a new teacher up to 3 times a week. Once has to wonder if this will scare away possible new education majors.
1. My history in student affairs started when I became an RA my sophomore year. I wanted the job because it was on campus and I wouldn’t have to drive to work. That year, I realized how much responsibility it was and how much of an impact I had on other college students as a result of the things I did in the Halls. I then became an Orientation Leader which put me in a position that allowed me to teach incoming freshmen about what was to come. I enjoyed helping them in any way I could. It was the Thank you’s that got me, and that is when I started to seriously pursue student affairs. So I was an RA two more years and continued on into grad school here at USF. 2. As for Education in High School. Not all schools are equal like everyone else says, but I think we are better off every year than the previous. In the early 1900’s there were many folks who couldn’t even read a book. I think there will always be a negative skew in the bell curve that is education, but the whole thing is moving forward more and more as time and technology move forward.
Hey All! I find it so interesting to read everyones blogs about how they became interested in Student Affairs. I have to agree with a few of you, I fell into it as well. My first year I wasn't very involved at all. I mainly focused on my schoolwork and didn't bother to attend events on campus. I came into college with the goal of becoming a prosecutor. I studied for the LSAT and even started applying to law school. But my love for my residents as an RA really turned it around for me.I was involved with Res-Life for 3 years and worked with a Special Interest Section called Latin Images my junior and senior year. Being there and helping them grow grew into a passion for me and realized that all along that that's what I wanted to do with my life. So I threw away my law school applications and never looked back.
The question about high schools is a difficult one. I think that students really need that support not just from their teachers and the school district but also from their families or other support networks outside of school. I also do believe that because many districts are so interested in "looking good" they focus more on standardized test scores than actual education. I do think we are progressing though. This does deserve more research. It's an interesting topic.
It makes sense to me to comment on the second statement first because I feel it was the starting point in how my life began to change and grow. I went to a high school that was majority white. I was a two sport athlete and basketball for me was played pretty much all year round. Sports consumed my life, leaving little time for much else. School was very easy for me, I'm not sure I actually ever brought a book home. I went to a public high school and it seemed at though they just needed to get a majority to graduate. Since we did not pay to go to school many student did not care wether they passed or not. This seemed to make teachers baby many of the students just to get them to graduate. I was not used to making decisions for myself because my life was on a complete and total schedule. Be at practice at this time, school at this time, game at this time, I never had to think for myself. When it came to making a decision(college) I felt completely unprepared and ended up making a very wrong decision. Getting back on my feet was completely up to me, a lesson I was never taught in high school. To sum up all that babble, I do not feel I was personally prepared for college because I came from a public school. I do believe if I went to a private school I would of been way more prepared because the teachers there hold a value for you and your money. High school showed me life isn't going to be easy and that opportunity is not going to come knocking at your door. I do not believe high school really prepared anyone for this. Going to SIU was the best move of my life. I found people who really cared about me and my success, I wasn't just another student to my professors or to my boss. This is where I learned of student affairs(although at the time I did not realize it had an actual title). Student affairs is everywhere and it is not a job, it is a passion. These are the people who don't feel like they have jobs because they love what they do. My journey in student affairs began the first week that I was at SIU, little did I know a part time job as an official would lead to an opportunity to get a masters degree. In the future, I would love to stay in intramurals or possibly venture into athletics. I do not have a ten year plan and I never will. I like to believe life will take me in the direction that I am supposed to be in. Hope it all works out!...good topic, it was very enjoyable
1. I began my time at USF intent on studying Business. It took all of microeconomics for that idea to dissolve. I ended up studying Communications because of the practical everyday interaction and human nature involved. As an undergraduate I also worked full time at the Rec center and played every sport imaginable through intramurals. I attended pretty much all campus events and loved feeling a part of the university community. I actually fell into the higher education profession when I decided to look for a new challenge and leave the rec center. I applied to a position which I was completely under qualified for in the Student Enrollment Communication Center or SECC, which was part of Admissions. I ended up impressing enough in my interview that they offered me a spot in the call center. After I graduated I was elevated to ESM (enrollment management specialist) which is essentially working triage at the admissions front desk. I also developed a strong passion for the field and learned most of what I know about process and procedure at that time. I was then moved into a recruiting position. In this role I traveled to high schools and community colleges giving presentations about USF. I was also a part of the on campus visit. After following the $ to a for profit school (the dark side), I truly realized that the traditional collegiate setting was where I belonged. I also knew I wanted to work with and for college students and found myself motivated to get back to school. I am very excited about this next part of the journey!
2. My opinion here is a little different from others. I feel that most of what prepares a student for college is self motivation and parenting. I was raised with the expectation that I would go to college after high school. Either that or get a job and leave home :( Now I do believe that curriculum is important and good teaching is invaluable but the only person who can truly prepare someone for college is his/herself. I do believe that more realistic expectations should be explained to students in high school, but only so much can be done. How often have we heard the old saying "most of what you learn in college is outside the classroom". I think that means that being proactive rather than reactive and using time management is just as important as AP calculus scores. Also, college is a time to discover new things and learn about yourself, so it’s not surprising a lot of people feel unprepared.
Also, Bill Gates has gifted a large amount of $ toward the Hillsborough county district so I do believe there should be improvements in our community schools. This should help to retain quality educators and improve student performance. One also has to wonder if the grading system of new teachers, in which a "mentor" visits a classroom up to 3 times per week, might scare off potential education majors.
It looks like we have come from wide variety of experiences to arrive at this point. I started my undergrad at FSU. I was quickly disillusioned from the moment I started classes. My first Biology class was held in the main auditorium on campus and was so crowded that many of us could not even get into the building. A syllabus was passed around the crowd and I never set foot in class. Several other were equally disappointing and I never took enough interest in classes to be successful. Playing intramural and club sports was the extent of my involvement. I coasted through classes and ended up working in the State Senate for a couple of years before coming back to Tampa to finish at USF. I had such a lousy experience; I never thought I would end up in Student Affairs. Last year I had a chance to work in an advising center at East Carolina University and I thoroughly enjoyed the work. My wife graduated from the USF CSA program and she was thrilled with her experience. Everything I saw and heard about the program made it feel like a good fit, and it has been great so far. As for question 2, secondary education is a mess. After I graduated I went to work for a company that runs charter and private schools for juvenile offenders and alternative education students. I started as an activities director and ended up as the Principal and Executive Director in West Palm and then Jacksonville. I also spent time in the classroom in schools throughout Florida and worked as a substitute teacher in Boston. In a very roundabout way, I am trying to say that I have some experience in the field. I have to agree with some of the postings that said we need to put more money into secondary education. There is already an astonishing amount of money being spent. Washington D.C has historically been one of the highest spending per student as well as one of the worst performing. Georgia has paid their teachers substantially more than Florida for years without seeing the same performance in the classroom. We need to look at the goals of secondary education. The allocation of the money is more of an issue. The funding per student is focused on the upper and lower extremes of performance. The students who are performing at the top are seeing more and more options to learn through IB programs and dual enrollment. The low functioning ESE students get by the far the most funding per person. The middle is left untended. High schools use most of their resources on the students who are already likely to go on to college well prepared and the students that are not likely to go on to college regardless of the money invested. The ones who could use that extra push and preparation are left to fend for themselves. The goals of secondary education are not aligned with getting students prepared for college. In the districts where I worked the main two goals were to make sure none of the schools failed FCAT too many times in a row and to avoid lawsuits based on IDEA. Hardly noble aspirations, but deemed necessary for survival of the district.
It looks like we have come from wide variety of experiences to arrive at this point. I started my undergrad at FSU. I was quickly disillusioned from the moment I started classes. My first Biology class was held in the main auditorium on campus and was so crowded that many of us could not even get into the building. A syllabus was passed around the crowd and I never set foot in class. Several other were equally disappointing and I never took enough interest in classes to be successful. Playing intramural and club sports was the extent of my involvement. I coasted through classes and ended up working in the State Senate for a couple of years before coming back to Tampa to finish at USF. I had such a lousy experience; I never thought I would end up in Student Affairs. Last year I had a chance to work in an advising center at East Carolina University and I thoroughly enjoyed the work. My wife graduated from the USF CSA program and she was thrilled with her experience. Everything I saw and heard about the program made it feel like a good fit, and it has been great so far.
As for question 2, secondary education is a mess. After I graduated I went to work for a company that runs charter and private schools for juvenile offenders and alternative education students. I started as an activities director and ended up as the Principal and Executive Director in West Palm and then Jacksonville. I also spent time in the classroom in schools throughout Florida and worked as a substitute teacher in Boston. In a very roundabout way, I am trying to say that I have some experience in the field. I have to agree with some of the postings that said we need to put more money into secondary education. There is already an astonishing amount of money being spent. Washington D.C has historically been one of the highest spending per student as well as one of the worst performing. Georgia has paid their teachers substantially more than Florida for years without seeing the same performance in the classroom. We need to look at the goals of secondary education. The allocation of the money is more of an issue. The funding per student is focused on the upper and lower extremes of performance. The students who are performing at the top are seeing more and more options to learn through IB programs and dual enrollment. The low functioning ESE students get by the far the most funding per person. The middle is left untended. High schools use most of their resources on the students who are already likely to go on to college well prepared and the students that are not likely to go to college regardless of the investment. The ones who could use that extra push and preparation are left to fend for themselves. The goals of secondary education are not aligned with getting students prepared for college. In the districts where I worked the main two goals were to make sure none of the schools failed FCAT too many times in a row and to avoid lawsuits based on IDEA. Hardly noble aspirations, but deemed necessary for survival of the district.
I was not overly involved during all of my time as an undergraduate here at USF. During the first semester my RA introduced me to building counsel in my second semester, I found the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. I was happy being part of something but didn’t want to take on any more responsibilities until my last two years. My senior year is when I was the most involved in both my fraternity and as an RA. I enjoyed helping my residents become a part of the USF community. I also challenged my fraternity brothers to grow and develop personally and professionally. This is when I started exploring the possibility of a career in higher education. I was grateful for the student affairs professionals that challenged and supported me during my experience and I want to be there to encourage other students. I’m most interested in academic advising because I want to help students figure out what degree they want and help get them to the finish line.
Even though I was well prepared for college it was not only because of what I learned in the high school classroom. It was my life experiences leading up to that point. I still had to learn to adjust to college, as most students do, but it helped that I was ready academically. I think it is important to see that being ready for higher education isn’t just about what is learned in high school, but is a culmination of a person’s experiences and expectations.
1. I when I came to USF I was totally overwhelmed! I was a transfer student from HCC (Hillsborough Community College) and did not know where I was going to fit in. Until I went to an information meeting for the business fraternity AKPsi. This is where I found where I belonged. While in AKPsi, I was active within my pledge class working on the social committee and other activities. Once I brother, I had two little that I adore and was able to mentor them throughout their time at USF. I was also was lucky enough to Study Abroad in Spain for the summer semester. My first semester of my Senior year i applied and received an internship at Walt Disney World in their Professional Recruitment department. This lead to a full time job after graduation as a coordinator for their Internship Recruitment department. I loved my job and my favorite part was working with the students and planning their arrival to the company. Unfortunately the economy went south and they combined my department with another department and my whole team was laid off. However, this let me examine what I loved about my job and where I wanted to go. So, after talking to a friend who is a CSA alumni I knew this was the right path for me! I am interested in events, study abroad and international student affairs. However, I would love to learn more about residence life because I really only lived in a residence hall while abroad.
2. I think there is a step missing for students from their Senior year in High School to their Freshmen semester in college. At least in my experience. I feel that there was a gap in teaching how to write at a college level or how to take notes that are not given directly to you. The only real place where students were prepared for college could be found in the very few AP classes offered. I also feel it is how involved the parents are in the child's education and the involvement of teachers.
“Student affairs is everywhere and it is not a job, it is a passion.” Very well said Lisa! I couldn’t agree more. It didn’t hit me until senior year that I could become a Student Affairs professional. What had initially sent me in that direction was a mandatory first-year class at DePaul very similar to UE. What set “Discover Chicago” and “University Experience” apart was that “Discover Chicago” combined an academic topic (taught by a faculty member) with the a transition to college/DePaul agenda (taught by a student mentor). I loved every aspect of that part of the class, and became a student mentor the following year to help guide the class after me. It was not until then that I began to discover all that Student Affairs is. I became a student worker in the office on campus that held Parent and Family Programs, First-Year Programs and Orientation. Two years later, nearing graduation, I decided it was the field I wanted to stay in.
As for secondary education, I agree with a lot of what everyone has brought up. More funding at this level of education is obviously necessary. I would like to point out another interesting parallel along the lines of preparing students for college. The sentence after the one Clara started us off with stated that there were colleges between 1800-1860 that created programming to gain income and students, displaying “American ingenuity” (Komives & Woodard, 2003). These kinds of programs exist today in a variety of forms. When I began at DePaul, there was a program that enabled students to participate in summer courses and a mentoring program. An academic success portion covered topics such as test-taking strategies, time management, note and test taking, etc. Students succeeding in the program would then gain full admission to the university. This program has undergone changes in the last 5 years; however, it still exists to support this student population. Upward Bound is a more well-known example of a program aiding a student’s transition between high school and college. I am sure there are many more examples depending on different institutions. The fact that such programs began such a long time ago and continue to be used today seemed fascinating to me.
1)When I was a senior in College in wanted to Consult for Delta Gamma professionally. When I did not get the position, my greek advisor approached me about the idea of studying student affairs. At first I was only interested in having a GA in Greek life and (long and short of the story) I realized that I would be happy with an assistantship in any field because working with students what was I was truly interested in doing.
2)I agree with Clara on this. Even though students are graduating from high school, I do not think that many of them are adequately prepared and given the appropriate direction they need to be successful in a higher education setting. I think that a lot of students do not know what to expect when they go to into college. Some have never had any leadership experience and do not have appropriate time management skills. Additionally, these students do not possess individualism and find it hard to be on their own. All of the these impreparations lead to a new discussion of student retention rates, but we will not get into that right now.
1. I graduated from K-State in May 2008 and really wasn't sure that I wanted to pursue Advertising as a career (this was my undergraduate major). So, I explore some options, and like Justin, I also took a position working for my fraternity as a traveling Leadership Consultant. I traveled across the country and visited over 30 universities (mostly in the Midwest with a few outliers) in a 12-state range. The exposure to campus life and college students made me realize that I really liked working in a student affairs related field. But the travel was too much for me, so I accepted an offer to be an Admissions Representative at K-State to recruit high school students to K-State. I fell in love with every aspect of my University all over again and had an all new appreciation for university-related work, whether it was student affairs or academia, or anything else. I loved it all. Long story short, that's when I realized that I wanted to make this into a career.
2. Are our students adequately prepared for college after high school? By and large, I don't think so. But I also think that's okay. A huge part of the college experience is adapting to adulthood and, as we talked about in Ecology tonight, there needs to be a fair amount of support and challenge in our college environment. I appreciated the learning experiences that I had while I was an undergraduate and I realize now, retrospectively, that college was just as much about learning how to manage my time, responsibilities and personal life simultaneously as it was about the actual education in the classroom.
Likewise, I see our CSA program as a similar catalyst for our graduate work. We'll be working at least 20 hours per week while managing homework, readings, projects, supervising groups, personal life and other things. It's all applicable practice for the next stage just as secondary education gave us a taste of college while making us yearn for more, the CSA program will allow us to adapt to the professional working world while still having the flexibility of a college schedule.
1.) Coming out of high school, I was ready to take on college and get involved in anything that peak my interest. My parents knew this about me and begged me to “only get involved with one or two clubs until sophomore year”. I didn’t really listen and actually had to secretly join the executive boards for a couple of organizations (I told them after the fact that I had not only been in clubs, but also ran them). I met so many people and loved the chance to broaden my circle of friends to include people I might’ve never otherwise met, had it not been for campus events, student organizations, and on-going activities around school. It didn’t take long for me to learn that college can be a never ending social hour, if you don’t put clear limits on your free time. After my freshmen year, I retreated a bit and only devoted my time to a few organizations. This seemed to suit me better, as I got a chance to create stronger bonds with the people I interacted with. Through serving on my school’s sanctioning board (ironically called the “Honor Council”, no connection to my present GAship in the HonorS Council here), I had the chance to work with deans, professors, and other students to review student misconduct cases and sanction punishments. I got especially close with a dean of mine, who gave me the “inside scoop” on student affairs and more specifically, academic advising. I asked her, “How do I become an academic advisor?” and the rest is history :)
2.) I consider myself lucky, having graduated high school from a decent public school that seemed dedicated to preparing its students for higher education. However, I know that a lot of the responsibility of how successful a student can be rests on factors outside of the class, such as parental support, financial security, and the natural talents and ambitions of the student him/herself. We often forget sometimes as a society that parents raise their children primarily, and then the teachers and administrators instruct them in their coursework. There seems to be a prevalent subconscious notion that the school a child attends will fully raise and prepare that child for life. Unfortunately, most of us do not get sent away to boarding schools to have life lessons taught parallel to our coursework. Being prepared for higher education comes from the experiences and lessons often learned outside of the classroom –dedication, focus, foresight, and critical analysis. The emphasis of most high school education curriculum never encompasses these or albeit any traits, but rather give prominence to specific material. So what seems to be the end result? Parents assume schools are responsible for raising their children, while the schools assume child rearing occurs at home with the families. End result? Some kids fall through the cracks and leave school without the street-smarts or book-smarts to handle higher education.
1. My entire life I have had the expectation of a post-graduate degree. My mother has her PhD in Childhood Education and my father has a graduate degree from a highly recognized technical school in Architectural Engineering. I am also an only child so it is appropriate to say that I have had high expectations placed on me since before I can remember. The first person to raise my interest in student affairs was Robert Herron. At the time he was a student in the CSA program at USF and he raised some questions about my future that no one else had really bothered to ask. After working for 3 years at the MSC the rest was history, I knew it was the right fit for me. I would say that so far I am most passionate about union work but I am building a great respect for service learning and leadership programs.
2. In my opinion we have a number of services available for students to use if they are unprepared for a college environment. I believe the biggest challenge we have is communicating those services to the incoming students. In most cases college is a natural step after high school and I think it is important to help the students to realize that college is a learning environment and for these incoming students to appreciate the education they can receive.
I think it is interesting to note the impact that time has on our generation. Everything must be done as quickly as possible so we can be a successful young working adult so that we can enjoy our lives to the fullest. There is also a lot of emphasis placed on four year graduations. Time is overly valued in our society and it would be interesting to see if students were given a grant after high school to prepare themselves for a college experience how differently those students would react in today's college environment.
1. I was not the most involved student in my undergrad years. Instead what set me on the path to student affairs were my "jobs" during that time. I say "jobs" because they were more fun than anything and the work I was doing didn't really feel like work, I would have done it even without getting paid! I too started my career as a tour guide for OSU Sophomore year. I loved getting families excited about coming to my school and loved interacting with the students. Junior year I worked one on one with students in the Career Management office of the College of Business, helping them build and better their resumes and navigate our job/internship search website. It was a completely different experience, working in an office setting one on one, instead of out and about on campus with a large group, but just as rewarding. I was also an RA half of Junior and all of Senior year. All of those positions and experiences were very different except for the common denominator of working with students. My supervisors helped me realize that this was something out of which I could make a career and I never looked back!
2. I also do not think our students are adequately prepared for the college experience after high school. This is due to a number of different reasons, some of them related to the shortcomings of our education system, but the bigger ones I think come from the traits of the Millennial generation. For the most part students entering college are going to have the education level they need to succeed, as long as they work hard. However, many of these students come into college without some important life skills that would help them succeed - ranging from doing laundry on their own to confronting and managing conflict. A lot of high school students are used to having their parents do so much for them and do not know how to do things for themselves. This and the unwillingness to learn how do do these things is what makes students unprepared for college. As an example: if a straight A student in high school earns a C on his/her first English paper, is he going to run to his parents, cry and say he should have been given an A (and subsequently ask the parents to call the professor, or higher to have the grade adjusted) or is the student going to attend office hours to learn how to write a better paper next time? The choice a student makes in this situation is telling of how prepared he/she is for college. As Ryan said, part of college is about adapting to adulthood and regardless of the preparation a student can be successful as long as he/she is willing and able to make, and is supported in that adaptation.
1. I was actively involved in many facets as an undergrad here at the University of South Florida. I was blessed to have been an acclaimed student-athlete on the Men’s Track and Field Team, a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, and actively involved in student government, the office of multicultural affairs, the Black Student Union, the Coalition of Black Organizational Leaders, the Corporate Mentorship Program, and various others aspects that USF had to offer. My interest in student affairs came during my senior year as I stood as the President to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is the governing body to the historically African-American fraternities and sororities, Vice-President to my fraternity, and became the face of the African-American population at USF. As I stood in these major positions on campus I developed a love for helping and inspiring students of all diversities. Me being so actively involved in the affairs of the university, I began to truly see many problems that students faced within universities and I pledged myself to help students. During my senior campaign, I was honored and blessed with arguably more accolades and awards than any single individual student here at USF for my contributions to the USF community. Because of that, I feel it is a lifelong obligation of mine to pursue a degree in student affairs and Higher Education so that I can truly give back to students and inflict inspiration, change, and progression. 2. As many of you all have stated, I too do not feel as though students graduating out of high school are adequately prepared for higher education. Throughout my experiences, I have seen many of my friends and classmates struggle within there first year in a higher institution. Many freshmen, and even sophomores, in colleges tend to struggle in classes and slack off. It isn’t until there junior and senior levels are these students beginning to “buckle down” and make up for loss time in the previous years. If students were more adequately prepared then they would understand that academics is important within the first two years of college and that college is not completely a social atmosphere to party and consume alcohol.
1. My experiences at Purdue were extremely varied and evolved over the 5 years (4 years of actual classes) that I was there. My freshmen year I joined my fraternity Pi Kappa Phi which strongly influenced my freshmen and sophomore year activities - all were heavily centered around the fraternity. My fraternity is the only social fraternity to have our own philanthropy, Push America, which raises money and awareness for persons with disabilities. I became a team member of the Journey of Hope, which is a bicycle trip across the US (San Fran to DC) to raise money for this cause and this was the start of a year long internship with the organization. I believe this is truly where I fell in love with student affairs, but didn't quite put all the pieces together until later in life that it could actually turn into a career. The last two years of college I became involved with Old Masters, a strong traditional lecture series (which does nothing to truly explain this program), a variety of other smaller events/organizations, and senior year was selected for Mortar Board National Honor Society. If I had the opportunity to actually speak with someone ten years ago to realize student affairs was a profession I probably would have taken this step a long time ago. I definitely have an amazing group and number of mentors I look up to from my undergraduate experience in addition to the last few years of professional experience that will shape who and what I become in this profession.
2. Great question. I think this would definitely depend on the school district. When I graduated high school I felt I was ready for college as I had always succeeded, done well, and graduated #3 in my class. However, I went to a small rural high school and realized extremely quickly I was nowhere near as prepared as some of my peers. Where I do feel I was prepared was from having been involved in high school with extra-curricular activities which helped me to develop social skills and time management skills. Had I not have developed these skills I think I would have not done so well at Purdue and probably would have been overwhelmed and possibly transferred to a smaller institution. In addition to the academic side of preparing for college in high school, I feel the "life lessons" need to be taught - finances, time management, diversity, etc., to truly prepare for the college experience.
1. Attending a community for 2 1/2 years and then transfering to USF was a big schock to me, and to think that I would get lost at PHCC some times! My Undergrad years at USF weren't necessarily the most exciting of my life, but they were conducive to my educational growth and allowed me the opportunity to meet many interesting people and find a good career as a calling. However, I think that since I didn't live on campus--and commuted from Brooksville--it didn't exactly leave me with the most opportune situations to enjoy the "college experience" but this was probably better for my GPA anyway. USF's long history as a "commuter-college" is still well known, but the university is taking steps to distance itself from that stigma. Hopefully some day people will recognize its history as a bastion of intellectual thought, activism, research, and diversity in the same thought, ro exceed it.
I found the professors at USF to be very engaging, sympathetic to my needs and interests, and all around happy with their careers--something that they passed on to the students. It was this kind of attitude that made me want to go into Student Affairs, so hopefull someday I could be that professor that encourages students to fulfill their dreams.
2. For the most part I do not think that the typical college freshman is ready for the increased course load and demand. I personally know a large amount of students that have dropped out of college in their first semester to join to the service. This is usually due to failing grades--often caused by excessive partying, little studying, and a lack of discipline (or willpower) to continue the academic process. This isn't the only detriment, yet one of the most explicit. Also, I would say that a lack of proper funding, a lagging economy (causing more prospective "good" students to work longer hours and spend less time studying), and disinterest lead to failing grades.
Hey Everyone!
ReplyDeleteWhile reading the first couple chapters of our text book, I found two things that interested me.
1). The context of the first chapters goes over the fabulous history that created student affairs as it is today. I am interested in getting to know everyone as classmates, and finding out what your history is. What formed you, what experiences did you have, what was that one thing that made you want to get into the student affairs field. What you were involved in at your undergrad, what is your favorite aspect of the field, and what area you hope to work in/with in in the future (those are some ideas as how you got here, you don't have to answer all of the questions). I think it would be interesting to find out each others strengths and interests, since we are at "sleep away camp for two years" together.
2). I found on page 8 an interesting statement that may or may not correlate with events happening today (open to many different debates/opinions). It says that one reason colleges "lacked qualified students during the period 1800 to 1860", was the country "lagged in providing secondary education, the obvious and necessary source for college applicants." Today we have many more students progressing and graduating from high schools than in the 1800's, however my question to you is... Even though students are graduating from high school, are they adequately prepared and given the appropriate education and skills they need to compete and be successful in a higher education setting?
- My personal thought is because of the massive amounts of budget cuts occurring all across the country, leaving schools understaffed and classes over sized. The other issue that can be seen is the possibility of more inadequate teachers remaining employed during budget cuts. It is much harder to get new/quality teachers in a school district, than it is to cut a teacher that has been at a school for more than 5 years. Evaluating how good a teacher is based on time spent at the school rather than basing it on performance evaluations, is an injustice to the students. I feel that our students today are not getting the appropriate attention they deserve to be fully successful in their pursuit of future education.
I know that's a lot for the first blog, but thanks for reading and I look forward to people's responses!
Clara
1. Iowa is famous for very few things, but one of them is politics. I grew up around it and I was loved studying it at the U of I (I was an English/Political Science double major). I did two internships in politics as a junior, but by the end of the second I knew that really wasn’t what I wanted to be doing. I was pretty down when I started senior year and REALLY confused about what I wanted to do after graduation. Luckily I had an awesome supervisor who pointed out that I’d always loved my job in admissions, my two part time jobs in Athletics, and being a peer advisor for the Study Abroad Office (I’m the shamrock nametag, from my semester in Ireland). For some silly reason it had never occurred to me that I could actually turn those loves into a career. That same supervisor suggested getting my masters degree, so that I could keep learning and working in student affairs.
ReplyDelete2. As for the question about secondary education...I don’t know if I can speak about high schools generally, but I do remember my freshman year pretty well. The toughest part of my first semester was that I didn’t know how to write a college level paper. I got straight A’s in high school English, but my first college paper got a C. The professor wrote a note at the bottom saying I was a good writer, I just didn’t know how to write in college yet. She spent most of that semester re-teaching me how to write a paper. She taught me how to structure an argument, how to use topic sentences and transitions effectively, how to utilize research in a way that supported my own ideas instead of just borrowing from someone else, etc. I definitely wasn’t ready to write at the college level when I started out, but I’m not sure that was the fault of the high school I attended. College is just a big academic step up from high school, no matter where you went to high school, and I think it’s hard to walk in on day one 100% ready to do college level work. That’s what we’re all here for ☺ to make that transition a little easier
1.I was a student athlete in college.And I worked in Academic Advising for Athletes for one semester my freshman year. I became an RA and had to leave my previous job.My experience as a student athlete was interesting.I found myself feeling like the outsider of the team. This is a feeling far from what I ever thought I’d feel in college.To bring it back a little more,in high school I was a 3 sport athlete.I come from a town that has about a 50/50 split of Whites and Blacks, but I come from a high school where 97% of students are Black. During High School my teammates and I learned how to work hard as a team and we learned how to win even when we loss as a team. I hope that makes sense, we celebrated each other strengths and didn’t dwell on weaknesses in a negative way.In college, I didn’t have that same team dynamic. I spent a lot of my time capitalizing on teachable moments with respects to race and I felt the relationships were superficial.You know when you feel like someone doesn’t have your best interest at heart? It’s very difficult to build trust in such cases. Besides my family supporting me, the Assistant Athletic Director at the time who was also my supervisor when I worked in Athletics shared some wisdom with me. She did not tell me to walk away from the team and she didn’t tell me to stay, she let me make my own decision based on what was best for ME. Needless to say, after my second year of playing, there came a time where I felt I could no longer associate myself with our “brand” if you will. I was done. I had an emotional conversation with my coach and I spoke with all my teammates wishing them the best. Ever since then I knew that I wanted to be the Assistant Athletic Directors position. I wanted to support student athletes on a counseling/advisory level. Besides that, my last two years of undergrad I joined clubs and orgs, held office in a hand full, and sat on different advisory boards.
ReplyDelete2.Clara you’ve asked some great questions. From my experiences, I’ve always made the best of what I had and to me regardless of whether you’re an above average or average student work ethic determines where you will be in the end. I can say both yes and no to your question. I do think there are a great group of educators who love what they do and who are in the classroom for the right reasons. On the other hand, there aren’t enough! Some are waiting for retirement.
During my AmeriCorps year I witnessed a small city vote FOR budget cuts in the education system because they wanted one of the public schools to close. That didn’t happen, but instead of the school closing now classes of 20-25 students will be sharing textbooks in school and they have to sign them out to take them home because there isn’t enough for all of them to do so. The majority of these students are English learning students and are coming from households where little to know English is understood. Where in that scenario is the success of the student?
Here we are as grad students. Do you feel valued as a student in the CSA program? I do, I am so grateful. he middle school students I referred to do not.If the student doesn’t feel valued then why would they think their education is important? Beyond that,if the student doesn't understand why education should be valued then there is a huge disconnect.Most of those students want someone to show a genuine interest in their success by leveling with them.There seems to be major nurturing gaps in education, but that varies on an individual basis. don't think we should have to rely on the educators who love their students, rather we need to hold everyone accountable.
How can education and overall student success not be limited by socioeconomics?
-Monica
1. I came to college with the mindset that I can try just about anything. When I took a campus tour before deciding where to attend, I told myself, I could do that job. I did become a campus tour guide my first year. From there it was a spiralling motion - I joined the Ultimate Frisbee club team, I was an orientation leader, I was in Student Government as the Class of 2007 president. Each opportunity arose because the supervisors and advisors suggested I expand my experiences. (I'm sure my will try try new things also had something to do with it as well.) The one things that got me hooked was Orientation. I don't know if I see myself working in orientation when we graduate, but it was the most eye-opening to the world of student affairs. Right now, I hope to work in academic advising helping students get on the track of their choice and graduate on time. I think the student interaction and advising role interests me because I do want to make a difference to the student and provide some of the same great encouragement my supervisors and advisors gave me.
ReplyDelete2. This topic is very interesting to me. I was a math major and secondary education minor in college, hoping to become a high school math teacher. I realized the classroom management wasn't what I wanted and so I never taught beyond a semester of Student Teaching. From those education classes and many close friends teaching in high schools, this is a very hot topic. In general, I think most students are prepared. One downfall is that this can vary depending on location, budgets, socioeconomic status, family history, etc. I think the schools in Massachusetts are preparing students well to move on to college, but my experience is just in Massachusetts. I know MA has a state wide testing system where if a you don't pass, you can't graduate. This puts a lot of pressure on students and teachers but in the end, students who aren't successful wouldn't be eligible for admission to most colleges. More funding, better recruitment and retention of teachers, better rewards for teachers, etc are always needed but I do think that high schools do prepare students for college academically. The adjustment socially to college isn't something necesarily taught in high schools and I don't know if it can be. Many colleges now offer first year experience courses like USF's University Experience that help with the adjustment to college.
Oh man, where do I begin….
ReplyDelete1.To put it in one sentence, I was the over involved guy in college. My freshman year I started working in the admissions office as an assistant to the transfer admissions counselor and volunteered for the campus tour program there. I was also the first student to write a school-sponsored blog about my freshman experience. In the spring semester, I joined Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity where I took on various leadership roles throughout my college career. I worked as an Orientation Leader for summer and fall in between my freshman and sophomore year and a position was created for me for the following years to become the Orientation Coordinator. I left the Admissions’ Office and worked for the Office of Student Involvement the remainder of my time. I was the VP of Activities my Junior year and President my senior year for Student Government. I was also involved in various committees on campus and served as a Presidential Fellow for the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. It was through all of my involvement with everything (and being a conference junkie) along with some great mentors that helped sway me into the field. I had planned on going for my masters straight out of my undergrad, but took a job for my Fraternity (still in the field I think) the past couple years and now here I am! There is a lot more to my story, but this is already getting way long! ☺
2. This is a tough thing to think about. I think it all depends on the school system and where it is located. Some high schools definitely excel in preparation for college while others sadly lack. If I were to classify all high schools together, I do not think it prepares the average student for higher education. The alternative for that student however is the real world, and what does high school really teach about that? Not a whole lot. A majority of freshman are overwhelmed with the excitement of being independent and meeting new people to truly dive into their studies as much as they should.
1. I completed my undergraduate work at USF. During this time, I was highly involved in a scholarship organization that provided funding to me. I also worked in the Athletics' Academic Enrichment Center for 2 years. During this time, I became interested in pursuing a career in Higher Education. I knew a few students in the program and this prompted me to pursue admission. My experiences, however, were not overwhelmingly characterized by college activities. I have worked and been involved in fields outside of the university, which have in some ways reinforced my belief that I am pursuing the right program.
ReplyDelete2. As noted in Chapter 2, the development of public education is primarily a state right, not a federal one (although the federal government does have measures which allow them to intervene). Furthermore, the state governments do not necessarily manage the individual schools; often (if not always) there are districts by county or town which handle the specifics of the school. Additionally, there are private schools, vocational secondary schools and other educational alternatives. Given the assumedly large number of high schools (and their equivalents) in many towns and many states, I do not think it is possible make a judgement about the preparation of all students for higher education.
I do think, however, that students, for the most part, follow the most appropriate avenue for them after high school graduation. While there will always be exceptions, I think that given the wide range of postsecondary educational options, a student can find a suitable fit for his academic and social history, economic ability and other deciding factors.
I've always been involved in Athletics. I came in as a track and cross country athlete to USF. Most of my undergrad was spent in the athletic building and becoming part of the athletics family. One thing that formed me in my undergrad years was having to deal with a coach that I couldn't relate to. My sophomore year I was placed in the hands of a new coach, and this brought my comfort level to an all time low. Yes I can be a bit of a control freak! Needless to say it was a nightmare! I came to an all time low performance wise and mentally and this was something that had never happened to me. During the same time my father was in Iraq (Airforce) and he has always been the one parent I could relate to. So that point in my undergrad shaped me because I had to learn to block out the negativity of the coach, and gain strength. For some this may not seem like a lot but for me it was a challenge. There were times I wanted to quit, but I am not a quitter, and I made it through, and realized that Athletics was more than just competing...we all (if we liked it or not) became part of a family. We could always count on someone to be there, and being part of something like that really helped me in my undergrad. To have that support system. To be able to express what I was feeling to someone who understood.
ReplyDeleteI kind of fell into Student Affairs. I worked as an Academic Coach a semester after graduation. I have always wanted to work in a field that helped people, and helped guide people to find what's right for them. I loved the job and enjoyed working with the student athletes. Although sometimes stressful I love working amongst the athletes. Ive learned so much about what makes up not only the academic but professional side of athletics, and I've taken a definite liking to this field. Although I am interested in learning about different areas in Student Affairs, Athletics is where my interest lies right now.
To the second question, I have to say I do not feel a lot of high school graduates are adequately prepared for college. I fortunately went to a high school that had a college setting and my undergrad was very similar and I was very ignorant in thinking everyone had this opportunity. I was sadly mistaken. With tutoring and even helping other students out it became very apparent, many weren't able to study, take notes, or even write a simple essay! They were never taught! This is shocking to me, but with my sister working in the school system, it's a sad fact that with our school system many teachers are inadequate and/or not provided the materials they need to prepare students. A lot of undergrads come in overwhelmed and not prepared for the workload they are given their first year. I definitely agree that high school instructors should be evaluated on the quality of students they pass, and not the quantity.
1. I wasn't quite as involved as some of you during my undergrad years. I was part of the French Club on campus, studied abroad my junior year, and loved attending all sorts of events on campus. I also became a member of Kappa Delta Pi (Education Honor Society) my sophomore year, and did some volunteer work in the community. Even though I didn't work in any of the student affairs offices on campus, I loved being in the collegiate environment. I was seriously bummed when I graduated and had to leave all that behind. When I decided that teaching wasn't really for me, I was so excited to learn that I could actually earn a degree that would allow me to work on a college campus. Like some of you mentioned, I never really thought about that as a major before talking to some people in the field and finding out what I needed to do to become one of them. Now I'm so excited to be here!
ReplyDelete2. Having just come from teaching secondary education, I can tell you that no, high schools are not properly preparing the majority of students for post-secondary education. I think that's reflected in the rising attendance rates and declining graduate rates at community colleges. I think it goes back further than high school though. I taught freshmen my first year and I could not believe some of the basic skills students were lacking. Emily mentioned how the states have rights to decide what is being taught. I think that could potentially be a huge topic for debate. As a result of states rights in the area of education, each state, each county, each school district is teaching a different curriculum. And yet, they are all expected (for the most part) to be able to make a smooth transition into college. Are we doing students a serious disservice by allowing this? Clara poses an excellent point; however, because to make any significant changes there would need to be a massive overhaul nationwide of how we are running our educational institutions from pre-K all the way up through post-secondary education.
1) My path to this program began as a tour guide here at USF. As a very active member of Green and Gold guides, and organizations within New Student Connections, I developed many great relationships with excellent mentors. These relationships always encouraged me to pursue my passion for helping students and families as they inquired about the opportunities available here at USF. These discussions on the bog are interesting to me because early in my undergrad, I considered being a classroom teacher. However after becoming involved with campus activities I realized my true interesting serving with in higher education.
ReplyDelete2) I agree that it is sad to consider the inadequate preparation of high school students for success in college. The two chapters in our text were very interesting to me because of the historical perspective. I like how the chapters presented a foundation for our understanding of higher education in American history, and the classifications of types of institutions. I am very impressed with this textbook and look forward to learning more. One last thought, USF is a research level 1 institution as designated by the Carnegie Foundation; this is something to be very proud.
1. When I came to USF I was young, dumb, and believed I could get away with things if I made people laugh. I still feel the same now. I graduated with a Bachelor in Mass Communication and minor in Political Science. I was very involved as an undergrad, but I never really thought so when I was in it. Everything I was doing was fun; so it never really seemed like work or an "extra curricular activity." I came into USF through a program called FSI (Freshman Summer Institute) from there on I stayed working on campus. I refereed Intramurals, worked at the bookstore, and then became an OTL (Orientation Team Leader). I later was hired as the Late Nite/Comedy Director for CAB (Campus Activities Board) and was promoted to Executive Director. I also joined Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity, Inc. and here I molded my skills in leadership and with the help of my brothers won many prestigious awards over the last two years including Chapter of the Year at USF and in our council back to back. I'm sure I did a bunch of other things, but won't get into it now because this would just get too long. Student Affairs captured my attention when I worked at CAB and saw all the student programming and development a campus does. This is where I hope I can be in the future and help students gain pride in their college by giving their campus the best programming and activities they can.
ReplyDelete2. This is an interesting topic, but I don't think there is a right or wrong answer. It simply depends on where you are from. Do high schools prepare students for college? The answer is it depends on which high school it is. I do not think you can categorize all high schools because there are public and private schools and I believe regions play a big part. I believe the success of an individual in college comes from the desire of that individual. Perhaps someone was not taught how to succeed in college, yet if you put them in the environment and they want to succeed they will. You can prep someone to go to college for years, but if they do not care about it they are going to leave the first chance they get in it.
Clara, I must say that these questions are pretty intriguing.
ReplyDelete1. Like Ashley, I, too, fell into Student Affairs. I went to undergrad aspiring to be the next top TV Journalist, working for Good Morning America or the Today Show. My sophomore year, I became a Resident Assistant working on the living-learning floor dedicated to Broadcast Communications. Not only was I enhancing my experience within media, I was starting to emerge and grow as a leader. Before you know it, I was working for my college TV station with on-air and production work. I became even more involved as I worked as a Knight Guide, conducting historical tours of Rutgers, planned campus-wide events within Residence Life and even got involved with NRHH.
However, the turning point for me was when I worked one-on-one with a resident my junior year. To keep the story short, he was a mess when he came in as a first-year. One year later, he is on the Dean's List and an e-board member for his fraternity. I don't credit myself at all for his success. I credit him for allowing me to help him. I knew then that I needed to work with students at the college level.
In the end, the interest in media was still there, but the experience I was gaining from working in a college setting became more rewarding for me, and I wanted to help foster that for other college students.
2. With high schools successfully preparing students for college, I would agree with CJ. There are many school districts in the nation that really are invested in the educational experience of their students. Not only does it stem from administration and teachers within the schools, it comes from support in the communities. Parents and guardians should be taking ownership of their child's education, making sure they have the best. Within those communities, they will do whatever it takes to receive the best. On the other hand, there is a large number of school districts are not invested in their students at all. It is about getting the funding they need from the state government to keep these schools functioning. It is more about keeping salaries afloat rather than expanding the knowledge of a student. Andrea is speaking from first-hand experience. I'm sure that she was a phenomenal teacher, but with providing education, you need an army of educators ready to equip their students with everything they need to know.
Oh...here's my last show that I did for RU-tv. Watch at your own risk :)
ReplyDeletehttp://ur.rutgers.edu/video/rutv/sk/sk-122.wmv
SN: I love how my CSA cohort as a "2-year sleep-away camp" comment has risen to near-infamy in just a few days!!!
ReplyDelete1. I knew I was going to be a doctor my whole life. I did research in high school (http://www.psqh.com/sepoct06/studentsurvey.html) with USF, did international poster presentations at academic conferences, worked at the hospital...I was going to be a pediatric oncologist. My first semester I failed Chem and got a D in pre-calc. That shook me up to say the least. I decided to persist in my dream of becoming a doctor and thought, "Let me double major, yea! That'll make it easier!" So I became a Journalism/Pre-med Biology double major with a minor in Spanish. Long story short, I realized that I was not destined to be a doctor. I loved writing, teaching, and learning and I was going to stick with journalism (an English major was too restrictive) and add an Education minor. I wrote for the communigator, was managing editor of Sistersspace.com, and freelanced here and there. My writing interests were Fashion/Beauty (I was a professional high-fashion model for 5 years), Education, and minority affairs. Education had always been a passion of mine (for the sake of keeping this post short I won't go into all of my pre-undergrad work with Education..). I knew I wasn't going to work "in the field of journalism." It was just a matter of narrowing down what aspect of education I wanted to go into. I toyed with the idea of becoming a principal/superintendent (I still may open my own charter school in the future). While I am still passionate about the school system, I decided on college student affairs. To be frank, I really disliked my undergraduate experience. Run-ins with uncaring, inept student affairs professionals and "advisors" who were too high-profile/caught up in their personal research and publication interests to counsel a "non-conventional student" like myself really informed my perception of my alma mater and colleges/universities as a whole. I worked with the College Reach-Out Program for a little over year, teaching "at-risk," low-income students at Santa Fe High School. I applied to some Educational Psychology and Educational technology programs, however the CSA program had something special and here I am!
I am the Founder/CEO of Ntoso Nexus Inc. A non-profit organization that puts undergraduate women of color in touch with mentors in their fields of interest; So I do that full time as well.
2. I love to talk about this kind of stuff, because this is the area were my education passion was born. The answers to this question are as long and complex as the issue itself. There are too many root causes and contributors to the problems in the system to pin it on any ONE thing. However, Clara made some valid points on which I'd like to expound. First my answer to this question is a general "No." With the Bachelors degree becoming the new diploma, our high schools are conduits to higher ed or no ed. Meaning those who are marginalized, labeled, behind, falling through the cracks or just uninterested are getting left behind. They are dropping out or being passed along to fend for themselves with no other options (vocation, technical jobs etc...) presented to them. My experience is in dealing with very poor high schools/school systems that are not preparing their students for higher educational opportunities. Some of the schools have had class graduation rates as low as 20%! I could go on for days, but to piggyback off Clara, funding is definitely one of the root causes of the problem. Until education is made a priority in the country as a whole, and adequate and appropriate funding is made available to attract and retain good teachers AND PAY THEM ENOUGH, repair infrastructures, create engaging and relevant curricula, and commit to the needs of our students, change will be slow to come.
ReplyDeleteAnyone who'd like to talk more about this, violence/sex/drugs in schools, schools as reflections of the neighborhoods they serve, homework, the Opportunity Gap, the Achievement Gap, standards, behavior problems, labeling etc... Can find me in my bunk in Cabin 3.
***Monica made some GREAT points too...all issues are part of the problem. Gotta start tackling them somewhere. And Andrea is right. A massive nationwide overhaul is in order. In higher ed we're dealing largely with the "made-its" not the ones who didn't (who are much more numerous). We're in our exciting, cushy bubble of academia where you can find people who value you, share your opinions, find your niche. There's truly something for everybody in higher ed. In secondary ed, you're largely stuck where you are (district, county, state) with what you've got (No textbooks, poor instructors, crappy buildings). Our poor secondary ed system is a crisis. It plays into democracy, higher ed issues, the economy..People don't realize how far-reaching the implications are.
ReplyDelete1. College was a huge growing experience for me. I decided to go to College 11 hours away from home in TN and take on two collegiate level sports. I thought this was a great decision at the time because I was going to play the two sports that I loved, but it got to be overwhelming. I also started feeling the same way Monica felt about some of my teammate's not having my best interest out and everyone just worrying about themselves. I decided to transfer my sophomore year to FSU and really focus on school. I changed my major a bunch of times and finally settled in PSychology. I really liked everything about psychology, but could not pinpoint what I really wanted to do within that field as a career. I also started getting really involved with on campus activities and clubs. Then one day I had a guest speaker in one of my classes who happened to be the director of the career center. He explained his background to the class about how he had a master's in college student affairs. I was very interested in his profession and decided to contact him and learn more. Since then, I have wanted to pursue a master's in this program and hopefully work in a career or counseling center on a college campus.
ReplyDelete2. I believe that I was pretty well prepared for college from my high school. However, I did have a very similar experience to Alyssa. I have always enjoyed writing and have gotten good grades in English, but my first college paper came back to me as a C. I was also told that I wasn't taught how to write a college level paper yet. It took a little getting used to, but with time I was writing very well organized papers with thesis statements, topic sentences, and etc. Also, I agree with Clara's opinion on teacher's budget cuts. My mom has been a teacher for many years. She is a very experienced teacher who knows what she is doing, but even she thinks that the class size and budget cuts are insane. She has had many young aspiring people who have student taught along with her who have never gotten the opportunity to teach on their own because schools are just not hiring right now.
-Megan
I was a student athlete in high school, definitely considered a “Jock.” At my high school academics were valued highly, more so for student athletes than others. Most students’ athletes were in AP, advance, and honor classes. Like in the sports we played, we became competitive in academics as well. As a result I was found myself in a in a psychology course the intrigued me so much that I decided at that moment, that I would major in psychology.
ReplyDeleteThe first undergraduate institution that I experienced was the University of West Florida (Pensacola, FL). Great campus, great academics, but it was not Tampa. I received my fundamentals from UWF, but after 3 years I decided to come back home (Tampa) and try USF. Being that I grew up in Tampa, USF was not first on my list for attending college. It actually was the last institute I wanted to go, not because of the reputation but because I had been there before. Little did I know! I transferred to USF my senior year, and in the last year of my undergraduate studies I learned more than the three years I had spent at UWF. I’m not knocking UWF at all it is a great school, what it lacks is practical experience (very small city). My first year at USF, I worked at USF campus recreation. Six months in, I was promoted to a student supervisor. In that role is where I learned practical information. How to create programs, how to run programs, how to present programs to professional staff, how to supervise peers, outreach, etc. I had a supervisor who allowed me to be creative. My supervisor also provided me with learning opportunities, not just giving me answers. It was my supervisor at campus recreation that helped guide me in the direction of student affairs. I initially was looking for something along the lines of sports psychology. My supervisor had a conference with me, asking me what my short terms and long term goals were. After expressing my goals she then suggested the student affairs program.
My thoughts on whether high school students are appropriately equipped for higher education is , in all honesty, no. My opinion is a bit biased though. When I started college I was not equipped in the least. The environment alone is so different let alone the academic and social aspects of being in college. I graduated from a Florida high school and Florida is not known for the best education system. I do believe that there are high schools that do adequately equip high school students, but in general, I think it is something that could use more research, continual research because the education realm is forever changing
1.Like some have said here already, I totally fell into student affairs as a profession. I came to USF intent on studying Business but that did not last long. I ended up majoring in communications because it involved practical everyday issues involving interactions and human nature. Since I am a sports nut, I worked full-time at the rec center and played every sport possible through intramurals. It was after working for 2 years at the rec center that I decided it was time for a different challenge. I applied to a position in the student enrollment communication center or SECC,(now defunct)which was part of the Admissions Office. I actually was completely under qualified for that position but impressed the interviewer enough that she reccomended me for a spot in the call center. I worked 2 years in that office and following graudation was offered a job as an EMS (enrollment management specialist), which is essentially front desk triage work, but where came to learn a great deal about admissions policy and procedure. I also came to realize that working in higher education was my true calling. I became a recruiter shortly after, visiting high schools and giving on-campus presentations. After leaving for more $ at a for profit institution, I realized I TRULY belonged at a more traditional collegiate setting working with and for students. That experience, while awful at the time, helped me gain perspective and the necessary motivation to go back to school for a masters degree. I could not be more excited to be starting this new part of the journey!
ReplyDelete2. This subject seems to evoke many different responses. I feel it is a combination of hard work and parenting early on that allows students to succeed in college. I understand curriculum is important and good teachers are invaluable, but ultimately it is the student and parents responsibility to ensure the proper steps are taken. Now I definitely do not mean we need more "helicopter parents" but I would bet students who recieve help and/or guidance from parents regarding college will be more likely to succeed. How many times have we heard "most of what you learn in college is outside the classroom"? Knowing how to be proactive rather than reactive and time management are just as important as what your AP calculus score was coming out of high school. When it comes to grading teachers, there is a lot of subjectivity. It is difficult to easily identify a good or bad teacher based on 1-2 factors. The one concern I have heard from teachers the most has to do with students getting the proper help and guidance at home. If a student is a disciplinary problem, a teahcer will waste class time dealing with them. This hurts the other students who are there to learn.
Also, Bill Gates has gifted a ton of money toward Hillsborough County schools, so there are some great opportunities for schools in our community. New teachers are also being evaluated more rigorously, so this may help retain better teachers. It might work against schools also, since the new evaluation process involves a mentor visiting a classroom of a new teacher up to 3 times a week. Once has to wonder if this will scare away possible new education majors.
1. My history in student affairs started when I became an RA my sophomore year. I wanted the job because it was on campus and I wouldn’t have to drive to work. That year, I realized how much responsibility it was and how much of an impact I had on other college students as a result of the things I did in the Halls. I then became an Orientation Leader which put me in a position that allowed me to teach incoming freshmen about what was to come. I enjoyed helping them in any way I could. It was the Thank you’s that got me, and that is when I started to seriously pursue student affairs. So I was an RA two more years and continued on into grad school here at USF.
ReplyDelete2. As for Education in High School. Not all schools are equal like everyone else says, but I think we are better off every year than the previous. In the early 1900’s there were many folks who couldn’t even read a book. I think there will always be a negative skew in the bell curve that is education, but the whole thing is moving forward more and more as time and technology move forward.
Hey All! I find it so interesting to read everyones blogs about how they became interested in Student Affairs. I have to agree with a few of you, I fell into it as well. My first year I wasn't very involved at all. I mainly focused on my schoolwork and didn't bother to attend events on campus. I came into college with the goal of becoming a prosecutor. I studied for the LSAT and even started applying to law school. But my love for my residents as an RA really turned it around for me.I was involved with Res-Life for 3 years and worked with a Special Interest Section called Latin Images my junior and senior year. Being there and helping them grow grew into a passion for me and realized that all along that that's what I wanted to do with my life. So I threw away my law school applications and never looked back.
ReplyDeleteThe question about high schools is a difficult one. I think that students really need that support not just from their teachers and the school district but also from their families or other support networks outside of school. I also do believe that because many districts are so interested in "looking good" they focus more on standardized test scores than actual education. I do think we are progressing though. This does deserve more research. It's an interesting topic.
It makes sense to me to comment on the second statement first because I feel it was the starting point in how my life began to change and grow. I went to a high school that was majority white. I was a two sport athlete and basketball for me was played pretty much all year round. Sports consumed my life, leaving little time for much else. School was very easy for me, I'm not sure I actually ever brought a book home. I went to a public high school and it seemed at though they just needed to get a majority to graduate. Since we did not pay to go to school many student did not care wether they passed or not. This seemed to make teachers baby many of the students just to get them to graduate. I was not used to making decisions for myself because my life was on a complete and total schedule. Be at practice at this time, school at this time, game at this time, I never had to think for myself. When it came to making a decision(college) I felt completely unprepared and ended up making a very wrong decision. Getting back on my feet was completely up to me, a lesson I was never taught in high school. To sum up all that babble, I do not feel I was personally prepared for college because I came from a public school. I do believe if I went to a private school I would of been way more prepared because the teachers there hold a value for you and your money.
ReplyDeleteHigh school showed me life isn't going to be easy and that opportunity is not going to come knocking at your door. I do not believe high school really prepared anyone for this.
Going to SIU was the best move of my life. I found people who really cared about me and my success, I wasn't just another student to my professors or to my boss. This is where I learned of student affairs(although at the time I did not realize it had an actual title). Student affairs is everywhere and it is not a job, it is a passion. These are the people who don't feel like they have jobs because they love what they do. My journey in student affairs began the first week that I was at SIU, little did I know a part time job as an official would lead to an opportunity to get a masters degree. In the future, I would love to stay in intramurals or possibly venture into athletics. I do not have a ten year plan and I never will. I like to believe life will take me in the direction that I am supposed to be in. Hope it all works out!...good topic, it was very enjoyable
1. I began my time at USF intent on studying Business. It took all of microeconomics for that idea to dissolve. I ended up studying Communications because of the practical everyday interaction and human nature involved. As an undergraduate I also worked full time at the Rec center and played every sport imaginable through intramurals. I attended pretty much all campus events and loved feeling a part of the university community. I actually fell into the higher education profession when I decided to look for a new challenge and leave the rec center. I applied to a position which I was completely under qualified for in the Student Enrollment Communication Center or SECC, which was part of Admissions. I ended up impressing enough in my interview that they offered me a spot in the call center. After I graduated I was elevated to ESM (enrollment management specialist) which is essentially working triage at the admissions front desk. I also developed a strong passion for the field and learned most of what I know about process and procedure at that time. I was then moved into a recruiting position. In this role I traveled to high schools and community colleges giving presentations about USF. I was also a part of the on campus visit. After following the $ to a for profit school (the dark side), I truly realized that the traditional collegiate setting was where I belonged. I also knew I wanted to work with and for college students and found myself motivated to get back to school. I am very excited about this next part of the journey!
ReplyDelete2. My opinion here is a little different from others. I feel that most of what prepares a student for college is self motivation and parenting. I was raised with the expectation that I would go to college after high school. Either that or get a job and leave home :( Now I do believe that curriculum is important and good teaching is invaluable but the only person who can truly prepare someone for college is his/herself. I do believe that more realistic expectations should be explained to students in high school, but only so much can be done. How often have we heard the old saying "most of what you learn in college is outside the classroom". I think that means that being proactive rather than reactive and using time management is just as important as AP calculus scores. Also, college is a time to discover new things and learn about yourself, so it’s not surprising a lot of people feel unprepared.
Also, Bill Gates has gifted a large amount of $ toward the Hillsborough county district so I do believe there should be improvements in our community schools. This should help to retain quality educators and improve student performance. One also has to wonder if the grading system of new teachers, in which a "mentor" visits a classroom up to 3 times per week, might scare off potential education majors.
Great blog so far guys!!
It looks like we have come from wide variety of experiences to arrive at this point. I started my undergrad at FSU. I was quickly disillusioned from the moment I started classes. My first Biology class was held in the main auditorium on campus and was so crowded that many of us could not even get into the building. A syllabus was passed around the crowd and I never set foot in class. Several other were equally disappointing and I never took enough interest in classes to be successful. Playing intramural and club sports was the extent of my involvement. I coasted through classes and ended up working in the State Senate for a couple of years before coming back to Tampa to finish at USF. I had such a lousy experience; I never thought I would end up in Student Affairs. Last year I had a chance to work in an advising center at East Carolina University and I thoroughly enjoyed the work. My wife graduated from the USF CSA program and she was thrilled with her experience. Everything I saw and heard about the program made it feel like a good fit, and it has been great so far.
ReplyDeleteAs for question 2, secondary education is a mess. After I graduated I went to work for a company that runs charter and private schools for juvenile offenders and alternative education students. I started as an activities director and ended up as the Principal and Executive Director in West Palm and then Jacksonville. I also spent time in the classroom in schools throughout Florida and worked as a substitute teacher in Boston. In a very roundabout way, I am trying to say that I have some experience in the field. I have to agree with some of the postings that said we need to put more money into secondary education. There is already an astonishing amount of money being spent. Washington D.C has historically been one of the highest spending per student as well as one of the worst performing. Georgia has paid their teachers substantially more than Florida for years without seeing the same performance in the classroom. We need to look at the goals of secondary education. The allocation of the money is more of an issue. The funding per student is focused on the upper and lower extremes of performance. The students who are performing at the top are seeing more and more options to learn through IB programs and dual enrollment. The low functioning ESE students get by the far the most funding per person. The middle is left untended. High schools use most of their resources on the students who are already likely to go on to college well prepared and the students that are not likely to go on to college regardless of the money invested. The ones who could use that extra push and preparation are left to fend for themselves. The goals of secondary education are not aligned with getting students prepared for college. In the districts where I worked the main two goals were to make sure none of the schools failed FCAT too many times in a row and to avoid lawsuits based on IDEA. Hardly noble aspirations, but deemed necessary for survival of the district.
It looks like we have come from wide variety of experiences to arrive at this point. I started my undergrad at FSU. I was quickly disillusioned from the moment I started classes. My first Biology class was held in the main auditorium on campus and was so crowded that many of us could not even get into the building. A syllabus was passed around the crowd and I never set foot in class. Several other were equally disappointing and I never took enough interest in classes to be successful. Playing intramural and club sports was the extent of my involvement. I coasted through classes and ended up working in the State Senate for a couple of years before coming back to Tampa to finish at USF. I had such a lousy experience; I never thought I would end up in Student Affairs. Last year I had a chance to work in an advising center at East Carolina University and I thoroughly enjoyed the work. My wife graduated from the USF CSA program and she was thrilled with her experience. Everything I saw and heard about the program made it feel like a good fit, and it has been great so far.
ReplyDeleteAs for question 2, secondary education is a mess. After I graduated I went to work for a company that runs charter and private schools for juvenile offenders and alternative education students. I started as an activities director and ended up as the Principal and Executive Director in West Palm and then Jacksonville. I also spent time in the classroom in schools throughout Florida and worked as a substitute teacher in Boston. In a very roundabout way, I am trying to say that I have some experience in the field. I have to agree with some of the postings that said we need to put more money into secondary education. There is already an astonishing amount of money being spent. Washington D.C has historically been one of the highest spending per student as well as one of the worst performing. Georgia has paid their teachers substantially more than Florida for years without seeing the same performance in the classroom. We need to look at the goals of secondary education. The allocation of the money is more of an issue. The funding per student is focused on the upper and lower extremes of performance. The students who are performing at the top are seeing more and more options to learn through IB programs and dual enrollment. The low functioning ESE students get by the far the most funding per person. The middle is left untended. High schools use most of their resources on the students who are already likely to go on to college well prepared and the students that are not likely to go to college regardless of the investment. The ones who could use that extra push and preparation are left to fend for themselves. The goals of secondary education are not aligned with getting students prepared for college. In the districts where I worked the main two goals were to make sure none of the schools failed FCAT too many times in a row and to avoid lawsuits based on IDEA. Hardly noble aspirations, but deemed necessary for survival of the district.
ReplyDeleteI was not overly involved during all of my time as an undergraduate here at USF. During the first semester my RA introduced me to building counsel in my second semester, I found the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi. I was happy being part of something but didn’t want to take on any more responsibilities until my last two years. My senior year is when I was the most involved in both my fraternity and as an RA. I enjoyed helping my residents become a part of the USF community. I also challenged my fraternity brothers to grow and develop personally and professionally. This is when I started exploring the possibility of a career in higher education. I was grateful for the student affairs professionals that challenged and supported me during my experience and I want to be there to encourage other students. I’m most interested in academic advising because I want to help students figure out what degree they want and help get them to the finish line.
ReplyDeleteEven though I was well prepared for college it was not only because of what I learned in the high school classroom. It was my life experiences leading up to that point. I still had to learn to adjust to college, as most students do, but it helped that I was ready academically. I think it is important to see that being ready for higher education isn’t just about what is learned in high school, but is a culmination of a person’s experiences and expectations.
1. I when I came to USF I was totally overwhelmed! I was a transfer student from HCC (Hillsborough Community College) and did not know where I was going to fit in. Until I went to an information meeting for the business fraternity AKPsi. This is where I found where I belonged. While in AKPsi, I was active within my pledge class working on the social committee and other activities. Once I brother, I had two little that I adore and was able to mentor them throughout their time at USF. I was also was lucky enough to Study Abroad in Spain for the summer semester. My first semester of my Senior year i applied and received an internship at Walt Disney World in their Professional Recruitment department. This lead to a full time job after graduation as a coordinator for their Internship Recruitment department. I loved my job and my favorite part was working with the students and planning their arrival to the company. Unfortunately the economy went south and they combined my department with another department and my whole team was laid off. However, this let me examine what I loved about my job and where I wanted to go. So, after talking to a friend who is a CSA alumni I knew this was the right path for me! I am interested in events, study abroad and international student affairs. However, I would love to learn more about residence life because I really only lived in a residence hall while abroad.
ReplyDelete2. I think there is a step missing for students from their Senior year in High School to their Freshmen semester in college. At least in my experience. I feel that there was a gap in teaching how to write at a college level or how to take notes that are not given directly to you. The only real place where students were prepared for college could be found in the very few AP classes offered. I also feel it is how involved the parents are in the child's education and the involvement of teachers.
“Student affairs is everywhere and it is not a job, it is a passion.” Very well said Lisa! I couldn’t agree more. It didn’t hit me until senior year that I could become a Student Affairs professional. What had initially sent me in that direction was a mandatory first-year class at DePaul very similar to UE. What set “Discover Chicago” and “University Experience” apart was that “Discover Chicago” combined an academic topic (taught by a faculty member) with the a transition to college/DePaul agenda (taught by a student mentor). I loved every aspect of that part of the class, and became a student mentor the following year to help guide the class after me. It was not until then that I began to discover all that Student Affairs is. I became a student worker in the office on campus that held Parent and Family Programs, First-Year Programs and Orientation. Two years later, nearing graduation, I decided it was the field I wanted to stay in.
ReplyDeleteAs for secondary education, I agree with a lot of what everyone has brought up. More funding at this level of education is obviously necessary. I would like to point out another interesting parallel along the lines of preparing students for college. The sentence after the one Clara started us off with stated that there were colleges between 1800-1860 that created programming to gain income and students, displaying “American ingenuity” (Komives & Woodard, 2003). These kinds of programs exist today in a variety of forms. When I began at DePaul, there was a program that enabled students to participate in summer courses and a mentoring program. An academic success portion covered topics such as test-taking strategies, time management, note and test taking, etc. Students succeeding in the program would then gain full admission to the university. This program has undergone changes in the last 5 years; however, it still exists to support this student population. Upward Bound is a more well-known example of a program aiding a student’s transition between high school and college. I am sure there are many more examples depending on different institutions. The fact that such programs began such a long time ago and continue to be used today seemed fascinating to me.
1)When I was a senior in College in wanted to Consult for Delta Gamma professionally. When I did not get the position, my greek advisor approached me about the idea of studying student affairs. At first I was only interested in having a GA in Greek life and (long and short of the story) I realized that I would be happy with an assistantship in any field because working with students what was I was truly interested in doing.
ReplyDelete2)I agree with Clara on this. Even though students are graduating from high school, I do not think that many of them are adequately prepared and given the appropriate direction they need to be successful in a higher education setting. I think that a lot of students do not know what to expect when they go to into college. Some have never had any leadership experience and do not have appropriate time management skills. Additionally, these students do not possess individualism and find it hard to be on their own. All of the these impreparations lead to a new discussion of student retention rates, but we will not get into that right now.
1. I graduated from K-State in May 2008 and really wasn't sure that I wanted to pursue Advertising as a career (this was my undergraduate major). So, I explore some options, and like Justin, I also took a position working for my fraternity as a traveling Leadership Consultant. I traveled across the country and visited over 30 universities (mostly in the Midwest with a few outliers) in a 12-state range. The exposure to campus life and college students made me realize that I really liked working in a student affairs related field. But the travel was too much for me, so I accepted an offer to be an Admissions Representative at K-State to recruit high school students to K-State. I fell in love with every aspect of my University all over again and had an all new appreciation for university-related work, whether it was student affairs or academia, or anything else. I loved it all. Long story short, that's when I realized that I wanted to make this into a career.
ReplyDelete2. Are our students adequately prepared for college after high school? By and large, I don't think so. But I also think that's okay. A huge part of the college experience is adapting to adulthood and, as we talked about in Ecology tonight, there needs to be a fair amount of support and challenge in our college environment. I appreciated the learning experiences that I had while I was an undergraduate and I realize now, retrospectively, that college was just as much about learning how to manage my time, responsibilities and personal life simultaneously as it was about the actual education in the classroom.
Likewise, I see our CSA program as a similar catalyst for our graduate work. We'll be working at least 20 hours per week while managing homework, readings, projects, supervising groups, personal life and other things. It's all applicable practice for the next stage just as secondary education gave us a taste of college while making us yearn for more, the CSA program will allow us to adapt to the professional working world while still having the flexibility of a college schedule.
1.) Coming out of high school, I was ready to take on college and get involved in anything that peak my interest. My parents knew this about me and begged me to “only get involved with one or two clubs until sophomore year”. I didn’t really listen and actually had to secretly join the executive boards for a couple of organizations (I told them after the fact that I had not only been in clubs, but also ran them). I met so many people and loved the chance to broaden my circle of friends to include people I might’ve never otherwise met, had it not been for campus events, student organizations, and on-going activities around school. It didn’t take long for me to learn that college can be a never ending social hour, if you don’t put clear limits on your free time. After my freshmen year, I retreated a bit and only devoted my time to a few organizations. This seemed to suit me better, as I got a chance to create stronger bonds with the people I interacted with. Through serving on my school’s sanctioning board (ironically called the “Honor Council”, no connection to my present GAship in the HonorS Council here), I had the chance to work with deans, professors, and other students to review student misconduct cases and sanction punishments. I got especially close with a dean of mine, who gave me the “inside scoop” on student affairs and more specifically, academic advising. I asked her, “How do I become an academic advisor?” and the rest is history :)
ReplyDelete2.) I consider myself lucky, having graduated high school from a decent public school that seemed dedicated to preparing its students for higher education. However, I know that a lot of the responsibility of how successful a student can be rests on factors outside of the class, such as parental support, financial security, and the natural talents and ambitions of the student him/herself. We often forget sometimes as a society that parents raise their children primarily, and then the teachers and administrators instruct them in their coursework. There seems to be a prevalent subconscious notion that the school a child attends will fully raise and prepare that child for life. Unfortunately, most of us do not get sent away to boarding schools to have life lessons taught parallel to our coursework. Being prepared for higher education comes from the experiences and lessons often learned outside of the classroom –dedication, focus, foresight, and critical analysis. The emphasis of most high school education curriculum never encompasses these or albeit any traits, but rather give prominence to specific material. So what seems to be the end result? Parents assume schools are responsible for raising their children, while the schools assume child rearing occurs at home with the families. End result? Some kids fall through the cracks and leave school without the street-smarts or book-smarts to handle higher education.
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ReplyDelete1. My entire life I have had the expectation of a post-graduate degree. My mother has her PhD in Childhood Education and my father has a graduate degree from a highly recognized technical school in Architectural Engineering. I am also an only child so it is appropriate to say that I have had high expectations placed on me since before I can remember. The first person to raise my interest in student affairs was Robert Herron. At the time he was a student in the CSA program at USF and he raised some questions about my future that no one else had really bothered to ask. After working for 3 years at the MSC the rest was history, I knew it was the right fit for me. I would say that so far I am most passionate about union work but I am building a great respect for service learning and leadership programs.
ReplyDelete2. In my opinion we have a number of services available for students to use if they are unprepared for a college environment. I believe the biggest challenge we have is communicating those services to the incoming students. In most cases college is a natural step after high school and I think it is important to help the students to realize that college is a learning environment and for these incoming students to appreciate the education they can receive.
I think it is interesting to note the impact that time has on our generation. Everything must be done as quickly as possible so we can be a successful young working adult so that we can enjoy our lives to the fullest. There is also a lot of emphasis placed on four year graduations. Time is overly valued in our society and it would be interesting to see if students were given a grant after high school to prepare themselves for a college experience how differently those students would react in today's college environment.
1. I was not the most involved student in my undergrad years. Instead what set me on the path to student affairs were my "jobs" during that time. I say "jobs" because they were more fun than anything and the work I was doing didn't really feel like work, I would have done it even without getting paid! I too started my career as a tour guide for OSU Sophomore year. I loved getting families excited about coming to my school and loved interacting with the students. Junior year I worked one on one with students in the Career Management office of the College of Business, helping them build and better their resumes and navigate our job/internship search website. It was a completely different experience, working in an office setting one on one, instead of out and about on campus with a large group, but just as rewarding. I was also an RA half of Junior and all of Senior year. All of those positions and experiences were very different except for the common denominator of working with students. My supervisors helped me realize that this was something out of which I could make a career and I never looked back!
ReplyDelete2. I also do not think our students are adequately prepared for the college experience after high school. This is due to a number of different reasons, some of them related to the shortcomings of our education system, but the bigger ones I think come from the traits of the Millennial generation. For the most part students entering college are going to have the education level they need to succeed, as long as they work hard. However, many of these students come into college without some important life skills that would help them succeed - ranging from doing laundry on their own to confronting and managing conflict. A lot of high school students are used to having their parents do so much for them and do not know how to do things for themselves. This and the unwillingness to learn how do do these things is what makes students unprepared for college. As an example: if a straight A student in high school earns a C on his/her first English paper, is he going to run to his parents, cry and say he should have been given an A (and subsequently ask the parents to call the professor, or higher to have the grade adjusted) or is the student going to attend office hours to learn how to write a better paper next time? The choice a student makes in this situation is telling of how prepared he/she is for college. As Ryan said, part of college is about adapting to adulthood and regardless of the preparation a student can be successful as long as he/she is willing and able to make, and is supported in that adaptation.
1. I was actively involved in many facets as an undergrad here at the University of South Florida. I was blessed to have been an acclaimed student-athlete on the Men’s Track and Field Team, a brother of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc, and actively involved in student government, the office of multicultural affairs, the Black Student Union, the Coalition of Black Organizational Leaders, the Corporate Mentorship Program, and various others aspects that USF had to offer. My interest in student affairs came during my senior year as I stood as the President to the National Pan-Hellenic Council, which is the governing body to the historically African-American fraternities and sororities, Vice-President to my fraternity, and became the face of the African-American population at USF. As I stood in these major positions on campus I developed a love for helping and inspiring students of all diversities. Me being so actively involved in the affairs of the university, I began to truly see many problems that students faced within universities and I pledged myself to help students. During my senior campaign, I was honored and blessed with arguably more accolades and awards than any single individual student here at USF for my contributions to the USF community. Because of that, I feel it is a lifelong obligation of mine to pursue a degree in student affairs and Higher Education so that I can truly give back to students and inflict inspiration, change, and progression.
ReplyDelete2. As many of you all have stated, I too do not feel as though students graduating out of high school are adequately prepared for higher education. Throughout my experiences, I have seen many of my friends and classmates struggle within there first year in a higher institution. Many freshmen, and even sophomores, in colleges tend to struggle in classes and slack off. It isn’t until there junior and senior levels are these students beginning to “buckle down” and make up for loss time in the previous years. If students were more adequately prepared then they would understand that academics is important within the first two years of college and that college is not completely a social atmosphere to party and consume alcohol.
1. My experiences at Purdue were extremely varied and evolved over the 5 years (4 years of actual classes) that I was there. My freshmen year I joined my fraternity Pi Kappa Phi which strongly influenced my freshmen and sophomore year activities - all were heavily centered around the fraternity. My fraternity is the only social fraternity to have our own philanthropy, Push America, which raises money and awareness for persons with disabilities. I became a team member of the Journey of Hope, which is a bicycle trip across the US (San Fran to DC) to raise money for this cause and this was the start of a year long internship with the organization. I believe this is truly where I fell in love with student affairs, but didn't quite put all the pieces together until later in life that it could actually turn into a career. The last two years of college I became involved with Old Masters, a strong traditional lecture series (which does nothing to truly explain this program), a variety of other smaller events/organizations, and senior year was selected for Mortar Board National Honor Society. If I had the opportunity to actually speak with someone ten years ago to realize student affairs was a profession I probably would have taken this step a long time ago. I definitely have an amazing group and number of mentors I look up to from my undergraduate experience in addition to the last few years of professional experience that will shape who and what I become in this profession.
ReplyDelete2. Great question. I think this would definitely depend on the school district. When I graduated high school I felt I was ready for college as I had always succeeded, done well, and graduated #3 in my class. However, I went to a small rural high school and realized extremely quickly I was nowhere near as prepared as some of my peers. Where I do feel I was prepared was from having been involved in high school with extra-curricular activities which helped me to develop social skills and time management skills. Had I not have developed these skills I think I would have not done so well at Purdue and probably would have been overwhelmed and possibly transferred to a smaller institution. In addition to the academic side of preparing for college in high school, I feel the "life lessons" need to be taught - finances, time management, diversity, etc., to truly prepare for the college experience.
James Chance Wilson
ReplyDelete1. Attending a community for 2 1/2 years and then transfering to USF was a big schock to me, and to think that I would get lost at PHCC some times! My Undergrad years at USF weren't necessarily the most exciting of my life, but they were conducive to my educational growth and allowed me the opportunity to meet many interesting people and find a good career as a calling. However, I think that since I didn't live on campus--and commuted from Brooksville--it didn't exactly leave me with the most opportune situations to enjoy the "college experience" but this was probably better for my GPA anyway. USF's long history as a "commuter-college" is still well known, but the university is taking steps to distance itself from that stigma. Hopefully some day people will recognize its history as a bastion of intellectual thought, activism, research, and diversity in the same thought, ro exceed it.
I found the professors at USF to be very engaging, sympathetic to my needs and interests, and all around happy with their careers--something that they passed on to the students. It was this kind of attitude that made me want to go into Student Affairs, so hopefull someday I could be that professor that encourages students to fulfill their dreams.
2. For the most part I do not think that the typical college freshman is ready for the increased course load and demand. I personally know a large amount of students that have dropped out of college in their first semester to join to the service. This is usually due to failing grades--often caused by excessive partying, little studying, and a lack of discipline (or willpower) to continue the academic process. This isn't the only detriment, yet one of the most explicit. Also, I would say that a lack of proper funding, a lagging economy (causing more prospective "good" students to work longer hours and spend less time studying), and disinterest lead to failing grades.