Tag Archives: higher education

college planning, college prep, Guest Posts

Staying Abreast of Higher Education Trends

 

higher education The 21st century has become a synonym for modernity, advancement, breakthroughs and technology. The era has seen countless changes and transformations which have changed the course of the world. Among all other aspects, education was the one which saw the most massive changes and transformations as it was completely revamped and customized. Actually, it was education as a component which changed the world in the 20th century.

Right from school education to higher education, students now enjoy a more modern and transformed approach in studies.

Education became accessible

Before the 20th century, education was a privilege which was limited to the elite and the rich. Many countries lacked in educational resources and the few that were available to them were not accessible to the masses. In the late 1990’s and the beginning of the 21st century, efforts were started to make education accessible to all.

Organizations such as the United Nations along with many NGOs and governments started special drives and programs to spread education, especially in under developed and developed countries.

Education was made easy

The 20th century also saw the advent and advancement of technology due to which all aspects of human life saw a massive transformation. The new technologies developed new ways to decrease geographical distances. They brought new devices and methods to make education easier and interesting to acquire even with less financial resources.

New resources

Technology blessed education with thousands of new tools. Recording knowledge became a much easier and less time consuming activity and transportation of massive data and information became as easy as carrying a feather. The World Wide Web further enhanced this and made it possible to connect to huge amounts of data from anywhere by anyone.

New fields of study were discovered

Thanks to the newly attained boon of technology, new portals opened for research because of which new studies were discovered. In the last few years, education branched into hundreds of new streams. This further fuelled the advancement of technology and it moved forward with increased speed.

Along with other aspects such as economy, the most important changes came in the health sector as the study of medicine advanced and benefitted everyone.

More career options

The newly discovered fields of knowledge combined with increasing and diversifying businesses created new professions and fuelled new jobs. Students and professionals got a chance to pursue better jobs and explore more careers which matched their interests and aptitudes.

The United Nations started the famous Millennium Development Goals (MDG’s) in 2000 along with 70 other nations. One of the 6 goals stated that- one was to provide free and compulsory education for all. Since then, secondary education has considerably spread across many countries and regions where children earlier didn’t have access to even secondary education. According to statistics presented by United Nations, 70 countries have increased their public spending on education. The statistics also states that the number of secondary students has increased more than four times the increase in the number of primary students. New concepts and methods are being tried to spread education and special care and efforts are being made to ensure that girls don’t remain outside the education circle.

However, as impressive as these figures are, challenges still remain in the universalization of education. There are still more than 37 million children out of school and 55% among them are girls. Wars and invasions in certain countries have also affected the process of spreading education. A more practical and united approach is needed to overcome these challenges so that the world sees an era where all its inhabitants are literate and educated.

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A Higher Higher Education

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Today’s guest post by Corey Bobco of The Real College Guide addresses the topic of taking honors classes in college–the pros and cons. If your college-bound teen is considering this option, this article should be of some help in making the decision to jump into the honors curriculum in higher education.

higher-ed

Are you registered for an honors class or teetering on the edge of “I’m too freakin’ lazy to challenge myself”? Before you “yay” or “nay” the big league, you need the inside info to decide if the honors track or an honors course is worth the extra work — and whether you can take the heat.Back in the Day

In high school, what generally distinguished honors (or advanced placement) courses from their standard-level counterparts was that honors classes issued more homework, required more studying and demanded more self-initiative. (But, hey, they looked damn good on your college apps!)

Some high schools require a recommendation or certain GPA to get into a higher-level course. Some offer rewards for taking honors, such as a weighed GPA (on a scale of 0 to 5.0, rather than 0 to 4.0), which explains why those studious, overachievers put themselves through the pain of it all. Other high schools offer no tangible benefits besides a challenge and the risk of ruining a near-perfect GPA.

In the Big League

Your college will have its own unique requirements and policies regarding eligibility and grading scales, so you should definitely check that out sooner than later. One consistency: Like in high school, honors classes in college can be a hell of a lot harder than basic-level courses. So why bother? Not to sound like Mom, but you’re in college to challenge yourself. And you have little to lose, since your college grades often carry less weight than your high school grades. (That is, unless your GPA is securing financial aid, maintaining your parents’ financial support or going on your med, law or grad school applications. In such a case, take extra caution in assessing your capabilities, since risking damage to your GPA can mess up your chances of staying in school and moving on up to bigger and better.)

Clearly, honors courses differ at every school. Here are general details, pros, cons and tips:

Class Size

Pro: Typically, honors classes are smaller seminars with only 10 to 25 students. A small class size means you can develop a relationship with your instructor — and that he or she may actually know your name! This could prove handy when you need extra help, guidance on a big paper or project, a deadline extension, a letter of recommendation or even a lead on a summer internship.

Con: Smaller, niche classes mean extra attention is paid to attendance so your instructor will notice if you’re a frequent no-show. Plus, it will become painfully obvious if you come to class unprepared.

Curriculum

Pro: Honors classes often focus on a highly specific niche topic, like Caribbean literature and film since 1920. If you are super interested in that — or whatever topic is being offered — then don’t think twice about signing up for a semester’s worth of it, since classes that excite you make extra work worth the effort.

Con: Papers, texts and readings will probably be more challenging than a vanilla English Lit 101.

Quality

Pro: Class time in an honors course has great potential to be interesting, since the format of smaller classes tends to be open discussion rather than basic lecture. Plus, part of your grade may be determined by your level of participation, an objective measure you can use to up a not-so-hot score. Don’t be shy!

Con: You may have to participate … and think critically. In order to do either, you will have to complete the course requirements — that is, every page of every reading assignment.

Insider Tips

  • Don’t be scared of the big “H” Some honors program courses are actually easier in comparison to the gut-wrenching AP biology and calculus you might have taken in high school.
  • Ensure your enrollment One tried-and-true trick is to sign up for a few extra credits than you need to take in one semester — especially when you’re thinking about trying out an honors-level course. In the first week of the semester, swing by the class, assess the syllabus and size up the instructor. If it no longer interests you or seems like the workload would take time away from your other classes’ work (aka your social life), then you can drop it without worrying about having enough credits to graduate on time or finding another class to replace it.
  • Avoid large lecture honors classes These cover topics at an introductory level with a broader focus, but they might have as many as 80 students and lack the perks of an intimate class setting. And lecture series — honors or otherwise — can seriously bore you to death.
  • Seek smart company Honors courses do more than fine-tune your interests and work your brain into a sweat. As a reward for taking on the challenge, they’ll place you among the brightest of your peers and introduce you to faculty members who can offer new perspectives and solid career advice.