...convey my thoughts regarding High School graduating students taking a year off before entering college. Many parents and students have mixed feelings concerning this topic of discussion; therefore, my main audience will be focused towards the parents and these graduating seniors. I hope to present a clear, understandable, and convincing overview of the college “Gap” year alternative. As students, we have all looked forward to graduating from high school and beginning our college life. Parents have worked hard and hopefully saved towards this next step in their child’s life. However, if you have graduated and have your high school diploma in your hands; you may begin to wonder if college is right for you, just now. Not every high school graduate goes to college and maybe you don't feel ready for college, and maybe a year off would be the right thing for you. According to collegeboard.com, “many students do go straight to college after graduation, but some students do take a year off to pursue an interest or just to take a break from school, they do this by taking a gap year, a year off, a deferred year, or just plain time off;” they should, however, use this time wisely and not waste the year. Parents also wonder if it's worth taking a year off and pushing back the time their child will graduate from college and start a career. While making this decision, parents and students alike are concerned that taking a year off after graduation can hurt their...
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...The Florida State University Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement Summer Bridge Program www.care.fsu.edu Florida State University is committed to recruiting, retaining, and graduating first-time-in-college students who may have been disadvantaged due to economic, educational, or cultural circumstances. To assist with these goals, the Center for Academic Retention and Enhancement (CARE) was created. The CARE Summer Bridge Program (SBP) provides a comprehensive program of orientation and academic support designed to ease the transition from high school to college while building a strong academic foundation. The majority of applicants selected to participate in SBP will be first-generation college students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds who have demonstrated a strong desire to succeed. Applicants must be legal Florida residents to be eligible for SBP. All SBP participants will live together in campus housing during the initial summer term, along with current Florida State students who will serve as residential peer counselors, guides, and mentors. Participants will also: • Tour campus facilities and the local community. • Meet key University faculty, staff, and administrators who will become part of the student’s support system. • Meet campus student leaders and representatives of student organizations to learn more about what the University has to offer. • Participate in cultural enrichment activities. • Have fun and make lifelong friends. Students admitted...
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...English Comp II 30 April 2014 Gap Year: The Beneficial Alternative “I thought it would be exciting to go there, and of course it was.” Alexander Sullivan was accepted into Columbia University, but instead of transitioning into the university out-right he asked to differ enrollment. Alexander, instead, decided to travel to China where he studied Mandarin, and after a while found a job as a research assistant at the Newsweek Beijing bureau and at Voice of America radio news. (Hulstrand 52). A gap year as explained by Holly Bull, the founder and president of the Center for Interim Programs (CIP), one of the first and longest running providers of gap year programs in the country, is “a period of time for students to creatively step away from the lock-step path of high school to college, to graduate school, or job” (77). Enrolling in college immediately after high school graduation is not always the right decision for seniors that are lacking motivation and unsure what to academically pursue in post secondary education. Acknowledging that not every high school senior has to continue their education without delay after high school is a concept that advisors as well as parents need to understand. They should provide possibilities for those students whom lack motivation to continue their educational paths immediately after graduation. Many high school seniors feel pressured to start college immediately after graduating because sending in college applications and applying for scholarships...
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...Shellenbarger, “Delaying College to fill in the Gaps,” Ben Parker is a sophomore in college who experienced an academic turnaround. “Burned out by his senior year of high school from pressure to get into a competitive college, he quit his lacrosse team and let his grades slip.” He deferred his admission to the University of Iowa and enrolled in the National Outdoor Leadership School, a wilderness skills-training program. “He took a semester in Nepal studying language, living in a rural village and climbing in the Himalayas.” He gained the ability to enjoy hard challenges and stated, “By the time I got back to school, I was ready to be in school.” An increasing amount of students are taking a year off after graduating high school, known as a gap year. The article, “Should Your Student Consider Taking a Gap Year Before Starting College?,” states, “A gap year, sometimes called a year out, or year off, or bridging year, is a transition year, usually between high school and college, when the student takes time to do something else.” Many students believe that college is the next step when graduating high school, but taking a gap year is becoming a growing trend. High school students should take a year off before entering college because they will be motivated to return to school, because they will gain new skills, and because they will have time to decide on a career interest. Taking a gap year reignites one sense of curiosity for learning. Many students choose to take a break from the regular...
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...College Education is Worth the Investment All kids are pushed to do their best and work hard in school. Having a work ethic is something that is always emphasized when children are young and learning the importance of diligence in school. We are told that if you work hard you will reap more benefits in your lifetime. Hard work is a key to doing well in school and work. Being inherently intelligent will obviously open doors but having merit and putting that in your everyday work will get you far as well. It has been shoved down our throats that a college degree is a way to secure a job and find something that will allow some stability in life. In a time where everyone has seen families struggle with finding any sort of stability, it is something that this generation definitely strives for. The economy is said to be recovering, and unemployment rates dropping. We are told that hard work helps guarantee a job, security, and more wealth in life. Due to the economy and high education costs it is not always so obvious whether the hard work put forth in college will pay off in the end. College is supposed to guarantee a sort of safety net for a safe middle class life, and although this is not always the case the costs and time spent in college teach valuable lessons that a student can carry with them and apply to the work world when they get their degree and in other aspects of their life. Some people think that they will not be able to get into college based on grades...
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...the cost of receiving a college education is a major problem that faces this generation, which affects many teenagers, young adults, and our society as a whole. Overall, four year college completion rates are falling and graduate’s lifestyles are drastically changing. In recent years, the cost of a four year college has doubled in cost; however the quality of education received has not. According to PEW, 38% of college presidents, the people who should have the most faith in our higher education system, believe that it is heading in the wrong direction. (PEW) Many students spend an average of six years at a four year institution, and leave owing an average of $25,250 in debt. This may not sound like a lot, however...
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...About 30 years ago it was not a common idea to go to college. Students could graduate with a high school career and move on to their job, a college diploma was not necessary. Times have changed. Today more jobs are requiring college education. There are many positives to attending a four year university due to the money that is made after, the people that are met, the independence that is developed in the student and overall, the accomplishment that comes with a college degree. Futurewise, attending a four year college is a smarter decision. Not only do students make more money than ones who do not attend college, but there are more employment opportunities. Workers that have a four year degree from college make about 98% more money...
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...College Isn’t for Everyone. Let’s Stop Pretending It Is. by Michael Petrilli gives readers a look at how there are some students that may not benefit from a college education. He writes that the current school of thought is that communities should be preparing all students for college success, whether it be four-year or other post-secondary degree; therefore, the very last thing that should be told to students graduating high school is that they may not succeed in a college setting, even if that were true. He asks, “What if encouraging students to take a shot at the college track – despite very long odds of crossing its finish line – does them more harm than good?” If a student is way behind in reading and math when they graduate high school, they are less likely to succeed where they are expected to succeed in college level courses. “We shouldn’t force anyone into that route, but we also shouldn’t guilt kids with low odds of college success—regardless of their race or class—to keep trudging through...
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...Part one-Engraving Success Life in ten years, it’s hard to imagine without really knowing what you're looking for in your life. Before you imagine what you have in your bank account, you have to look at what you are doing for a career or how you are doing financially. We all strive for the premonition to live comfortably, or not, have to worry about retirement. The reality is that the steps you take before you have that economical state of mind are the most important. High school, college, and jobs, these steps to success should seem simple, but yet, there are students dropping out of schools all across the nation every single day. Ever since I was little, no matter who asked me, I would always have the same answer to the question of “What...
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...abuse of human rights. 4. High school graduates should take a year off before entering college. 5. All citizens should be required by law to vote. 6. All forms of government welfare should be abolished. 7. Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child. 8. Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations. 9. Participating in team sports helps to develop good character. 10. The production and sale of cigarettes should be made illegal. 11. People have become overly dependent on technology. 12. Censorship is sometimes justified. 13. Privacy is not the most important right. 14. Drunk drivers should be imprisoned on the first offense. 15. The lost art of letter-writing deserves to be revived. 16. Government and military personnel should have the right to strike. 17. Most study-abroad programs should be renamed "party abroad": they are a waste of time and money 18. The continuing decline of CD sales along with the rapid growth of music downloads signals a new era of innovation in popular music. 19. College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses. 20. The solution to the impending crisis in Social Security is the immediate elimination of this anachronistic government program. 21. The primary mission of colleges and universities should be preparing students for the workforce. 22. Financial incentives should be offered to high school students who perform well...
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...half of college freshmen show some concern with how to pay for college. This is the highest this number has been since 1971 (S. Chan and Kim Chan). The amount of college graduate debt has been rapidly increasing also. With limited jobs available because of the high unemployment rate, college graduates find themselves staying in debt even longer. However, grants and financial aid are available to students, but students still struggle to pay for their college tuition. Although some claim that higher education is still affordable, higher education costs too much because the state’s revenue is low, the unemployment rate is high, and graduates cannot pay off loans. One reason that higher education is not affordable is that the states’ revenue is low and the states are in debt. Because of their decreasing tax revenues, many states need to make cuts in their budget. As a result of this, tuition is rising and other changes are happening throughout colleges. Some of these changes include: higher student to faculty ratios, less but larger classes, and fewer on-campus jobs that normally support students (Scaliger). These changes affect students and impact their view and decisions of certain colleges. The tuition rate has also “been rising at about 6 percent a year for most of the past ten years” (S. Chan and Kim Chan). This percent inevitably makes it harder for students to find an affordable college. High tuition prices also keep some people from attending their dream college. All of...
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...courage to overcome a high standard goal that I set for myself. Being the youngest of 5 children and 9+ years younger than all of them, I was the only child left at home. Unable to participate in activities with them because they were much older, I focused more on my studies and didn't encounter much of a social life outside of school because my parents were so strict; well my dad for that matter. When I was able to engage in activities I had a set curfew and was limited to what I could do. My life had been well-grounded since I was born so it didn't come to much of a surprise; not being able to take part in certain activities. By my sophomore year in high school, I realized I was coming of age and should be able to do certain things. I couldn't endure the restrictions much longer so I decided to set a difficult but possible task. To graduate early and leave for college in three years instead of four. Outside of the well-grounded life and strict parents, I was over high school and it was partially what motivated me to take on the huge responsibility that could not only benefit me but show my hard work, determination, and dedication. On the other hand, my main motivation for going to college is that I believe that throughout my life, my parents didn’t have that high level of confidence when it came to my school work. I think I surprised them when I graduated a year early from high school. So I wanted to be able to show them that I could get through high school, along with succeeding...
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...Soyeon Oh College English 1110-04 Professor MimiVan Ausdall April 10, 2013 The College Dilemma In the U.S., having a college degree is the most important qualification for getting a skilled job position. Many young people want this kind of position because it is usually higher paying. Employers expect candidates to have at least a Bachelor’s Degree for any entry-level position, but the cost of tuition today is the highest ever. In the past, recent college graduates generally had an easy transition from school to starting a full time job. Today there are fewer jobs and more college graduates competing for those jobs. According to a USA Today article, “half of new graduates were jobless or underemployed in 2012” (USA). Because of this, university tuition should be lowered and student financial aid increased so that young people are not burdened with huge debt. The number of people who want to get a college degree is higher and higher every year. According to the National Panel Report, 75% of high school kids answered that they want to go to college right after graduating high school. It’s not only for high school kids, but also adults who want to go back to school to get a degree to continue their professional development (We). They expect to get a job with better benefits from getting a degree. Some students would say that they want to go to college for more education, but most students want to go because it will help them to get a job in the future. They realize that...
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...can tell me what photosynthesis means? Ray? Yes, photosynthesis is the process in which plants absorb energy from the sun to get energy. Third grade, I will never forget it because it was questions like this that made me want to run and hide. I never got anything practical out of school except for girls in plaid skirts with black and white saddle shoes which drove me crazy. I could only imagine what high school would be like if I never really retained any information that was vital to my success. I hated school as much as it hated me and I know hate is a strong word. To use the term “Well Educated” sounds like someone who has accumulated a lot of books that they will never read again and debt that will follow them to the grave. I am a late bloomer because most of my peers went off to college while I went to work. I decided to go to college much later in life. When I speak to most of my high school friends they complain of college tuition and debt that still hunts them. Now I have been out of high school for twenty years, so that’s at least fifteen years of debt from college. Yes, I believe it’s all about the money and not the elite education that we so eagerly have to obtain right out of high school. Why is it that when we purchased homes for forty to seventy thousand dollars we needed a down payment? However when it comes to buying an education we are just given the money by the federal government with the hopes of getting a job and repaying the loan in a timely manner. Yes...
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...seeing their face. The four speakers this week all had great things to say and very good advice for prospective students looking to start working when they graduate. The first speakers of the week were Jayson Santos and Blair Napolitano. Jayson and Blair are part of LSU’s compliance staff. At first they jokingly described themselves as the “police” of the coaching staff and athletes. The reason why Jayson and Blair said this is because they have to make sure that everyone in the athletic department are following procedures off the field according to the NCAA. Blair has been with LSU’s compliance department for about eight years now. She says her main focus is player’s initial eligibility to play sports at LSU. Blair says she works with high school kids. Blair helps the high school students make sure during their four years of high school they take their core classes. There are sixteen core classes these students have to take in order for them to be eligible to play sports at LSU. From there, Blair evaluates the student’s transcripts and makes sure that the students are prepared to come to LSU once they graduate high school. As for Jayson, he went to college initially to go to law school but decided against going to law school and ended up getting an internship working for the NCAA. From there, Jayson went to grad school at South East Missouri State and then came to LSU to work in their compliance department. In compliance, Jayson is the person who gives student athletes advice...
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