Parsing The ‘Free’ In Free Community College

ANYA KAMENETZ

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Let’s say you have invites to two parties that advertise “free drinks!”

At the first party, there’s simply an open bar. At the second party, though, you have to bring in your tax return, fill out a long form, and register to receive a cocktail grant in a given amount based on your annual income.

Once those funds are drained, you can then become eligible for vouchers to pay for further beverages up to a predetermined limit.

Which party sounds like more fun? Which will be better attended? And which one is likely to be more expensive for the hosts?

As this experiment illustrates, the promise of “free” can mean very different things in practice. And that has important implications for one of the biggest policy debates in education right now: how best to ease the cost of college tuition.

Sandy Baum, a longtime expert on the issue, and David Baime of the American Association of Community Colleges, have just released a report from the Urban Institute focusing on community colleges. “Community colleges differ dramatically from place to place,” Baum observes. When proposing changes, “We have to take into consideration their different starting points and different purposes and values.”

If you want a free lunch, someone has to pick up the check. In order to make community college free to students, someone, whether the state or the federal government, needs to cover tuition.

And to understand how big of a change that would be and how much it would cost, you have to understand how states are currently funding community colleges and how much of the cost they’re currently passing along to students in the form of tuition.

Across the country, community colleges, like all public colleges, are relying more and more on tuition as a source of funds.

In 2002-2003, one of four dollars spent by these two-year schools came from tuition payments (which include federal and state grant aid). A decade later, that percentage had risen to 39 percent.

But again, there are lots of local variations. “In some states there is very little by way of state and local appropriations,” Baum says.

The outlier among all of these is Vermont, the home state of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a notable advocate of free college. Vermont’s community colleges have the highest tuition in the nation — $7,530. That’s more than some public four-year universities. They take in four and a half times more money from students than they receive from the state.

Switching to a tuition-free model, clearly, would be a big change in Vermont.

At the other end of the spectrum, California, which educates one out of every five community college students nationwide, is predominantly state-funded. California community colleges charge the lowest tuition in the country: $1,420 for the academic year, the same at all colleges statewide.

These wide differences from state to state make it harder to put together a federal policy for lowering the tuition costs of community colleges. As illustrated in the party example, a “free community college” policy can be relatively cheap, simple or fair. But it’s hard to do all three.

Baum calls the Tennessee Promise, one of the most widely known state initiatives for free community college, a “last-dollar policy.” That means students who are already eligible for Pell Grants must use them to pay for school. After that money is gone, the state pledges to fill in the gap.

This method is the cheapest for the state, since most community college students have low enough earnings to be Pell-eligible, meaning they can draw on federal money first before taking state aid. And it’s fairly simple for colleges as well, since they can still continue to charge tuition.

However, says Baum, “if you come from an affluent family” that isn’t Pell-eligible, “the state will pay your tuition up front.” And that means, “The extra money is actually going to people who need it less.”

By contrast, the Obama administration’s proposal for free community college, called America’s College Promise, is what Baum calls a “first-dollar” plan. In this scenario, the federal government pledges to cover 75 percent of tuition and fees, with states agreeing to pick up the remainder.

According to Baum, low-income students would, under this plan, still be able to keep their Pell Grants to pay for living expenses. Depending on location, those expenses can be many times the cost of community college tuition alone.

Such a first-dollar plan is more like an open bar. Experts like Baum say this approach is simple enough to actually raise participation in community college, which is an important goal of all these policies. And it is structured in such a way that more public assistance goes to low-income students.

But the cost to taxpayers would be much higher, and such a program would also vary wildly in its impact on state budgets, depending on how and how much they currently support community colleges.

“It’s easy to throw around phrases like ‘free,’ ” says Baum. Harder to work out the fine print.

6 Proven Academic Productivity Tools for College Students

 BY SYLVIA KOHL

Effective organization and time management are important elements of a student’s success. Luckily, there are a great number of great productivity tools for students. They can help you achieve the best results in class and enjoy leading an active social life.

Here is an overview of some of the best academic and personal productivity tools available today:

Traditional Tools

Free Book Notes

This in one of the best online productivity tools for students as it gives you access to a huge library of summaries and study guides for a variety of textbooks and books. It’s going to be a great help when you don’t have the time to finish your reading list but want to learn everything it can offer.

The repository of novel guides is especially huge, so you will definitely find a guide and/or summary of the book you seek.

Whiteboard

A whiteboard is a fantastically effective helper in organizing your schedule as well as working on complex projects. You can use it in a great number of ways, such as stick key-notes to it when developing an outline of a paper.

You can also use it to make sure you don’t forget about any everyday tasks. Another idea is to turn it into your inspiration board. Use your imagination and utilize a whiteboard for maximum productivity based on your personal needs.

Custom Self Adhesive Labels

The life of a student is not only about studying. Organizing your personal items is as important as organizing your notes. Custom-printed, self-adhesive labels will help you do both. They can also make this process much more fun, because you can design the labels any way you like.

There are specialized companies that produce these items at a highly affordable price. Take a look at the Data Label self-adhesive sticky labels service to see what options you have to choose from.

Custom printed labels make such good productivity tools for students because they are extremely versatile. You can use them for anything, from marking your personal items when sharing a flat with a roommate, to organizing your study materials, to promoting your own small business, club, band, or initiative.

Digital Solutions

EasyBib

This is one of the truly essential productivity tools for students as it helps you format academic papers. It can generate citations in any style, as well as offers a variety of guides on the subject.

This online tool will ensure all your sources are cited right, regardless of whether it’s a website, video, journal, or any other type of source. It supports all common formats, including APA, MLA, Chicago, and dozens of other specialized paper formats. Therefore, every student will find exactly what they need to format their paper perfectly and quickly.

Anki

Anki is an extremely useful app available for desktop, iOS, and Android devices. It allows you to create flash cards to facilitate memorization. It’s one of the best productivity tools for students preparing for exams, as it can help you memorize lots of facts and dates.

The secret to the efficiency of this app is the ‘spaced repetition’ system that can assess how well you remember each card.

With Anki, you can create flashcards using any kind of media (text, videos, audio, and photos). The system will flash a card at specific intervals, so that you see it again right when you are about to forget it. It works great for both memorizing new cards and reviewing the ones you already know.

Zoho

Zoho is an online portal where you can find a wide selection of not only productivity tools for students but also apps to help you manage any kind of task. As so many young people today start their first business right from college, Zoho is a truly invaluable source of assistance. There you can find efficient apps for anything from bookkeeping to digital marketing to expense tracking.

Zoho offers different kinds of mobile apps, programs that can be integrated into Google Apps, and even programs for Apple Watch. This online tool can boost your productivity in classes, life, and business with equal efficiency.

So, What Are the Best Productivity Tools for Students?

It’s impossible to determine which tool works best because every person is unique and has their own individual needs and habits. If you want to achieve the heights of productivity, you should try different methods and pick the ones that work for you personally. These tools will definitely ease your way towards success in life, studying, and business.

Sylvia Kohl is an IT teacher with more than 7 years of professional experience. Her main spheres of interest are e-education and beta-testing. This writer chose news about the increasing role of IT usage in colleges and schools as the most common topic for her articles.

 

Risks of Picking A Major Early In Freshman Year

Decision Time
The key to graduating in four years (at least in the minds of many parents) is picking a major early and sticking with it. But a new report suggests students who change their major as late as senior year are more likely to graduate from college than students who settle on one the second they set foot on campus. (Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 24)

How Much Do K-12 School Counselors Help Students

BY DANIKA McCLURE

High school graduation rates have been on a steady incline for the past few years. The latest national data highlights that 82 percent of high school seniors in the 2013-14 year graduated, up a full percentage point from the previous year. These statistics are impressive, especially given that the biggest national gains in graduation rates have come from at-risk students of color.

Still, while high school graduation rates have risen over the past few years, recently released numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center suggest that college enrollment rates have continued to decrease–despite increases in federal aid that aim to help students who can’t afford tuition. Recent studies suggest that by simply decreasing the student-to-counselor ratio in schools, this trend can be reversed.

The importance of the counselor in K-12 education cannot be overstated. School counselors complement the work that teachers do in the classroom in order to help students best prepare for a successful college career, while also performing a number of other tasks, including helping students manage their mental health, and helping students deal with personal issues like cancer or even death.  

Although educators agree that school counselors play a crucial role in the K-12 system, counselors have become somewhat of a limited commodity on high school campuses. Education budget cuts across the country have forced many schools to increase the student-to-counselor ratio, making the national average nearly double the recommended 250-1 ratio put forth by the American School Counselor Association.

 

But this is a trend that ought not be taken lightly, as studies performed by the College Board Advocacy Center suggest college application rates and the school-to-counselor ratio strongly correlate, leading experts to believe that access to school counselors in high school increases college enrollment.

 

Analyzing data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey, the College Board Advocacy Center was able to look at student-to-counseling ratio trends over three different school years. They then focused specifically on the 12 states across the country who mandate maximum student-to-counselor ratios at the high school level.

 

The study found that high schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Oklahoma hired counselors at a ratio of 450-1, a rate which is on par with the national average. Although mandating the number of counselors per student seems like a fine idea on paper, in practice, the process is complicated.

“The intuition behind the methodology is that, on average, high schools with 449 students are essentially identical to high schools with 451 students, except that the latter schools have twice as many school counselors (and a ratio of 451 to 2 i.e. 225.5 students per counselor rather than 449 students per counselor),” the study notes.

Comparing the data, the CBAC found that the rate of college going students at schools with a smaller student-to-counselor ratio increased by ten percentage points, therefore implying that students benefit from the hiring of at least one additional counselor.

These are significant findings, especially when you consider that there has been little research about the affects that school counselors have on the student populations they serve. It also reaffirms the necessity of additional support for high school students to encourage college enrollment.

The addition of extra counselors in benefits both students and counselors alike, allowing  students the flexibility to meet with a counselor who can best meet their individual needs, and provides counselors the opportunity to reach out to gifted students who otherwise may have opted out of college altogether.

Though more research is necessary in determining the best way to encourage students to attend college, it’s clear that high school counselors play an important role, especially with potential first generation college students. Today’s economy dictates that it is now more important than ever for students to obtain advanced degrees, districts across the country should be encouraged to consider hiring staff capable of supporting students throughout the higher admissions process.

 

High school graduation rates have been on a steady incline for the past few years. The latest national data highlights that 82 percent of high school seniors in the 2013-14 year graduated, up a full percentage point from the previous year. These statistics are impressive, especially given that the biggest national gains in graduation rates have come from at-risk students of color.

Still, while high school graduation rates have risen over the past few years, recently released numbers from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center suggest that college enrollment rates have continued to decrease–despite increases in federal aid that aim to help students who can’t afford tuition. Recent studies suggest that by simply decreasing the student-to-counselor ratio in schools, this trend can be reversed.

The importance of the counselor in K-12 education cannot be overstated. School counselors complement the work that teachers do in the classroom in order to help students best prepare for a successful college career, while also performing a number of other tasks, including helping students manage their mental health, and helping students deal with personal issues like cancer or even death.  

Although educators agree that school counselors play a crucial role in the K-12 system, counselors have become somewhat of a limited commodity on high school campuses. Education budget cuts across the country have forced many schools to increase the student-to-counselor ratio, making the national average nearly double the recommended 250-1 ratio put forth by the American School Counselor Association.

But this is a trend that ought not be taken lightly, as studies performed by the College Board Advocacy Center suggest college application rates and the school-to-counselor ratio strongly correlate, leading experts to believe that access to school counselors in high school increases college enrollment.

Analyzing data from the National Center for Education Statistics’ (NCES) Schools and Staffing Survey, the College Board Advocacy Center was able to look at student-to-counseling ratio trends over three different school years. They then focused specifically on the 12 states across the country who mandate maximum student-to-counselor ratios at the high school level.

The study found that high schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Oklahoma hired counselors at a ratio of 450-1, a rate which is on par with the national average. Although mandating the number of counselors per student seems like a fine idea on paper, in practice, the process is complicated.

“The intuition behind the methodology is that, on average, high schools with 449 students are essentially identical to high schools with 451 students, except that the latter schools have twice as many school counselors (and a ratio of 451 to 2 i.e. 225.5 students per counselor rather than 449 students per counselor),” the study notes.

Comparing the data, the CBAC found that the rate of college going students at schools with a smaller student-to-counselor ratio increased by ten percentage points, therefore implying that students benefit from the hiring of at least one additional counselor.

These are significant findings, especially when you consider that there has been little research about the affects that school counselors have on the student populations they serve. It also reaffirms the necessity of additional support for high school students to encourage college enrollment.

The addition of extra counselors in benefits both students and counselors alike, allowing  students the flexibility to meet with a counselor who can best meet their individual needs, and provides counselors the opportunity to reach out to gifted students who otherwise may have opted out of college altogether.

Though more research is necessary in determining the best way to encourage students to attend college, it’s clear that high school counselors play an important role, especially with potential first generation college students. Today’s economy dictates that it is now more important than ever for students to obtain advanced degrees, districts across the country should be encouraged to consider hiring staff capable of supporting students throughout the higher admissions process.

Danika McClure is a writer and musician from the northwest who sometimes takes a 30 minute break from feminism to enjoy a tv show. You can follow her on twitter @sadwhitegrrl

 

Life After College: 7 Ways to Land A Good Job Soon

 

BY JOHN STEVENS

People have been clamoring for more employment opportunities for a long time, so there was excitement in the air when the U.S. Department of Labor recently announced that unemployment rate has gone down to 4.7 percent — the lowest in decades. This excitement was short-lived, however, as the very next day after the announcement thousands of people thronged the streets to protest low wages and poor labor conditions.

 

What is most alarming, however, is the fact that a good portion of people at these low paying jobs are college graduates. Data from Pew Research show that it is harder for college graduates to find good jobs, and 20 percent of college graduates end up working at low-wage jobs.

 

After spending years learning in college, possibly racking up tens of thousands of dollars in student debt, it can be demoralizing to get to the job market to find that the only option you have is low paying jobs. Below are some tips to help you land your dream job and get hired soon as a fresh college graduate.

 

1. Don’t Simply Rely on Your Qualifications

 

You’re educated and intelligent, and you’ve just been vetted and approved by an accredited institution. Shouldn’t that be enough to tell people that you can be hired? Not necessarily. In fact, research suggests that as many as 60 percent of all jobs are unadvertised — some sources even claim that this number can go up to 80 percent. It’s clear, though, that the majority of jobs are unadvertised.

 

Your qualifications might be impressive, but it won’t matter a bit when you aren’t even aware of most available job opportunities.

 

Instead of relying just on publicly advertised jobs, look for the unadvertised one. Reach out to your contacts — friends, family, acquaintances, etc — to see if they are aware of any unadvertised jobs at their organization or elsewhere that they can refer you to. Also, proactively reach out to companies to hire you — even before they advertise a position you might fill.

 

2. Get Creative About Getting Hired

 

We live in a world that values creativity more than intelligence, and you’ll have a much better chance of success by using this to your advantage. You can increase your chances of landing your dream job by getting creative. A notable example is Adam Pacitti, who graduated from college with a first class degree. After applying to over 250 jobs, Pacitti still had no job. He decided to get creative, and he rented a billboard with his last penny and put up the following message: “I spent my last £500 on this billboard. Please give me a job.” His campaign got a lot of attention — resulting in over 60 job offers for him. He had a good time selecting which company he wanted to work at.

 

3. Work on Your Cover Letter

 

First impressions matter a great deal, especially when trying to land your dream job as a graduate fresh out of college. A good place to start is with your cover letter.

 

If available research is anything to go by, you have 5 – 10 seconds to impress potential employees with your cover letter. Instead of making your cover letter your life story, keep it short and simple, and ensure it makes a compelling case for reading your resume; your cover letter should get people to read your resume. It shouldn’t be your resume.

 

4. Create and Optimize a LinkedIn Profile

 

We live in a very connected world, and, now more than ever before, many recruiters use LinkedIn heavily when deciding on who to hire. Available research shows that a whopping 94 percent of recruiters use LinkedIn for recruiting, and that 80 percent of recruiters have hired through LinkedIn at some point.

 

If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile yet, create one. Take a professional photo and upload it there. Fill in the tags and descriptions properly — in a way that demonstrates the kind of job you want. Also, list and highlight key achievements and interesting facts about you that will make employers more interested in hiring you.

 

5. Create a Website and/or Blog

 

There are about a billion websites in the world today, and websites and blogs have gone beyond being just business tools or a personal journal. They can also be highly instrumental in helping you land your dream job.

 

As a fresh college graduate in this age, it is important to embrace technology in your job search. More than ever before, people are getting hired due to their websites and blogs irrespective of their qualifications.

 

There are several notable examples of people who got their dream jobs through their website: Leslie Samuel got his dream job as a biology professor due to his blog. Allison Hitz, who also got hired due to her blog, claimed that employers were more interested in her blog than in her Master’s degree.

 

If you haven’t fully embraced technology yet, creating a blog isn’t difficult or complicated; you don’t have to code or buy special software. You can do it on your phone/tablet. You simply need to familiarize yourself with WordPress and make use of resources like this one to help you setup your blog.

 

6. Demonstrate Your Expertise

 

We can’t ignore what is perhaps the biggest challenge any fresh college graduate has — lack of proof of your abilities.

 

Most employers won’t want to hire a fresh college graduate due to lack of job experience, but that doesn’t mean all hope is lost. The solution is to be creative at demonstrating your ability; potential employees only need to see that you’re capable, and you’ll soon be hired. A good case study about this is Alec Brownstein’s. In an attempt to get hired by advertising agencies, Brownstein purchased Google ads and targeted the names of major advertising executives to declare his interest in being hired; since these executives naturally Google their names regularly, they had to come across his offer at a point. By demonstrating his expertise he got hired in no time.

 

7. Focus on What You Can Offer the Employer

 

Again, as a new college graduate it is very easy to make the mistake of making it all about you; you need to very carefully avoid that mistake. Instead of talking about your dreams, your purpose, what you want to do, what you want your future to be like, etc, talk about how you think the company you’re applying to fits in into the world, and how you being employed by them can further enhance this role and increase their potential. Make it more about your clients and less about you, and you’ll snag your dream job in no time.

 

John Stevens is a world-renowned consultant and regular contributor to major publications including Entrepreneur and Adweek. He is the founder of Hosting Facts, a portal that provides unbiased reviews of the best web hosts.

6 Tips for Bringing Up Your Grades

BY JANE HURST

Being a college student isn’t all fun and games. You need to make sure that you are getting the education that you are paying for, and that you are making the most out of it (not just the social scene). Most college students face times when there grades aren’t where they should be. If this is happening to you, it is time for you to take charge of your studies, and take steps to make sure that your grades improve. Here are some tips that will help.
1. Figure Out Your Shortcomings – The first thing you need to do is figure out what areas you are doing poorly in. Then, you can begin to create an action plan that focuses more on these areas. It may be that there are only a couple of subjects you are doing poorly in. These are the subjects you need to focus on the most. Look at your grades over the past year or so and see if there are any patterns. Maybe there has been a steady decline in your overall grades, or you just have one problem subject. The more you know about your shortcomings, the easier it will be to overcome them.
2. Stay Positive – One of the first things you need to do is adopt a positive mental attitude. Obviously, when you are getting low grades, it is going to make it difficult to maintain a positive attitude. But, even if it feels hopeless, don’t give up. If you are going to make any improvements in your grades, you need to stay positive. Instead of considering yourself a failure, start thinking about ways that you can turn things around and start getting better grades.
3. Take Extra Classes Online – There are plenty of online courses that you can take in conjunction with your regular college studies. If you are doing poorly in a particular class, take an online class in the same subject. That way, you will be getting double the study and classroom time, and you are going to be able to absorb more of the information you are receiving. Learn more about online courses at Coursera, 280Group and Edx.
4. Discuss it with Your Teachers – Your teachers should be the first people you turn to when you want to find ways to bring up your grades. Talk to them about the problems you have, and ask how they think you should go about improving your grades. They will be able to offer advice on how you can create an action plan that will bring up your grades.
5. Don’t Miss Classes – You may be tempted to sleep in on some mornings, or find something that you think is more important than being at a particular class. Stop doing this. If you want good grades, you need to attend all of your classes. When you are attending classes, you are better able to absorb the material that is being taught. You get to participate in class discussions and projects, and you develop relationships with your teachers. You also earn attendance points, which can greatly affect your grades.
6. Get and Stay Organized – While it may seem like a little thing, being organized is one of the keys to great study habits. When you aren’t organized, it can be next to impossible to be able to concentrate on what you are studying. Start using a daily planner to keep your classes, assignments, etc. organized. Update calendars so you always stay current, and hang onto old homework, tests, and papers to use as reference later on. Get yourself an accordion file, and keep your various classes organized by having each one in a different section.

Byline:

Jane Hurst has been working in education for over 5 years as a teacher. She loves sharing her knowledge with students, is fascinated about edtech and loves reading, a lot. Follow Jane on Twitter

Graduate Students May Unionize, NLRB Rules

Inside Higher Ed

Graduate students who work as teaching and research assistants at private universities are entitled to collective bargaining, the National Labor Relations Board ruled Tuesday.

The NLRB said that a previous ruling by the board — that these workers were not entitled to collective bargaining because they are students — was flawed.

The board’s ruling, 3-1, came in a case involving a bid by the United Automobile Workers to organize graduate students at Columbia University. Many graduate students at public universities are already unionized as their right to do so is covered by state law, not federal law.

The ruling largely rejects the fights of previous boards over whether teaching assistants should be seen primarily as students or employees. They can be both, the majority decision said.

Read more about the ruling here.

Keys To Successful School/College Dual Enrollment

 
To assist legislators, chiefs, higher education officials and others learn from the experience of other states, Education Commission of the States has once again updated its comprehensive 50-state comparison on dual/concurrent enrollment policies.

This resource, the only one of its kind, provides a national look at the number of states that have each of 20 policies in place regarding dual enrollment basics, as well as the four key dual enrollment policy areas of access, finance, ensuring course quality and transferability.

Some key takeaways from this resource:

• Without a requirement that eligible students may participate, schools and districts may not be inclined to promote dual/concurrent enrollment for students.
• Some express concern that dual enrollment courses taught by high school teachers may not meet the same level of rigor as courses taught by postsecondary faculty on postsecondary campuses.
• How funding flows can either incentivize schools to participate or deter participation. If courses meet rigorous criteria yet students are denied transfer credit at another postsecondary institution, the value of dual enrollment as an option for students to save money and time to degree is negated.

For questions, contact 

Education Commission of the States Director of Communications Amy Skinner at askinner@ecs.org or 303.299.3609.

5 Good Jobs for Graduates With No Experience

BY DAVID GUITERREZ

The biggest mistake of many students is that they start applying for low-paid positions just to earn some money.  Instead of working as a waiter at the cheap restaurant next door, spend this week or two deciding on your career path.

 Begin your journey with having a look at the Top-5 high paying and demanded careers for college and university graduates.

1. Construction & Engineering

Average wages: $139,000 annually

To specify, the field is called petroleum engineering. While you may think about a regular engineer who earns cents for fixing some models or developing plans for modest premises, this sort of engineers takes part in locating natural reservoirs of petroleum deposits. That’s where the name comes from.

Be ready to:

• work in team,
• use all your communication skills,
• apply various cost-efficient methods of petroleum recovery,
• and implements everything you have learnt from your chemistry, high math, geometry, geology, physics, and, of course, engineering & construction classes.

This position can be divided into three types by way employee drills process that he is involved in.

Reservoir engineers control the geological construction for the most effective strategic method of extraction. Drilling engineers deal with computer-run models. They also require a solid knowledge of Information Technology so far. Production engineers watch after the interface between drilling and extraction. They also need accounting skills.

2. Actuarial math

Average wages: $90,200

The job title is actuary. Despite you may think this person works with mathematical or engineering issues, in fact, this expert goes deeper into the financial outcomes of risks. As far as investments and stock exchange are gaining more and more popularity all over the world, those who are involved in these activities demand financial professionals to keep the invested money safe or at least warn people about possible threats.

In order to master this art, an applicant will have to present:

• perfect mathematics,
• statistics (both traditional and computer-based),
• and financial theory.

Mind that you’ll need to research and forecast further market fluctuations. Also, these professionals observe the situation with insurance and pension programs.

3. Aerospace engineer

Average wages: $86,300

Are you dreaming of innovations? Wish to craft useful goods for your nation? Then you should pay attention to the position titled “Aerospace engineer”. It involves developing the elements of:

• spacecraft,
• aircraft,
• satellites,
• missiles,
• and many other items.

As far as the requirements are very different, we recommend focusing on one product category. It won’t reflect your salary: no matter whether you deal with military aircraft or rockets, these goods are always in high demand. To join this industry, you’ll have to study mechanics, engineering & construction, control systems, thermodynamics, navigation, and IT. As you can see, this occupation requires a lot of efforts but is worth trying.

4. Army & Air Force Exchange Service – Any Position

Average wages: depends on your occupation

Finally, if you did not find any specific profession that corresponds to your education, you can try turning to Army & Air Force Exchange Service for help. By using this service, you will definitely find a job which offers a range of social benefits. Except for the attractive salary, you’ll receive:

• health insurance,
• 100% security,
• Sick and annual leave,
• meal programs,
• and more.

You will most probably deal with sales (electronics, food, snacks, and clothing).

5. Statistician

Average Salary: $79,000

Without hiring a professional statistician, the company won’t be able to conduct in-depth research and interpret the data. That is why it is crucial to perform well in your Statistics class. Apply both qualitative and quantitative research to get a highly paid position in almost any industry and any company in such areas as:

• Healthcare and medicine.

 

Sit down and weigh all pros and cons of your education. Nobody wants to join that quarter of graduates which remains unemployed after a year. Read more about the industries discussed above. Are there any positions that meet your expectations?

 

 

 

 

Why College Students Drop Out and How to Prevent It

BY VICTORIA KLOCHKOVA

Although school and college graduation rates have steadily been on the rise for the last hundred years or so, thousands of undergraduates drop out of college every year. This causes substantial financial losses to the colleges in question, let alone students themselves, who lose not just money, but time and self-assurance as well.

Why does it happen? And how can we prevent it? Let’s try to understand.

1.    Lack of Staff Support

Many college dropouts attribute their failure to graduate to the fact that they felt unsupported by the university staff. Contrary to what many of us may think, students do seem to place considerable importance on tutor-student relationship, and a failure to maintain it on a certain level means a substantial loss in a student’s confidence and efficiency. They start feeling lost in an enormous, faceless and impersonal organization that doesn’t care whether they pass or fail.

This, in turn, is caused by ever-growing number of students with there not being enough tutors to properly accommodate them. it may sound a bit vague, but there is only one way out of this issue – to increase tutor-student engagement, to provide students with support from their college, to increase the prominence of active learning as opposed to lecturing, to force students into active participation in their learning process rather than being passive recipients, thus making sure nobody is left out.

2.    Lack of Financial Support

Unsurprisingly, the percentage of dropout among disadvantaged students are considerably higher than among those coming from wealthier families: they are about twice as likely to drop out. The reason is, they don’t have access to the same resources and have to spend a lot of time working to just make the ends meet. This takes up time that could otherwise have been spent learning and, in the long run, many of them find themselves incapable of handling the stress and excessive workloads.

In this respect, increasing graduation rates should involve supporting struggling students. Not just by means of direct financial help, but through such things as health insurance, more flexible timetables for evening and weekend classes, and so on.

3.    College Feels like a Bad Fit

Oftentimes a student realizes too late that the college they and their parents have chosen isn’t a particularly good choice in their specific case. Each university has its own distinctive feel, approach to education and philosophy of life, and sometimes they just don’t coincide with the student’s values, making them feel out of place. Sadly, there is not much that can be done in this case – one can only recommend students to visit the campus several times, talking to the staff and students and so on before making a commitment – it can help avoid mistakes.

4.    Homesickness

Trivial as it may sound, but students, especially those who never experienced staying far away from home for too long, often feel homesick enough to actually abandon their studies. Perhaps not as a sole reason, but homesickness certainly contributes to high dropout rates. Again, nothing much can be done by a college to help this situation – other than try and create conditions that would allow students to feel at home.

5.    Uncertainty about the Course and Career Choice

For many students, college is a default option, decided for them by society and their parents. Therefore, they enroll for a course not because it is their choice, but of necessity, because their parent insisted or because they never considered another option. The problem is, such students often choose the course (or have it chosen for them) without having any personal inclination to study this particular discipline. Needless to say, they are far less motivated to complete their studies than those who know what they need and want. There is enough evidence to say that about a third of high school graduates are very uncertain about their college and career choice – and, as we know, the majority of dropouts happen during the first year.

Better orientation services and counseling can turn the tables in this respect.

Dropout rates are an old and ongoing problem that doesn’t have any simple solution. Only a complex approach encompassing all sides of academic life can change the situation – as well as lives of thousands of students.

About the author:

Victoria is a passionate entrepreneur and marketer. She runs a digital agency and writes for several blogs on the web. She loves sharing knowledge about innovation and technology!