Читать книгу Colleges of Distinction 2010 - 2011 Guide - Tyson Schritter - Страница 3

“Different is good,” proclaimed a recent fast-food advertising campaign, and most Americans would agree. We Americans pride ourselves on our diversity. We like to think of ourselves as unique individuals.

When it comes to education, we often talk as if one size fits all. Students often figure that colleges are pretty much all the same. If it’s a “good school” it must be good enough for me. But educators know that different people learn in different ways.

If you’re the kind of person who learns best from talking things through, you’re not going to thrive in an environment where you sit in a crowd of 500 and listen to talking heads. If you learn by solving problems, tests or papers emphasizing rote memorization are going to turn you off.

One of the best ways to start figuring out how you like to learn is to think about situations where you have learned new information or skills more easily.

 When someone gives you driving directions, do you need to see a map or can you listen to directions by ear? Does it help you to be told what landmarks to look for while driving or do you prefer to think in terms of distance and direction?

 How do you prefer to study for tests? Do you like to read over material alone, or does it help you to talk it over with a friend? Does it help you to actively write out material by hand, or to listen to someone repeat it to you?

 What activities or hobbies give you pleasure? Are you a physical person who prefers sports or dance? Do you like other performance-based activities, such as singing or acting? Do you enjoy “hands-on” hobbies like carpentry or sculpture? Do you enjoy the process of collecting and classifying items like stamps or dolls? Do you read or write for pleasure?

It’s quite likely that you are unaware of your best learning style. It may be that you’vr never had the chance to combine your hobbies and passions with your academic interests. Maybe some of your grades have even suffered as a result.

The good news is that college can give you a chance to be a hands-on learner. You can travel abroad to learn a language or take an internship to try out a job. Your campus activities can teach you leadership skills or even academic knowledge while you have fun. The Colleges of Distinction offer you a wide range of ways to get engaged in learning.

_________________

Measuring Engagement: What is it, how can I find it?

The term “engagement” is more than a buzzword. It is a serious part of how good golleges reach their students. Hand-on learning gives you practical skills for the future, as well as making learning easier. Important forms of engaged learning include:

1 Classroom experiences that emphasize reading, writing, and speaking. Whether it is history, biology, Spanish or engineering you should be actively engaged in the skills of analysis and expression. Some lecture-based courses are inevitable at most (though not all!) colleges, but classes that emphasize active learning-learning in which you are actively involved in the learning process-help you develop the skills you’ll need for success in the workplace and other aspects of your life.

2 Collaborative learning in and outside the classroom. Whether it’s working on a group project in class or undertaking joint research with a professor, collaborative learning reflects the reality that most people do not work alone. Learn to work with others in college and you’ll be ahead in almost any field.

3 Field Experience. Learning outside the classroom is especially important in research-based disciplines, but almost any course that involves field experience will give you a leg up on your resume. Internships, which let you try out a career, and service learning which allows student to serve their community as part of a class, are good forms of field experience.

4 Interacting with other cultures. Whether through studying abroad or through multicultural experience in the U.S., college students have more opportunities than ever to learn about different peoples, great preparation for a job market that is increasingly international and multicultural.

_________________

Word to the Wise: Are you Engageable?

“College and university admission officers at selective institutions typically have a broad definition of merit, as well as a deep commitment to fairness and equity. They know that the ability to contribute and succeed in college goes beyond grades and testing.

Typically selective colleges consider:

 the quality of courses a student has chosen

 the student’s involvement in the school or community

 the ability of the student to write effectively

 the student’s character and ability to function in a common community (as reflected by recommendations from teachers, employers and others.)”

-Carey Thompson, Dean of Admissions, Centre College of Kentucky

“Standardized exams cannot measure heart (and neither can I, by the way), but we do have ways of getting a read on how much initiative or drive, or whatever you want to call it, plays in the process. Is the student involved outside of class? Is she a leader? Does he write well? How are her interpersonal skills? What do his peers and teachers thing of him? All these elements contribute to the equation of whether or not a student is admitted to TCU. Our decisions are holistic in nature as we try to take into account everything we are able to discover about the student.”

-Ray Brown, Dean of Admissions, Texas Christian University

_________________

Before you Visit

Look over any materials you have received from the college. Are there any interesting opportunities that you would like to learn more about?

When making the appointment for your visit, ask if you can meet with someone who knows more about the programs that interest you. For example, is it possible to visit the Study Abroad Office or meet with a professor who conducts research with students?

When You Are On Campus

Ask an admissions counselor what the school values in an applicant. Does the description sound like a good match for you?

How many students participate in study abroad, internships, student research, service learning, and other hands-on opportunities?

Is there a time when students generally engage in these opportunities (the beginning of junior year, for example)?

Do you need to qualify for any special programs (like an Honors College) in order to have these opportunities? If so, how well do your qualifications stack up?

Talk with the admissions counselor about your current high school interest and activities. Are there groups on campus in these categories?

Ask Students

What kind of engaging experiences have they had? Study Abroad? Internships? Service? Do they have any planned?

What are their favorite classes? What makes these classes interesting? Do they sound interesting to you?

Have students had any hands-on experiences that the especially enjoyed?

Have they been involved in any research projects, fieldwork, or special trips related to a class? Do these experiences sound interesting to you?

_________________

A Checklist for finding….

Engaged Students

Doing your Homework

[ ] If they do not use NSSE, does the college offer any other measures of how well students are learning?

[ ] To what degree does the faculty subscribe to “active learning”? Ask for examples of professors who teach this way

[ ] What percentage of students participate in study abroad, Internships and undergraduate research experiences? (More than one-third usually represents a significant part of the campus.)

[ ] Does the school have short one-month terms? (Usually offered in January or May, these can make off –campus experiences easier to integrate into you regular course schedule.)

[ ] What summer opportunities are available at the school?

[ ] Do scholarships and other financial assistance cover off-campus study?

[ ] What opportunities are there for students to build resumes?

[ ] Does the school offer research opportunities? (This is especially important for science-oriented students or those considering graduate school in any field.)

[ ] Does the school have programs for service learning?

[ ] How well does the school work with local resources (businesses, philanthropies, government, museums, and artistic groups) to enrich student education?