When I began doing my fieldwork hours at El Camino in the fall, I grew a deep appreciation for the welcoming environment the First Year Experience (FYE) office had. Through various counseling sessions I got to observe, I witnessed first-hand the importance the role of the community college counselor has on its students. Thought the group of students who entered were different than the previous class, the same issues and obstacles were being mentioned to the FYE counselors. However, the one obstacle that kept repeating itself was that of financial literacy. Internship Site El Camino Community College is located near Torrance, California. El Camino enrolls more than 25,000 students a year. According to its website, it contains over 800 academic …show more content…
In her presentation, she would stress the importance of visiting the financial aid if they are unsure or have any questions regarding their financial aid. The article by McKinney and Roberts (2012) reviews the duties of the community college counselor and its importance to the overall student experience. The conversation between the financial counselor and the students during the workshop was welcoming and students felt comfortable asking her questions. The article stresses the high level of impact these counselors can have on students, particularly entering first year students. Increasing counselor accessibility to students is essential, and the FYE office did an excellent job of incorporating a counselor to open up all the workshops (Mckinney & Roberts, 2012). Needless to note is that only some students are selected for these workshops, so for others it may prove …show more content…
The article by Bailey (2017) gives context to the barriers some community college students face and a possible reform that can be implemented by the community colleges. Due to the article, I gained this curiosity of exploring the campus more in-depth. I approached Dr. Mosqueda and Seranda and they gave me various recommendations on places to visit. One of the main barriers to student success is the lack support they receive from their campus (Bailey, 2017). Therefore, I found the writing center the most interesting because it was one resource that is vital for students to succeed during their time at El
Entry to community college allows just that. Addison explains, “just follow any one of the 1,655 road signs, and pop your head inside—yes, independent film, a first independent thought, a first independent study” (212). Many potential college prospects are turned away because this self-discovery found in community college cannot be found in private college; however, Addison insists that community college is the golden ticket to regain these would-be scholars. To begin, acceptance is necessary for admittance to many colleges—not community college. In the words of Addison, “down at X.Y.C.C. it is still possible to enter the college experience as a rookie” (213). Any student desiring education, preparation, and self-discovery does not need to look any further than community college, which, for some students, is the only shot at the college experience. On top of this, community colleges provide opportunities like no college—public or private—could. Community colleges provide introductory courses that could not be found in regular institutions; this allows students to explore and get their feet under them. To find and pursue an interest proves more difficult at a college because intense classes are provided from the beginning, whether students have declared a major or have yet to decide. In sum, Addison claims that an atmosphere designed
Swales, John. "The Concept of Discourse Community." Wardle, Elizabeth and Doug Downs. Writing about Writing a College Reader. Boston: Bedford/St.Martin's, 2011. 466-480. Print.
One major decision one must make after exiting high school is whether to go to a university or go to community college. In the article “Two Year Are Better Than Four,” written by Liz Addison. She expressed her opinion on the significance of community colleges in comparison with the university. She stated that community college do not receive the acknowledgment and appreciation that they deserve. “what’s the matter with colleges?,” (Addison 255).
"College of Arts and Sciences." The Writing Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Mar. 2014. .
Although community colleges struggle with low retention and transfer rates, Everett (2015) mentioned that community colleges created opportunities for first-generation students through five divisions of admission (p. 52). The intention of this article was to address the five divisions of access provided by community colleges for first-generation college students which include: financial accessibility, geographic accessibility, programmatic accessibility, academic accessibility, cultural/social/physical accessibility and also the problems faced by these students after admission.
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
With tuition rising every year, students face the challenge paying the debt achieving a college degree comes with. “Student debt surpassed credit-card debt in June 2010 for the first time in history, rising to about $830 billion — or nearly 6 percent of the nation 's annual economic output”(Clemmitt, Marcia). Not everyone has a ton of money just laying around. Being that financial trouble is the biggest problem for students, they begin to question whether college is worth it or not. In recent years, students have taken out loans to help with expenses. Most students choose to attend a community and junior college to help minimize the debt. Even after graduating with a degree, students still face the struggle of finding a job in this economic time. For higher class families this may not be a problem to them. But for the middle class and low income families, they face tougher times being that they don 't have the financial help like higher class families do. For the middle class and low income families, it makes more sense attending a community and junior college rather than a four year university.
For the past few decades, receiving a college education has been a stressed importance in today’s society. However it is often misunderstood that attending a 4-year school is the best and only way to go. Following this belief, many students attend these schools with out being academically, financially, or mentally prepared. Unfortunately students like this have failed to over look the more realistic options available to them, such as community college. Junior college is a resource available to anyone regardless of his or her previous academic performance. The variety of courses and the inexpensive tuition gives students flexibility to explore the many options presented to them. Though Universities hold more prestige, community colleges provide endless opportunities for students who aren’t fully prepared for a 4-year education
College is one of the largest financial burdens in today’s society for many. Since the recession, people often ponder what the best financial options for students looking to go to college are and what path they should take to get them there. Being able to read other’s opinions on said topic can be rather beneficial for one looking into the possibility of furthering his or her education. Mike Rose, faculty member at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles, and Karen Lawrence, the president of Sarah Lawrence College, have both shared their opinion for others to read by writing articles about this epidemic and stating what they believe to be the advantages and some of the possible downsides
thought a university was out of his reach so he decided that El Camino was best because that was what
As the high school chapter is coming to a close, many students have to make a decision that will affect the rest of their lives. Hopefully, for many that decision is to enroll in a college and attain a higher education. However, as tuition costs rise, students have to take a second look at their options for a better future. A community college is that second look for many because it is the less expensive option. From 2007-2009, enrollment for community colleges has increased by 24 percent (“College costs and the CPI”). Students aren’t choosing a college for educational purposes because they are overwhelmed by financial issues. They are attending community colleges so they will be able to graduate with a lower debt. Some seniors have wanted to attend a certain university all their life and they work toward that goal through grade school; however, they are hindered by soaring tuition for that college. Students should be able to attend a private university if they mee...
Marcus, Jon. "Financial aid not always going to neediest college students." Hechinger Report . N.p., 25 Nov. 2011. Web. 22 Nov. 2013. .
Beneficial Resources and Services Searching for help around a community college campus can be difficult, especially to students who do not know what resources and services a school has to offer. Community colleges offer numerous resources and services to incoming and current students to allow them to have a better experience at school. These resources could be helpful to the students in ways that were not offered while attending high school. The purpose of having resources and services at a college is for students to seek for beneficial help around campus, so that their college experience isn’t horrible and that they don’t feel lost.
Guidance counseling, also called school counseling, has evolved over the years into an important part of the education system. Counselors are now taking on new roles in schools as leaders so much so that the ways in which counseling is being implemented has become a much talked about topic in schools. The effectiveness of counseling in schools is looked at by the education system more frequently than it was in the past. Though all school counselors must follow a national model for counseling, the roles and functions of counselors at various levels in the school system are different, however, school counselors at all levels of education before college are generally effective despite implications.
Counselors are able to advise more students through planned activities (Ordsmyth, 2002). There is also the need to support students through the transitional stage between significant events. Preparing a student to enter a four-year college, two-year college, military or job force is crucial to their future success.