One of the most jolting changes in life is the transition from high school to college.
High school is safe and regimented. Students wake up at their regular time, go to the same classes every day, return home, do their homework, go to sleep, and then do it all again the next day. Most high school students have little to no financial responsibility, and because they’re told what to do and when to do it, they’re not required to make many decisions.
In comparison, the first semester of college can be a cold, hard slap in the face. Suddenly, students have different classes each day, the work is more demanding, and no one is telling them to take notes, do their homework, or study for tests. Also, because many of them are living away from home for the first time, they have the freedom to manage their own time and spend their money as they wish. Add in the temptations and distractions of college life, and it’s easy to understand how nearly one in three college students drop out of school their first year.
Another statistic is just as grim, According to College Mine, a counseling and tutoring service based in Nashville, 53 percent of the students enrolled in a four-year college do not graduate within six years. Apparently, the open-ended nature of the college lifestyle and the uptick in academic intensity are more than many freshmen are prepared to handle.
College Mine is hoping to turn that around beginning this summer with its first College Plan Jam. Zack Moscow, director, explains:
“Students and parents pour a lot of time and resources into high school academic performance, standardized test scores, extracurricular activities, and college applications. Then, once everyone has received their acceptance letters, that process ends.
“But students have more to do to get ready for college. We did several focus groups with high school and college students, and realized many of them were ill-prepared not only academically but also in the areas of time and money management.”
To bring students up to speed, College Mine developed College Plan Jam, a crash course in freshman readiness. Each Jam will consist of four sessions addressing a variety of topics. Session one, for example, will cover academics, including the differences between high school teachers, classes and tests, and college professors, classes and tests.
“We’re going to offer strategies for developing and maintaining good relationships with your professors, such as sitting in the front row in class, taking advantage of your professor’s office hours, and establishing a mentor-student relationship,” Moscow says.
College Plan Jam will also teach proven study skills, such as how to listen in class, take notes, read a textbook, and study for a test. In addition, participants will learn time management skills that can help them squeeze in study time, meals, entertainment and the occasional call home.
Moscow says it’s also important for college students to have an active, healthy, and productive social life. To that end, session two of College Plan Jam will offer practical advice for dealing with roommates, developing new friendships, getting involved, and handling freedom.
College Plan Jam will also show students how to make the most of the money they have, as books, supplies, pizzas and dates can eat up a lot of cash. Topics in session three include how to create and stick to a personal budget, the pitfalls that lead to waste, and easy ways to save money on day-to-day expenses.
During the final session, participants will learn about the importance of setting goals.
“While we encourage students to go to college, it’s a serious investment of time and money, so we want them to know why they’re doing it,” Moscow says.
College Mine developed College Plan Jam in collaboration with graduate students at Peabody College of Education at Vanderbilt University. That process led to the decision at the company to use young educators, including college students and recent graduates, to teach the Jam sessions. Also, instead of structuring Jam sessions like a traditional class, the atmosphere will be more open and collaborative, Moscow says.
“There won’t be someone standing at the front of the room talking at students for several hours. Instead, we’ll provide everyone with background information and then let them expand on the concepts themselves.”
Although College Mine has not set a date for the Chattanooga College Plan Jam, Moscow says it will happen sometimes between June 1 and Aug. 15. To provide students and parents with more information about what to expect from the Jam, College Mine plans to host four free informational sessions. For information about when these will be offered, visit www.collegemine.com.
Moscow encourages every high school junior and senior who plans to go to college to attend College Plan Jam, including those who have excelled academically and believe they have everything figured out.
“I went to a public high school, and I was a 4.0 student. I had never gotten a B, so I was supremely confident in my academic abilities, and I thought I wouldn’t have any problems making the transition to college.
“But I struggled. I went in as a pre-med student, and during my first semester, I took multivariable calculus, biology, and a couple of general education courses. It was a demanding workload, and I soon realized I had no idea what I was doing. I had no idea how to study, how to read effectively, or how to manage my time.”
Moscow says it took him an entire semester to make the necessary adjustments. Today, he works to help students avoid making the mistakes he did.
“I understand the value of College Plan Jam and the skills it teaches, and how important it is to learn those things as early as possible. We want to help students get off to a good start and put them on the track to graduate in four years.”