Higher Education seems to be going through a low period in terms of vision and leadership right now. Since we truly have a great system in this country, I am sure that it will shake off this crew like a bad case of flees before long, but for those of you in the mix for the next four years or so, don't swallow all the stuff out there that is in the name of "customer service." You don't go to college to buy a teddy bear. You're going there to get an education. That means occasionally, you may need to learn things you aren't interested in and do things that are difficult for you. Information may not always be as reddily available as you would like. Welcome to life!
Also, did I mention deadlines? If you are one of the many first-generation college students out there who chose community college as the best way to complete the first two years of school, you've made a fiscally responsible decision. Good for you! You will very likely do well once you transfer. One problem with community colleges is that they are so concerned about getting and keeping students that they let them get away with a lot of stuff they really shouldn't let them get away with. Since it's more "convenient" to be able to register whenever you think of it, most community colleges let you do just that----even if the class has already started. It's all fun and games until you do the math, and here's the math:
Class starts on September 4th. Mary registers on the last day to register, September 10. For that convenience, Mary will pay full tuition plus late registration fees for fewer hours of instruction than her peers. She is also less likely to start out with the materials she needs for her classes like her books, etc. She may end up paying more for books as well since early birds have already snatched up the low-priced used copies.
So, basically, Mary has the luxury of being able to pay more for a suboptimal experience. It gets worse; Mary is also almost guaranteed to fail or drop out of that class. So she is paying more to get an F than any of her on-time registering peers.
Late Registration is not your friend. Tell your community college president to end late registration so all students can be successful.
Bucks County Community College has already done just that. Rock on, Pennsylvania!
Also, did I mention deadlines? If you are one of the many first-generation college students out there who chose community college as the best way to complete the first two years of school, you've made a fiscally responsible decision. Good for you! You will very likely do well once you transfer. One problem with community colleges is that they are so concerned about getting and keeping students that they let them get away with a lot of stuff they really shouldn't let them get away with. Since it's more "convenient" to be able to register whenever you think of it, most community colleges let you do just that----even if the class has already started. It's all fun and games until you do the math, and here's the math:
Class starts on September 4th. Mary registers on the last day to register, September 10. For that convenience, Mary will pay full tuition plus late registration fees for fewer hours of instruction than her peers. She is also less likely to start out with the materials she needs for her classes like her books, etc. She may end up paying more for books as well since early birds have already snatched up the low-priced used copies.
So, basically, Mary has the luxury of being able to pay more for a suboptimal experience. It gets worse; Mary is also almost guaranteed to fail or drop out of that class. So she is paying more to get an F than any of her on-time registering peers.
Late Registration is not your friend. Tell your community college president to end late registration so all students can be successful.
Bucks County Community College has already done just that. Rock on, Pennsylvania!
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