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Bailey Rose English 111 Emily Jarema March 05, 2014

Does High School Prepare Students For College?

Have you ever gone to a college class and was completely clueless on how to do something because you did not learn it in high school? Many high school seniors/college freshmen feel the same way. Some high schools may better prepare students for college more than others. For example, some high schools allow juniors and seniors to dual-enroll into college classes to earn college credits while they are still enrolled and taking high school courses. This however, does not always prepare students because some of the college courses are taught by high school teachers in the high school environment. This causes students to get away with much more than they should because teachers are more lenient. One author really goes on to explain the ways that high schools are not preparing their students for college and how the students feel about it. The Politics of Remediation written by author Mike Rose explains that students enter the college classroom lectures and are asked to do something that is assigned to them and they are unsure how to do it because they were never taught in high school. Some college professors punish their students for not understanding how to do something or having lack of knowledge on how to do it. Students were coming to college with limited exposure to certain kinds of writing and reading and with conceptions and beliefs that were dissonant with those in

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lower-division curriculum they encountered. And that curriculum wasnt doing a lot to address their weaknesses or nurture their strengths. (14) This explains that the way that we are taught things in high school does not always benefit us in the college environment. Our beliefs and the way that each one of us is taught differs from the way that other students are taught. Everyone learns things differently and everyone teaches things differently. In another article written by Mike Rose titled I Just Wanna Be Average it explains that people that come from different social and economic backgrounds tend to be stereotyped not only through high school but also through college as well. This affects students because they go to school knowing that they may get picked on because of where they came from and whom they are friends with. For instance you have athletes, nerds, popular, rich, poor, etc. These stereotypes affect people emotionally and maybe sometimes even physically. Mike Rose states: I was an erratic student. I was undisciplined. And I hadnt caught onto the rules of the game: Why work hard in a class that didnt grab my fancy? I was also hopelessly behind in math. Chemistry was hard; toying with my chemistry set years before hadnt prepared me for the chemists equations. Fortunately, the priest who taught both chemistry and second-year algebra was also the schools athletic director. Membership on the track team covered me; I knew I wouldnt get lower than a C.(308) This explains that some students bond so well with teachers that they are favored and get better grades than some kids who dont bond with their teachers. Grades should not reflect on how well you get along with the teacher or how often you guys hang out on a Friday night. Often times this is the case. Students receive better grades in a class when they are friends with their teachers in high school. However, this is not always the case in college. They are not there to be your friend they are there to teach you and move onto the next class. There are many ways in which I feel prepared for college but in all reality I know that I am not prepared at all. For example, my high school allows students to dual enroll in college

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courses during their junior and senior year. The majority of these dual enrolled courses are college courses taught by high school teachers. Some are taught by college professors. Most of these classes are also taught in the high school setting. In some ways this is good in others bad. When a college course is taught in a high school environment the students tend to act like high school students rather than college students, causing the teacher to teach the students like high schoolers. When high school teachers teach the course they tend to be extra laid back and lenient when it comes to homework and deadlines. They also tend to be lenient when it comes to behavior. For example, I have had college classes taught by both high school teachers and college professors and in the high school setting teachers tend to let students play on their phones and students tend to be ruder towards the teacher.Whereas in a dual enrolled class taught at the high school by a college professor if you are caught on your phone during class he/she will just dismiss you from class that day. You are the one paying for the class not them. There is no choice room in college to be sent to when you are misbehaving. You just get kicked out of class for the day. Your loss, because the money comes out of your pocket. There are many people that believe they are prepared for college. You can never be fully prepared for something that happens in life. There will always be obstacles that you encounter along your journey through life that will be hard to overcome and for many college is one of those. Ask for help when you need it. Do not sit there and fail because you lose money that way.

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Works Cited Page

Rose, Mike. "I Just Wanna Be Average." Exploring Relationships. N.p.: Pearson Learning Company, 2013. 295-312. Print. Rose, Mike. "The Politics of Remediation." (2013). Print.