For prospective college students

These skills focus on reading and writing.

College bound students will need skills such as reading strategies, critical thinking, and time management. The most obvious but somewhat unimportant change from high school is that students are no longer going to class every day. They are expected to be able to plan and schedule their tasks accordingly, and for students who went through high school with a significant amount of hand-holding, they may lack the ability to plan for themselves. Students have to be able to plan ahead so that they will have enough time to complete assignments on time. They should be able to read, understand, and retain more than just a plot summary. Their writing skills will have to grow beyond superficial text summary but also incorporate ideas such as themes and character analysis which is supported by textual evidence. Their note taking and organization skills should allow them to revisit and study material discussed in class in order to prepare for exams.

In a society that champions equal opportunity, students will never have to worry about being denied their chance to go to school. It’s always the logistical problems that complicate matters. Plus, it’s just morally wrong and a brutally blunt way to telling students they don’t have what it takes. I suppose, even if a student were to fail spectacularly, he or she should at least to given that chance.

Starting out at a community college may help them groom the skills they need because a community college often feels, for a lack of a better term, like “high school 2.0” while offering lower division college level courses. While still inherently different from high school, the expectations are not as rigorous and instruction is not as fast paced. There is, however, an element of risk; the transfer rate from community colleges to four year universities is alarmingly low. For students who do not attend a community college, four year universities could help them adjust by offering remedial courses for a semester or two at most. The student would then be expected to assimilate into regular classes. Universities shouldn’t prohibit students from take other courses while they work on their “deficiencies,” but they should prioritize their remedial studies first.