Archive for February 24th, 2007
Liquidation sale at the HAMBURG FAIR GROUNDS
Update: Don’t bother going, it is not worth the admission. You would be better off going to the Super Flea.
Bill Online Easily, Fast & Free with PayPal. No Software Needed. Sign Up Now!
Nearly half of the freshman entering New York state’s two-year colleges took remedial courses during their first year on campus just to get ready for college work. And 14 percent of freshmen in the state’s four-year colleges and universities - both public and private - also had to take some remedial courses in 2005, often to improve skills in reading and math.
That heavy reliance on remediation raises deep concern, prompting educators to question recent efforts at school reform and to seek ways to coordinate instruction at the high school and college levels.
I recently attended ECC City Campus to obtain an A.A.S. in Paralegal Studies. My reason for attending was to affect a career change. I was amazed by the number of students in remedial, non-credit courses. Without a doubt, I witnessed many students who had not even mastered the basic math and English skills that most of us take for granted.
While public schools must obviously bear a good share of the blame for not preparing students, I also question a system that allows many students to attend who are not really serious about a college education. It is common for students to have PELL grants and TAP not only pay the entire cost of attending ECC, but also refund unused funds to the students. That leads to a significant amount of students attending just to receive money. In fact, you could tell when the refund checks went out because many students stopped attending once they received their money.
Overall, I felt that the quality of the classes I took at ECC was very good. I also believe that since I was in the paralegal program, taking classes taught by attorneys, that the level of intensity was higher than some of the other programs. The students in the paralegal classes, as a group, were much more serious about school and performed at a higher level than the student body as a whole. The paralegal program also had a higher than average number of “adult” students, like myself.
Source: Buffalo News - Are they ready for college?
