Is College Life More Like A Job, Or More Just like a Vacation? You choose
Living On (or off) Campus versus Commuting:
While the vast majority of scholars signed up for four-year university programs survive or around the college campus, many students attending community colleges continue to remain commuters. This is beginning to change as community colleges expand and also have been adding student housing with this particular growth.
The data in this article is primarily focused on those students living on or near campus. They seem to participate in a different lifestyle compared to those that live at home and commute.
More Play and fewer Work:
Lets consider an average week in the life of a college student.. There are 168 hours in a week. Our average student is within class for 15 hours each week, studies another 15 hours, sleeps an average of 56 hours and it is eating 14 hours for any total of 100 hours. That leaves 68 hours each week of spare time, nearly 10 hours every day.
So what do our students use those 9 hours and 43 minutes of free time every day? Many play game titles. Others participate in intramural sports. Exercise at the university fitness center. Watch movies. Go shopping, attend college sporting events, concerts and various other extracurricular clubs and activities. And lets remember... socializing and partying.
They are usually not accountable for any family or household chores and many students fail to work throughout the school year. Likely to class is optional as long as you pass test. Seems like an enjoyable experience, and most students agree.
College Campus or Holiday resort:
Let consider the facilities the students have at their disposal. Huge gymnasiums, fitness gyms, Olympic-size pools, ice rinks, sand volleyball courts, tennis courts, racquetball courts, diving classes, bicycle and roller-blade paths, campus cinemas, music halls, computer labs, libraries and dance studios.
As for dining they have another wonderful array of choices. Multiple dining halls, all you can eat buffets, frozen treats sundae bars, coffee houses, dessert buffets, variety drink stations and an assortment of specialty cafe's. They swipe their card and also the food appears. Can you say Club Med?
More Work and Less Play?
Maybe our colleges need to begin thinking about more class time and some real world experience activities. Our university students could definitely use more university sponsored "on the job training", even when it's without pay. Now I know some programs are tougher than others, like engineering, public accounting and chemical research. And several programs require a lot of extra hours, like student teaching for education, but many programs are simply classroom, homework and that's it.
Our students are graduating with an expensive piece of paper known as a college diploma, but they're lacking the abilities to really perform the job that they have spent four years in college studying for. There is a massive difference between book knowledge and job experience. They need a lot more of the latter and in all likelihood might get by with less books and theory.
In Summary:
Is it any wonder that today's university students are sad once they graduate. They must be looking forward to the new world they're going to enter. But they're not. The significant world, with its 40-60 hour work week is foreign to them.
What, no gaming breaks? I only get Half an hour for supper? I must show up every day and become promptly or I possibly could get fired? Basically don't finish my work, I'm likely to stay later? Boy, that is harsh!
Somewhere along the line we're failing them. We are giving them four years of fun after which throwing them into the dragon's den from the real life. College should be a little tougher on them plus they is much more looking forward to graduating, getting away from everything studying and being rewarded for his or her efforts having a paycheck.
Engage with your child regarding their amount of time in college and make sure they understand that college is less structured compared to real world. If you're able to help them gain real life experience by shadowing someone in their field or getting "on the job" training throughout their summer break or an internship... get it done. The greater contact with the working world your student could possibly get, the more prepared and successful they'll be upon graduation.
Don't expect the college to spearhead these endeavors. They'll help, but It's up to you and your child to obtain the map and take this road less traveled. You will be glad you did.