6 Things Your Guidance Counselor Won't Tell You

#6: Most of your classes will be college/state requirements.

          If you, like me, are a Public Relations major in William Paterson University, these are the classes needed to earn a Bachelor's Degree:

 

           These are 11 three-credit classes plus two electives (also three credits) or 39 credits in total. You could (theoretically) take six classes per semester and be ready for the capstone course and graduation by summer.

          All of this information is available on the WPU website. If you are not a PR major, you can go here and find your major requirements. And after you are admitted, you can apply for a degree audit and see this:

"Everyone needs a minimum of 128 credits to graduate."

          In addition to the 39 major credits, you will need 89 credits. If you break that down, that's 29 classes worth of credits compared to 13 major classes. What other classes do you need to take? Well...English, foreign language, math, science, art, communication, health, history, philosophy, politics, geography, sociology, anthropology and internships.

          If you take five classes per semester and two internships after your junior year, graduating will take you four years. But the capstone class will be the toughest one of them all and your college adviser will suggest that you take only take that class during your last semester before graduating. So your best bet is to take six classes per semester (or take summer or winter classes) in order to graduate on time.

          But more of that below.

         And if you're thinking of taking your major classes (which will be more difficult than your requirement classes) right away so that you can start crossing them off sooner than later. Well...

#5: Taking a class you want/need will take years.

          Guess how long it took me to register for the Public Relations class you see below. Here are some hints: I have never taken less than five classes per semester, this class only has one prerequisite and is offered three times per semester.
          

 

          Answer: two years. I was a junior before I ever took a public relations class. Why would a PR wait  two years to take a PR class? Because that prerequisite I mentioned, Media Writing, also has a prerequisite, College Writing. So the semester before I could take Public Relations, I had to take Media Writing and before that, College Writing. 

          I know what you're thinking: I should have been able to take PR when I was a sophomore. And I could have were it not for this:

          See that four day gap between the time juniors and sophomores can register? While it may not seem like much, it means that every junior who had already taken MW could register before me. And since PR is an elective for journalism and media studies majors, those three classes go pretty quickly.
          I must admit that I did have a chance to enroll in the Wednesday night class. Unfortunately, I'm working my way through college. And missing work on Wednesdays would mean making 20 percent less money every week. And that would mean 20 percent less gas on my car, which is not an option in the state of New Jersey. 
          Oh, and you don't get to make your schedule or pick your classes on your first semester.

#4: Beware of classmates.

           This is aggravating:

 

 

           Imagine depending on three strangers for 40 percent of your grade. If this is a general education requirement, all of you may have different major. If this is one of your major classes, there is no guarantee that all of you will have taken the same classes.
           Almost half of your grade will depend on working with people who have different majors, levels of education, skills and levels of commitment to class work. It is impossible to pass this class without the group project. 
          So what can you do if one (or more) of the people in your group does not pull his or her own weight?
          Very little.
          Many professors now offer group assessments as part of the group projects. If a group member does not contribute to the project, the rest of the group can confide in the professor after the project in completed. This will result in a lower or even failing grade depending on how many of the other members agree on the issue.

          How does this help you with your project?
          It doesn't.
          True story: In one of my PR classes, the final grade was a group project with four people in each group. One of the members in my group did not know do any of the tasks assigned. She could not create an events calendar, write a press release or create a budget. The rest of us ended up doing her work and giving her something she could handle. On the day of the presentation, we had agreed to come 30 minutes before class started and rehearse our presentation. She was late; not to rehearsal but to class.
          Another true story: two of the three people  I was in a group with decided not to do anything. This was a Theater class and all we had to do was plan a production (cast, props, stage, etc.). We ended up writing the project ourselves and even rewriting what the other two guys submitted.
          Also, not all professors require group assessments. In the latter case, we all got A's. Even the guys who did nothing. 

#3: Beware of professors.

          Your counselor probably told you that college professors do not take late homework, have no qualms about failing you and generally take no excuses. And your middle school teachers probably said the same of high school teachers.
          In order to explain the fundamental difference between high school teachers and college professors, take a look at this:

          That's the most basic history class taught in William Paterson. Nine classes like this are offered in the fall. I've never taken this class (the history requirements recently changed) and I have never had the professor. But he also teaches this class:

           And that is a 300 level course, the class meets once a week on Thursdays for two-and-a-half hours. Remember the argument everyone in high school uses at one point: it's not like I want to be a historian/scientist/artist, why do I need this class? College is the where that argument dies. From now on, every professor will expect you to know about history/science/art. There will be exams, projects and research papers based on the assumption that you understand everything involved.
          Here are a few of the research papers I've had to write (remember: I'm a PR major):

• Evolutionary evidence found in human ancestors.
• The meta-fiction of Nobel Laureate Mario Vargas Llosa.
• Stalingrad: a turning point in the eastern front of WWII.

          I've also had to shoot a commercial, review plays and create this blog. All because a professor required it as part of the syllabus. If I didn't, I would've failed the class. Some professors will help you along the way during their office hours. Others won't. I've had professors that never responded to email, didn't know how to use email, only had office hours at night and some that could not care less about the class I was taking. One of my professors ended class anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes early. Another one showed YouTube clips for an hour. These may sound like the best teachers, but they're college professors. Those classes consisted of a midterm, a final and a research paper/group project (see above).
          In those classes, we were on our own. It was up to every student to read the book and take notes. Those who didn't failed.

          Don't get me wrong. The majority of professors love what they do. They spend hours and hours everyday trying to find jobs and internships for students. The problem is that if you do not have an interest in what the professor is teaching, there's very little he can do for you.
          The professor I mentioned has written two books about the middle east. He also has degrees from Princeton and MIT. Try telling him you don't care about history.

#2: Almost half of you will not learn new anything in 2 years.

          This is depressing:

 

           That's a quote from a book called "Academically Adrift." It goes on to say that students who lack "rigor" won't gain anything from their classes as learning through "osmosis" is impossible.
          In other words: if you do not know what "osmosis" or "rigor" means, please pay attention in class.

 

  

          Why don't we learn? Remember how I mentioned that you may not take any of the classes you want for the first year or so? And remember how you don't pick any of your classes for the first semester? All those things are connected. 

          It's easy to drift through your first twelve classes or so. Disturbingly easy actually. After all, you just need a D to pass a class. That's somewhere between 60 and 65 percent of the total grade. So, yeah, you can fail a third of all quizzes and exams. You can miss a third of the homework. And you can even miss class for two or three weeks.

          That attitude of getting by with the minimal amount of work can stay with for a year or two. And for some people, kicking the habit is impossible. I meet these people all of the time. All of them are the same age as me. We're taking PR classes together and I hear how they're too busy with work, internships or family to pay attention in class. Or even show up.

          And here's the kicker: when calculating your GPA, this class:

   

          It has the same value as this one:

  

          And if you fail either, your GPA drops about half a point. 

#1: Almost half of you will not graduate within 6 years. 

          This is terrifying:

New report

          Also, only 42 percent of people who graduated within six years did so at the college in which they started.
          But that's not the real issue. Trends have changed since 2006. The real issue is the difference in graduation rates. If you are still in college after turning 24, you are 26 percent less likely to graduate than someone under 24. And that's just in New Jersey. In Vermont, you are 42 percent less likely to ever graduate. Overall, almost 30 percent of those who started college in 2006 have dropped out completely.
         The rates vary state by state so I don't have a theory to explain why this is. But feel free to go through the charts and tell me your own theories.

 

           I don't have much else to say on this subject that I haven't already said. It all comes down to finishing your education as soon as possible. That means taking five or six classes per semester. And to pay for them, you may have to work part- or full-time. It also means doing the work for every single class you take. Failing a class means taking it again or letting it weigh down your GPA. Letting your GPA drop means not being eligible for student aid, which in turn means having to work more hours to pay for classes. Which means less time for classwork and so on...
          This is a good place to stop before I start telling you to floss daily and recycle your batteries.

Follow me on Twitter