All You Need To Know Before Commencing Higher Education

How do we ensure that people undertake higher education (HE) only when they have adequate information? Why are there higher numbers of people enrolling into HE studies than ever before? Why are there so many students dropping out of so many institutions? How do we balance learning in HE with our private life? What skills are acquired in HE? What are the challenges associated with learning in HE? These are among the questions the book will attempt to respond to. Indeed, several people begin HE with little or no information about the structure, changes, and practices in HE. Some are not even aware of the skills they desire to acquire and that will be required of them in the job market. People commence HE blindly, partly due to external pressure and partly due to the availability of financial support through scholarships, among other things. This unawareness of what it takes to be a student and the current complexity of HE learning environment have become a stumbling block for many students. This book is designed to provide HE stakeholders (parents, students, institutions, supervisors, teachers, governments, and donor agencies) with information on HE that is otherwise missing. It will help people to make better decisions on whether they need a degree in the first place, and if they do, what kind of skills they will require. The book consists of information that no institution, counsellor, academic supervisor, or scholarly literature will provide to you. (This is the main reason which motivated the author to write this book.) The author has collected useful data from diverse sources and from people who are responsible for implementing the required practices in HE. Moreover, she was able to capture testimony from students who dropped out of higher education. Their experiences will educate and inform readers about situations that may lead to failure or success in higher education learning. It is important to have the right information at the right time and from a reliable source such as this book, and the information in this book will surely benefit the readers to make better decisions before engaging in high-demand HE business, as well as supporting those who decide to join HE to be more conscious about what they need and what is expected of them. Similarly, by reading this book, some may find that they probably do not need the degree they are about to embark on. Information is power!

As the commercialization of American higher education accelerates, more and more students are coming to college with the narrow aim of obtaining a preprofessional credential. The traditional four-year college experience—an exploratory time for students to discover their passions and test ideas and values with the help of teachers and peers—is in danger of becoming a thing of the past. In College, prominent cultural critic Andrew Delbanco offers a trenchant defense of such an education, and warns that it is becoming a privilege reserved for the relatively rich. In describing what a true college education should be, he demonstrates why making it available to as many young people as possible remains central to America's democratic promise. In a brisk and vivid historical narrative, Delbanco explains how the idea of college arose in the colonial period from the Puritan idea of the gathered church, how it struggled to survive in the nineteenth century in the shadow of the new research universities, and how, in the twentieth century, it slowly opened its doors to women, minorities, and students from low-income families. He describes the unique strengths of America’s colleges in our era of globalization and, while recognizing the growing centrality of science, technology, and vocational subjects in the curriculum, he mounts a vigorous defense of a broadly humanistic education for all. Acknowledging the serious financial, intellectual, and ethical challenges that all colleges face today, Delbanco considers what is at stake in the urgent effort to protect these venerable institutions for future generations. In a new afterword, Delbanco responds to recent developments—both ominous and promising—in the changing landscape of higher education.

Why we need to stop wasting public funds on education Despite being immensely popular—and immensely lucrative—education is grossly overrated. Now with a new afterword by Bryan Caplan, this explosive book argues that the primary function of education is not to enhance students' skills but to signal the qualities of a good employee. Learn why students hunt for easy As only to forget most of what they learn after the final exam, why decades of growing access to education have not resulted in better jobs for average workers, how employers reward workers for costly schooling they rarely ever use, and why cutting education spending is the best remedy. Romantic notions about education being "good for the soul" must yield to careful research and common sense—The Case against Education points the way.

Scholarly evidence indicates that almost fifty percent of people who commence higher education delay completing their studies, and other dropouts. Most governments have introduced a policy that requires students to complete their studies within a limited time, especially the research students (master's and doctoral degree students). The implementation of the policy has also caused tension in higher education students' learning and supervision. Academics have debated and written about the problem widely, and it is no longer a discreet encounter for higher education stakeholders. Despite the scholarly effort of disclosing the challenges' depth, no literature has adequately supported students to implement the policy effectively and successfully. This book attempts to fill the gap by guiding higher education students on observing ten major principles for timely and successful completion. If students perceive, learn, and practice the guidance in this book, they will attain their degree anywhere (in a physical setting, online, home, and abroad) worldwide. The principles might be useful in the orientation programs for first-year students in universities and colleges. First, students ought to comprehend factors that might contribute to the delay completion and dropout. Second, they must analyze and communicate their needs and requirements from the beginning of their enrolment while re-examining their association, networking, self-management, and self-leadership. The book also reminds higher education students to build healthy habits to support developing cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains and remain active and creative. Four categories of students' personalities are discussed to urge students to evaluate who they are and whether they are problem solvers, informers, implementers, or workforce to society. The understanding can support them chose the projects that align with what they are to society. Self-awareness and leadership may make the learning task more manageable, enjoyable, and meaningful, and filling the knowledge gap can be realized timely.

An important challenge to what currently masquerades as conventional wisdom regarding the teaching of writing. There seems to be widespread agreement that—when it comes to the writing skills of college students—we are in the midst of a crisis. In Why They Can't Write, John Warner, who taught writing at the college level for two decades, argues that the problem isn't caused by a lack of rigor, or smartphones, or some generational character defect. Instead, he asserts, we're teaching writing wrong. Warner blames this on decades of educational reform rooted in standardization, assessments, and accountability. We have done no more, Warner argues, than conditioned students to perform "writing-related simulations," which pass temporary muster but do little to help students develop their writing abilities. This style of teaching has made students passive and disengaged. Worse yet, it hasn't prepared them for writing in the college classroom. Rather than making choices and thinking critically, as writers must, undergraduates simply follow the rules—such as the five-paragraph essay—designed to help them pass these high-stakes assessments. In Why They Can't Write, Warner has crafted both a diagnosis for what ails us and a blueprint for fixing a broken system. Combining current knowledge of what works in teaching and learning with the most enduring philosophies of classical education, this book challenges readers to develop the skills, attitudes, knowledge, and habits of mind of strong writers.

It’s no secret that college doesn’t prepare students for the real world. Student loan debt recently eclipsed credit card debt for the first time in history and now tops one trillion dollars. And the throngs of unemployed graduates chasing the same jobs makes us wonder whether there’s a better way to “make it” in today’s marketplace. There is—and Dale Stephens is proof of that. In Hacking Your Education, Stephens speaks to a new culture of “hackademics” who think college diplomas are antiquated. Stephens shows how he and dozens of others have hacked their education, and how you can, too. You don’t need to be a genius or especially motivated to succeed outside school. The real requirements are much simpler: curiosity, confidence, and grit. Hacking Your Education offers valuable advice to current students as well as those who decided to skip college. Stephens teaches you to create opportunities for yourself and design your curriculum—inside or outside the classroom. Whether your dream is to travel the world, build a startup, or climb the corporate ladder, Stephens proves you can do it now, rather than waiting for life to start after “graduation” day.

Are you considering changing jobs but require a new skill or qualification? Would you like a new challenge or a sense of personal achievement? Have you considered higher education, but weren't sure how to make that first step into it? If so, then this is the ideal book for you. The Mature Student's Guide to Higher Education tells you everything you need to know if you are thinking about returning to education as a mature student. It discusses a wide range of issues including what higher education involves, how you should prepare for it and how to balance your time and cheque book once you get there. This book will explain practical issues, as well as addressing your doubts and fears about higher education as a life choice. The book: Helps you understand the different routes into higher education Explains the mysteries behind admissions procedures Encourages you to develop a new range of skills, building on the skills you already have Gives you guidance on how to manage change, time and family commitments Helps you overcome barriers like a lack of motivation or confidence Expertly guides you through the systems of fees, showing the loans and financial help that are available The Mature Student's Guide to Higher Education provides the most accessible and up-to-date help on how to make an informed decision about when, where and how to start a suitable higher education course as a mature student - and the career path that might follow.

This book is for incoming and first year college students who are ready to make the most of their college experience, beyond what you might hear at at orientation. This book is a combination of the super secret insider tips to college that either us authors learned themselves, or they kept hearing from their campus leadership programs. From classroom seating tips, to self-care techniques, to scoring the perfect campus job, this book is your insider's guide to college success that most likely won't be told to you at orientation. You'll notice that the size, layout, and interactive sections of the book are all designed to make this book be your ultimate college field-guide that you can squeeze into a backpack or coat pocket. Read straight through, or thumb to a topic that's most relevant to you. College can be one of the most exciting times in your life and with our field guide in hand, you're already well on your way to going from first-year student to first year success!

Until very recently, American universities were led mainly by their faculties, which viewed intellectual production and pedagogy as the core missions of higher education. Today, as Benjamin Ginsberg warns in this eye-opening, controversial book, "deanlets"--administrators and staffers often without serious academic backgrounds or experience--are setting the educational agenda.The Fall of the Faculty examines the fallout of rampant administrative blight that now plagues the nation's universities. In the past decade, universities have added layers of administrators and staffers to their payrolls every year even while laying off full-time faculty in increasing numbers--ostensibly because of budget cuts. In a further irony, many of the newly minted--and non-academic--administrators are career managers who downplay the importance of teaching and research, as evidenced by their tireless advocacy for a banal "life skills" curriculum. Consequently, students are denied a more enriching educational experience--one defined by intellectual rigor. Ginsberg also reveals how the legitimate grievances of minority groups and liberal activists, which were traditionally championed by faculty members, have, in the hands of administrators, been reduced to chess pieces in a game of power politics. By embracing initiatives such as affirmative action, the administration gained favor with these groups and legitimized a thinly cloaked gambit to bolster their power over the faculty.As troubling as this trend has become, there are ways to reverse it. The Fall of the Faculty outlines how we can revamp the system so that real educators can regain their voice in curriculum policy.