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As a democrat, and a liberal one at that, I like our new president. I am happy to see a black man hold our nation’s highest office. I would have been happier to see a woman in that spot, not because she is a woman but because I believe that she is slightly better qualified for the job, but overall I think that Obama is making the most of a very difficult position. Let me also state that, as an educator, I do firmly believe that everyone should have the right to equal access to education regardless of age, race, gender, or socio-economic status. However, while I feel that Obama’s “college for all” mantra is admirable, perhaps our country would be better served by encouraging some of those individuals who are currently entering college coursework, both online and in the traditional classroom, to first make a quick trip back in time to review and ingest some valuable skills that they missed the first time around in high school. Adult students returning to school after a long break in education as well as recent graduates who were underserved or under motivated during their time in school are, quite often, setting themselves up for failure from the start because they are entering college completely unprepared for the rigors of post-secondary education. They lack a basic command of the English language (and this is true of native as well as non-native speakers), they have poor organizational skills, and they are unable to comprehend the practice of following directions. As a result, they fail before they even have a chance to try.

Oral and written communication skills are at the center of every academic endeavor. If a student cannot write a simple sentence, one that includes a subject and a verb and culminates in the creation of a complete thought, he or she is not going to be able to write a paper. A baby must learn to crawl before that child can walk. A writer goes through the same learning curve. A frightening number of older adults and even teens with the ink still wet on their high school diplomas cannot write a sentence. Many older students have forgotten the art of writing because they have not had to do so in a long time. Coming from low-skill jobs, they have not been asked to write. Many of them have become comfortable with abbreviations, slang, and colloquial language to the point that they are not aware of any problem with their discourse. For younger students fresh from high school, recent efforts to insure that “no child is left behind” have made secondary education a haven of “fill in the bubble” style learning. It doesn’t matter if a student can compose a complete thought. He or she only needs to know how to color in the right circle on the test form. Additionally, the tendency toward text messaging and instant messenger as primary forms of communication have entered into common language an entirely new set of “words” and word derivatives that, while culturally acceptable, are not a part of academic and professional rhetoric. When students are not penalized for the usage of “net-speak” in high school, they are not prepared to distinguish between casual and academic/professional rhetoric at the college level. As a result, they do not know what language to use in which setting.

Additionally, many students fail in their college course work because they don’t know how to follow directions, and they don’t know how to manage their time. Returning adult students are often single parents striving to make a better life for their children, but they first must find a way to balance family, school and work. They make the mistake of thinking that they need to find a large block of time to study for classes and complete assignments. When that block of time doesn’t appear, they feel pressured and often give up. Instead, they need to learn to take every available moment of free time and put it to productive use.  Young and older students alike are also faced with the task of learning to read and follow instructions.  Quite often, I am forced to give a failing grade to a paper not because it was poorly written but because it did not conform to the specifics of the assessment.  Or, they fail to turn in work on time and are not prepared to take deductions or face the fact that not all professors are willing to accept late work. In secondary school settings, there is so much pressure to make sure that all students pass the grade level that teachers are often willing to take any and all work regardless of when it is turned in. At the college level, there is a higher level of personal responsibility placed on the student, as well as a greater degree of accountability, that many of them are not prepared to face.

For some students, ultimately, college is not the right choice. There are people in this world who really do not have the skills or intellect that are required of them at the college level. This is not meant as a means of discrimination, but merely as a fact. Perhaps these individuals are talented in other areas that they should be encouraged to explore. By putting all of the focus on the need to obtain a degree in order to have worth as an individual, we are negating the fact that there are certainly occupations and endeavors that do not require nor do they need a piece of paper to give them credence. Admissions counselors and the media, however, have made it seem that unless an individual has a college degree he or she will not be able to get anywhere in this world. Let me let you in on a secret. The media is paid to say that by the colleges, and the admissions representatives who encourage underprepared students to sign on the dotted line and start class anyway are largely operating on commission just like any other salesperson. They want students to succeed, but they are more concerned with meeting quotas.

Education should be available to all. However, no one should be encouraged to enter college unprepared. Expanded availability of remedial level coursework, focused training for certain jobs, and a “return to high school” program for those students who truly want to succeed in college some day would be a far better way to improve the overall educational level of Americans. Making sure that all are prepared for college is the first step to truly making a college level education available to all.