Does College Pay?

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

Recent studies show that college graduates who maintained a C average only earn about 4 percent more than people who didn’t go to college. Still, experts say there are a number of reasons why your child should attend college. According to the U.S. Department of Education, a college degree can provide your child with many opportunities, including:

• Greater knowledge: A college education will increase your child’s ability to understand developments in science and in society; to think abstractly and critically; to express thoughts clearly in speech and in writing; to make wise decisions. These skills are useful both on and off the job.
• Greater potential: A college education can help increase your child’s understanding of the community, the nation and the world as he/she explores different interests; discovers new areas of knowledge; considers his/her lifelong goals, and becomes a responsible citizen.
• Broader job opportunities: The world is changing rapidly. Many jobs rely on new technology and already require more brain-power than muscle-power. In your child’s era, more jobs will require education beyond a high school level. With a college education, your child will be able to choose from a wider selection of jobs.
• Subtle benefits . Some of the benefits of a college education may not be obvious to your child. Even though the final decision to attend college is up to your child, you can help in the decision-making process by learning about all aspects of college and sharing this information with your child.

By Larry Eldridge, Jr.
CWK Network, Inc.

For some students, the core classes they’ll take during their first year or two of college might seem superfluous. Your child may question when he/she will ever use the information. However, these classes are intended to provide your child with a wide base of knowledge, as well as help him/her decide on a major. To make good grades in classes that are uninteresting or laborious to your child, it is important to have strong study habits. Have your students consider the following tips from the University of Texas at Austin:

• Before Class
• Develop a mind-set geared toward listening.
• Review or test yourself on the previous lecture while waiting for the next one to begin.
• Skim relevant reading assignments to acquaint yourself with main ideas, new terms, etc.
• Enhance your physical and mental alertness: eat a snack before class, sit in the front and/or center of the room, and focus your attention on the speaker.
• Choose notebooks that will enhance your system of note-taking; a separate notebook with full-sized pages is recommended for each course.
• Intend to listen.

• During class
• Listen for the structure as well as the information in the lecture.
• Resist distractions, emotional reactions or boredom.
• Pay attention to the speaker for verbal and visual clues regarding what’s important.
• In your notes, highlight or label important points and organizational clues, including main points, examples, etc.
• If your lecturer has an accent that you find hard to understand or has mannerisms you find distracting, relax and pay even more attention to the content of the lecture.
• When possible, translate the lecture into your own words; if you can’t, don’t let it worry you into not paying attention!
• Be consistent in your use of short-hand, organization, form, abbreviation, etc.
• If you feel you don’t take enough notes, divide your page into five sections and try to fill each part every 10 minutes (or create your own formula).
• Ask questions if you don’t understand something.
• Instead of closing your notebook early and getting ready to leave, listen carefully to information that the lecturer gives at the end of class. Often, this is when the lecturer will summarize main points, highlight specific information, discuss possible test questions, etc.

• After class
• If you have any questions about the lecture material, ask either the teacher or classmates now.
• Review your notes; fill in any missing points or definitions using the textbook or other sources.
• Edit your notes. Label main points, add recall clues, write down any questions you have. Highlight key points with different color markers/ink.
• Note your ideas and reflections in the margin, keeping them separate from the lecturer’s comments.

• Periodically
• Review your notes: glance at your recall clues and see how much you can remember before rereading the notes.
• Look for the emergence of themes, main concepts, methods of presentation, etc. over the course of several lectures.
• Develop and answer your own possible test questions.

U.S. Department of Education
University of Texas at Austin Learning Center
Go College