Is Middle School too early to start preparing for post secondary education?
Middle school-aged students are transitioning from elementary to secondary educational systems. They have multiple teachers, classes, increased home work expectations, test preparation, and PUBURTY! It is a difficult time for many students and let’s just add one more thing to their plates – college awareness. While some would argue that the students have enough to work on, my belief is that college aspirations can create relevancy and perspective for a middle school-aged student. In addition to relevancy and perspective, parents and educators can help to familiarize students with post secondary education and beyond.
Relevancy is a powerful tool in education as it allows parents and educators to answer the age old questions asked by students, “Why are we doing this assignment?” “Why do I have to study for this test?” and the big one, “How/when will I ever use this again?” The answer to all is that the job market is global and is increasingly more competitive. A high school diploma will only open a few doors whereas a technical, associate, or bachelor degree will open up many more. Middle school is relevant to high school success, and high school success is relevant to post secondary opportunities.
Perspective is where we see ourselves in relation to the family, community, and world. Students should have perspective on where they decide to go in the future, and this depends greatly on the educational choices they make in high school. Middle school students should also understand that while their grades are important to their parents, ultimately they are the owners of their academic achievements and failures. Finally, they should gain perspective on how their grades and grade point averages, while good or bad, are what will determine their post secondary future, and in turn will have a large impact on their economic future.
Many students in Idaho do not have family members who attended college. They are unfamiliar with post secondary education. Many students also do not see themselves attending college because they are unfamiliar with what college offers. High school has traditionally been where students learn about post secondary educational opportunities, careers, and financial aid. High school is still the most appropriate place to learn about how to apply to college, fill out the FAFSA, and complete the necessary standardized tests. But middle school is where a student can become familiar with what college is and what they need to do to get there. And, since most Idaho colleges accept students based on their high school grade-point and standardized test scores (ACT, SAT, Compass, etc.), middle school is a time to make sure students build the study habits and skills they will use in high school. Middle school is also the time for students to know that high school is only the beginning. They need to be familiar with what happens after high school before they can see themselves going on.
The best opportunity to help middle school students have relevancy, perspective and familiarity with regards to post secondary education is to go visit a college campus. All the post secondary institutions have staff dedicated to campus visits and enrollment information. Many college campuses have summer programs and other activities throughout the year designed for middle school aged students. Most colleges in our state have web sites that students can access for more information or a virtual tour of the campus (for example: College of Southern Idaho, click here). A campus visit is the first step middle school students, parents and educators can take to become aware of post secondary opportunities.
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