How many of you are concerned about finding a job after graduating? How many of you think that having a degree is needed to find a relatively good job? Who has a plan B?
With the uncertainty of the economy affecting the job market and the use of increasingly sophisticated technology, higher education has become almost a prerequisite, in the form of a degree, in acquiring a job.
I want to share with you some problems created for many college students, some possible solutions, and the benefits of getting your associate degree before transferring to another college.
One of the first problems students may run into is the fact that the cost of going to college increases every year, pushing students deeper into debt.
According to Ohio State University’s website, students should plan for a 5-10 percent increase in all costs for each year that they attend the main campus.
The actual costs in tuition for the 2012-2013 academic year at Ohio State went up to $10,037, according to its web page.
Allison Rhea, who works in the registration and student records office at Sinclair, said another problem is that students transfer to a four-year college before receiving their associate degree.
According to Sinclair, the 2011 graduating class had 23.8 percent of its students transfer to other colleges before graduating. Out of the 2,178 students who enrolled in 2008, only 228 or 10 and a half percent actually graduated in 2011.
Another reason that contributes to students transferring before getting their associate degree is that the Ohio Transfer Module allows students to take their general education requirements and transfer those credits to another school in the Ohio university system, according to Rhea. This results in some students believing they don’t need to get their associate degree.
So what are some solutions to these problems?
One way to solve the problem if you find yourself financially burdened is to begin to fully utilize a community college. Typically the tuition at a community college will be cheaper than that of a four-year college. Also according to the Ohio Board of Regents, the credits you take at a community college can fulfill the general education requirements of a four-year public college or private university’s requirements.
Another way to solve these problems is for Sinclair students to make sure they have an up-to-date MAP. The MAP can include the courses that meet the Ohio Transfer Module and maybe other requirements of the four-year school you plan to transfer to, which will almost guarantee a smooth transition after getting your associate degree.
The MAP can also help streamline and plan out the courses you need to complete to attain an associate degree in a specific amount of time.
So what’s the benefit for you to graduate from Sinclair?
After receiving your associate degree some immediate benefits include the fact that typically you can transfer into a four-year university as a junior classman.
Another benefit is that all courses you earned credit for — including those you received a “D” in —transfers, but only if you have completed a degree program in the university system of Ohio, according to Rhea.
Getting your associate degree will save you a significant amount of money in contrast to tuition and fees you may pay at a four-year college for the first two years.
A major benefit of getting your associate degree is that upon graduating you have a completed credential (a diploma) that can be added to your resume and will result in more doors opening up for you, according to Rhea.
Your associate degree is also your plan B in case you should have to leave a four college before graduating.
Right now I want you to understand that I want you to graduate. Hopefully, you want to graduate. So all I would like to ask of you to do to make this happen is to make that back up plan, start to form your plan B.
I would like to leave you with some words from Heidi McGrew that I remember from the last day of class in my first quarter at Sinclair that inspired me:
No matter how bad life might get for you in the future, be it you going through bankruptcy, a divorce, or loss of a job. A degree is something that you work for and earn and once you receive it, it can never be taken away from you. It is yours for the rest of your life.