Does College Really Prepare Students for Work & the Real World?

Does College Really Prepare Students for Work & the Real World? (careergeekblog.co

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Jacqueline B

1. Para 3) Student saying that college has done nothing for them or not as much as they would of liked

2. para3) Employers are saying graduates are underprepared as well

3. Para 5) Jacqueline states that recent studies show that “as little as 40% of college seniors feel they are adequately prepared to start their job search upon graduation”

4. Para 8) Knowledge is not enough and the majority of employers think so

5. Para 15) Real life does not rely on memorization

6. Para 16) “Real life situations demand critical thinking, problem solving, collaboration, and creativity; all of which are foregone when memorization is the center of education”

7. Para 18) most employers seek candidates with experience in the field

8. Para 18)  can’t get a job without having experience, but they

can’t gain experience without getting a job

9. Para 21) No Exposure To Those Employed in the Field

10. para24) Being able to ask questions will help students gain insight on the jobs day-to-day operations

11. Para 25) No Education on Necessary Life Skills

12. colleges fail to provide students with the practical skills required to carry out everyday tasks

13. Para 28) colleges should be helping students’ master: communication skills, time management skills, organization skills, independence, and relationship building

14. Para 29)  things that are necessary in life but are rarely taught include:

how to prepare for a job interview

, how to do your taxes, how to build and maintain good credit

15.  Para 34)

Engaged Learning Practices

is one of the ways they can address these failures

16. Para 34) challenging students’ ways of thinking

17. Para 34) adding meaningful interactions to lessons

18. Para 34) providing opportunities to learn through real world applications

19. Para 34) providing frequent and constructive feedback

20. Para 37) Without experiencing the workplace for themselves, students have no way of knowing what to expect

Federal Government Publishes More Complete Graduation Rate Data

Lynn O’Shaughnessy

Federal Government Publishes More Complete Graduation Rate Data (cappex.com)

1. Para 2) The official four-year graduation rate for students attending public colleges and universities is 33.3%

2. Para 2) The six-year rate is 57.6%

3. Para 2) private colleges and universities, the four-year graduation rate is 52.8%

4. Para 2) Privates six year rate is  65.4%

5. Para 3) despite being official, the graduation-rate figures aren’t as accurate as they say

6. Para 3) the U.S. Department of Education requires schools to report degree attainment by students who graduate from their institutions

7. Para 5)  federal government now provides graduation rates for Pell Grant recipients, who represent about a third of all undergraduate students

8. Para 6) government has required institutions to provide statistics on the graduation success of students who start as full-time freshmen

9. Para 6) These students, who typically begin undergraduate studies right after graduating from high school, represent only 47% of undergraduate students

10. Para 11) “The federal government is publishing statistics for two-year and four-year colleges and universities that show for the first time how many previously ignored transfer and part-time students are progressing towards graduation for a certificate or degree”.

11. Para 12) Colleges and universities now report the six and eight-year graduation rates of students who were part-time or who transferred in

12. Para 14) Pell Grant students are less likely to graduate than students with higher incomes

13. Para 14) “According to the new results, 41.2% of Pell Grant students graduated within six years while 55.4% of students who did not qualify for subsidized federal loans or Pell Grants graduated within that time period”.

Does Learning More at University Actually Pay Off in the Job Market?

1. Education is one of the most important determinants of wages

2. college graduates on average, earned 76 percent more than high school grads.

3.  when you go to school you learn useful skills that are later rewarded in the labor market.

4.  in 2015 the median annual earnings for an Ivy League graduate 10 years after starting amount was over $70,000 a year.

5.  in 2006 the Economics and Business Departments reduced the number of classes required to earn a degree

6.  admissions criteria remained the same throughout the reform

7. reduction in coursework makes students graduate with less knowledge and skills

8. employers do find the classes we take in school valuable and pay students for that

9. employers pay for the skills students acquire in college

10.  what matters the most is what students learn in the classroom

Preparing students for life after graduation 

The Chronicle of Higher Education

Preparing Students for Life After Graduation (chronicle.com)

1. Para1) students are entering college under growing pressure to make sure their educational experiences translate to viable first jobs and durable career opportunities

2. Para 2) With these real challenges come heightened expectations for the effectiveness of career services at colleges and universities

3. Para 3) Historically, the majority of college students came from middle- to upper-class families

4. Para 4) low-income students increased in enrollment from 12% in 1996 to 20% in 2016

5. Para 7) Huron’s study also found that 75% of recent graduates credited faculty members as the most important contributor to their success

6. Para 9) “It is clear faculty should not be expected to be the sole career advisers. They should, however, be able to reinforce to students the importance of accessing career services early in their collegiate careers as part of their academic plans”.

Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale Graduation Rate & Retention Rates

College factual 

Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale Graduation Rate & Retention Rate (collegefactual.com)

1. Para 2) Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale Has a Better Than Average Freshman Retention Rate

2. Para 2) With 79.0% of students making it past their freshman year, Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale has freshman retention rates above the national average.

3. Para 2) Nationwide, the average first year to second year retention rate is 69.0% 

4. Para 3) Overall, 55.6% of Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale Undergrads Finish Within Six Years

5. Para 5) College factual states that “We consider the “on-time” graduation rate for a bachelor’s degree to be four years, but colleges typically report their graduation rates after six or even eight years”

6. Para 7) First-time, full-time students under the age of 25 are much more likely to graduate in four years (on-time)

7. Para 10) With a four year graduation rate of 44.0% , first-time students in the Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale class of 2015 who attended classes full-time were more likely than average to graduate on time

8. Para 10) After six years, the graduation rate was 64.7% and by 2019 ,66.0% of this class had completed their degree

9. Para 11) the average graduation rate for first-time undergraduates attending classes full-time is: 35.8%

10. Para 11) after four years, 46.4%

11. Para 11) 47.8% after eight years

12. Para 12) Studies have shown that high-achieving students are more likely to complete their degree on time

7 Ways Working Through College Prepares You For The Real World

BRITTANY KERLIN

1. Para 1) avoiding debt 

2. Para 1) You can avoid a lot of debt by paying for a lot of your educational expenses yourself.

3. Para 2) biggest benefits of working through college is the valuable on-the-job experience you will have. 

4. Para 2)  Not only will you have your education and training, you will have actual experience that you can put on your resume

5. Para 3) Working in groups at school somewhat prepares you for working in teams in the real world

6. Para 3)  Look for companies that offer the best coworking spaces

7. Para 4) need to learn how to manage your time so you can attend classes

8. Para 4) The time management skills you learn while working and going to school are going to stay with you for life

9. Para 5) “Many employers find that college graduates who don’t have any previous work experience tend to not make the best employees”

10. Para 5) “Students who work while attending college know what employers want, because they have already done it”.

11. Para 6)  you will be learning better time management skills, you will be better able to schedule study time more effectively. 

Benefits of Earning a College Degree

Becton Loveless

Benefits of Earning a College Degree (educationcorner.com)

1. Para 1) Earning a college degree is such an important step in life (American Dream)

2. Para 2) Earning a college degree is all about opening up opportunities in life

3. Para 2)  benefits of a college education include:  better paying and higher skilled jobs

4. Para 2) studies have shown that college degrees also lead to overall happiness and stability.

5. Para 3) the ability to earn more money is the driving force behind going to college. 

6. Para 5) “Studies show that college graduates earn significantly more money throughout their lifetime than those with only high school education”

7. Para 6) high school graduates earn an average of almost $30,000 per year. (sheeo.org)

8. Para 6)  Bachelor’s graduates earn an average of just over $50,000 a year.

9. Para 6) those with a higher level degree (master’s, doctorate or professional) average nearly $70,000 per year. 

10. Para 7) a master’s degree in education or nursing won’t lead to nearly as much wealth as a master’s degree in engineering or business

11. Para 8) There is still an income disparity in gender and race.

12. Para 8) White males tend to make more money than their non-white-male counterparts.

13. Para 9) Benefits for family when getting a degree is being offered the jobs benefits which are like healthcare, retirement investment, travel and other perks

14. Para 9) These types of benefits are rarely offered for high-school-level jobs.

15. Para 11) Families of college graduates are generally better off economically and socially.

16. Para 11) you can look at it as an investment in the future of your family.

17. Para 12) combination of benefits is why so many people make the investment of time and money to go to college.

18. Para 13)college trains you to think analytically, understand complex subjects and communicate your own critical ideas about them.

19. Para 14) College can open up unexpected opportunities that aren’t always there for those who haven’t engaged in a higher level of education.

20. Para 15) employment options are shrinking for people who only have a high school diploma.

21. Para 15) A large majority of high school graduates work in the service industry, in low paying jobs that don’t offer many opportunities for advancement

22. Para 15) College graduates, on the other hand, tend to have skills that qualify them for a broad range of employment in fields that offer more upward mobility.

23. Para 15) much easier to replace you with someone else who only completed high school.

24. Para 16) an educated staff is so important to some companies that they will even pay for employees’ tuition.

25. Para 17) Data shows that in an economic recession, college graduates are less vulnerable to layoffs

26. Para 17) if you have a college degree you will be less likely to suffer long-term unemployment

27. Para 18) As a college graduate, it is also more likely that you will enjoy your job

28. Para 18) a college degree also gives you more freedom to pursue a career that interests you

29. Para 19) Attending college is seen as a down payment on your success

30. Para 19)  Earning your college degree will help you realize your goals in your career as well as life in general

31. Para 20) college can play a networking role as well

32. Para 20) creating a professional network can mean the difference between finding a job or getting a promotion, and those networks start forming in college

33. Para 21) Colleges are filled with volunteer organizations and professional societies where you can meet others who are in your field

34. Para 24) A college degree is helpful for many practical reasons, your increased competitiveness to the increased likeliness that you’ll be promoted within your job.

35. Para 24)  A college education requires students to overcome all types of adversity and prepares them not only for the workplace, but for dealing with many of life’s challenges

36. Para 25) Good organization can help you manage all of your responsibilities, and it’s a skill that will be useful once you have your degree.

37. Para 26)  College requires that you overcome one challenge after another, ranging from financial responsibilities to passing tests or completing projects.

38. Para 27) highly qualified employees in high demand.

39. Para 28) a college degree prepares employees with a number of skills that make them more highly qualified.

40. Para 29) best part of getting your college degree is the access it gives you to high quality benefits and perks.

41. Para 30) Individuals with a college degree are more often economically well off 

42. Para 31) Many researchers are now investigating which majors provide a decent return on investment and which don’t.

43. Para 32) scientists discovered that people who major in sciences,tech, and math tend to find jobs quicker with higher pay

44. Para 32) People in these majors experience more job stability

Is College Worth It?

Anthony ONeal

Is College Worth It? | DaveRamsey.com

1. Para 1) students wondering if they should stay in school because online is their only option.

2. Para 1) If you’re taking out student loans to pay for college, you’ll be tens of thousands of dollars in debt before you even graduate. 

3. Para 2) the toll that debt takes on your goals and dreams.

4. Para 2) Depending on the loan repayment plan, it can take up to 30 years to

pay off 

5. Para 5) According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the median income for a high school graduate is $30,000

6. Para 5) those with a bachelor’s degree make around $45,000.

7. Para 6)  certain jobs like teaching, nursing, engineering and law all require at least a two-year degree.

8. Para 6) having a degree might put you ahead of your competition during the job hunt, even for jobs where a degree isn’t required.

9. Para 7) Your classes help you build skills you’ll need in the workforce, like problem solving, critical thinking, teamwork and organization

10. Para 7) College is also a great opportunity to branch out and meet people from all walks of life

11. Para 7) gain a better understanding of where others are coming from.

12. Para 8)  many internships are only available to current college students

13. Para 10) Some of the world’s wealthiest businesspeople didn’t even finish college

14. Para 11) The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that about 43% of college grads are working a job that doesn’t need a degree

15. Para 12)  have to consider whether what you’d be making is worth what you’ll be paying for school.

16. Para 13) According to a Gallup survey, 51% of Americans who pursued education beyond high school would consider changing their degree type, institution or major

17. Para 14)  The National Center for Education Statistics found that only 62% of college students finish their degree within six years

18. Para 15) There are alternatives to college that don’t include working for minimum wage.

19. Para 16) You can embrace the entrepreneurial spirit and start your own business in just a few minutes, thanks to websites like eBay, Etsy and Amazon.

20. Para 17) You could take free online classes, learn a skill at a trade school, or get your associate degree at a community college.

 

How Colleges Are Preparing Grads For Real Life

Dani Pascarella

How Colleges Are Preparing Grads For Real Life (forbes.com)

1. Para 1) many people believe colleges should be doing more to prepare graduates.

2. Para 2) Many of today’s graduates feel like they are starting their first job on “half empty”

3. Para 3) Reducing debt by making college more affordable

4. Para 3) President Andrew Hamilton introduced budget changes in 2016 that, for most undergraduate programs, led to the smallest increase in the cost of attendance in over 20 years.

5. Para 6) By bringing the cost of college down, we not only make higher education more accessible but reduce the debt burden that more than two-thirds of graduates leave school with.

6. Para 7) Giving students the education and tools they need to be successful financially

7. Para 8) Graduates from the University of florida each get a customized financial plan and budget, tools to track their financial progress in real-time, and access to one-on-one coaching sessions for a full year after graduation to help them transition.

8. Para 10) Since

two-thirds of Americans can’t pass a basic financial literacy test

and

nearly 80% of working adults

are living paycheck-to-paycheck

9. Para 10) By offering financial literacy programs, schools can completely change the trajectory of their graduates’ lives.

10. Para 11) The

#1 thing employers look for

when hiring recent graduates is actual work experience

11. Para 11)  only 15% of students participate in experiential learning opportunities each year.

12. Para 13) many institutions lack the infrastructure needed to make all of the experiential learning opportunities available easily accessible to students.

Is College Preparing You for Real Life?

Tyson Schritter

Is College Preparing You for Real Life? – Colleges of Distinction

1. Para 2) According to a

survey by McGraw-Hill Education

, only 40% of college seniors feel prepared to pursue a career after they receive their degree.

2. Para 3)  71% of students in their survey view the kind of career planning that is commonly overlooked as an “extremely important” aspect of their college education

3. Para 8) When we consider the needs of students who are preparing for new careers, internships have the most noticeable benefit

4. Para 10) Internship programs take students off campus, giving them real-life experience in their chosen career field to contrast their more stagnant lectures within the classroom.

5. Para 11) Interns not only receive practical work experience, but they also gain opportunities to learn more about their intended profession while networking with others who may even be their future employers.

6. Para 13) 

the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)

in 2015, 56% of students who had an internship or co-op received job offers upon graduation in contrast to 36% of students without internships.

7. Para 14) graduates’ ongoing success also depends on their ability to adapt to changing professions as well as to function within an increasingly global and technological society.

8. Para 17) Education beyond the classroom is key, and prospective college students should choose schools with a consideration not just of the campus culture, but also of the out-of-the-box opportunities they provide.

9. Para 18) All should take advantage of communities and initiatives that challenge them to be intellectually and socially successful.

10. Para 19) By encouraging students to be active participants in their degrees, as by reimagining college education itself, they can better prepare students for the demanding world

Paper Topic: Keisers effectiveness on preparing students for life after college.

Audience: future college students

Thesis statement: Keiser does a mediocre job at preparing students for life after college compared to other colleges.

I. What is the perfect way to prepare students for life after college

II. What does keiser do to help students for life after college

III. What are other colleges doing to help their students

IV. Is college worth it?

V. Benefits of earning a college degree

VI. Should graduation rates play a role in what college you go to?

VII.        How can keiser improve in their ability to prepare students for life after college?

VIII.       Is keiser worth the money it cost to attend?

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Is Keiser doing a good job preparing students for life after college?

The purpose of this study is to go behind the scenes of Keiser and how they help students. This paper will be both exploratory and argumentative. My goal is to get both sides, one side saying they don’t help and the other side saying they do. I believe this issue is important because students should be properly prepared for life after college; going into their careers prepared is very important. I’ve chosen this topic because there has been talk amongst students saying that Keiser does a poor job, while others say they do a phenomenal job. So, my goal again is to see if they do or not and what they can do to improve in the eyes of those who say Keiser doesn’t.   

 Vasquez, M. (2015, April 23). Keiser: Not-for-Profit but Still Lucrative. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/education/article19383987.html.

Another site talking about keiser universities tricks and how they say they are a non profit but still is profitable

Arteaga, C., Arteaga, C., Besley, T., Kasperkevic, J., Tusa, J., Ocampo, J. A., … Metzger, D. (2018, October 23). Does Learning More at University Actually Pay Off in the Job Market? Pro Market. https://promarket.org/2018/10/23/learning-university-pay-off/#:~:text=Education%20is%20one%20of%20the,more%20than%20high%20school%20grads.&text=So%20basically%20when%20you%20go,rewarded%20in%20the%20labor%20market.

This site is good cause it gives us insight into the role of colleges in the job market in todays society.

B, J., B, W. by J., B, J., Community, C. G., & Experts, C. G. (2018, April 6). Does College Really Prepare Students for Work & the Real World? Career Geek. https://www.careergeekblog.com/does-college-really-prepare-students-for-work-the-real-world/.

Article lists many ways colleges fail in preparing us for the “real world”, like no exposure to those who are employed in the field that they are studying, no education on life skills…etc.

Cappex. (2021). Federal Government Publishes More Complete Graduation Rate Data: Cappex. College Search & Scholarships: College Decision Resources. https://www.cappex.com/articles/blog/government-publishes-graduation-rate-data.

This site gives the percentage of graduation rates for colleges in the united states, which would be good for comparison for keiser.

Chronicle of higher education. (2020). Preparing Students for Life After Graduation. How Nursing Education is Evolving Online. https://sponsored.chronicle.com/preparing-students-for-life-after-graduation/index.html.

This site talks about the effectiveness of universities’ strategies to get students ready for life after college.

Elizabethtown College. (2019). Be Prepared. Preparation for Life After Graduation – Elizabethtown College. https://www.etown.edu/inspired/preparation.aspx.

this site gives a perspective on how a college plans on helping its students prepare for life after graduation by mentioning having a strong foundation. this site is good because it acts as a good comparison to keiser university.

Factual, C. (2020, December 25). Keiser University – Ft Lauderdale Graduation & Retention. College Factual. https://www.collegefactual.com/colleges/keiser-university-ft-lauderdale/academic-life/graduation-and-retention/.

This site gives rates on graduation and and retention for Keiser.

KERLIN, B. R. I. T. T. A. N. Y. (2017, July 7). 7 Ways Working Through College Prepares You For The Real World: The College Puzzle. The College Puzzle 7 Ways Working Through College Prepares You For The Real World Comments. https://collegepuzzle.stanford.edu/7-ways-working-through-college-prepares-you-for-the-real-world/.

This site gives some very important points for life after college and during college.

Loveless, B. (2021). Benefits of Earning a College Degree. Education Corner© Online Education, Colleges & K12 Education Guide. https://www.educationcorner.com/benefit-of-earning-a-college-degree.html.

A site that ask the real question: does college education actually lead to success. then it states a couple of benefits.

ONeal, A., & Solutions, R. (2020, November 19). Is College Worth It? daveramsey.com. https://www.daveramsey.com/blog/is-college-worth-it.

A site giving the pros and cons of college most of it being money wise and how most jobs require a degree.

Pascarella, D. (2019, May 30). How Colleges Are Preparing Grads For Real Life. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/danipascarella/2019/05/30/how-colleges-are-preparing-grads-for-real-life/?sh=30de9a521cbb.

This site is good as well because it goes into the financial aspect of life for students after college. Which, again, will be great for reference when it’s interviewing time.

Patel, E. (2019, May 14). Should College Prepare You For The Real World?: Inside Higher Ed. Conversations on Diversity. https://www.insidehighered.com/blogs/conversations-diversity/should-college-prepare-you-real-world.

This site uses great examples even comparing sports to schools and how they operate

Reshawn, R. (2016, May 24). 3 Ways College Helps Prepare You for the “Real” World. U.S. News & World Report. https://money.usnews.com/money/blogs/outside-voices-careers/articles/2016-05-24/3-ways-college-helps-prepare-you-for-the-real-world.

This site, for once, gives a good perspective of colleges and gives examples on how colleges do help students. this site also gives tips on how to

Schritter, T. (2020, October 25). Is College Preparing You for Real Life? Colleges of Distinction. https://collegesofdistinction.com/advice/is-college-preparing-you-for-real-life/.

this site is basically a guide to help students with choosing colleges, and to help ones who already in college. this site goes into how types of educations matter, the importance of internships, How Can College Students Become Better Prepared..etc.

Thompson, V. (2016, September 29). The Importance of Education in Finding a Job. Education. https://education.seattlepi.com/importance-education-finding-job-1207.html.

This site is good because you get tips for finding a job and how education makes that process a lot easier. which we know the institute you pick should have a good education system to help students with that.

Travis, S. (2018, October 10). Keiser University reaches settlement with attorney general over admissions. Sun. https://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/fl-xpm-2012-10-31-fl-keiser-attorney-general-20121031-story.html#:~:text=Keiser%20was%20one%20of%2030,those%20charged%20by%20public%20colleges.

A article that explains how keiser was blasted for basically tricking students. showing how keiser doesn’t always have the best interest for students.

University of Kansas. (2014, September 30). Preparing for Life After College. STUDENT AFFAIRS. https://studentaffairs.ku.edu/preparing-life-after-college.

This site lists things students can do to prepare you for life after college and list things students should look for colleges to do and offer for their success. This site will be a great back bone to use when asking questions for interviews.

Keiser University is a private non-profit university with its main campus being in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The university is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools. It is also a member of the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. It is also licensed by the Commission for Independent Education in Florida. In 2021, the US News and World Report ranked it at position 284 out of all the national universities in the country. Recently, there has been a lot of discussion about the university, the bone of contention being whether the university optimally prepares it students efficiently for life after college. There are those who assert that the college does not prepare the students for life after college in the right way. On the other hand, there are those who vouch for the efforts that the university has taken supporting that it does prepare the students well for life after college. Notable among them are key alumni who openly share their testimonials. This paper evaluates the current state of colleges and links the analysis to how Keiser University prepares their students into career transition by identifying the structures in place, evaluating their implementation protocols, identifying the existing gaps and opportunities and informing how they build on the existing opportunities and tackle the existing gaps to optimize their students’ career preparation. Why is that? Career preparation is very essential in all colleges. It is of great importance that colleges prepare their students adequately for them to have a smooth career transition. The job market is shifting rapidly making it necessary for colleges to adapt and update on how they prepare their students so that it is easier for them to secure sustainable careers thereafter.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Keiser University has various policies and structures in place that prepare students for the career world. There are many services offered by the Department of Students Services that aim empowering students with relevant professional skills to ease their journey as they source for employment and placement programs. The university also provides the students with free access to online career centers, offer workshops, and has an alumni network to guide and mentor the students. However, this is not enough. The university needs to refine this structures to ensure that they are accessible to many students. The university should also engage in more intentional effort, for example, incorporating placements in their different programs and partnering with corporations to ensure that they are easily accessible to the students among other efforts highlighted in the paper.