College requires a vast amount of common core classes for incoming students and while it is important to know math and english skills, there are classes that can better serve students in the long run.
People attend college in order to be eligible for higher-paying jobs, yet the general education curriculum does not help students manage money, communicate in the workplace and live on their own.
General education classes should include financial literacy, research, career workshops, resume building and workplace communication classes for all first-year students.
Nathan Oelkers, a full-time worker who spent a year at LBCC weighed in on this issue. “No one teaches this real-world stuff. They teach high-end math classes and high-level english classes and I haven’t used any of it in my job,” Oelkers said.
There are many fields of study that do not require high-level common core skills. Yet, all career paths require workplace skills.
Workplace preparation classes can substitute some of the common core classes that are not as valuable in a career path.
“An associate’s degree may come in handy when needed, but an individual who lacks the basic knowledge of specific life skills may struggle in the future,” Oelkers added.
College students need skills that will benefit them for the rest of their lives. A computer scientist does not need three classes in history. Instituting a life skill curriculum will be a better use of resources and will become more significant in the long run.
Oelkers mentioned he learned how to file taxes, make monetary deposits, succeed in an interview and talk to customers after his time at LBCC.
Many community colleges have resources that can help students in the workplace. LBCC offers vocational programs as well as writing and career centers that are more career-oriented, but the outreach of these programs is sub-par.
If the school could tie these programs into a mandatory curriculum, students would flourish in their careers.
“Having a diploma is nice, but you can still work your way up without a degree. Additionally, college is getting too expensive. Even the junior colleges,” Oelkers said.
With rising tuition, students need to be ensured that a college route will benefit them in the long run. If a person can be just as well off out of high school as they are out of junior college, then there is no reason to attend college in the first place.
Having life skill classes in the college curriculum is a good enough reason for someone to attend LBCC.
Advertising financial literacy and taxation classes in addition to a diploma would make city college a much more enticing pathway.