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Sunday, May 24, 2015

How do you know if you are college-ready? (a reply)

Someone I follow on Twitter (@sisyphus38) (I don't follow many people, but this guy is a frustrated teacher and I appreciate his pain) tweeted today:

Can someone explain what "college ready" means?

Here is my response:
  1. if you know how to study for, and can pass a multiple-choice test
  2. if you can sit through a boring lecture and stifle the impulse to jump out the window
  3. if you can drink heavily all night and still get up in time for an 8 AM class
  4. if you know how to skim a textbook
  5. if you have a lot of money in the bank
  6. if you know what courses you safely can blow off
  7. if you know how to go and talk to a teacher to explain why you should have gotten an A and instead of a B
  8. if you can figure out how not to show up for class and still pass it
  9. if you don't mind not actually doing anything in school except reading and listening
  10. if you understand that college is actually pretty much a four year vacation from the real world and you won't have to do much
  11. if you understand that college won't get you a job and there is no point thinking it will
  12. If you're capable of doing your own laundry
  13. if you are capable of understanding that the University you are attending is not particular interested in you and your needs and you just have to go along with whatever obstacles they put in your way
  14. if you understand that the university is mostly about the needs of faculty
  15. if you know never to ask the question “why do I need to know this?”
  16. if you know that the question “are we responsible for this?” is the best way to irritate a professor
  17. if you know that a professor’s opinion will never matter to you ever again

or, you could just worry about these two:
  1. if you have some idea what you might want to do with your life;
  2. if you know that somewhere in the university there is someone who is willing to take you under their wing and that your real job is to find that person and seek their guidance