Reality and Common Sense 101 by Jaimie

Reality and Common Sense 101 by Jaimie - August 2015 Scholarship Essay

As a non-traditional student this past summer, I spent my first semester in college astounded by the behavior demonstrated by some of my classmates who were fresh out of high school. During one of my presentation assignments, I asked students to raise their hands if they’d ever had a full time job - not one hand was raised out of 22 students. However, it wasn’t the absence of working experience that left me surprised, but their lack of interest, knowledge and respect. From playing on their phones, despite every course syllabus forbidding it, to snoring in class; by the end of the semester, I came to the realization that these young students just didn’t know any better. Many of them acted like they were still in high school, and others didn’t seem to fully comprehend the responsibilities associated with college, such as sleeping through class could lead to failing the class = loss of money or scholarship. Before I come off too judgmental, I’d like to add that I also went to college at the age of 18 after high school. The excitement of leaving my parents nest was a top priority, combined with the excitement of turning 18, having a full time job, and freedom to make all my own decisions made it impossible to put the amount of focus required for success into my course work. I dropped out after only one semester, and it took a lot to get the nerve to come back. I now have a 3.67 GPA, which I work diligently to maintain, but my life experiences are what keeps me focused and helps me understand the importance of a college education. I wish I could’ve learned more about how to function responsibly in society, and financially as an adult, before I’d graduated high school. Back in school 19 years later, I now see so much opportunity to educate and inform students on some life basics before they set off to college.
I believe Reality and Common Sense 101 should be added to the American high school curriculum; before students can graduate high school, they need a better understanding of what the real world is like. As our nation increases college tuitions, which have almost doubled in the past 15 years, America maintains the lowest college completion rate in the world at just 56%. If we continue to allow high school graduates to go straight into college without first preparing them for it, we cannot expect this to get better. Nearly half the nation attends college, but eventually drops out, leaving education behind and carrying only the heavy burden of student loans. Our education system owes it to our youth give proper learning for things like interest rates, and ensuring young adults have a thorough understanding of the difference in subsidized or unsubsidized loans. Before we have student loans in our names, we should at least be properly educated on what can happen if we default, with real life examples, such as foreclosures and bankruptcies The process an adult must go through to purchase a $20,000 vehicle on their own with no down payment takes years of responsibility and preparation, it only makes sense that an 18 year old with no credit history should be held to similar standards.
Several of the students in my freshman classes were athletes, some whose career goals were listed as “NBA”. One student’s career goals were to be in Sports Management, make $66,000 a year and own a Lamborghini; because the student had never had a job or a car payment, they didn’t realize this was basically impossible (unless they lived in their car). In Reality and Common Sense 101, potential athletes could learn the risks associated with playing college sports while still in high school. They would also learn some common sense factors of playing sports (often learned the hard way); they should understand that, if injured, they are usually responsible for all medical costs, even if their injury occurred during a game. They should be taught basic statistics: only 1% of college athletes ever make it to a professional level. Educating athletes early would encourage them to make their education a priority, and athletics a close second.
Heightening awareness for high school students by providing education to better prepare for the realities of adult life, such as going through the entire process of seeking, appraising, obtaining funding for, and purchasing a home, is crucial to their development as responsible adults. Adding common sense techniques such as time management, i.e. maintaining effective communication with a loan officer after school and between school activities, thereby preparing young adults for the struggles associated with having a career and maintaining a home. If Reality and Common Sense 101 were added to America’s high school curriculum, students could start out in college, or directly in the workplace, with a better understanding on how to make a successful start. If students were required to thoroughly understand the process of college before signing up for it, America could decrease our nation’s college dropout percentage and student loan debt, which is currently resting at $90 Billion. In addition, those students who decide to move forward with their educations would have a better understanding of what they are stepping into, a higher appreciation for higher learning, and would be rewarded with esteemed educators who are more frequently respected by their students.