transitions: from high school to university presentation to guidance counsellors of ontario shannon...

Transitions:From High School to University

Presentation to Guidance Counsellors of Ontario

Shannon Payne, Learning Skills Counsellor Counselling and Development Centre

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Goals for this presentation

• To reacquaint guidance counsellors with aspects of the transition to university

•To encourage high-school staff to begin to address the issues with students when and where they can

•To underscore target outcomes of transition programming

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Contents

•Changes that students face•Beginnings: transitions from high school•Continuations: transitions to university•What to include in transition programming•Target outcomes for transition programs•Resources

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Changes that students face

Students undergoing the transition to university face changes in many life areas

•Academic•Personal•Social•Cultural

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Academic•larger classes, with potentially less contact with instructors•change to lecture format•reading load and volume of learning increase•responsibility: “nobody’s going to take attendance”•time outside class increases & time inside classes shrinks

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Academic (cont’d)•need to structure own time and study•need to balance work, school and social life•essay writing issues (e.g., academic honesty, citations, the writing process, argument versus exposition etc.)•understanding how ideas of the course go together and how they will be examined•learning how to study effectively

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Academic (cont’d)•learning how to read and listen actively•need to develop critical and analytical thinking skills•changes in ways of knowing and with it a change in the meaning of learning and education •consequent change in perception of their own roles, the roles of teachers, and the level of difficulty of school work

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Personal/Social/Cultural•entering new phase of adulthood; relationships with parents and peers change towards interdependence•being/studying away from home•life, career, and academic goal setting•“freedom” issues – drinking, social activities, time, etc.

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Personal/Social/Cultural (cont’d)•developing awareness of the new environment•fitting in and making new friends•navigating the help sources available on campus•becoming comfortable with size and diversity of campus

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Personal/Social/Cultural (cont’d)•new institutional processes (e.g., services offered in the GUIDANCE office now divided into Counselling, Advising, Student Affairs, Career Services, etc. ) •changes in the way learning is institutionally organized•potential lack of connectedness on the larger campus; feeling like a number

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Personal/Social/Cultural (cont’d)•understanding the “culture” of post-secondary education•encountering new ideas in an environment that challenges students’ beliefs•reflecting on values and lifestyles and connection of education to career paths•deciding on a belief system that is personally valid•developing social responsibility•beginning as the first-year student again after being the high school senior

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Beginnings: transitions from high school

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Beginnings: transitions from high school

Students report being concerned about:

•Eligibility for post-secondary study

•Choosing the right program and the right school

•Finances: tuition fees, scholarships, bursaries

•Relationship of academic study to career aspirations

•Influences from others regarding what/where to study

•Knowing what to expect

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Continuations:transitions to university

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Continuations:transitions to university

Students report being concerned about:•Finding their way around, fitting in, making friends•Being successful, meeting the expectations of the university•Understanding course requirements and degree regulations•Balancing school, work, and social time•Locating and using supports on campus•Relating to their professors and instructors•Are they taking the “right” program

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What to include in transition programming

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Transition programming typically involves some of the following:

•Academic skills•Skills for living•Knowledge about purpose of higher education

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Academic Skills•Note-taking•Preparing for exams & test-taking •Effective reading•Research and library skills•Time management and planning skills•Self-regulatory skills (emotional, academic, motivational)•Writing skills

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Academic Skills (cont’d)•Public speaking skills•Critical thinking •Understanding learning styles•Computing skills•Connecting with faculty

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Skills For Living•Career exploration•Learning in diverse community•Health and wellness•Self knowledge and personal awareness •Relationship and interpersonal skills•Stress and anxiety management

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Skills For Living (cont’d)•Values clarification/decisions•Goal setting•Listening skills•Volunteerism and community service•Awareness of current societal issues•Conflict resolution•Money management

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Knowledge About Higher Education•Purpose of higher education and institution•Value of liberal arts and pure and applied sciences•Concept of disciplines and inter-disciplinary studies•Value of community involvement

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Knowledge about About Higher Education (cont’d)•Location of campus resources and facilities •Policies, procedures, regulations (e.g., dropping courses)•History of the university/college•Institutional traditions

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Target outcomes for transition programs

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Any transition model should aim to provide students with as many of the following outcomes as possible...

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•an eagerness to attend, take part, and get involved on campus•a sense of belonging and connectedness to the university•an ability to identify those skills that will lead to success and a commitment to use them•an awareness of success-supporting resources on campus and how to access them •an openness to change and exploration

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•an acceptance that they are not alone, that others are experiencing the same kinds of changes•the confidence that they can be successful•the knowledge that success doesn’t just happen, but that success largely depends on them taking responsibility for their learning•an inkling of some of the differences between high school and university•an understanding that the transition isn’t a singular event in time, but that it takes place over time

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Transition Program Models

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Facilitating students’ transitions to university:

•Person to person models

•One-day and Extended campus visits

•Visits to Graduating Classes

•Orientations

•Early Start Programs

•Prep Courses

•1st-Year Experience Programs

•Web-based resources

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Person to person models:•Guidance staff, Admissions and Liaison staff sharing their understanding of the transition to university•Informing students about the various support services their institution has to offer

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One-day campus visits: •Students and their families visit prospect campuses during March Break to tour facilities, and ask questions about the programs available•School visits to tour facilities•The impression they develop from the visit fosters thinking and discussion about the pros and cons of the various schools•They get a sense of the differences between high schools and universities

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Extended campus visits: •Some high schools arrange with a college or university to permit students an extended visit (e.g., one week) on campus•Typically, such visits occur during May after the conclusion of the regular Fall/Winter academic term•Students stay in residence, visit classes or attend specially designed programs that give them a snapshot of what it is like to live the student experience

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Visits to Graduating Classes: •Westview Project - an initiative put together by a team of people at York University to reach out to students at feeder schools under-represented in the first-year cohort•In the spring of each year, a number of academic skills and post-secondary school awareness sessions presented for students in the graduating class as part of their ongoing final-year courses

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Orientations: Don’t Crash Courses•One- or two-day series of workshops on academic skills and orientation to the university environment•Work with students transferring from community college programs or from high schools •Emphasis on their expectation for differences, and equipping them with resources and knowledge about how to succeed in the university environment

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First Year Orientation:

In its ideal form, orientation:•Combines both the academic and social components of university life• Equips students with knowledge of important resources•Helps students to feel at home on the large campus

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Early Start Programs:•Senior students enroll in one course for credit at York University while completing their final year at high-school•Gives students first-hand experience of learning at university and blends directed support for learning with immersion experience•Extensive support for students exists at the high school, including campus orientation, advising and course selection assistance, study skills training and time management training

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Steps/University Prep Programs:•These kinds of programs offer admission to students whose grades would not typically earn them entrance to a university, and offers additional advising and supports•Usually, students in these programs take a reduced course load (usually 60%) and among that load is a first-year course focused on developing the basic and critical skills needed at university•Some programs admit students only upon successful completion of the prep course

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1st-Yr. experience courses & York’s Foundations model:•Especially popular in the USA, first-year experience courses are offered for credit to incoming students •In some cases the course is mandatory•The curriculum of the course focuses on the kinds of study skills, critical thinking and writing skills, and life skills essential for success at university

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Computer/web-based transition resources:•Canadian university web sites host various web pages set up to enable students to find the information they need •Included among these materials are academic skills information, tips on making a smooth transition, links to help sources on campus, organizations, and so on

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Resources

Downing, Skip. On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life -- A Guided Journal Approach. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1996.

Ellis, David. Becoming a Master Student. Canadian Second Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1997.

Fleet, Joan, Fiona Goodchild, and Richard Zajchowski. Learning For Success: Skills and Strategies for Canadian Students. Toronto: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1994.

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Resources

Fraser, Lisa. Making your mark. 5th Edition. Port Perry: LDF Publishing, 1996.

Gardner, John N., Jewler, Jerome A., and Robb, Andrew. Your First-Year Experience: Success Strategies for Canadian Students. Toronto: International Thomson Publishing, 1995.

Kolb, David. Learning Style Inventory. Boston: Hay McBer & Company. 1985.

Holkeboer, Robert. Right from the start: Managing your college career. 2nd Edition. Belmont: Wadsworth Publishing, 1996.

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Resources

Nemiroff, Greta Hofmann. Transitions: Succeeding in College and University. Toronto: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1994.

Pauk, Walter. How To Study In College 5th Edition. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 1993.

Rehner, Jan. Practical Strategies for Critical Thinking. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1994.

Ruggerio, Vincent R. Becoming a Critical Thinker. 2nd ed. Boston: Houghton-Mifflin Co., 1996

transitions: from high school to university presentation to guidance counsellors of ontario shannon...

Documents

university face changes

school work slide

number slide

high school senior slide

academic contd

diversity of campus

challenges students

development centre slide