A Few Popular Misconceptions About College Education

Between the media, guidance councillors trying to put motivation in you, and general lack of knowledge, a high schooler heading into a College Degree Program can walk away with a few misconceptions of college, chiefly that it some sort of hostile environment, full of nothing but roadblocks. I won't sugarcoat one thing: It'll be tough, and you'll be a different person coming out of it than going in as a result. But there's a few things the average high schooler gets wrong about getting your Toronto degree, things that are less difficult and rigid than you may think.

Myth: Every class you miss brings harsh penalties
A big shock that hits a high schooler upon entering the post-secondary world is just how little attention is paid to where you are. There's no longer any penalty for missing a class. Unless it's a tutorial, attendance isn't being taken. In truth, there aren't any formal academic penalties for missing classes.

On the other hand, there's a more difficult angle to this now. No one's keeping track of you, so it's up to you to keep track of yourself. Yes, you won't be penalized formally for a class you skip out on, but you need to be aware that it's an important lesson that you missed out on. If not that, then maybe a due date for an assignment was revealed, or your instructor revealed topic that will be on your final. Either way, it's your risk now.

Myth: The structure of the program is even more rigid than high school
By structure, I'm referring to class times, deadlines, and scheduling. And this one is just false. If anything, structure is looser. In college, classes can be moved, cancelled, extended, or cut short at any time for any reason. Of course, most instructors and schools will avoid too much upheaval, but it's still more common than in high school. And if you're late for class, no one's going to lock a door, or ask you to get a late slip from the office. Of course, you may get some dirty looks coming in late, and constantly asking what you missed won't put you in anyone's good graces, but you needn't live in fear of the mad dash to morning class.

Myth: You're on your own
Another falsity. Just because no one's keeping track of you anymore doesn't mean no one cares. There are numerous resources present for your success in college, and it all starts with your instructors. Their email addresses will be out there, and they'll have office hours you can use. If anything, they're invested more in your future than your high school teachers. It's just up to you to seek them out instead of them finding you.

The Three Benefits of Learning from Home

Education is everyone's right, and if you're thinking of getting that practical college degree, but life seems to be standing in the way, there is hope. A program taken by distance learning in Toronto allows you to experience all the benefits of college education without having to come to campus. Courses in distance learning can eliminate barriers to success. If it's an issue of time, money, or other life commitments, you can still get your learning in.

Online education has struggled with its reputation in the past, but if it comes from a school like Centennial College, a solid community college with proper day classes, then you can be assured that you're receiving the same quality experience, only from the comfort of your own home. There's a few benefits to receiving your education in your personal living space, but it can really be narrowed down to three factors.

Time
Flexibility is the name of the game when it comes to distance learning, and learning from home enables that flexibility. Instead of pulling both late nights and early mornings, you can catch the regulation seven-to-nine hours of sleep whenever you can, and start and finish that education at whatever time of day you're ready. There's other time benefits, too. If you weren't going to distance learn, and your plan was still to live at home, making the trip to campus is no longer a concern. Not having to commute to and from school can save you hours both ways, particularly in the GTA, freeing up massive chunks of your schedule. This links into the second major factor.

Money
Time is money, after all, and not having to make that commute will save you one way or another, be it through gasoline, parking spots or Metropasses. On top of that, you'll be bypassing all the little expenses that come with campus life. No need to, for example, rent a locker, or buy a new school bag. In addition, you'll never be tempted to subsist off of fast food, or anything else pre-made. Groceries will always be cheaper than what you can buy on-site, and you'll never have to worry about making your lunch the night before.

Focus
On the flip side of the transportation argument, if you were planning on living on campus, moving out can be strenuous. If it's your first time away from home, you'll have new responsibilities, and new worries. School should be your first focus, and distance education lets it be your only focus, with the familiar comforts of home there to allow you to put your mind to your sole task of getting that relevant, career-building education.

The Benefits of a Summer Postgrad

Perhaps you've graduated college already, and want to focus your education further. Or maybe you've been in the job market for a few years, and are looking to enhance your personal brand with some further accreditation. Either way, if you're thinking of taking a postgrad, there's another potential advantage to consider. Several graduate programs in Toronto, such as the ones at Centennial College, have the option of a January start, with the second semester stretching into the summer. Anyone that comes from a traditional high school background probably has an almost instinctive fear of summer school, but this sort of unconventional start and finish date can benefit a student in a few different ways. Here's how.

An empty campus makes student life and education easier
While unconventional education is rapidly becoming the norm, summer students in college are still in a minority, which means they'll learn at college campus that's far emptier than usual. Far from being a drawback, there's several advantages to this. For one thing, if you're driving in, there's far less traffic to worry about, and parking comes easier. On campus, if you need study space, it's everywhere. College is already a more intimate, personalized setting, but during the summer semester, that's maximized, with every teacher knowing who you are, able to custom-tailor your education, and you having a dedicated support network of students around you due to the smaller class sizes

It lets you get a jump on the job market
Monster, Forbes, and other sources peg two major seasons as the largest time for professional hiring: September/October, and January/February. The timing of a summer continuing education program's graduation means you're in the perfect place for your job hunt to hit these two windows. Graduating in August lets you get a jump on the fall hiring season, and given that most students will be in school January/February, you have lone access to that time as well if you missed the first window.

The summer weather makes life less stressful
Marc Jean took a postgrad at Centennial College's Story Arts Centre, and one of his fondest memories there was after class, or on his breaks. He used to have lunch downtown with his classmates every Friday. Such a scene could only happen during a summer semester, and it enhanced his educational experience as both a stress-buster and an activity to look forward to. Moments like that are what a summer postgrad can give you.

How the Community in College Can Benefit You

A student looking to complete their post-secondary education may look at Community Colleges with a critical eye, viewing them as the lesser educational path. One potential complaint is both the smaller class size and smaller campus size removing some legitimacy. Well, nothing's farther from the truth. Instead, that smaller size creates the "community" in the name of the college. And when a community surrounds you, you reap numerous educational and life benefits.

Support
At a community college, it's easy to get to know everyone in your class, and for them to get to know you. It's strange how isolating being in a lecture hall of 200 can be, but 30 is a more manageable amount. Instead of a crowd of classmates, you'll have friends, colleagues and peers. you'll know everyone and they'll know you. This translates into academic and personal support. When school gets tough, you'll have a study group, a team to share resources, and a dedicated crew for working on group assignments. And going to school is always easier when you're with friends.

The Personal Touch
That community doesn't just refer to the students around you. In a class of 30 the instructor is able to know who you are, too. Knowing the instructor means you'll receive personalized help and education. On top of that, they'll be easier to talk to for help and advice, be it through email or in person. At colleges like Centennial, those instructors are industry professionals, with time spent in the career you're interested in. Getting to know them can be beneficial to your own career in the long run. Speaking of connections…

Networking
Colleges in Toronto like Centennial do everything they can to connect students to their career, and one such method is connecting them with professionals in their field. Another way is those previously mentioned industry professional instructors, and yet another is field placement and co-op opportunities that put students in front of the actual career. This is all in the name of helping students develop a network of contacts in the industry, the first step to finding career opportunities.

However, students can take those first steps themselves, by connecting to the community around them in the form of their classmates. Each one of them is looking to break into the same career path, and if you all stay in touch with each other as you finish school, then you have the first steps in a broader professional network, perfect for sharing resources, job tips, and general support. That's how the community keeps paying off even after school is completed.

University and College unite Their Differences for Joint Programs

In Canada, there's a cultural perception that a child should be sent to university, that university is the king of post-secondary education, and that everything else is beneath it. The reality is much more complex, though. While it's true that a university education can offer excellent growth to a young mind, it's not automatically going to be the perfect fit for everyone.

You don't need to be reminded that it's a tough job market out there, but it's still important to note than any student seeking higher education should be looking to use it as a way to cut to the front of the line in a job hunt. Regardless of the quality of your education, a degree that isn't oriented towards getting a career, or a program that doesn't provide anything in the way of relevant work experience could leave you in the cold when it comes time for a job search. At the same time, you have to want the education in what you're getting, and university just doesn't fit some students. If you like reading, writing, and mathematics, for example, a Bachelor's Degree Program at a university is for you. Meanwhile, examples of a student who should be college-bound are those who like practical problems or working with their hands. Ideally, then, you need to be combining a degree in something you're passionate about with relevant work experience to both excel in your program, and get that advantage in the employment market.

But too few potential Canadian students really invest time in figuring out which program is right for them, and ignore the potentially-more-fitting college education. Canada has one of the top post-secondary education systems worldwide, and this includes Colleges, which are traditionally good a changing and accommodating for a changing workforce, and meeting their needs.

However, there's a way you can have it both ways. If your future in the job market worries you, but you still want what a university education offers you, a solution may come in the form of a joint program. Offered by several Ontario colleges and universities including Centennial College, these unique programs start a student off at university for a theoretical foundation of knowledge, then send them off to college to learn the practical skills of their career.

Aside from the obvious advantages of two different educational perspectives, there's another very simple, elegant advantage: Two sets of credentials. At the end of a joint program, you have the opportunity to receive both a degree and a diploma, as proof entering the job market that you're a multi-talented individual with a uniquely layered perspective on your career of choice.