College News

Education has always had a special value in society. In the modern world higher education is among top requirements when applying for a good job. Being a university student is quite prestigious and once you graduate you become a young specialist in your sphere and get social respect. Holding a degree gives more options.

Secondary education is compulsory in most civilized countries. And that is quite understandable for any person needs to possess some educational background and have certain amount of knowledge. Is higher education that necessary for everybody? What does it give to a person? Studying in the university has various advantages and opens many opportunities for students. First of all, you get into academic institution, plunge into this atmosphere and receive knowledge and, moreover, specialization. Secondly, you become a member of student community with its special students interests and with options to share those interests and find your circle of communication. However, do really all people need diploma saying they graduated from this or that university and hold this or that degree? Not all people feel like studying heavily, writing research papers and preparing serious academic projects. Some people feel quite satisfied with their non-intellectual work. Should they be disrespected only because they do not possess a university diploma? Certainly, they should not. Any person performing his or her work deserves respect. There is place for people with different qualifications.

It is up to everyone to choose for himself or herself their way and their ambitions. The most important thing is staying you rather than pretending someone else, even if this someone else is smarter or possesses a very valuable degree. Anyway, self-education is an opened option for everyone and may bring fruit not worse than classical academic education.

Any teaching, as well, as learning is accompanied with evaluation of performed work. Indeed, we study in order to achieve certain level of knowledge or master skills. To track the effects of studying process we need to somehow estimate what was done and how well it was done. For this purpose, various estimating systems were introduced. Ranking, scores, points – are all elements of students’ activity evaluation. Criteria of evaluation may be different, ways to evaluate may vary, but the key principle is the same.

A good manager will tell you that estimating results is an indispensable part of all projects implementation. So, the same thing is with studies. Assessment increases effectiveness – that is why it is so widely practiced. However, there is another side of the discussed issue. Harsh evaluation systems may turn into extremely frustrating factors for students and may even cause reluctance to study. Why? Because when facing a necessity to be constantly assessed and ranked students may feel that they lose desire to learn more, create something independent, and exchange useful links with other students via Internet. Even the word “education” may arouse negative associations and lack of any desire to discuss educational matters. Instead they feel they have to fight for scores. Well, one may argue that fighting for scores is a great motivator for studies. However, practice shows that those people who study only in order to be estimated as good students soon forget what they’ve learned. So, studying process should be followed with internal strive to learn more rather than with a threat to get low score and feel humiliated. Assessment should be merely an instrument of studying process, not end in itself. Only thus students will not feel distressed with tests or rankings.

Each of us faces the necessity to make some writing, to a lesser or larger extent. At school we are assigned to put our thoughts on paper and receive numerous tasks to prepare essays, reports etc. After graduation from the school and even after finishing studies in college or university we still have to write, for example, CV when we apply to some job. All in all, most people do quite a lot of writing in the course of their life. Of course, not everyone becomes a journalist or writer, but we all need some basic or, it would be even better, developed writing skills.

How can we develop our writing skills, despite inborn capabilities? Modern world brings new options, among which Internet is No 1. Really, if previously we had to ask a teacher about writing tips or go to the library in search of some guide, now we just need to search for ‘writing’ or ‘essay writing’ and we may find an immense number of useful links. But there comes a problem of putting all those tips into life. It may all sound quite comprehensible and clear but you do not know how to use this or that tip for a concrete essay. Well, a universal piece of advice would be practicing a lot. You first write one essay, then another, and you will definitely see the progress you make with each written paper you make. Writing is fantastic; it brings us through centuries and even through cultures; it helps to understand history better. Moreover, writing is essential even in the era of computers, because thoughts have to be somehow expressed and they have to find a form, for which writing is one of the best ones.

Practice your own original writing and you will note your personal development. While improving your writing skills you as well improve your skills to express your thoughts and actually even produce them. So, it is indeed of vital importance.