A Better Way: Part 1

Here's my vision for what colleges should do.

Use Virtual “Teachers”

Today, in most of the nation's 3,500 colleges, introductory courses, for example, Introduction to Biology, are taught primarily by an instructor, good, bad, or indifferent, lecturing to students umpteen rows away. You can often get a decent grade just by cramming for a midterm and a final, even though you'll have forgotten 3/4 of what you learned within days of semester's end.

Imagine that instead, you logged onto your home computer to find one of the nation's best biology instructors teaching Intro to Biology, using simulation and demonstration equipment far too expensive for most colleges to afford. You could replay any parts of the lecture you wanted, and at any point, you could click on words that would provide a fuller explanation of what the professor was saying.

After each 30-minute instructional unit, you would take an interactive quiz. You'd participate in simulations and other experiments online, using equipment for free that you couldn't possibly access in the real world. Even the classic frog dissection could be done online. Think of all the hassle, blood and gore that would be saved--not to mention the millions of frogs lives. Another benefit: the nation wrings its collective hands about the lack of minority instructors. Choose a minority instructor for the program and many thousands of students derive the benefits of having a minority biology instructor.

Using interactive teachers wouldn't completely replace the human instructor. Small classes and office hours would still be provided in person. But the large lecture, that boring vestige of the Middle Ages, so often blown-off by students who download lecture notes, would be replaced by interactive and virtual teachers, an approach that would enable every college student, rich or poor, to receive world-class education at a fraction of the cost.

About AP Classes

Are you ready for a unique learning experience that will help you succeed in college? Each year, students around the world who want to learn and achieve at the highest level become AP (Advanced Placement) students. Through AP’s college-level courses and exams, you can earn college credit and advanced placement, stand out in the admissions process, and learn from some of the most skilled, dedicated, and inspiring teachers.

Why Take an AP?

With 37 different AP classes and tests across multiple subject areas, there is something that will interest any student (and give them an edge for college). Here are just a few reasons to sign up:

Earn College Credit and Advanced Placement
• More than 3,600 colleges and universities recognize AP Exam scores. Over 90% of 4-year colleges in the U.S. provide credit and/or better initial placement for qualifying scores.
• Essentially testing out of basics like English 101 and Biology 105 (for example) will help you have time to move into upper-level courses in your field of interest, pursue a double major, or study abroad.
• Design a college experience that suits you and gives you the flexibility to get the most out of your college years.

Stand Out in the College Admissions Process
• Demonstrate your maturity and readiness for college.
• Show your willingness to take the most rigorous courses available to you.
• Emphasize your commitment to academic excellence.

Gain Skills that Will Help You Succeed in College
• Get a head start on college-level work.
• Improve your writing skills and sharpen your problem-solving techniques.
• Develop the study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work in college.

Broaden Your Intellectual Horizons
• Be part of a community of students and educators who are passionate, curious, and committed to academic excellence
• Engage in intense discussions, solve problems collaboratively, and learn to write clearly and persuasively
• Take courses that are developed by leading professors to reflect the level of learning happening at colleges throughout the country

How Do You Enroll?
• Talk to an AP teacher or the AP Coordinator (usually one of the counselors) at your school about the course you want to take. Discuss the course’s workload and any preparation you might need.
• If you are a homeschooled student or attend a school that doesn't offer AP, you can still participate. Each year hundreds of students participate through independent study. Some states even sponsor online AP courses.

Should You Go Straight to College?

Many students contemplate life after high school with almost more interest than high school itself… There are many things that students choose to do right out of high school: college, apprenticeship, vocational school, work for the family business, start their own business, even backpack through Europe (or some other form of taking a year off between high school and college).

But you’ve probably been encouraged to go to college. And many, if not most, of you probably should go to college and you should go directly as in no breaks, no vacations, no backpacking through Europe – or, in other words, “Do Not Pass Go, Do Not Collect $200.”

But it’s not as obvious a decision as you might think. After all, getting a degree from a four-year college or university, on average, takes 5 years of your life. Only 39%, nationwide, graduate in four years. Why might that be? Scheduling can be difficult at times and if you ever need to retake a course it might only be offered once a year, and what if that course is a prerequisite for the rest of your major. What if, like me (and many college students), you change your major once or twice? College is where students really discover what they are passionate about, what they are good at, and what they want to do. But all of that takes time.

Some students are fortunate to discover what they want while taking general education credits and don’t have to start all over with new or different graduation requirements when they change their major. That is the approach I would recommend. Most students, even if they have a firm grasp of what they want to do, may inevitably change their mind or have an experience that shows them they may wish to change their plans. I call that an “Ah Ha” moment.


Other students take 20 or more credits of a specific major before they have their “Ah Ha” moment and decide to change from, for example, French to Veterinary Sciences. In cases like that most of those French courses won’t count even as electives for the Vet Science degree. And now you not only have to take longer because you need to take other “required” courses, but you also have to pay for both the French that doesn’t count and the new courses. Remember, even after financial aid, that college degree will probably cost you (or at least your parents) a small fortune – even if you pay it back over the next 30 years.

That is why it is generally a good idea to test out other majors or try the interesting elective or Gen Ed classes early in your college career. Some good ways to test the waters:

-Sit in on an advanced class. You may want to speak to the professor or an advisor before doing so.
-Talk with students who are more than halfway finished with their program. Ask, “Do you like the program?” and “What are the best and worst things about it?”
-Oversit. That is, if you plan on taking 4 classes for the term, register for 5 and go to the first session of each. Then you can drop the one that seems least likely to motivate you, the least interesting, or the least relevant to you. (Always remember to drop the class during the Drop/Add period so you don’t get billed)
-Talk to advisors, professors, and the department secretary (they usually know how everything works) about possible careers and their insights.

All of these strategies can also be done before enrolling in or even being accepted to a college, though it may be more difficult if your college of choice is far away. But you can always get email addresses or phone numbers from the college website or by calling that department secretary.