Why College?
Indigenous Perspectives
Did you know?
There are 634 First Nations who speak more than 50 languages. In Manitoba, there are 63 First Nations who speak 5 languages.
Throughout this book there are Indigenous Perspectives in orange boxes like the one above. These were developed with our Indigenous Affairs department and the purpose is to introduce you as a student of Assiniboine, to some of the Indigenous culture and history of this area.
Making more money over time is not the only benefit of completing a college education. College graduates are also more likely to experience a broad range of advantages that will enrich their lives.
- Greater job satisfaction: That’s right! College graduates are more likely to get a job that they like or to find that their job is more enjoyable than not.
- Better job stability: Employees with college educations are more likely to find and keep a job, which is comforting news in times of economic uncertainty.
- Improved health and wellness: College graduates are more likely to maintain holistic health.
- Better outcomes for the next generation: One of the best benefits of a college education is that it can have a positive influence on the student’s immediate family and the next generations.
- more and more entry-level jobs will require a college education;
- a credential from a college still provides assurance that a student has mastered the material;
- college provides an opportunity to develop much-needed interpersonal or “soft” skills.
The National Association of Colleges and Employers (2019) has identified eight career-readiness competencies that college students should develop:
- critical thinking/problem solving;
- oral/written communication;
- teamwork/collaboration;
- digital technology;
- leadership;
- professionalism/work ethic;
- career management;
- intercultural fluency.
There are few occasions that will provide you the opportunity to develop all of these skills in a low-stakes environment (that is, without the fear of being fired!). You will learn all of this and more in your classes. Seems like a great opportunity, doesn’t it? If you find yourself asking the question “What does this course have to do with my major?” or “Why do I have to take that?” challenge yourself to learn more about the course and the learning outcomes to create connections between the content and your larger educational, career, and life goals.
Why This Course?
Now that you have considered why you are in college and why a college education may be valuable to you, it’s time to focus on why you are taking this course. College Foundations is designed to help you learn about college and how to make the most of it. We believe that this course will help you succeed in college and beyond. If you are not convinced just yet of the value of this course and its content, consider the following questions that you will be encouraged to answer as you learn about how to succeed in college:
- What will college expect of me in terms of skills, habits, and behaviours, and how can I develop them to ensure that I am successful?
- How will these skills help to support me in making a successful transition to the workforce?
- What do I need to know about how to navigate the process of completing a college education?
- How can I ensure that I develop worthy long-term goals, and how can I meet those goals?
These questions are designed to assist you in the transition from high school or the workforce to the new world of college. And this won’t be the last big transition that you will experience; for example, you will experience a new job more than once in your life, and you may experience the excitement and challenge of moving to a new house or a new city. You can be assured that transitions will require that you identify what you need to get through them and that you will experience some discomfort along the way. It wouldn’t be such a great accomplishment without a little uncertainty, doubt, and self-questioning. To help you, the next section speaks specifically to transitions for the purpose of making your next steps a little smoother.
