Do college programs provide enough support?

Going to college sounds easy, but let’s face it. College and high school are not the same. While first time freshmen start at a high peak number since graduating, the number can slowly go down over time.

When students hear colleges offer support programs on campus, they believe that they will receive help to graduate from college. There are many students in DSPS (Disabled Student Program and Services), EOPS (Extended Opportunities Programs and Services) and similar college programs combined, but meeting the demand of those students is not always possible for workers in the programs.

A student named Steve told me his program offers two to three mentors for a coding class. It may sound enough for a small course, however, one of the mentors is booked for the semester, leaving only one to two mentors left. While two mentors can be enough, having one mentor is a big difference; without the help of the support program, the struggling student can fail.

Computer science is an example of a major colleges offer to students. The initial thought of this degree sounds like an easy subject for technicians, but it requires knowledge of various codes and applied mathematics. The courses for computer science majors are generally smaller than the other offered classes. Finding assistance in computer science classes is slim because most tutors in college programs work to help students in more general education subjects.

Offering better help in less demanded courses can change a student status from struggling to graduate.

Edward Martinez