To many, the sole purpose of coming
to college is to get an education with the intent of applying those skills in
the real world. For some, entering post-secondary education is an opportunity
to explore many different opportunities and fields that they may pursue in the
future, while others, like myself, begin college knowing exactly what they plan
to achieve. An issue that often presents itself is the lack of real-world
experience and internship opportunities for certain fields of study. After
talking to many professors and trusted adults, I declared myself as a double
major in Criminology and Psychology with the hopes of being provided the best
pathway toward a career with the FBI. Even so, Hofstra does not offer any
internships with the Bureau, let alone anything similar in nature. It is not
just an issue that is present at Hofstra, but at universities all over.
While there are many goals to
accomplish in college, some are much more beneficial than others. In the short
time that I have been at Hofstra, I have noticed a significant lack of
internship opportunities to gain real world experience. Although the Lawrence
Herbert School of Communications, along with those students on the pre-med
track, are given abundant options to gain hands-on experience as part of their
college experience, it seems to me that they are among the only ones. It is of
utmost importance that students are fully exposed to the realities of the
career that they have dedicated their time and money to for the next four
years. Without the chance to go into the field and learn first-hand how life
will be following the pursuit of their major, students will be more vulnerable
to the harsh truths of the world once it is far too late to shift gears in a
timely and effective manner. As a result of unrealistic assumptions, students
frequently become entrapped in a field that they no longer wish to pursue
post-graduation. After going through the entire college experience, it is not
likely that these students would have the motivation---or financial ability---to
start from scratch in a new field of study.
Another issue that may arise for
students wishing to pursue a field with few directly related educational
opportunities is information presented in an ineffective way. As explained by
Paulo Freire in “The Banking Concept of Education,” “It turns them [the
students] into ‘containers,’ into ‘receptacles’ to be ‘filled’ by the teachers”
(Freire, Par. 4). This statement directly correlates with the main ideas
elaborated on throughout the entire piece, expressing the detrimental effects
of many current teaching methods. Freire explains that many instructors simply
deposit information in the students, shoving it down their throats and
expecting regurgitation come test time.
By doing so, it has been found that the content is not actually learned,
for when the student “vomits” the materials up on test day, the knowledge
leaves the student as well. The classroom, in many scenarios, has become a
monarchy in which the instructor’s knowledge overpowers the thoughts of
everyone else, regardless of their quality. Instead of being talked at, it has
been shown to be much more effective to be talked to in such a way that true
conversation occurs. Freire cites the
importance of inventing and reinventing one’s beliefs, along with expressing
one’s freedom, which I believe to be strongly contradictory with the banking
concept of education. Without the freedom to express one’s own views and to
have true dialogue, the margin for self-improvement and growth shrinks
significantly.
In Roksa and Arum’s “Life After
College,” they report that in 2010, college graduates faced an unemployment rate of 9.1 percent, the highest
rate on record, and just one of the many challenges faced by young
people. When evaluating the 925
graduates who were a part of their study of how effectively college graduates
transition into adult life, they found that academic engagement and growth during college was a
significant factor in the future success of the young graduates. In addition to
studying students’ academic engagement, the researchers used the Collegiate
Learning Assessment (CLA), which evaluates complex reasoning, critical
thinking, and writing skills. Ultimately,
the study revealed that those students who exhibited substantial levels of
intellectual commitment, active participation, and progression throughout their
time in college were those who adjusted into the real world in a much steadier
fashion (Roksa and Arum, Par. 11).
These results further support the
idea that the education system most commonly used is not necessarily the best
option. Due to the organization of class materials and how they are taught, it
has become significantly harder to comprehend the information being fed to the
pupils. Although it may seem effective
at a first glance, it is a shorthand effect that is masked by incorrectly
portrayed test scores. While this has become a much more significant problem in
schools all over, there are many approaches to fix this overlooked dilemma that
the current, and future, generations of students are burdened by. To help prevent this group of
aspiring young adults from wasting precious resources, colleges and
universities could provide greater opportunities to ensure that the students’
presumed interest and dedication to a field aligns with the reality of that
field. With such opportunities, students would be able to change course well
before it is too late to begin the entire process again. There is a simple
solution that could be presented for students interested in gaining first-hand
knowledge, regardless of their field of study. I think of it as a “genius bar”
of mentors: a central, online portal where all interested students can go to
browse, make connections with alumni and other professionals in related fields,
and expand horizons in order to gain experience and greater understanding in a
hands-on fashion.
Yes, while there are already
internship programs here at Hofstra, they are not all equal. For example, the
communications and pre-med programs are known to provide an abundance of
real-world opportunities for students who display interest. I spoke with a
sophomore, Harvin Singh, who has some personal insight on the pre-med side of
Hofstra’s internship opportunities. After graduating high school at the age of
17 in his home of India, Harvin attended the University of Oxford in the United
Kingdom, followed by two semesters at Fordham University, before finding
himself here at Hofstra. Harvin, who has already achieved so much at the ripe
age of 21, told me that he believes Hofstra offers loads of opportunities for
students on a pre-med track. “They have
really good placement events every two months” (Singh). During his sophomore
year after transferring to Hofstra, Harvin was offered two separate internships
with Northwell Health System, both of which he now regrets turning down. On the other end of the spectrum, there are
students at Hofstra, myself included, who have been desperately looking for
internships and other opportunities to gain field experience that seemingly do
not exist for our fields of interest.
If my proposal was brought to
fruition, it would not rely on school administration to deal with students
seeking these outside internships; instead, the mentors who would be choosing
to take interns under their wing. With this genius bar of mentors and
professionals in the New York City region and beyond (think alumni in far-flung
areas) who are willing to further expand the knowledge and experience of
dedicated young individuals, many doors would be opened to an endless array of
options. In the genius bar, one would be
able to search the database by using tags related to the field of pursuit.
So, for instance, if I were
utilizing the genius bar to find a mentor, and my goal was to become an FBI Special Agent, I
would look for tags of FBI, Law, Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice, Cyber
Security, National Security, and Fraud, among others. This way, it would be easy to sort through
different people and options without being overwhelmed by useless
information. Mentors would not
necessarily need to be in close proximity to the school due to the ability to
communicate via video chats and social networking sites. A mentor and student could be in contact with
one another throughout the course of the school year and then work together in
the field of choice over the summer. With such a program, students could
explore the actuality of the job they plan to pursue, while still having the
option of changing their minds before they no longer have any reasonable
choices left. Students would no longer have to concern themselves that their
expectations may actually be misconceptions if they have the ability to find
out the answers on their own.
Additionally, the university could set up regular opportunities for
students and professors or alumni to connect outside of the classroom through
round table discussions and auditing of classes.
It is so important for students to learn in a positive
environment where they feel comfortable expressing their opinions and are able
to gain solid insight into their future if they take a particular path. Through
real interactions and experiential learning, rather than simply hearing
lectures from the front of a hall, students’ capacity to absorb material
increases greatly, widening their margin for future success. There is also much
value in making and sustaining outside connections, for they can be used down
the road when looking for guidance, references, and employment. Another aspect
of the genius bar would be exposure to listings of other opportunities that may
not seem directly correlated with one’s interests, but could have a positive
effect. For example, the genius bar could also offer connections with
non-profit organizations, volunteer opportunities, groups that work with
underserved children and families, and other indirect ways to gain exposure to
the field of interest.
With greater opportunities for hands-on learning, students
will be able to experience real-world situations in order to decide whether that
field is or is not for them. By doing so while still in college, changing one’s
mind does not necessarily have to put a damper on the student's education. The
mentoring genius bar and lists of organizations that correspond with certain
areas of study will be a great way to expose students to opportunities they may
not have thought of, or have been able to attain otherwise. Hopefully, with the
creation of this database, the issue of graduating college and transitioning
into the real world only to discover your dislike toward your field will
significantly decrease, creating a more effective education system for all
those who are interested.
Works Cited
Arum, Richard, and Josipa Roksa. "Life after College:
The Challenging Transitions of the Academically
Adrift Cohort." Change Magazine.
Taylor & Francis Group, n.d. Web.
Freire, Paulo. “The Banking Concept of Education” Chapter 2
of Pedagogy of the Oppressed.
Singh, Harvin. Conversation. 12/13/16
