In earlier posts I shared my view that many of the resources available to help college students decide on what school to attend were of little direct value to the adult student returning. The BUZZ Today covers the impact of social media in college selection decision making. The topic of social media in this USA Today article is valuable but the content is very much targeted at the traditional high school graduate considering a traditional campus based education.
Source: USA Today. Some examples of how colleges are using Pinterest: The University of Arizona posts photos of fun dorm rooms, the College of William & Mary posts photos of its many squirrels running around campus and the University of Nebraska – Lincoln posted over 50 photos of its lovely campus. These kinds of images, with text attached, can help you see the school through new eyes and could even tip the scales if you’re really unsure where to go. Even the squirrels could help you decide on a college. Unigo is a website that strives to give college students a forum where they’re in control. Meaning, they can talk about their schools as honestly as they want and give rankings without repercussions. These reviews can prove very useful for prospective college students.
I am sure that were you getting ready to go to a campus to get your education you would like to see the dorms and the squirrels. But the truth is, that for working adults returning to school, dorms and squirrels are probably very low on the priority list.
What adults need is more specific information about careers, degree programs, financial aid and whether credits from prior learning will transfer to a new school.
The intent here is not to be demeaning about social media. This resource can help every prospective student in some fashion. The point of this discussion is to contrast how the education world in America is largely designed to serve traditional students with campus based programs.
One of the social media sites of potential value to adult learners are comments posted by currently enrolled students. The site is Unigo. See BUZZ Today for more specifics.
In the end, it is important that you as an adult learner, has access to the most well organized and specific resources you need to make your decision. My recommendation for you as a nontraditional student remains Your Future is Calling.
Speak Your Mind