Want to save money in college? Pay attention in your math class, and listen to your English teacher. And take a fourth year of math, even if it's not required.
According to a study by Education Reform Now, approximately a quarter of all students who go directly from high school to college are required to take remedial coursework. The total cost of this remedial coursework for families - about $1.5 billion dollars annually. Furthermore, students who start with remedial courses are much more likely to drop out, and those that finish take on average about a year longer to complete their Bachelor's degree.
Remedial (sometimes called developmental) courses are those designed to prepare students for college level work. This implies, of course, that about 1 in 4 incoming college freshmen are not prepared for college level work in math and/or English. This problem is not only confined to community colleges; the results hold true across nearly all institution types and all income levels.
Several articles I read in preparing this post place the blame on high schools for not adequately preparing their students, but I think there's a bit more to the story than that, and each student certainly has a level of control over this. If you attend a high school without adequate support and instruction in math and English, I'm sorry. However, I would argue there is a large amount of student choice that goes into this as well. As a high school counselor in a personalized learning school, I am not going to force you to take that extra math class. You have a choice in what English classes you take. If you choose to take less challenging English classes, and to stop taking math after you've completed the minimum graduation requirements, you likely won't be ready for college level work, and may well find yourself contributing to that $1.5 billion dollars spent on remedial education.
If you find yourself struggling in math or English, and you can't find the support at your school, what can you do? First, talk with your teacher, counselor, or principal and find out what help is available. There may be after-school tutoring support you can take advantage of. Find a friend who does well in these subjects, and see if they can help you. Many libraries offer tutoring services, either in-person or online. Khan Academy has a wealth of resources in many different subjects, and though options for support in English are limited, it can certainly help if you are struggling in math.
The main thing, though, is to take action. Take your classes seriously, and take responsibility for your own learning and preparation. Challenge yourself in high school, and you'll be ready for college. And you'll probably save a lot of money by doing so.
