College is a time when students learn to socialize and make new friends. It’s a time of excitement, learning, and growth. College gives teens their first bit of independence in life, forcing them to stand on their own two feet and figure out how the world works. Those principles will never change but there are some aspects of college life that are evolving with the changes and advancements that are happening in the world around us. Let’s run through some of the ways that college life has changed over the last ten years.
Tuition Fees are More Expensive
Not everyone had to look for external funding to go to college ten years ago. In fact, most people could count on their parents’ nest egg to get them through the first few years of study. Now, in today’s economic climate, it’s very rare to find a student that can afford to go to school without securing funding. As we continue to see an increase in tuition fees and living costs with each passing year, there’s also been a huge increase in student loan applications. On a more positive note, the rise in tuition fees has led to more scholarships for college students. Some are based on academic achievement or other criteria, and others are based on financial need.
Technology & Education
Technology did not always play a major role in education. Today, however, technology is an integral part of the educational process and students and colleges could not operate without it. There are many different reasons for this. Online tools can help students understand difficult concepts better than traditional textbooks can. Additionally, technology can make learning fun through the use of interactive tools such as games or simulations. With the use of cloud storage and collaborative apps, students can work remotely and communicate with their professors in a more effective way than ever before. Down the line innovations like artificial intelligence verses human transcription will be prevalent in many career fields and business roles.
College Sports
Rewind ten years and college sports were seen as a way to pass the time until the professional leagues started up again. That’s all changed and college sports have become hugely popular, with many people arguing that college sports are now more popular than professional sports. The reason for this change is the rise in competitiveness among schools and the increase in funding. Most colleges now have big stadiums and other facilities specifically for their sports teams, which helps to create a strong fan base. Lastly, social media has helped open the door to making college sports more popular, giving fans the opportunity to stay up-to-date with what’s happening on the team.
How Classes are Taught
If you graduated more than ten years ago, you’ll remember the professor standing at the top of the class for the whole period delivering the lesson. He/she would barely move from the one spot and there was very little interaction between the professor and the students. Nowadays, professors use PowerPoint presentations, videos, and websites to help get their point across. They move around the class more and ask open-ended questions to encourage conversation and debate.