Student Needs Enter Higher Education-Counseling

As a high school counselor, I encourage students every day to take rigorous coursework to prepare them for post secondary education. They need rigorous coursework meeting state standards, district requirements, entrance assessments, and to be well-rounded in all areas. I also know that students need to be emotionally, physically, and behaviorally prepared for the move to higher education. I find students that have outside challenges to also over come. Many it is poverty, peer pressures, lack of social skills, and motivation. Counselors follow a curriculum when working with students to address student issues, yet, many fall through the cracks.

Challenges to Adults in Higher Education

Adults face many obstacles when planning to enter higher education. Some of the obstacles may be low incomes or poverty, low self esteem, lack of skills needed for college, and motivation. According to Merriam (2006), collaborative programming provides services for adults by preparing them to enter higher education. Collaborative programming in rural communities is imperative. Services such as tutoring, counseling, academic counseling; financial aid and budgeting seminars, and health screenings are available. However, in rural communities where individuals lask transportation these obstacles can be more of a challenge. My question is how do you reach those individuals, the individuals that need these services and lack the resources to obtain them.

Merriam, S., Courtenay, B., & Cervero, R. (2006). Global issues and adult education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass Publishing.