A college environment can be challenging and even threatening to freshmen students, but that is no reason for them to give up.

A 2004 high school graduate named Jeremy Ugi expressed his worry about not feeling ready for the college workload.

“I had no idea what college was like,” he said. “The teachers are more strict; they expect you to do everything and I wasn’t expecting that.”

There is a good chance that many EC students feel similar to Ugi. Naturally, one is subjected to a lot more stress in college than in high school. After all, college is the next level up.

But EC has many counseling services available for students, including college counselors on campus available for appointments in the Student Services Center. There are also classes and workshops such as Human Development 8, “Orientation to College Educational Planning Guidance” and Human Development 10, “Strategies for Success in College”,which both focus on handling the pressures of college schoolwork.

EC also has many free tutors and even a writing and math center, not to mention a Special Rescource Center available for those with physical or learning disabilities.

Students may believe that high school did not prepare them well for college. An ACT inc. report found that only 22 percent of the 1.2 million high school graduates who took the ACT test were ready to enroll in college-level math, English and science courses. The students tested were equal to about 40 percent of 2004 ¡s high school graduates.

It is time for society to re-think high school. There are alternatives to traditional, public high schools. There are options such as on-line education, charter schools and independent study programs that some students may find to offer more effective methods of learning.

Students need to find education methods that work for them. Some people would rather not learn in a traditional classroom setting, while others simply have differences with certain instructors. There is no one way to learn, and a student should be able to choose a method that meets his or her personal needs.

Choosing to enroll in a community college can also be more convenient. Students can take the time to explore different majors and to sign up for subjects unrelated to their major just for the fun of learning. EC has many wonderful and experienced instructors, and for many students the campus is more convenient because of its location and low enrollment costs.

Student should not let the challenge that college poses prevent them from pursuing their goals. If anything, the challenges should motivate students even more to overcome them.