APPLICATIONS FOR REGISTRATION ARE UP FROM LAST YEAR, AND THAT MEANS THE CUT-OFF WILL BE HIGHER…PROBABLY REQUIRING A GRADE POINT AVERAGE OF ABOUT 75 PER CENT FOR STUDENTS COMING DIRECTLY OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL. LAST YEAR, THE CUT-OFF WAS IN THE LOW SEVENTIES.

A SPOKESPERSON SAYS THE UNIVERSITY DOESN’T PRETEND TO KNOW WHY APPLICATIONS ARE UP THIS YEAR…IT COULD BE THE ECONOMY, OR EFFECTIVE RECRUITING.

WHAT THEY DO KNOW IS THAT UNDERGRADUATE APPLICATIONS ARE UP ABOUT 2 1/2 PER CENT, AND GRADUATE APPLICATIONS HAVE JUMPED SEVEN PER CENT. LAW SCHOOL APPLICATIONS IN PARTICULAR ARE UP A WHOPPING 30 PER CENT. 

http://www.cfax1070.com/newsstory.php?newsId=14466

The survey, which sought to gain insight into college and career readiness issues, polled 160 guidance counsellors, 120 [university students] and up to 100 recent high school and [university] graduates who are in the workplace today.

Guidance counsellors indicated that they tend to focus on student populations who represent the extremes of the achievement spectrum, with more than 50 percent of their time spent dealing with students who may not graduate, and 36 percent of their time spent on those who are [university] bound. Guidance cousellors also pointed toward [university] ‘eligibility’ as a measure of student success, as opposed to ‘readiness’ with nearly 70 percent of respondents defining success as a student receiving a high school diploma. [University] students, however, indicated that they could have been better prepared to meet [university] academic standards and relied primarily on close friends and family members as mentors.

“Ensuring that our students are prepared to reach their academic and professional goals goes beyond closing the gap between what high schools teach and what [universities] expect,: said Jeff Livingston, senior vice-president of McGraw-Hill Education’s College and Career Readiness Centre. “This survey confirms what we’ve long believed and are striving to change in the educational system; the distinction between [university] eligible and [university] ready. Being eligible for [university] is simply not good enough in the global economy of the 21^st century; our high school students must be richly and rigorously prepared for a lifetime of learning and professional development.”

According to the survey, nearly half of recent high school graduates feel they did not choose the right career – 81 percent felt practical work experience would have helped then make a better choice and an overwhelming amount (96 percent) said that an internship would have made then feel better prepared for the work force. The top three areas where graduates would have liked to receive further instruction in high school/[university] included technology applications (31 percent) and communication skills (28 percent). Further, 72 percent of [university] graduates selected time management as the biggest differentiator between high school and [university], which remained a common theme, as the majority (43 percent) also identified time management as an area where they would have like further instruction in high school.

www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/mcgraw-hill-survey-provides-insight-into

At the Conference, Dr Rick Miner, former president of Seneca College, discussed the findings of his report on Canadian labour market projections, “People without Jobs, Jobs without People.”  He promised equal doses of elation and depression for us all.

Demographics: In Canada we simultaneously are experiencing drastic demographic shifts and huge changes in educational attainment. As anyone who has heard me speak on emerging trends already knows, the baby boom generation is approaching retirement and the traditional working-age Canadian will drop from 70% of the population to just over 50%. In 2021, the number of retirees will start to exceed the working population in many parts of the country. By 2031 the labour force participation rate will drop about 10%, to below 60%, and population will flatten, resulting in a labour force deficit of as much as 4 million workers. The dependency ratio (youth and seniors as a percentage of working-age) will rise from 44% to over 60% by 2031 — so while this generation will be highly employable, they will likely be highly taxed as well.

Workforce needs:  About 25% of job classifications are new every 25 years, and “old” jobs are transformed every 15 years. Every job demands more and more Post-secondary Education (PSE) over time — a knowledge economy demands knowledge workers. A range of studies project 65-81% of the workforce will need PSE — so the PSE shortfall is projected to be 16 million by the Lumina Foundation. Futurist Adam Gordon projects new job titles like: body part manufacturer, memory augmentation surgeon, weather modification police, and social networking workers.  When the labour market shortfall is combined with increasing unemployment for those without appropriate education, the skill shortage will climb to 3.4 million by 2031. Canadian institutions will need to graduate more than 100,000 students a year.

Solutions:  Canada’s options are: increase immigration, and/or increase labour market participation by aboriginals, persons with disabilities, youth and/or seniors. It takes 10 years for immigrants to Canada to gain employment at the same rate as established Canadians, either because of credential recognition, language or cultural barriers. With labour market participation of just 55% among people with disabilities, there is huge potential to increase the workforce through accommodations. Female participation in the workforce could be increased through enhanced childcare options. Young people could be accelerated into the workforce through year-round schooling, joint university-college programs, the return of 3-year BA degrees, the improvement of high school, and attitudinal changes toward high school completion and PSE. Recent surveys have found that 42% of baby boomers are hoping for “cyclical employment” in retirement. Employers are less willing than employees to contemplate flexible approaches to retirement.

[Dr. Miner] also suggests that forcing high school students to choose a stream in grade 9 is far too young. We need to stop viewing retirement as an all-or-nothing proposition. We also need to address shockingly low rates of functional literacy (around 60% in Canada).  We need faster and anticipatory models of program renewal. There may be growing demand for modular, onsite, technology-based delivery of education. Hopefully there will be greater cooperation between universities and colleges. Industry needs to do more training of their workforce, and explore more flexible retirement plans.

 http://www.academica.ca/ACCC2010

SAT BOOT CAMP – August 23^rd to August 27^th, 9:00-12:00.  A week long intensive course focusing on the Writing, Reading, Math and Essay Sections of the SAT exam. Also includes test taking strategies, “beating” the exam, time management, and crossover skills to the ACT exam.

US ADMISSIONS BOOT CAMP – August 30^th to September 2nd , 9:00-12:00. A comprehensive overview of the US admissions process: focusing on essay writing, the Common Application, supplements, activities summaries, list evaluation (stretch, reach, likely), etc. 

INTRODUCTION TO PRINCIPLES OF MATHEMATICS 12 – August 23^rd to August 27^th, 2:00-5:00.  A one week intensive course introducing the concepts of the Principles of Mathematics 12 course for students entering grade 12 math. (This course is preparatory and not for credit).

INTRODUCTION TO CALCULUS – August 30^th to September 3 ^rd, 2:00-5:00.   A one week blitz of differential and integral calculus and applications, with emphasis on understanding the concepts and methods. For students entering Calculus 12, AP Calculus, or first year university calculus. (This course is preparatory and not for credit).

UNIVERSITY SEND-OFF – August 20^th, 1:00-3:30. The goal of this session is to set grade 12s up for post-secondary success from an academic and non-academic perspective. Topics covered will include: understanding how to learn in a post-secondary environment, organizing one’s time, familiarizing oneself with the university resources, balancing one’s life, etc.

All sessions are at the West Vancouver office.  If you are interested in any of these sessions, please contact us for more information or check out the blog for more information in upcoming weeks.

 

• Study environment

 

• Organizational systems

 

• Motivation &/or the lack of it

 

• Learning how to learn

 

• Effective note-taking

 

• How to prepare for class & tests

 

• Universal test/exam taking skills for various subjects

 

• How to properly read & study from notes &/or textbooks

 

• How to construct an effective study plan

 

• How to study efficiently, save time and do well

 

$120.00 per session plus GST 

It goes without saying that everyone is different. For some students, studying and being motivated to learn comes naturally; for most, however, this is not the case. Fortunately, there are strategies that can be modeled and, once implemented, students will gain a valuable edge in understanding material, preparing for tests, and, ultimately, learning. Students’ success in high school and post-secondary is dependent on their ability to study effectively and efficiently. Effective study skills must be practiced in order to improve. If not, the results will be wasted time, frustration, and low or failing grades.

There is no magic formula for success in preparing for tests and written assignments. Studying any material requires work! However, by being dedicated and applying the techniques and strategies learned in our Study Skills Tune Up workshops every day, students will be well-prepared to take on any course and succeed. These workshops are especially beneficial to grade 10 students attempting to navigate Provincial exams for the first time.

A student who wants to succeed will equip themselves with the tools to help them do so and take to heart the following expression: “Practice doesn’t make perfect; perfect practice makes perfect.”

Sign-up today.

 

• Completed your BC Ministry PSI form 

 

• Registered for or completed the LPI (or equivalent)

 

• Accepted or declined any offer(s) within the prescribed time period

 

• Applied for residency (where applicable) or are wait-listed

 

• Paid residency deposit (if required)

 

• Applied for any late scholarships that may potentially still be available

 

• Paid any tuition or registration deposit(s) that may be required

 

• Are aware of date and time to register for classes

 

• Considered signing up for a Study Skills Tune Up workshop to be better prepared &/or the University Send-Off workshop to get the inside scoop from an academic and non-academic perspective as to what to expect. Both workshops are at Options Solutions- see our calendar for times and dates.

 

http://www.ccl-cca.ca/CCL/Newsroom/Releases/20100210GreenCareers.htm

In its special 25^th anniversary issue, Azure magazine puts Ryerson alongside Harvard, Columbia, Yale, MIT, University of Pennsylvania, University of Art and Design Lausanne, Royal College of Art (London) and others in its guide ‘to the best design schools worldwide.’

Ryerson’s School of Interior Design is named with Parsons The New School for Design in New York City, and Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, as the top three interior design schools on the planet.

The magazine asked 100 international architects, interior designers, industrial designers and other practitioners to contribute to the survey. “Some of the biggest names in the design world weighed in”, the magazine notes.

It describes Ryerson this way:

“Ryerson dominates the discussion about the best interior design school in Canada, and graduates are equipped with the necessary technical skills to hit the ground running when they leave school. Instruction extends from the ‘how’ of design, to communication skills such as freehand drawing, CAD and oral presentation, as well as classes in liberal arts, the humanities, social sciences and the history of design.”

http://www.ryerson.ca/news/news/General_Public/20100315_azure.html

As Options Solutions navigates its way through the 21^st century techno-savvy world; we have embarked on the realm of Facebook. It was a difficult leap of faith into this social networking site. We bestow many warnings each year in regards to Facebook (“Effective studying does not include checking your Facebook page.” “If you wouldn’t show it to a parent or grandparent, it should not be on your Facebook page.” “Applying to a post-secondary institution is like applying for a job. You want to present the best you; clean up your Facebook!”), and yet we find ourselves, like countless other organizations, using it as a tool to disseminate information. 　

Facebook has been the headline of many scathing articles, especially in regards to high school and post-secondary students (with many of these situations passing right through the doors of our office). There have been NCAA athletes who have been suspended due to information and photos posted on their personal pages (http://www.thesportjournal.org/article/ncaa-athletes-and-facebook).

With Facebook moving into the work world of most companies, we do feel it is important to be part of that movement as well as to educate our students on the ramifications that this site can have. No longer is there a clear separation between one’s personal life and one’s professional or academic life.

Facebook has become a routine part of turning on a computer for this Millennial generation. Often they find themselves logging onto Facebook unconsciously when they sit down at a computer and many have Facebook as their homepage. Time is wasted daily glancing through friend’s recently posted photo albums and reading friend’s status updates. Many schools and workplaces have blocked Facebook and other social networking sites.

Students today are faced with the adult responsibility of managing their personal Facebook pages. There is a temptation to tag photos, join groups, and post comments that might otherwise be considered private. We encourage students to take an active role in controlling the privacy setting for their Facebook accounts as well as managing the time they spend on it. We encourage them to question: “Is the information on my Facebook page representative of the person I am?