Resources: How have they changed and where are they going?

Different generations of students have experienced varying resources throughout their academic careers. Over the years, resources have grown from what they once were in the beginning stages of their institution. Student resources in high school, college, or even outside of the traditional education system develop more and more every day.

Accessibility to these resources are also always constantly changing. New methods of achieving your goals are being created and implemented on a daily basis. When Joann Talley, a seventy-three-year-old retired stenographer and Bowie State University employee, attended high school, she “was in a Business Curriculum, one of three areas of concentration including Academic and General Curriculums.” She mentioned that this curriculum “prepared her to take what was used to be applied to the Civil Service Test.” Without this resource being offered at her high school at Calvin Coolidge, she would never have attained her goal of becoming a stenographer/secretary for the federal government. Around this time, these resources were available back in the late 50s/early 60s, which means that the accessible resources only grew from there. “I’m not sure if more resources are available, but more are accessible. Back when I was still in school, information was just not available for those who were in the lower income bracket.” This sheds light on the fact that a lot of resources did not have as far as reach as they have nowadays.

Jameille McMorris, a forty-six-year-old employee of All About Me Christian Child Development Center, stated that during her time in high school, her guidance counselor was the most influential resource to help her  find “what areas in which she was strong in order to direct her to a field of interest in college.” This aid came in the form of “personality tests conducted by whoever the guidance counselor was at that time.” Coming up in the 80s, Jameille was able to take part in the developing of education opportunities, which means more methods of providing resources became more prevalent. Yolanda Perry, a fifty-six-year-old business owner, also grew up in the era of booming education. She stated that “guidance counselors and individual research done mainly in the library were the main focal points of using the resources around us at that time.” When Yolanda looks back on her academic career, she believes that “computers and internet access would have been the most essential resource.” “I did not go to college…I never had a desire to, but it would have been nice to be able to search the internet for different opportunities after high school other than college.”

“College fairs and community groups pushed me to do more after high school, ” said Mattea Hunter, a thirty-seven-year-old college graduate, and mother of two. She mentioned that she decided to go to college because of the career fairs that one of the community groups held at her high school.

These resources are ever-changing as the cause of our education system grows more and more every year. When asked about how resources offered in today’s educational system have altered over the years, Joann Talley said that “there are college prep seminars and workshops, more grants, loans and financial aid that are available now that weren’t when I was in school.” She also mentioned how the internet provides, even more, an opportunity that she did not have access to while in school. When inquired about the same question, Jameille McMorris said that nowadays “parents are able to go directly to the resources available which eliminate the need for a referral.” This is a prime example of communication in the education process to be that much more accessible.

However, just because more resources are being generated, it does not all opportunities are getting to every school or every student. Mattea Hunter said that more resources are offered today, but that “it also depends on what school you attend and what type of support system is in the home.” Amaris Carrington, a twenty-three-year-old middle school teacher/assistant, said “it seems that the school system doesn’t want students to succeed…schools aren’t providing students with the necessary tools for success.” To combat these shortcomings, her employer at Bethel Christian Academy implemented a method to track progress.  “A goal chart has helped to teach our students the importance of not only setting goals but staying responsible for completing those goals,” said Amaris Carrington. Minor means of going the extra mile such as implementing a mandatory goals chart to help young children establish a foundation for setting and completing goals is crucial in developing young adults. A creative mind within the higher power of a school system is a resource in itself because it does not allow for complacency, which only leads to further development.

Career service centers are prevalent in today’s educational system, mostly when it comes to a college campus and other collegiate establishments. There are so many different opportunities provided by these career centers. These include the student development office as Programs Advancing Student Success or P.A.S.S. here at F.S.U. whose main goal is to entrench success among students during their collegiate careers. “These career centers provide the most experience-based information and direction to narrow down what our interests are how they can apply those to the real world,” says Jameille McMorris.

Having the resources available is not the only variable that needs to be taken into place. Sometimes, the aesthetics of a career center’s office could play a role in its utilization. “No one ever used our career center because it was formal and the students needed a more open, personal connection between students and those there to assist,” said Joann Talley. F.S.U.’s Programs Advancing Student Success office is a prime example of what she explained. It's very open, giving an inviting feeling to students, while also having separate rooms to discuss more private manners.

Online learning is also a new development routed in student resources. Being able to get your degree inline was not always possible, nor was it as easily accessible as it is today. More and more students are attaining their degrees through online learning, but without a required class time or meeting place, completing work could be more challenging. When asked what was the most important resource that was offered during her academic career, Amaris Carrington said, “being able to take all of my classes online so that I was able to work and pay for school was the most crucial for sure.” She went on stating “I could not imagine having to go to classes every other day, sitting through lectures, and trying to balance working all at one time.” Her use of the goal setting technique as with her job at work really helped her to stay on top of her class even though she was not physically in the classroom.

Financial aid is one of the most important resource developments. It has allowed that many more people become students to achieve their career or life goals. However, not everyone applies for financial assistance. “I did not attend college until I was sixty-years-old! So, I paid for it without financial assistance,” said Joann Talley. Also, your family experience with the college process also plays an important role. “No one in our family attended college and that affected my exposure to the application procedure but the tutorial programs that Coolidge provided helped pick through the difficult patches during the process.” College awareness and preparedness are not solely based on the fact whether or not your family or someone close to you went to college. “It also matters how determined a parent’s desire is to commit to their child’s success to give them that extra boost,” says Jameille McMorris. However, success is not only pending upon what resources you have at your disposal. “Success is decided by what opportunities you make for yourself. It all comes down to how bad you want it,” said Yolanda Perry.

A resource that many colleges are now utilizing are alumni centers. These establishments are present to help students get back in touch with their alma mater if they have that desire. It also is a place where new career opportunities can be found if a graduate is having trouble finding their place in the workforce. Jameille McMorris said, “our alumni center at Towson University really helped me to get into the field that I was interested which involved use of my Communications B.A. and my love for children.” She now works at a daycare in Washington, D.C., which she says is the perfect fit for what she’s always wanted to do.The resources offered to students all across the world are growing each day. There are always some drawbacks such as whether financial aid applies to a specific person or not. However, there is such an array of these different resources that although a student may not be qualified to utilize a resource, there are so many others that can still help them in reaching their goals. Yolanda Perry stated that “there were many resources available when I was in high school, but we didn’t have everything that there is today. I did not go to college, and there were many others just like me.” She went on to discuss the different options that were offered to those not attending college at that time. “Many times, if you did not go to college, you were required to research your own field or career path and attend Trade School to maximize full potential,” said Yolanda. Trade school is not as popular now as it was back then because a lot more jobs require some sort of college degree or higher level of learning. This just goes to show that even though society is ever-changing, there will always be opportunities for people to succeed if they utilize and make the best of the resources around them

When asked about where the future of resources was heading, Amaris Carrington said, “I think they can only grow more and more as long as the school system provides enough opportunities to   help students succeed in whatever they decide to do.” “I expect nothing but more growth of current resources, maybe even new resources relating to experience building opportunities in your field such as more internship resources while still in school,” said Jameille McMorris. These are both positive enforcement of building further reaching resources to apply to more people so that more success is the result.