Being "Ready" vs Being "Prepared" for Post-Secondary
Being “Ready” and being “Prepared” for post-secondary school are very different
When former students say that High School did not prepare them for University I find a situation where teachers are blaming the student’s work ethic and the students blaming the teacher for not challenging them enough. The problem is that we constantly talk about being prepared for the next level and that “next level” looks different to every student in high school.
Being Ready
Being ready for post-secondary means many things.
Are you able to live on your own?
Do you use your technology to increase your success or decrease it?
Are able to organize your time?
Are you able to advocate for yourself?
Are you able to set goals?
Are you able to make good choices in terms of what is best for you?
Many of these things are indirectly occurring during your schooling. They are talked about, but not the main part of your classes. In order to be ready you must make the decision to be ready. The “being ready” part is done through developing a strong work ethic and the motivation that will allow you to succeed in your chosen pathway.
Being Prepared
When you get a lower than expected mark will you complain about it or will you review the material and re-attempt to master it?
Are you overly concerned with the percentage after every assignment, or do you focus on learning before and during the assignment?
Do you have methods to assess yourself when you are studying in order to see what you need to work on?
Do you accept feedback and use it to guide your next step?
Do you understand that practice is important if you plan on performing well?
Can you ask questions?
Are you ready to try again? And again? And again?
Overall “being prepared” means that you are able and willing to learn. It is not about the content that you were taught, but more about if you can accept the challenges ahead of you. Did your high-school experience give you opportunities to try new things and accept that you will not necessarily do well the first time? Are you ready to let your high school prepare you for post-secondary?
