Some students that are assigned to college preparatory courses feel that they should be able to decide for themselves what to do with the test scores they received on their placement tests.
“I think it should be up to the students to decide, when it comes to remedial or college-level classes, because the students are paying for the classes. Students’ have a week or so of lenience to drop if they feel uncomfortable in the class,” said Kelly Conine, a Tyler Junior College sophomore.
College preparatory classes are classes that teach students the basics of a certain area of study to better prepare them for that particular college-level course.
Students pay for the college prep courses that they are taking and do not receive college credit for those courses. College preparatory mathematics offers four different levels such as: 0300, 0301, 0302, and 0303, therefore some students might have to take more than one semester of college prep. There are also courses in reading and writing. If students have to take more than one course, they have to take a study skills class also.
“I am not very good at math, so it was nice to have remedial; although, I am a fast learner so I might have done just as well in college-level,” Conine said.
There are other options for students when it comes to being placed into college prep courses. Students can re-take the placement test and test out of that particular college prep course.
“I like that remedial courses are required. I think of it as a refresher course,” Jennifer Wilson, instructor of college preparatory mathematics, said.
According to Wilson, students will be saving their money, and in the long run, saving the frustration of having to repeat a course over again.
“Students that are exempt from having to take college-prep courses have struggled in college algebra. They decided to go back to take the college-prep courses have struggled in college algebra. They decided to go back to take the remedial course for a refresher course, and said they wished they started there from the beginning,” Wilson said.
Some students actually do decide for themselves to follow through and take the remedial course instead of trying to test out. They feel that they would be more comfortable with a remedial course before college-level.
“I was four points away from not having to take the remedial course, but I knew I had been out of school awhile. So I decided to go with the remedial class. I ended up making a 102 in the class, I do not regret taking remedial, I needed a refresher course,” Victoria Jenkins, a TJC sophomore, said.
Students can always see counselors if they need information on college prep courses.
