Tuition fees will not make us fall to our knees!!!!!
WE NEED TO MAKE PERSONAL GOALS TO GET THE BEST EDUCATION WE CAN. I think reducing tuition fees is worth fighting for. But I also think providing education on possible ways a students can NOT be a struggling student can help them to be prepared and survive costly tuition fees. I believe this is another way to fight the tuition fees and decrease student debts.
Surprisingly, there are many resources available to help in this cause, for example, The Debt Free Graduate (Baker, 2003), and how to pay off student loans on websites like(http://www.statcan.ca/english/kits/social/stude1.htm), and etc. Just Google it, but remember be careful with what you find on the net.
My own expertise on what a student should to decrease being a struggling post secondary student has limits but I hope it's helpful. Here is what I wish I knew back in High school and throughout my post secondary education....
While in high school, think about your future.
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Take advantage of all the resources there are
in career planning. (i.e. that course personal planning)
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Unless your parents or someone close to you has savings for your
education you might not think about your post secondary education until the summer before. Try to think ahead and put a small amount aside yourself.
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Remember, try and take those courses in high school that you will need to get into Post secondary school and courses you want. Work hard.
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Now, in post secondary school, your first year is going to be rough. Do not give up that easy, remember that saying "try, try again". No matter how long it takes you post secondary education is extremely benefitial. Unfortunately there is the question of the money for those expensive tuition fees.
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Now to the money part. Trust me working your butt off for the first two years and having no life was no laughing matter to me. I would instead advise people to find alternative ways to provide for their tuition (my alternate way was to ask my parents, which does not always work for people).
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BALANCE YOUR LIFESTYLE. It's crucial to have all aspects covered: psychologically, socially, spiritually, and physically. It took me two years to get this right.
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This is where my expertise ends, unfortunately.
The wisdom of Murray Baker (2003) on how to be a debt free graduate is a vital resource that I wish I had when I started my University education. I will provide a little book review. There is everything from starting savings during high school, how to find a good job that pays, where to invest, and what resources are available to students. It is a very in depth book that even gets into how to pay less tax, how to eat, and even tactics on how to pay off debt.
I want to recognize the Canadian Federation of Students who have chapters all over Canada, and who have done a lot of fighting to reduce tuition fees. (Here is the website for the British Columbian chapter, http://www.cfs.bc.ca/). They have created a wonderful coalition effort which any student can be a part of. I feel that a lot can be done by having a federation of students coalition, we should join them.

Baker, M.(2003). The debt free graduate: how to survive college or
university without going broke. Vancouver, BC. Money Smart
Publishing. |