According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, 19.1 million students were unenrolled in U.S. colleges this past fall. Of those, 16 million are enrolled in undergraduate programs, and among those, 8.8 million in bachelor degree programs. As many listeners know, teachers are required to have a bachelor’s degree and pass certifying exams to become licensed in the United States, although the exact requirements change from state to state. The requirements to become a teacher may vary based upon which grade level you want to teach within, the subject matter specialization you seek (history vs. mathematics), and the type of population of students you want to work with (exceptional education, or specializations around specific learning challenges).

In this episode, we speak with two Educators Rising National Ambassadors about their lives since they left high school. Kaylea Patterson is a second-year student at the University of Delaware and Calvin Plante is a first-year student at American University (Washington, D.C.). Prior to starting college, both students became involved in Educators Rising.

Dr. John Hendron leads the interview, prepared for our Educators Rising student members, to gain perspective about what college life is like for those considering a higher education pathway post graduation.

For this episode, certain terms are mentioned that may be unfamiliar to all listeners.

1. TA (Teaching Assistant) – A TA is a student, usually in college or graduate school, who helps a professor by leading discussions, answering student questions, and sometimes grading assignments. They act as a helper in the class.
2. Major – A major is the main subject a college student studies. It’s their primary focus, and they take many classes related to it. For example, if someone majors in biology, they take lots of science classes.
3. Minor – A minor is a secondary subject a student studies in college. It’s not as many classes as a major, but it’s still an important area of learning. For example, someone might major in history and minor in psychology.
4. Double Major – A double major means a student studies two main subjects in college instead of just one. They take a lot of classes in both subjects and earn a degree that includes both majors.
5. Eisenhower Matrix – This is a tool to help people decide what tasks to do first. It sorts tasks into four categories. It helps with time management and productivity.
• Urgent & Important (Do these now!)
• Important but Not Urgent (Plan to do these later)
• Urgent but Not Important (Maybe let someone else do these)
• Not Urgent & Not Important (Probably don’t need to do these)
6. Office Hours – Office hours are times when college professors or TAs are available to meet with students. Students can ask questions, get extra help, or talk about assignments. It’s like a built-in study help time.

Students listening to this episode should be able to discuss:

- What are potential benefits for attending school close to home? Far from home?
- What advice to the guests provide about taking classes?
- What are some of the ways you can budget your time?
- What is a way you can help keep yourself accountable for getting work done?
- What have these students done to stay connected with the Educators Rising community in their colleges?
- How can students become better known by their professors and get help, if needed?