College Remedial Courses
Aiming towards and staying on target is key as it relates to Higher Education Degree attainment. Some prospective, returning and continuing education (Graduate School) students encounter minor challenges that appear major and difficult but in the end will serve as a major blessing and benefit for them.
One of the minor challenges that students encounter includes the decision and requirement to take Remedial college courses before they can advance to regular college courses. Many of my students are down when they enroll in the developmental/remedial courses I've taught and I along with their academic counselors explain to them the importance of developmental/remedial courses and how those courses don't define one's academic intelligence.
So the purpose of this blog post is to encourage as well as explain the role Remedial courses play within a Higher Education degree curriculum. Here are a few frequently asked questions from my Higher Education students and clients.
What is a Remedial Course?
Remedial Courses are developed for students, who based off their academic transcript and or their ACT or SAT score results didn't meet the College standard for "college readiness". Remedial courses are developed to assist prospective, returning and continuing education students in assistance so that when one passes a developmental or remedial course they are able to academic perform in a college level course.
Are remedial courses just for Undergraduate students?
No. Remedial/Developmental courses are offered at the Graduate school level also. When a graduate school/professional school candidate doesn't perform well on the GRE, GMAT, LSAT or MCAT in some cases if the student does not have to take the entire test again, the Graduate school dean, department chair or graduate advisor will offer the option to take a remedial course in the area of the test within the curriculum that is of concern to see if one is ready for graduate school course loads. In some cases students take the remedial course instead of re-taking the GRE and can excel within their graduate school curriculum on target for graduation.
What is the purpose of Remedial Courses in College?
Remedial courses serve the purpose of helping students to get "college ready" so they can get on TARGET towards Higher Education Degree Attainment. Instead of kicking students to the curb and telling them to retake the standardized tests several times or not allowing them acceptance into the University, students have the option to enroll and begin the educational track towards degree success.
Should I take a remedial course?
If your academic dean, advisor, counselor or department chair have advised you to take a Remedial Course, in most cases Yes you should take the course. If you feel that you don't need to take the course based off of your scores and or academic transcript and experience share that with academic advisors to view your options.
Will taking this Remedial Course set me back?
No. Taking a Remedial Course will not set you back from earning your degree. Remember you are in the door now! The college could have rejected you but they gave you an opportunity to work hard and prove yourself that you are ready for their academic program. What will set one back is if they become lackadaisical and get into a routine of not caring about school or accepting the challenge to excel and press forward.
I feel so dumb, I feel like a loser all my friends are in regular classes?
Just because you are in a developmental course/remedial course does not make you a dummy or less capable of academic excellence than anyone else. I know several people who were in developmental/remedial courses who've excelled and earned not only their Undergraduate degree but also earned their Graduate school degrees as well. Some of the very people who thought that a developmental/remedial course would set them back were academically accelerated due to the skills and discipline they learned in the remedial courses. You are not defined by a course.
Why should I aim to excel in this remedial course, I know the material already?
For anyone enrolled in any developmental/remedial course do your best and you will excel. That course is assisting you and getting you ready of what to expect after that semester or year of remedial studies. Even if you feel as if you know the material already do your best and seek the best of a challenging or boring situation. There is always something to be learned, and maybe you can in the future encourage someone the importance of doing well in everything no matter if it is a remedial/developmental course.
Continue Aiming Towards the Target
Peace & God Bless,
Dr. Bryant
