How can students ask what they’re afraid to ask about post secondary education?

The following notes were prepared by a volunteer recording the session group’s conversation:

C2 Session Notes

How can students ask what they’re afraid to ask about post secondary?

-Getting the information sooner and not waiting till they get to grade 12

– Preadmission piece

-Afraid of debt and not wanting to pay off OSAP

-Providing information doesn’t quite do it

-The students only see the down side to OSAP not the OSAP

-The students who want to take a year off to save money and they are also saving it for school and saving it for helping their family.

-People with ethnic backgrounds are scared to ask about post secondary education and feel reluctant.

-“As the world changes education changes.”

– We should encourage people to ask and not be afraid because they come from some other place or are just plain afraid.

-People are scared to ask because they are scared to voice their own opinions and be wrong about what they are asking.

-They want a set of cultures in the college so they can feel like they are part of a family taking care of the students.

-Smaller groups making it easier for students to get involved in.

-If we train a certain amount of students and then get those students to teach their peers.

-Peer mentors, shyness factor, fear factor, lack of confidence, environment “family” sensitivity training for staff.

-De-mystifying OSAP

-OCAS application process assistance

-Pre-admission advisement- grade 7-11 outreach

-Pilot projects where the College could come down and inform the public

-Take the students into the institution to attend a class to see what is like.

-Peer mentors to help students get used to the college.

Summary

Many young people are fearful of asking about information.
It could be due to shyness or lack of confidence.
We talked about how students can get information from peers or peer mentors.
Make the college a family centered environment or how to connect to teachers and peers.
Students who fear about OSAP can get information and focus on OSAP and how it works.
Talked about OCAS and the process for  students that come from high school.
Get an outreach program and try to reach the students at a young age – from grade 7 to grade 11.
Have teachers obtain proper training to connect with the students on a personal level such as getting the teachers to have sensitivity training.