What happens in college and what you’ll be doing in your career aren’t the same, but they aren’t as different as many of you seem to think.

Source: www.facultyfocus.com

How do we help students understand that what we are doing at the university is all about preparing them to be successful in their career?  Recently we heard from a graduate who was giving feedback on how their time at the university prepared them for their current job. There were a couple of comments this graduate made that struck a chord with me.  “Think of groups as ‘a way to prepare for groups in the real world’ instead of ‘group projects’ made me stop and think. So often we have assignments and activities in our courses because we know that they will help get students ready for their careers. We think students know why we are doing these things but in reality they may simply see it as busy work in order to get a grade.  Take time to explain why you chose to have the students complete the tasks that you do and how it can benefit them when they start their career.  This can go a long way to students being more receptive and hopefully they will give more effort.