Cyberspace Publishing wrote:
>In a recent poll (for what they're worth), only 3.5%
> of graduating HS students were planning on computer studies upon
> entering college. Most HS students I've run into are only interested in
> learning the latest game or chatting on the Internet. They could care
> less about learning how to use the computer as a "tool"!
Should clarify the 'poll'. That poll was the form they fill out when
they take the ACT admissions test. Still a link to it on CNN home
page. Should be noted:
1. The info is optional, and there are over 200 questions in total
(after you've completed the registration itself).
2. There are over 200 questions (by the time they get there they are
often filling in boxes)
3. Some of the options only allow them one answer from lists of 20 or
more career fields.
4. The type of person likely to be a CS major is more likely to figure
out you can skip the last 200 questions of the survey and be done with
it . . ;)
5. The test is widely used, but certain key schools, like MIT, use the
SAT . . . and the ACT also has a lot of small schools and JCs in the
pool that don't even offer CS as a realistic option.
Etc.
If you'd like a sample of the survey, visit the website at www.act.org
and follow links to registration. Go ahead and start the process--as
long as you don't fill in credit card the file will die in 72 hours.
(Go ahead and send them an email commenting on the program design, too
*grin* I'm sure they'll appreciate that.)
Anyway, the point being, asking an 18 year old if they're going to major
in CS and doing it that way isn't much of an indicator. In addition, I
know as many HS students with computer skills skipping college to fill
jobs as I do going to college . . . no opinion on whether that's good or
bad as a whole (really a personal thing), but can understand why someone
who wants to be a CS person and has the skills at graduation would take
the $70K out of high school and blow off college for a few years . . . .
I agree, though, that there are a lot of students interested only in
playing games . . . but that's more the school's fault -- when the
teacher can't do anything but install the game, and makes no required or
engaging way to get them to use the system as a tool, they're going to
play a lot of games . . . .
They should do for them like they did for us when I was a sophomore in
high school. Electronics teacher walked in one day with a box that said
"Heathkit Z-80" on it. Looked at us and said "Here's a computer.
Instructions are inside. Put it together and see what you can make it
do."
then he learned with us . . .
B
____________________________________________________________________
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Join The Web Consultants Association : Register on our web site Now
Web Consultants Web Site : http://just4u.com/webconsultants
If you lose the instructions All subscription/unsubscribing can be done
directly from our website for all our lists.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
