Developmental classes help struggling students

SCC should require students to abide by their placement tests when selecting classes.

An education requires a sturdy foundation. Otherwise problems found later will crumble the rest of the structure.

Developmental classes allow students to fill in the cracks at a community college level where teachers, tutoring centers, and individualized attention is available.

The placement test can be taken more than once, but if after a couple tries you find that you still test into a developmental level, then it is obvious the class that will learn best in is a developmental one. The developmental classes are designed to prepare you for the basic college level class.

If that means taking English 091 before taking English 101, then do it.

There are downsides to this requirement, like the cost; taking developmental classes could possibly cost some extra money.

In retrospect, it is going to cost the same, if not more, to retake the basic college course trying to replace a reappearing “F.”

I am terrible at math; I had a hard time in high school math and I’m having a hard time in college math.

When I took the placement test, I landed myself in Math 122.

I could have tortured myself and studied until I passed the placement test; or I could suck it up and take Math 122.

I settled on middle territory by challenging myself with an eight-week accelerated course. 

This class helped me so much and my teacher was so helpful. It reviewed topics I already knew and reinforced them in a way that I could understand.

Walking into a class that covered material I recognized gave me the confidence I needed to layer on new concepts.

I passed the class.

I’m the type of person who would rather challenge myself without positive failure.

I’m not afraid of failure, but when tuition costs are involved I want to make smart decisions.

Yes, it might cost you an extra couple hundred dollars and 16 weeks of your life to set a solid foundation, but either way you are investing in your education.

Why not make it through? This way, when students like myself enroll in Math 142 (which I am currently enrolled) there will be familiar material and that sense of confidence and desire to learn will reappear.

Thanks to my developmental math class, I feel ready for the challenge of Math 142.