10 THINGS THAT STUDENTS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT POST-SECONDARY

1. You are considered an adult
The relationship between students and their institution is an ‘adult’ one and includes complete confidentiality. Your parents cannot ask to see your transcript.

2. You are responsible for all decisions—no one else is to blame
If you miss a deadline or forget an assignment, it’s on you! ‘I didn’t know’ is not an acceptable excuse and you can’t blame your problems on your parents!

3. You should be going to post-secondary because “you want to”
You are not required to go on to post-secondary after high school. If you do, it should be because you want to, not because someone expects you to.

4. There’s plenty of help available—but, you have to ask
There are many valuable supports and services on campus, but they won’t come looking for you. If you need help—you need to go to them.

5. You can ‘withdraw’ from academic courses, but there’s a deadline
If you really don’t like a course you are taking, you can withdraw so long as you do it before the deadline—make sure you know when that is!

6. You can change courses or course sections, but there’s a deadline for that too
You can change a course for a different one, or change a course section if there’s one available, but there are also deadlines to do this.

7. You need to get involved in something—don’t be invisible
In your first year of university, don’t hide at the back of the class or in your dorm room. Get involved in something on campus—it’s a proven fact that students who get involved are more likely to succeed in post-secondary.

8. Never be afraid to say you don’t know or don’t understand
If you don’t know—just ask! If you don’t understand—ask for help. You will find that most staff are more than willing to lend a helping hand.

9. Most faculty/professors/instructors are willing to help
Some institutions actually require faculty to be available to students, but the reality is that most professors and instructors are more than happy to help interested and motivated students.

10. Never be afraid to ask questions—just ask the right people
Post-secondary institutions can be large and complex administrative structures and there’s no shortage of policies, rules and regulations. Never be afraid to ask about anything you aren’t sure of, and also make sure you are asking the right person. Sometimes the first question you ask should be, “who do I need to talk to, and where do I find them?”

REMEMBER: THE ONLY STUPID QUESTION… IS THE ONE YOU DIDN’T ASK

Check out Post Secondary BC for more information!

Once you have found a program, click here to see:

• • What percent of people were male and female
  • how many people are working after the program
  • see student satisfaction rate
  • Skill development
  • Median salary
  • and more!