Are Remedial Courses in Your Future?

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When Mike graduated from high school, he thought that he was ready to handle the courses he planned to enroll in at the local community college. As usual, the school required him to take placement tests. "No problem," he thought. When he received his results, however, he was shocked. The scores showed that Mike needed to take refresher, or remedial, noncredit courses.

Placement tests serve an important purpose. According to Patrick O'Connor, a college-counseling consultant in Michigan, placement tests "determine the best place for students to begin in English and math classes so that they achieve academic success in college." As many as 40 percent of students will take at least one remedial class during their college years.

Why are some high school graduates unprepared for college-level work after meeting graduation requirements? O'Conner explains that "college classes are different from high school classes in two important ways: the amount of material that's covered and the pace of the class." Dodge Johnson, an independent counselor in Pennsylvania, adds that if students graduate from high school without a firm grasp of the basic skills that "colleges expect them to know, they have to make that up... by completing developmental work in college."

The need to take remedial courses in college is not unusual. Some national studies state that as many as 40 percent of students will take at least one remedial class during their college years. If you plan ahead, however, you can avoid being unprepared for college-level work. Here are some steps you can take to ensure you're ready for college courses:

Be aware that simply meeting graduation requirements might not be enough to prepare you for the rigors of college. Going beyond the minimum will increase your chances of performing successfully at the college level.
Take as many classes in the core subjects (English, math, writing, and science) as you can.
Seek out help if you need it. For example, get tutoring or counseling if necessary.
Critically evaluate anything that could affect your studies: sports, after-school activities, hobbies, social events, and part-time jobs. If extracurricular activities are interfering with your academic performance, cut down on your participation in them or put them aside for the time being.
Deal with shortcomings as soon as possible. Any problems you are having with basic skills in reading, writing, or math will only get worse with the complexity and fast pace of college-level work.
Don't slack off during your senior year. Take challenging courses and continue to study in earnest.
Take advantage of any free college-preparatory course work that your high school offers. This includes AP® and honors classes, as well as instruction in such skills as note taking, studying, and conducting research. In the long run, you'll be doing yourself a great favor, both academically and financially.