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Please explain "underschooling" to me


Elisabet1
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I teach at a community college, and I've heard the term "underschooled" referring to students who did the bare minimum in high school and who are now trying to go to college. Their reading and math skills are significantly behind to the point that several levels of remedial classes are required in both of those subjects before beginning college work.

 

Remedial classes are pretty common for new students.  Several years ago over 2/3 of the graduates of local high schools had to take at least one.  When a student is "underschooled"  they are looking at probably a year or more of remedial work.  Frankly only a bare handful of those students make it.

 

 

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I've seen the terms over reach and under reach applied to student college matches.

 

In over reach the student is accepted to and attends a school for which they are not academically prepared. Instead of being a golden opportunity it becomes an anchor because they fall behind and don't manage to catch back up. In many cases they don't have family baking them with experience in college or that level of college. They don't take advantage of tutoring or counseling (out of shame or lack of familiarity with the resources. ) In the worst case scenario they drop out with high college debt and no degree where they could have thrived at a somewhat less rigorous college.

 

In under reach a student with great scores and work ethic ends up at a college that doesn't challenge them enough. Could be the result of finances or family concerns (not wanting to go far from home) or lack of guidance encouraging them that they could in fact do well at harder schools.

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I have heard the term describing a student attending a school that is far below his abilities and thus preventing the student from adequate challenged and reaching his potential

This is what I think of for this term.

 

I like that "overreach/underreach" description, too.

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