By Michael Ormsby
500,000 People Will Pass the GED This Year.
You’re here because you want to be one of them. The one-of-a-kind best-selling GED Academy learning program can get you there, fast and easy.
The GED® credential is an enormous step for the 39 million American adults without a high school diploma. The most important step, though, comes after: college. Whether it’s a university or a trade school, post-secondary education greatly improves a GED recipient’s potential earnings and career choices. But does studying to get a GED diploma prepare you for college? How does someone who didn’t graduate high school acquire the skills to graduate college?
College can be pretty tough, especially for someone who has been out of school for a while. Passing the GED test, just by itself, doesn’t necessarily prepare you for college. On the other hand, passing the GED test is essential, just to get to college. Without a GED test credential or high school diploma, college just isn’t an option. So, the GED exam is a first step, and it definitely gets you closer to a college education.
The GED diploma is more than just a piece of paper on the way toward something else, though. In studying to get a GED diploma, it’s important to think of the GED test credential as a stepping stone to college and to a better life. GED students can learn important skills that will help them in college or in the workplace, and by learning these skills, instead of just focusing on the GED test itself, studiers can earn their GED diploma easier as well as prepare for what’s beyond.
To make the most of your GED preparation experience, you should work on:
- good study habits... things like making a study schedule and study space, and figuring out how best to spend your study time.
- learning to be responsible for your own learning, to own what you know and judge what you’ve learned and what you haven’t.
- thinking about how you learn best and learning study techniques.
- developing reading, writing, math, and thinking skills. Learning basic skills is the essence of studying for the GED exam because these are the skills that the GED exam measures. Realizing that they’re essential skills for college and the workplace puts them in a new perspective.
The GED
Academy focuses on teaching these skills in addition to
just knowledge that’s on the GED test, because
they’re skills you need. But it’s not just about
being “taught.” It’s about actively
learning.
No matter how much GED preparation you get, college can be a tough transition. That’s why the GED Academy recommends community or junior colleges as a transitional step between the GED diploma and 4-year colleges for most students. Community and junior colleges have a lot of support and extra classes for students who have been out of school for a while, and you can get your feet wet at the college level. Community colleges generally accept local residents who have a GED credential or high school diploma. Once you have community college grades, they will be what a 4-year transfer college looks at. However, if you wanted to go directly to a four-year college, you might need higher GED testing scores and have to meet other requirements, like SAT or ACT score requirements. The requirements are different at different colleges.
On the positive end, in a lot of ways, college isn’t like high school. Your teachers know you’re adults. And you and your classmates are there because you want to be. You’re working toward a career and a future that you envision for yourself. You’ve got more responsibility, and more control over your own curriculum. These factors can make college a very positive experience, once you make a commitment to succeed
Michael Ormsby is the president of the GED Academy and oversees software and curriculum for adult learners and people with educational challenges. For more information, visit passGED.com. Michael can be contacted by telephone at 800-460-8150.
