Have you ever walked into a new place and got overwhelmed seeing how drastically different things operate there? Students experience something similar when they enter college, right after school. Fortunately, most schools today are working toward preparing students for life after school from a young age so they don’t witness unpleasant experiences in the future.
At Excelsior American School, for example, we prioritize to make our students’ creative, independent, curious, confident, etc., through a mix of experiential learning activities. Being one of the top 10 schools in Gurgaon, this learning approach helps us ensure that all of our students excel academically and beyond, and are ready to face the new world ahead. If you’re wondering how schools help students prepare for their college life and beyond, the following points will solve all your doubts. So, let’s read on.
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Transforming Kids into Independent Learners
If you analyze how teachers give instructions to students of different class groups, you’ll understand how they’re strategically preparing students. Young students often receive step-by-step instructions for even the simplest tasks/activities. Such detailed guidance starts reducing as students grow and enter a higher standard. While some may mistake this shortened or vague guidance as a teacher’s oversight, it is a deliberate act to transform kids into independent learners.
At Excelsior American School, we believe every educational institution fosters independent learning skills through carefully planned progression. Detailed instructions are great for early years, but they should be replaced with open-ended assignments requiring self-directed research in higher secondary years. Such processes carefully eliminate external reliance on learning.
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Sharpening Professional Communication Skills
Students must understand that the way they approach their teachers in school won’t work in colleges and beyond. When in school, students can simply raise their hands between lectures and ask questions to clarify doubts. Some even reach out to their teachers right after the class ends to get answers to their questions. However, the same communication approach won’t work in colleges and professional environments.
As students grow and progress, they will need professional communication skills to converse with their peers, mentors, etc. Studying in the right school will help them learn proper techniques to frame their questions, carry show-and-tell research presentations, converse confidently, and participate efficiently in group projects and several activities. All these skills will prepare students for college seminars, professor interactions, and future workplace communications.
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Teaching Real Research and Analysis
Teachers in schools are expected to guide students throughout their research and learning journey. Whether finding relevant information sources, understanding a concept better, or evaluating a presented problem from multiple angles, a school teacher always supports their students’ learning experiences. However, students may or may not receive such support and guidance in colleges. Hence, teachers at Excelsior American School systematically foster independent research and analysis skills in students so they can become self-sufficient learners.
We teach numerous research and analysis methods, such as distinguishing between reliable and unreliable sources, evaluating academic versus popular sources, comparing conflicting viewpoints, ethical research practices, and more, to lay a strong research foundation in students. This will help them conduct independent project research in college and workplaces while sharpening their ability to present their viewpoints confidently and concisely.
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Building Social-Emotional Skills for Post-High School Success
Schools don’t just prepare students academically. They actively shape every student’s social and emotional skills, so they grow holistically and are ready to thrive in any environment. At our school, we create structured opportunities for student’s emotional intelligence development. For instance, whenever a group project faces challenges, teachers don’t instantly step in for resolution. Instead, they guide students on how to overcome challenges independently.
Similarly, schools provide numerous opportunities for honing students’ leadership abilities, resilience, cultural competence, etc. While there are numerous effective ways to foster these skills, we at Excelsior American School use cultural exchange programs, debate competitions, community service projects, diverse group assignments, public speaking opportunities, and more. The skills students learn in the process enhance their competence stack, making them ready to thrive in competitive environments.
Conclusion
Every learning experience is designed to help kids learn and grow in an age-appropriate way. While some mistake schools as the hub of academic learning, they are more than that. Today’s schools focus on the holistic development of every student, so they’re ready to face the real world, right after school. From sharpening their communication skills to fine-tuning their independent learning abilities—there’s a lot schools do for student’s betterment. Now that you understand the purpose behind school activities, you can contribute more meaningfully to the entire process.
At Excelsior American School, ranked among the top 10 schools in Gurgaon, we firmly believe that students who thrive in colleges and professional work environments aren’t the ones who memorize facts in school. Instead, they’re the ones who have mastered the fundamental skills of independent learning, ethical research, professional communication, etc. This is exactly what we teach to our students. If you want your kids to enter their college life with all the relevant skills, ensure you enroll them in the right school.
