In recent years, Pierce has begun pouring money into advertising and marketing geared toward new student enrollment. The school has been looking to attract students in a post covid era of education, but what have they done to prepare those students for the transition?
Many students come to Pierce as high school graduates looking to complete credits and apply for transfer. These teenagers have attended high school during and after a pandemic and many lack the know-how to navigate college life and curriculum.
Pierce counselors make themselves available, but the demand for new student counseling can make it difficult for a student to see someone in a timely fashion. This could also mean that they jeopardize their academic affairs because they were not properly equipped to manage them themselves.
Instead of having to seek the support or advice of a counselor every time a new student has a minor dilemma, Pierce ASO could offer peer-to-peer counseling from second-year students to newcomers who have the experience to help navigate them through new student life and responsibilities.
ASO could utilize an office hours system where they have experienced students available for several hours throughout the week and new students can come in without an appointment. New students wouldn’t have to wait for a counselor appointment to answer simple questions and can also get advice from seasoned students on things like workload, majors, certain courses, and extracurriculars.
This does not eliminate the need for actual faculty councilors, but instead lessens the load and doesn’t fill up the time of councilors for trivial questions that could easily be answered by a student who has completed a year or two of a college education.
The benefits of peer counseling also extend to the social and emotional well-being of new students. Teenagers who experienced most of their high school career in a pandemic may feel isolated and unsure of themselves. The support of a peer who has had similar experiences could reassure a new student of their capabilities and creates a social safety net in place that doesn’t require an appointment to utilize.
In addition to making peer-to-peer counseling available and known on campus, ASO could host events for new students to meet, mingle, and field each other’s questions. All of these tools help create a stronger sense of community and belonging which is essential to any college experience.
It’s time Pierce starts using the knowledge of its students to help create a better social and learning environment for everyone.
