In Venezuela, being a university student in the late 80's and early 90's had an advantage that is no longer enjoyed today: accessibility to higher education.
My family has always worked to support itself in an honest way, being a son abandoned by his father, I was raised by my mother, my aunts and my grandmother, they gave everything possible for me to be educated in the best way.
After a difficult childhood at school, when I was old enough to decide what I wanted to study (it was 1985 and I was 17 years old), I decided to enroll in the nautical school of my country, which opened me the possibility in the near future to travel the world, learn new cultures and become independent at a very young age.
I passed my physical, psychological and knowledge exams very easily, but unfortunately I could not enter because I could not graduate from high school on time because I failed in the exams of physics and chemistry, which I managed to pass in January 1986.
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At that time, public universities were very affordable and could accommodate a larger number of students, which allowed more young people to access university education, but there was a problem as enrollment for that year had passed. Also, there were many options of private universities, so my relatives made a collection to enroll me in one.
My family supported me for two semesters in a row, then I started working to pay for my studies and help support the household. I earned a very small salary, but by saving I was able to save my tuition to pay for the semester.
It was great to meet people with varied interests and others that matched my own, but it wasn't all good; at that time we didn't have technology and digital resources available for learning.
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Students in the 1980s and early 1990s relied mainly on printed books, physical libraries and photocopies to access the necessary academic material, which limited our ability to research and study, and in many cases the reference books were missing pages, which were torn out by irresponsible students who did not want to copy or transcribe the information. In contrast, today's students have a wide range of digital resources, such as virtual libraries, online databases, educational platforms and technological tools that facilitate their learning and allow them to access up-to-date information quickly and easily.
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Nowadays, and in post pandemic times, the entrance to universities has become a little difficult, and generally it is done on line, there are very few educational activities where the student attends in person and the interaction between teachers and students only exists through electronic media, the visual contact has been lost and also the ability to socialize among students.
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In my time I found many friends through socialization in classes, and I still keep them.
At present, governmental and educational authorities should promote policies that guarantee accessibility to higher education for all young people, regardless of their socioeconomic status, leaving aside the political and propagandistic factors of the government, since universities should collect and transmit universal thoughts and knowledge, not of a small group, then young people should be the ones who decide which current to follow.
It is also necessary to invest in educational technology and in the training of teachers so that they can effectively integrate digital tools in their teaching methodologies. It is fair and necessary to encourage teachers and professors to improve the quality of university education in Venezuela and ensure that students can take full advantage of the resources available for their academic and professional training.
I believe that it is time to regularize the attendance to face-to-face classes of university students and that online education continues as a complement when its use is warranted.
This is my second participation in the week, being the topic to develop:
Schooling Back Then: Tell us one thing that was good about being a student back in the day that is no longer so currently. And then, tell us one thing that was bad about being a student back in the day but students now enjoy it currently. What can you suggest be done about this disparities?
Thanks for stopping by, I look forward to reading your comments, best regards to all!