The U.S. News and World Report – Briana Boyington
“Taking remedial courses can feel like a waste of money and time for any student who is interested in the cheapest and fastest path to a degree. But students who don’t do well on placement exams may be required to take remedial classes before they can take a for-credit class in English or math. Community college students are more likely to take remedial courses than their four-year counterparts. One estimate suggests that more than two-thirds of community college students take at least one remedial course, compared with 40 percent of four-year college students. Remedial classes are courses that are designed to help students learn developmental skills in math, writing and reading so they’re prepared for college-level course work. Students have to pay tuition for the classes, which don’t count for credit and can delay graduation, particularly if the student has to take more than one. Realistically, students who don’t have basic skills in math, writing or reading might not be able to avoid taking remedial classes entirely. But prospective community college students can take the following steps to reduce the likelihood of needing a remedial math class.”(more)