NHEG-Magazine-January-February

www.NewHeightsEducation.org
www.NewHeightsEducation.org
Stanford Dean:
8 Basic Skills
We’re Failing
to Teach Young
People
The culture of coddling and
protection we have built is
the culprit.
How
International
Students Add
Billions to the US
Economy
Billions upon billions of dollars
enter the economy through this
demographic in addition to the
thousands and thousands of
jobs they support.
By Annie Holmquist
Thursday, November 01, 2018
Last week, former Stanford dean Julie Lythcott-Haims made a list of eight skills every 18-year-old should possess. The list
ran as follows:
1.An 18-year-old must be able to talk to strangers.
2.An 18-year-old must be able to find his or her way around.
3.An 18-year-old must be able to manage his assignments, workload, and deadlines.
4.An 18-year-old must be able to contribute to the running of a house hold.
5.An 18-year-old must be able to handle interpersonal problems.
6.An 18-year-old must be able to cope with ups and downs.
7.An 18-year-old must be able to earn and manage money.
8.An 18-year-old must be able to take risks.
Straightforward and simple, right?
But according to Lythcott-Haims, the culture of coddling and protection we have built has made an 18-year-old with all of
these skills a rare occurrence. Parents’ reluctance to give children chores, let them out of their sight, or even fight their
own battles on the playground has, in essence, failed to teach basic responsibility to the next generation.
Author Dorothy Leigh Sayers sensed this same trend away from basic responsibility in her famous 1947 essay "The Lost
Tools of Learning." She noted:
When we think about the remarkably early age at which the young men went up to university in, let us say, Tudor times,
and thereafter were held fit to assume responsibility for the conduct of their own affairs, are we altogether comfortable
about that artificial prolongation of intellectual childhood and adolescence into the years of physical maturity which
is so marked in our own day? To postpone the acceptance of responsibility to a late date brings with it a number of
psychological complications which, while they may interest the psychiatrist, are scarcely beneficial either to the individual
or to society. [emphasis added]
One doesn’t have to look far to see that today’s children are certainly plagued by “psychological complications.” Is it possible
that simple training in responsibility is the pathway out of those problems?
By Grace Carter
Thursday, November 01, 2018
Across the United States, record numbers of international students are joining colleges and universities for their journey
through the system of higher education. A 2016 study by the Institute of International Students discovered that year saw
just over 1,000,000 international students enrolled in the US education system.
But how does this influx of foreign students affect the economy of the US, and what does such a massive demographic
have influence over?
Billions upon Billions of Dollars
For a clearer perspective, the total of these international students amounts just over 5 percent of the entire US student
population. This may seem relatively small and potentially even insignificant, but it would be a mistake to discount it. In
fact, billions upon billions of dollars enter the economy through this demographic in addition to the thousands and thousands
of jobs they support.
According to the National Association of Foreign Student Advisers (NAFSA), for every seven international students living
in the US, three jobs are supported due to their presence. This is hugely significant, especially when you consider that
the US international student population is actually rising slowly compared to other countries around the world that accept
large volumes of students.
As expected, the costs of tuition and accommodation were the biggest contributors to the economy. However, in addition
to these, the study also took into account the students’ expenditures on other life aspects such as retail spending,
phone contracts and bills, health insurance, and other daily activities including food and transportation.
In total, in 2016, international students were responsible for over $32 billion worth of contributions to the economy,
changing the lives of millions of people across the country. This contribution effect can be felt by people from all walks of
life, as the expenditures come in all shapes and sizes.
Enriching Local Communities
Jessie Bowers, an economics expert and lecturer, explains:
One of the most overlooked aspects of international students enrolling in the United States is one where the students
are contributing to their local communities. Small businesses and local retailers such as local cafés and shops all benefit
greatly from the rise of international students. Likewise, more niche businesses such as custom writing services, such as
Boom Essays and Essayroo, have boomed in recent years due to the increasing influx of students, increasing the income
wages of domestic households across the States.
Source: The Foundation for Economic Education (FEE)
80 NHEG Magazine | January - February 2019
https://fee.org/
Many people believe the US higher education system isn’t doing enough to support international student populations,
which will ultimately lead to a decline in enrollment rates.
Jack Sullivan, an educator from UKWritings, states:
Students across the States are still suffering from issues, such as language barriers, which has resulted in a complete lack
of support. Students looking to pass their courses without having to worry about writing essays in the wrong format etc,
flock to our services, leading to the recent boom in the industry over the last few years.
January - February 2019 | NHEG Magazine 81