Students Face Prerequisite Frustration

Julianna Vartuli | Writer

If you are feeling frustrated at the prerequisite requirements at LCCC, you are not alone; other students feel the same way. Believe it or not, there is a reason for these sometimes-stressful prerequisites.

Prerequisites are required classes that you must pass in order to progress further in education. This can be challenging because not all prerequisites are in direct correlation with what a student might want to do. It is simply a building block. However, this can hinder students from progressing and or pursuing a certain career in their field of study.

Many students feel discouraged by prerequisites, because they may not be good at a certain subject. Even if you do not excel at a certain subject, you must take that prerequisite in order to move on.

Mariah Lehr, a Business Administration major, shares her frustration.

“I am interested in business, but I struggle with understanding literature,” said Lehr.

James Aryton, Associate Dean of Curriculum, Assessment, and Articulation at LCCC, shares insight on why we have prerequisites.

“The importance of all of these requirements is to ensure the quality of a graduate from the program. This expectation benefits everybody involved,” said Aryton. “The employer or transfer institution can hire/enroll a graduate from the program and know that the new employee/student has the skills needed to do the job. The school maintains the reputation of putting out quality students and more students from those programs will be offered jobs or transfer opportunities.”

Prerequisites aren't set in place to make things more difficult for students, in fact it's quite the opposite. These courses are here to ensure success for both the student and future employer.