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Show FEATURE 11 student Ben Stover from Pennsylvania takes time out of his Friday afternoon on the climbing wail at Bassis on August 26. Stover said he decided to come to Westminster so he could learn how to live on his own. First-yea- r Welcome to Westminster, Generation Z CRAIG KNIGHT STAFF REPORTER Every generation has its stereotypes: Baby Boomers are thought to be set in their ways and dont know how to use current technology. Generation X, the middle child generation according to Paul Taylor with Pew Research Center, are seen as apathetic and cynical. Millennials are unmotivated, praise hungry and phone obsessed, according to Samantha Kuchinski with The Odyssey. Generation Z also has its defining fea- tures. In the fall of 2016, Westminster College welcomed the class of 2020, many belong to Generation Z. Those whore born from 1996 and later are from Generation Z, according to The Center of Generational Kinetics According to the Westminster College Admission Office, students from the class of 2020 represent 33 states and eight countries around the world. There is a rule in my house that I cant go to school in state or in the surrounding states, said Ben Stover, a first year student from Pennsylvania. So I had to expand and Westminster looked pretty cool. Stover, a member of generation Z, said he decided to come to Westminster because of the learning environment and a desire to be independent. The professors here really want me to learn, said Stover. They want to help me and will take the time to help me understand the material. This isnt uncommon for members of the Generation Z. Barnes 8c Noble College, an independent public company of Barnes 8c Noble, did a survey of over 1,300 students in middle school to high school. The goal was to understand the generations ...attitudes, preferences and expectations regarding their educational and learning experience. Further research from Barnes 8c Noble college shows that members of Generation Z value ...face-to-fainteraction and colce laboration..." when it comes to their learning experience in any form of education. For me, its the class sizes, said first year student Amber Lamborn. I learn better in smaller groups. To hear that the class sizes are smaller you have a more intimate relationship with the professor was interesting. The study found that 51 percent of the members in Gen Z learn best through examples and that 38 percent to 12 percent learn by either seeing the course material of through a traditional classroom lecture. Gen Z wants engaging, interactive learning experiences, according to research from Barnes 8c Noble College.They want to be challenged, they want to be empowered to make their own decisions, and... play an instrumental role in their educational experience. In the study, 89 percent of the students rated college as being valuable to prepare them for their career. Everyone always talks about the imfirst portance of college, said year student Aria Cederlof. A majority of everyone that Ive talked have mentioned going to college or if they arent starting it immediately they have plans for it in the future. Generation Z has always lived in a virtual and physical reality, Corey Seemiller and Meghan Grace explained From the book, Generation Z goes to college. ...Generation Z will have a strong work ethic similar to Baby Boomers and the responsibility and resiliency of their Generation X parents. Westminster College will use the power of learning and mentoring relationships to create a transformational and accessible student experience, enabling more vibrant, just, and successful lives for our graduates., According to Westminster Colleges strategic plan written in 2014. Westminster College is two years into their strategic plans and within the last two years Generation Z has taken over as the predominant generation on campus. To capitalize on Gen Zs ability to self education and content, tradition co-auth- co-cre- ate al learning material could be supplemented and enhanced with digital opportunities," according to research from Barnes 8c Noble College. Because of their (Generation Z) ability te and process large to discover, amount of information quickly, incoming students are smarter than ever before, which makes now the perfect time for the education industry to embrace and implement the next level of innovation. according to self-educa- research from Barnes 8c Noble College. With 449 new First Year students coming to Westminster College in the fall, the research shown from Barnes 8c Noble College provides information on what schools can do to help incoming students to be ready for their time in college, and life. I want to graduate, but I want to learn how to live on my own, said Stover. Being able to do things my way is one of my big- gest goals this semester. With every generation having its own stereotypes, Generation Z will be bringing a new set of values to Westminster College. My generation has a lot of stereotypes, said Stover. Were lazy, we look at our phones too much and were always connected to our devices. Were efficient. We like to have things work quickly, fast and I dont see post-graduati- a problem with that. on |