University – Xhimbapoku

History of Activism among University Students

University Students have a long history of being involved in activism because the first case of student activism can be traced back to 1766 when students at Harvard University protested against the rising costs of living in what is referred known as Butter Rebellion. For students, protest has often been a means of expressing anger or concerns over certain policies or actions either by the government or the university administrations. The contemporary university student is more empowered in the sense that they have various platforms that they can use to voice their concerns and call for change. For example, they can use the social media to not only mobilize but to express their frustrations. Additionally, students today have privileges and rights that their peers did not have, and this is one of the reasons why a student can freely speak against issues such as fee increment.

Certainly, some of the issues that triggered protests in universities in the past are the same issues that continue to cause protests, and this reflects the human nature to respond against certain decisions that make them uncomfortable or against decisions which they feel are oppressive. Students continue to seek to assert their views, calling for revamp of how colleges and universities are managed. However, there are certain instances in which students’ protests have been driven by the need to tackle serious national issues like racism. During the 1960s, for example, segregation in public schools was prevalent, and majority of the schools in the U.S. only admitted white males. This means that universities served as conduit for helping drive the government’s agenda of secluding certain Americans from essential services. When the Civil Rights movements started, thousands of university students joined in the protest. From pushing for policies at national level, to calling for the abolition of the discriminatory policies in universities, students made a significant impact on social reform in the country.

Recently, the emergence of the Black Lives Matter including the recent protests associated with the movement has roots in higher learning institutions. Students have actively participated in these movements, and they have used their voice to speak against what they feel are discriminatory policies. In certain instances, students, through protests, have succeeded in calling for the resignation of their principles. In 2015, for instance, Tim Wolf, who served as the University of Missouri’s president, resigned when African American students protested against the university’s policies that encouraged discrimination of certain groups of students. Many students equally took part in organizing protests and carrying out campaigns to call for the social justice for victims of police brutality especially in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Some filed petitions, calling for the social reform while other put up banners and gave donations. These efforts paid off because as the message spread, people in different parts of the world including Germany joined the protests.

Some of the recent protests have been triggered by the growing security concerns in higher learning institutions. Cases of the students being sexually abused or disappearing have caused concerns among campus students, prompting some of them to organize protests to call for reform of the universities’ policy on security. In South Africa, for example, a wave of rape incidences rose in different universities in the country, and in order to call for securing of the learning facilities, students went to the streets, calling for the government to take stringent measures to protect female students. Moreover, the gun violence which is deeply rooted in the American gun culture, has affected students in higher learning institutions because some shooting incidences have happened in these institutions. In May 2020, there was an incident in which a gunman entered Virginia Tech and shot students, killing some of them. In response, the students at the university called for reform on the gun laws. However, students have also been involved in organizing processions focused on advocating for such reforms.

Raising of tuition fees is one of the factors that have contributed to the students’ protests, yet universities raise fees to counter the effects of the skyrocketing costs of teaching resources. The amount of money students pay as fees has significantly increased in the past four decades. Universities rarely involve students when raising fees and this lack of involvement of the student is one of the reasons why majority of them tend to protest hiking of the fees. The Million Student March in 2015 is just of the cases in which students have responded, calling for a stop to raising of the fees. The protests due to the doubling of the tuition fees did not start recently because Tufts University students engaged in protests when it was proposed that the fees be raised.

The protests by university students is something that educators, administrators and governments should support because voicing one’s concerns can help universities and the entire society to thrive. Listening to students, and incorporating their ideas into the university programs can help prevent tension between students and the administration.

How universities have been coping during the pandemic

When the Covid-19 hit, it sent people into panic mode and chaotic scenes were witnessed across different parts of the world as airports began imposing travel restrictions, and business owners resorted to closing businesses. To slow down the spread of the infections, and limit the impact of the pandemic, the government initiated a raft of measures including calling for people to work from home. As a result of these new directives and measures, higher learning institutions responded by suspending studies. Millions of students across the world were affected by the pandemic because the pandemic delayed their graduation.

Amidst the pandemic, universities shifted to offering their courses online and virtual classrooms became the new trend. As more universities embraced this new trend, learning remotely became the new norm with students getting the opportunity to continue with their studies outside the classroom. For the universities, the move to offering new classes online helped prevent wastage of time that would have delayed the academic calendars. The online classes were a success considering that millions of students managed to continue with their studies without having to wait for the pandemic to end.

When the first covid19 vaccine was produced, it brought hope that things would return to normalcy, and it surely helped because before the vaccine came, people observed social distancing, and teachers could not be able to teach students in a normal classroom setting. As more vaccines were manufactured, and the number of vaccinated individuals grew, teachers and students became hopeful that things will return to normalcy. Although this hope was dashed by the emergence of the new strains of the covid-19 such as the delta virus, universities were continuing with offering their programs online.

Reflecting back from when the pandemic began to the time universities resumed their operations, it is clear that the internet has played a significant role in terms of helping universities continue offering their programs at a time when the pandemic halted certain activities including learning. Something that universities can learn from this experience is that the internet provides an avenue or an infrastructure through which they can deliver content to remote learners. One cannot predict what might happen in the future but if the next pandemic like Covid-19 hits, universities should be prepared for unfavorable events so that learning is not paralyzed. The experience and the knowledge of how universities managed to deal with the pandemic can be used as case study to respond to similar challenges in future.

The benefits of the student representation in universities

When one is making decisions with the aim of developing or strengthening policies, they have to keep in mind the people who are likely to be affected by the decisions. Bringing everyone onboard when making decisions is a means of acknowledging that everyone’s opinion matters. It reduces the friction between the people making the decisions, and the individuals who are supposed to put them into action. The idea of representation is borne out of the need to have someone who can represent others because having thousands of share their view, one person at a time, can be a tedious task and it can be time consuming. This is the reason why countries have governments representing the interests of their people.

The idea of student representation only emerged during the civil rights movements because prior to the emergence of this idea, the educators and board members were responsible of making decisions on issues that directly affected students. Students were hardly involved in the decision-making processes, and sidelining them would sometimes lead to situations in which their needs are not addressed. For example, raising of the tuition fees without engaging students is an example of the decisions that most students may not receive positively. In the history of some universities, raising fees or making certain decisions without involving students have been met with anger, disbelief and protests.

The student representatives or student leaders play vital role when it comes to representing the interests of their colleagues. University students, each year, get the opportunity to elect their favorite representatives. These representatives are responsible of addressing students’ grievances and they are the link between administrators and students. The Student Representative Council (SRC) plays a vital role when it comes to giving students the platform where they can voice their concerns. The SRC, in addition, presents the students’ views to the administration so that the latter can take necessary measures to support students.

Almost every university has a SRC, and although each is unique to each university, they serve the same purpose of representing the interests of students. 13 of the Harvard’s upperclassman houses are all the constituents of the university’s SRC. Columbia also has a SRC, which advocates for the interests of the students. The idea of the students having their peers represent them, therefore, is a good idea because it creates a contact between the students and members of the student administration.

What one needs to consider before joining the university

Joining a higher learning institution presents one with the opportunity to further their education during post-secondary education. For anyone thinking of joining a university, deciding on the course to pursue can be a challenge considering that there are various degree programs offered by universities. It can equally be challenging when one wants to choose a university that offers a course of their choice, and careful consideration is therefore needed when one is thinking of selecting a university and a course. There are things one needs to first consider before starting their degree program because pursuing the wrong course can lead to the wastage of time and resources.

One’s passion should always shape one’s career decisions because having passion is what one does can lead to a career fulfilling experience. There are various options when it comes to a career that one can choose, and obviously, some careers pay well compared to others. While it makes sense for one to pursue a career path based on what they expect to earn, pay is not enough. One should ask themselves whether the course they want to take would lead them to a career path in which they experience overall job satisfaction because this is the most important thing that determines whether one continue working in a particular job.

The other thing one needs to look at when choosing a course is the institution where that offers the program they want to pursue. While a student’s grades depends on the amount of work they put into their studies, the learning environment equally matter. This is why a student has to be careful in terms of the institution they choose. This is why it is important for one to determine if the institution has adequate facilities, amenities and resources. Some of the facilities one needs to consider when gauging the effectiveness of the higher learning institution include availability of library and amenities such as swimming pool.

The school culture plays a vital role in terms of shaping one’s character, and it is imperative that a student take into account the culture of the university they want to be part of. The university culture is the ideology that it propagates, and which it wants everyone including members of the administration and student fraternity to uphold and demonstrate. Therefore, there is need for one to conduct comprehensive research about the university they want to join because studying in an environment where one is comfortable of learning at can contribute to their academic success, and to a certain degree, career success.

Is joining University worth it?

People have different reasons why they join the university because for some, pursuing a university degree provides an opportunity to land a dream job or even choose a career path they feel provides job satisfaction. However, there are those who may consider getting a degree as a status, and they may develop pride, feeling that they have accomplished something that not everyone has managed to accomplish. It is true that a university degree puts one at better position of getting a job but what about those who fail to get the opportunity to study at the university? Is having a university a standard of excellence?

For most high schoolers, joining the university is something that is always in the mind of most of them. Unfortunately, not every high school student is lucky enough to further their education, and some of those who end up missing slots in university admissions join tertiary institutions. Still, some venture into working or managing family businesses. It is unfortunate that some end up being incarcerated, and this is usually the case with students who become gang members and start engaging in gang violence and other gang-related activities including selling of the illicit drugs.

With all its glory or positive aspects as a place where people go to learn and acquire knowledge that can make them productive members of the society, the university can jeopardize one’s success in life. Although one might be happy when they manage to complete their degree program, they may still have to grapple with the accumulation of the student debt. In the United States, this is a major problem that is exacerbated by the lack of jobs. However, this issue is not endemic to the U.S. because it affects students all over the world.

When a student joins the university, there is no guarantee that they would graduate because various factors come into play when looking at the forces that can affect the students’ graduation rates. Poverty and a student choosing a course they may not be passionate about are just some of the factors that can determine whether a student graduates.

As much as governments, teachers and other stakeholders expect students to join colleges and universities, certain conditions and systems that have been created seem to hamper students’ capacity to achieve their dream. Because joining the university is worth it, everyone should be given equal opportunity to study. Furthermore, there is need to ensure that students do not accumulate debts, and instead of requiring students to pay, the government may fully pay students’ fees so that the fear of paying debt does not keep students out of school.

The history of the world’s oldest university

Universities existed way before Johannes Gutenberg developed the print, and they have played a significant role in shaping the development of the modern societies. The first university that has been at the center of Italy’s history was established in 1088 in Bologna. Since the University was established, it has gone through periods that have threated its existence. Initially, the goal of establishing the institution was to help support the study of a central text in Roman law. With time, the university became a center of learning of other subjects including war studies. Given its rich history, the university has been instrumental in the study of civil law.

Like some other oldest world universities, the University of Bologna has had a dark past. The history of the institution was interrupted by forces emanating both from within and out of the country. Although the chaos brought by the Second World War interrupted learning at the institution, it was bombings of 1926 that had devastating consequences on the institution. The bombings paralyzed learning, and students and teachers joined the call against Mussolini. Even some of the funds that were allocated to finance learning at the university were redirected towards supporting the war efforts. A section of the university was rebuilt.

According to the current global rankings, the university is placed at position 117, and given the university’s history of academic excellence, it receives thousands of applications every year. Among those who apply for degree programs at the university are non-Italians. Currently, the university has a student population that exceeds 87,000 people, and one thing that makes the institution stand out from some Italian universities is that it offers over 40 English-based courses. Thus, it appeals to the international students who might want to study English-based degree programs.

University of Bologna, given its past, remains a symbol of the strong spirit of the Italian people, and for the institution to compete, it needs to embrace new trends such as investing in research and development. Being an oldest university, the University of Bologna should be among the top 100 universities. As much as the institution is making efforts to invest in technology, it needs to come up with potent curricula that match the global standards. For several years, Harvard has managed to maintain a reputation of an institution that attracts elite students from across the world. University of Bologna should therefore learn from Harvard University on how to effectively adapt and build a strong global profile of academic excellence.

Life in university

Are you thinking of going to university and thinking about what life will be like in university? We will tell you everything about university life.

1- Every decision is made by you

This is the most important thing because when it comes time to choose the university where you will study is one of the most important decisions you have to make in life. You make every decision about your future. So, you decide how you will spend the day, studying or relaxing. It is up to you to choose whether you will be one of those students who start their studies the day before or a student who studies the night before the exam.

2- Diversity

During your university years you will meet people from different countries. They will have cultures, religions, traditions and customs that you do not know and start creating knowledge about them.

3- Contact with family and friends

If you have decided to study away from family and friends the contact will be less than before. Although you will find some time to communicate with them again it will not be enough.

4- You will learn many new things

If you live in a dormitory alone or with other students you will learn not only lectures but also many other things. The need to adapt to another lifestyle will teach you how to cook and take care of many things you have not done before.

5-Facilities

Universities have different kinds of facilities, and these facilities range from libraries to the swimming pools. If you decide to join a university, you need to understand the types of facilities that are available in the university. You should be sure to ask students, teachers or members of the support staff how to access the facilities. You should also try to find out about the rules and guidelines that regulate the use of such facilities.

6-Support Staff

Every university has support staff members who play important role when it comes to supporting students, creating conducive environment where students can learn. When you join a university, you will meet security personnel, social workers among other workers. These individuals support students by offering counseling services, and assessing students’ needs. Opening up to the social workers at the university is one way in which a student can receive the necessary support.

7-Culture

University is an organization that brings together people from diverse backgrounds. To ensure everyone reads from the same page, a university has to have an organizational culture that defines and shapes the conduct of the student and that of the staff. The culture also manifests in the way people dress and treat each other. Thus, you need to take this into account when planning on joining the university.

8-Orientation

In case you feel you might not get everything right when you join university, don’t worry because the purpose of the orientation is to introduce you to the university life including the routines. For instance, you will learn how to access library resources

Advantages and disadvantages of online learning

Education is one of the most important things for any person. School directly affects the future of man. According to the skills and intelligence that a person has, he chooses the most suitable branch to continue. While nowadays she does not focus only on this but also how she will finish her education, online or physical. Online learning has been an opportunity that was offered a long time ago. But after the COVID-19 pandemic, online learning became widespread in every part of the world. For some people this brought a lot of dissatisfaction while for others it was a great help. To help you decide on the future, we will show you the advantages and disadvantages of online learning.

Advantages

Online learning offers many benefits, but most importantly it prevents the transmission of communicable diseases or COVID-19. During online learning the student has the opportunity to study at home and be more comfortable and relaxed. The student can study at any time he wants. Online learning also brings improvement to the parent’s economy because the student will not always buy expensive books but in most cases will buy books online which have a lower cost. Many students also avoid the transportation they would have to do if they were doing physical education.

Disadvantages

In addition to the advantages of online learning there are also many disadvantages. Online learning prevents students from spending time with each other and engaging in various activities. They do not have the opportunity to play with each other and have fun in class. This makes them less social with each other. Also, the learning and willingness that a student has to learn is less in online learning. Even the distraction is greater in online learning than in physical learning, because the noises at home are louder than in the classroom, because the classroom is a more adapted environment for learning, and the only goal of a student in the classroom is to learn while is at home has less interest in learning.

Best university for your studies

Every student, after graduating from high school, tries to choose the best university according to the results in his studies and the economic opportunities he has, because graduating from university with high grades has a great impact on the future of the student. We want to make it easier for students to make their choice and tell you about the best university in Albania.

Now we will show you the conditions that this university offers and some reasons why you should choose this university. Welcome to Ismail Qemali University. This is the best university in Albania and is located in the city of Vlora. It is ranked as the number 1 university in Albania. The university is located on one of the main streets of the city and you have the opportunity to spend your free time along the promenade, going to cafes, bars and many other entertainment things. We assure you that in this university there is an excellent staff of teachers and students. The time you will spend there will be wonderful. In this university you have a great opportunity to choose the branch you want to study, as in this university teaching takes place for many branches.

The main reason why it makes this university number 1 in Albania is the time you spend with teachers which is very valuable for all students as well as the free time spent in the beautiful city of Vlora with the lifestyle it offers. In this university there is a large library where all students have the opportunity to read books. This university also has a Facebook page and a website where you can see all the opportunities that the university offers. There is also an email address where you can contact for any ambiguity or dissatisfaction of yours.

Furthermore, the university has a community of support staff who are ready to offer the necessary assistance to learners. The university recognizes the challenges students go through while in school, and in order to support learners, the university has hired counselors. They are responsible of providing emotional and psychological support to students. Together with other members of the support staff, the counselors are committed to creating conducive conditions for learners and addressing their concerns. Students can get support from the school resource officers as well, and if anyone feels sick, they can get help from nursing professionals who are part of university’s support staff.

At Ismail Qemali Univerity, we are aware of the fact that learning has to be fun for learners to learn better. This is why we organize boot camps and other fun activities for our students. We have hitch hiking activities for students because we want to be able to help give students the opportunity to learn both in and out of the classroom. This is part of our goal of making learning fun as we support our students to learn and to improve their learning experience.