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High schoolers get to be college students for the day

Grade ten students experience Vernon’s Okanagan College campus courses

Hundreds of high school students got the college experience Wednesday at Okanagan College’s Vernon campus.

The annual Experience Okanagan College day, allows students to attend lectures and labs with college professors. Students have to pre-register for courses they are interested in learning.

“They get to choose three sessions of their choice, ranging from health, science, technology, trades and many more,” said recruitment and events coordinator Tawnya Cameron. “It exposes students to possible courses they could take in secondary and gives them an idea of what they would be learning on campus,” added Cameron.

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She said the college has anywhere from 300 to 600 high school students attending each year to get a taste of courses including psychology, creative writing, anthropology, communications and many in the sciences.

Okanagan College business student Rebecca Pleasance participated in the college orientation day in grade ten and eleven and feels it helped drive her decision to enrol. “I felt coming both times helped me get a chance to try a little bit of everything and I really like the hands on aspect of learning in the classroom. I was originally going to go into the sciences but after my orientation in the business classes, I decided it wasn’t for me,” said Pleasance.

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The science and electronic engineering courses were a popular choice. “I want to going into science and chemistry and then in the future maybe engineering or environmental science,” Said, grade ten student Cody Wessels.

Business and finance was another top pick amongst high schoolers , “I want to go into accounting or psychology, I really enjoy the hands on learning the classes have to offer,” said William Anderson.

The event is held at Okanagan College campuses across the Valley every year for over a decade.

“I would really recommend it to other students, I learned a lot,” said grade 10 student Julia Atkins.


@LarynGilmour
laryn.gilmour@blackpress.ca

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