“College or University 101: The United States & Canadian Systems” workshop to be held on Sept. 19, 2024

Understanding any educational system that one is going into is key to being successful. With that said, Student Support Services Division (SSSD) of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, is organizing a workshop entitled “College or University 101: The United States & Canadian Systems” to provide clarity for those students seeking to continue their studies in the US and Canada after secondary school.

The free workshop is scheduled to be held on Thursday, September 19, 2024, in rooms 202-203 at the University of St. Martin from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM. This workshop is aimed at secondary school students who recently graduated and those in their last two years.

Participants will get information about the US and Canadian college and university educational systems and topics to be covered range from application to graduation. “Although we are a Dutch island, our students can get into universities and colleges in the US and Canada with relative ease,” SSSD officials said, while adding that our students also tend to excel in these countries.

The College or University 101 workshop will focus on the first year of college/ university, where key differences in comparison to our own educational system will be addressed, to the last year of college or university. Key aspects like the Placement Test, Grade Point Average (GPA), grades and graduation requirements will also be explained at the workshop. Another aspect that will be discussed at this workshop is the student’s living situation. Students have the option of living in the dorms or living off campus. Parents often commonly ask which option is the better one, since they often have concerns, SSSD officials noted.

Students and parents are encouraged to contact SSSD at 543-1235 or email studentsupportservices@sintmaartengov.org for more information or to register for the workshop on September 19, 2024. Participants are also urged to be on time.

The Student Support Services Division is located in the Gatspy’s Building, across from the Police Station and next to the Windward Island Bank (WIB) in Philipsburg. SSSD provides many services to students including psychological services, counseling services, speech language pathology services, social work services, educational diagnostic services, career services, and parental workshops.​