Academic Enrichment guides students through GED

Doug House helps a student puzzle out a complex algebra problem. The student, Wynora, doesn’t think she knows what she needs to know to solve the problem.

Under House’s patient guidance, she realizes she does know what she needs to know. She smiles. She gets it.

House is the primary math teacher in Columbus State’s Academic Enrichment (GED) program. The program helps students prepare to take the GED, or just brush up on their academics.

The GED course itself consists of a 5-week course, although there are four optional 10-week Math and English enrichment courses that lead up to it.

“

I love it,” says Angeletta, another student. “Doug’s a great teacher. He walks us through everything until we understand it.”

Columbus State’s Academic Enrichment program uses full-time teachers, and has the regular schedule of an academic course. Other GED programs are more free-form, but student Christina says she likes the format. “Usually they just give you the book and papers and expect you to know it,” Christina says.

After getting her GED, Christina plans to return to Columbus State and study psychology. Angeletta plans to attend Columbus State for law enforcement.

“Coming and taking the GED class here really makes me want to go to college here,” Angeletta says.

But for now, House is guiding them through another algebra problem.

“You can’t just jump in and solve it like that,” House says. “You’ve got to solve it one line at a time.”