Students blog

Being a Pearson Campus Ambassador (PCA) has truly been an amazing journey, and when I started as a PCA I had no idea all the amazing things that would be in store for me. I am excited to get the opportunity to share some of that journey as I conclude my time at Pearson as I graduate.

Opportunities and Experience

One of the best things about the PCA Program is that you get out what you put in. If you are willing to put in the work, the opportunities will find you. As you get more opportunities in the program, you will gain some great experience that will help set you apart from other candidates when applying for jobs and other external opportunities. In addition to summer internships, Pearson also offers micro-internships which allow you to complete short-term internship experiences during the school year. In my 2.5 years with Pearson, I worked two summer internships and one micro-internship in addition to my job as a Pearson Campus Ambassador and Regional Coordinator. These opportunities helped strengthen my resume and gave me a wealth of experience to pull from when interviewing and working different jobs. These opportunities also allowed me to get a better understanding of what I wanted to do for work following graduation.

Traveling

Being a part of the PCA Program also allowed me to travel to different parts of the country. In my time as a PCA, I was able to travel to Dallas, Ohio, New York, New Jersey, and Austin. Whether I was traveling for a special project, an internship, or a leadership summit, each trip was special, and I had a great time. Pearson takes great care of its employees, and that was made evident on these trips. During these trips, I got to visit different Pearson offices, including our corporate U.S. headquarters. I also got to meet many Pearson professionals as well as some of my fellow PCAs whom I had only met virtually up until that point.

Connections and Camaraderie

The connections I’ve made and the camaraderie that exists at Pearson and within the PCA Program are something that I will never forget. I had the opportunity to work with some of the best and brightest students across the country. I had the chance to lead and mentor some of the most amazing students across Texas and Louisiana as the Regional Coordinator of the Central Region. I got to see so many friendships and people blossom and grow because of the PCA Program. It allows you have a connection in almost every state and city in this program. Our managers, sales reps, and various Pearson employees helped promote this camaraderie and sense of community. Everyone, from the CEO and the Presidents to our respective managers, were easily accessible. In my time at Pearson, I had multiple sit-downs with the CEO, as well as meetings with the former President of Higher Ed and the Chief Human Resources Officer.

As you can see, I had a great experience as a Pearson Campus Ambassador. I’ve had the opportunity to do some things that most other 22-year-old college graduates can’t say they have done. I have learned so many transferable skills that I will take with me into my next role. Pearson was one of the best things that could have happened to me in my college career, and it is the best job you can have as a college student.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us – click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

As a college student, you have been taking tests and quizzes for your entire school career, and you will continue to take these assessments throughout your time in college. There have been many improvements and changes to the education system for the benefit of students' learning, but one thing that remains consistent is the emphasis put on grades. Tests and quizzes usually make up a large portion of your grade, but a test or quiz grade doesn't always accurately reflect your knowledge of a topic.

It’s important to find a way to take the emphasis off grades and put the emphasis on learning and retention. Tests and quizzes may not be the most effective way to grade students and measure their academic progress. Here are a few ideas to remedy this situation and create a more effective educational environment.

The Emphasis Put on Grades

Being that there is such an emphasis put on grades, students usually center their learning on making a grade. A test or quiz grade doesn’t always accurately reflect a student’s knowledge of a subject, though. For example, on a 17-question test, say you miss two questions and score an 88. That is mathematically correct, and you did technically know 88% of the information, but that may not be the best reflection of your knowledge on the topic. Look at it in this way - you only missed two questions, and you got 15 questions correct! You got 15/17 questions right, and you demonstrated that you understood most of the information. In my opinion, that looks and sounds so much better than the 88 that will appear in the grade book.

Focus on Learning and Retention

Many students either study for long hours, cram information or even resort to cheating to do well on a test or quiz. This can really hurt the student’s retention and ability to recall information. It’s important to find a way to take the emphasis off grades and put the emphasis on learning and retention. Let’s dial down the pressure in the classroom and help students learn and increase their knowledge. Find a different way to “grade” students. If an instructor wants to implement tests and quizzes in their class, they should do it in a way that truly helps them to learn the information. It would be beneficial to allow students to do test corrections to understand where they went wrong. This will help students better retain the course information, learn from their mistakes, and possibly improve their grades.

Results and Benefits

By finding a different way to “grade” students, learning and retention will improve, student stress will be reduced, and the incentive to cheat will be eliminated. It’s very important to reward students for their effort and hard work rather than their ability to take a test because so many factors can impact a student's test-taking. When considering something like offering the student the opportunity to complete test corrections, some students may take advantage of the opportunity, and some may not. That decision of whether to complete the test corrections or not is fully up to the student. They control the outcome of their learning in this situation.

Making an adjustment like this in the classroom will also help reduce the stress of students being that they can have a chance to understand where they went wrong and receive some points back. Taking the pressure off grades will also eliminate the incentive to cheat since it’s the student’s hard work and willingness to do test corrections that will impact their grade.

Do you have a compelling story or student success tips you’d like to see published on the Pearson Students blog?  If you are a college student and interested in writing for us - click here to pitch your idea and get started! 

What a weekend.

The first ever Pearson Campus Ambassador (PCA) Leadership Summit was held in Columbus, Ohio in April 2022. The goal of this meeting was to continue to build a top ambassador program that reshapes Pearson’s brand in the minds of students nationwide. The meeting also aimed to capitalize on the success of four outgoing student Regional Coordinators (RCs) by imparting their knowledge to the incoming leadership team.

Graduating PCAs Delaney Henson and Noah Myers made it their mission, beginning in November 2021, to demonstrate the impact an in-person meeting could have on the future success of the PCA program. They turned the once abstract idea into a set of concrete deliverables. Once final approval came through, the Student Programs team enlisted leaders from both Sales and Marketing teams to create sessions focused on sales growth in the Higher Education market.

Experience

The final product was truly an amazing experience. This summit allowed Pearson to bring together the heart of the PCA Program, which is composed of some of the best and brightest students from all over the country. It was a great opportunity to meet everyone in person. These are people I have worked with virtually for some time, so it was truly amazing getting to work in the same office as them and share meals together. The memories, laughs, and conversations I had with my fellow Pearson colleagues are something I will always remember.

The pandemic taught us that a lot can get done virtually, but the virtual work environment is not the same as meeting in person. The feeling is just different. There is a certain level of heartfelt sincerity that comes with being physically present. You can interact with your colleagues in a way that you can’t behind a screen. The connections made, the relationships created, and the friendships formed during this Leadership Summit were truly special.

I couldn’t think of a better way to share this experience than by having the voices of the other PCA attendees tell you.

“My favorite part of the Summit was getting to meet everyone for the first time. I felt so lucky to have the opportunity to form not only work relationships but real friendships with my fellow PCAs who I now look forward to working with even more.” – Rachel Schachter, California State University, Northridge

“This summit was truly a dream come true! I think my favorite part had to be the panel with the graduating RCs. I was able to learn so much from them in such a short period of time and the lessons I learned are ones that I will carry with me for the rest of my time at Pearson and beyond.” – Camryn Enloe, Oklahoma State University

“I've been working virtually at Pearson for two years and while I was looking forward to meeting everyone in person, I didn't think it would impact me SO much. We had so many incredible conversations, and I learned so many things about the other regions that will help me SO much as the RC Trainer. I think that we'll be able to make an even bigger impact moving forward.” – Laura Avellaneda, Kennesaw State University

“BEST TRIP EVER!! Getting to meet with my fellow RCs and Student Directors was so amazing. I learned so much from them professionally and personally, and it was truly an experience I will never forget. I left feeling so inspired, and I am so excited to implement everything that I learned.” – Ambyr Dack, Florida State University

“Every single individual at the Leadership Summit was super friendly and incredibly brilliant. I feel like I grew so much from talking to them in person.” – Saleem Abu-Tayeh, University of Virginia

“Nothing has been more impactful to me than having the opportunity to attend the Summit. The event allowed me not only to heighten my leadership and professional skills, but it allowed me to finally connect with so many of my peers that I have been working with virtually for months now.” – Taylor Falls, University of Alabama