Who We Are | Centennial College | Private College, Montreal, Canada

Who We Are

Difference

We know why so many students don’t make it through Cegep.

 

Consider this:

In Quebec, only about 65% of students who enter Cegep end-up graduating with a DEC.

That may surprise you, but it shouldn’t.

The fact is, most students leaving high school are not prepared for Cegep.

They were taught the skills they needed to get into Cegep, not the skills they needed to get through Cegep.

They were told when and how to study, but never experienced being a self-directed learner.

So they’re just not ready: not ready to study on their own, manage their time or seek help and guidance.

Not ready to handle their new-found “freedom.”

Now, consider this:

Over 85% of Centennial College students obtain their DEC and go on to university.

How do we do it? No tricks; no gimmicks: just a tried-and-tested approach to learning that brings out the best in every student.

At Centennial College, we know that most students leaving high school are not equipped with the study habits or maturity to succeed in Cegep.

That’s why we’ll equip you with the skills and self-confidence you need to succeed – not just in Cegep, but in university and in the workplace.

And we’ll guide you to become a resilient, autonomous, life-long learner, so you can reach your academic goals

Successful students are made, not born.

Philosophy

One size does not fit all.

Most Cegeps are designed to suit a so-called “average” student. They don’t take into account the diversity of learning styles and learning skills of their students.

At Centennial, it’s quite the opposite. We shape our school to fit the diverse needs of all of our students.

We are early adopters of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), a scientifically-driven educational framework that addresses the main barrier to learning: an inflexible, one-size-fits-all approach to teaching. UDL is becoming the norm in many universities and schools across North America, including Montreal’s very own McGill University.

UDL ensures that all types of learners can learn and puts every student on a level playing field. How? By removing obstacles that might get in the way of learning. UDL recognizes that people absorb information in different ways, express information in different ways, and are engaged and challenged in different ways. Therefore, to optimize learning, UDL requires the use of multiple means of:

  • Representation: teachers present course material in many different ways (audio, visual, etc.);
  • Expression: students may express their knowledge in different formats (written, oral, etc.);
  • Engagement: teachers use different techniques to engage, interest and challenge students.

In other words, through UDL, we help you discover how you learn best, how you work best, and how you study best – so you can create your own pathway to academic success.

We shape our college to fit our students.