While conducting research for an article about colleges in Broward County, I was overwhelmed by how many choices there are for schools in my community. Times have certainly changed since I graduated from Florida State University in 1983. Back then there was a small community college in Broward County and a few nondescript vocational programs promoted with tacky TV ads. College trends have changed drastically in many ways to meet the ever-changing needs of the business world and job market. Here’s what I noticed about local college trends:
- More people are seeking to get a degree while working full time.
- Many students in local colleges are older, having worked for quite a few years after high school.
- Colleges have adapted better to schedules, providing online courses, night classes and flexible class hours to accommodate working people.
- Colleges are offering more focused majors that apply directly to the work force, like Network Systems and are shying away from general degrees like Philosophy.
- There’s a great demand for workers with technical degrees.
- More workers are seeking graduate degrees than ever before as more jobs are requiring them.
- Colleges are putting more effort into their job placement programs to attract more students.
- Community colleges are adding four-year bachelor’s degrees to their academic programs.
- Adults currently working prefer to attend colleges with smaller classroom size (number of students).
- The cost of obtaining a higher education has gone way, way up.
As parents who currently pay tuition for our daughter, who attends one of the nation’s top-rated universities, we are all too familiar with the ultra high cost of a quality college education. But after researching schools for my article, I’ve learned that it’s not just the top schools in the nation that are costly. Most colleges – big or small, prestigious or not – are now ultra costly. So it’s important to weigh the pros and cons when choosing a local college education. Ask yourself:
- Is the tuition affordable?
- How am I going to pay for it?
- Do I want a long term loan I will not be able to pay off for many years to come?
- Is the college/university’s reputation worth the tuition?
- If I were to move to another city or state, would the college be respected (or even known) by potential employers there?
- Is it best to attend an in-state school to keep costs down?
- Am I choosing a major that has a good long-term outlook as far as job placement?
- Will going back to school now really boost my pay at work or future promotion potential?
- Do I really have time to work, take care of family, attend classes and study?
- What are my long-term career goals?
There’s a lot to think about when deciding whether or not to go back to school. But the good news is that there are more choices than ever before, and you don’t have to love or give up your job to get a decent education in many places in the US.
I am sitting here in a mad scramble to finish up these notes for my very first class I'll be teaching tomorrow. Yes, that's correct. I'll be teaching a class on children's book illustration for Portland State University for the second half of this semester. I'm scrambling to get these notes together, to make sure I don't sound like an idiot and what am I doing? Posting something for the blog? I know, it doesn't make sense, but I don't care. I need a little bit of a break from all this note-taking and image-gathering, just to somehow gather my thoughts somehow. It's been a long time coming, some folks have said. I agree. To a point. I've always enjoyed talking to students about what I do (I've done several appearances wherein I talk about my career, show a few tricks of the trade & how I work, and show off some of my vintage book collection), but it's an entirely different thing to actually teach. The more I think about it, the more nervous I get.
I hope I'm up for it. I guess I better be, huh? After all, it's only the potential careers of 11 some odd art & design students that're on the line here, right?
Many thanks (or blame) to Kate Bingaman Burt for roping me into doing this. She & her co-horts got a good thing going on at the Graphic Design department at PSU. Looking forward to being a part of the mix.
You may recognize Renee Olstead from her current role as Madison on ABC Family's The Secret Life of the American Teenager, or you might have seen her as Lauren on the TV series Still Standing. Maybe you saw her in the movie 13 Going on 30. But did you know that Renee is not only an accomplished singer and actress, but also a student? She's currently attending college classes and working on two productions, a new season of Secret Life and the movie The Midnight Game.
Renee recently posted an article at The Huffington Post in which she thanks her English professor, Joan Eyles Johnson, for inspiring her to be "a better writer, citizen, and human being." She goes on to say:
"I want to speak up and tell you that mascara and clothes don't make you cool, neither do name-brand handbags, but being a leader can. Every day we can choose to challenge what we 'know' and go on our own quest for answers. As teens, you have the ability to channel your thoughts and inspirations through the power of social media, to connect with one another and start social movements for change! Find something you care about -- social injustice, animal rights, international war crimes, human trafficking, or women's rights -- and make a statement. Connect with one another, take a stand, and spread the word."
Click here to read Renee's article.
Follow Renee on Twitter @renee_olstead - and tell her @readergirlz sent you!
Happy February! Here are some interesting happenings, research, and innovation that you might want to share with your patrons. As always, leave comments if you have any suggestions.
- Programs such as the It Gets Better Project have made teen suicides, especially those related to homophobia, a more pressing issue. But is it reaching middle school-aged teens and tweens? A new study shows that many teens who have made suicide attempts made their first ones before high school, which means new approaches to mental health and wellbeing need to be taken earlier. U.S. News and World Report did a writeup of the study, which was published in the Journal of Adolescent Health.
- If you’re looking for a way to make your programming happen outside of the library, take a note from Katie Glick, a poet who set up the Spontaneous Prose Store, which consisted of her, sitting on a street corner, selling poems. Passersby could offer a monetary donation and Glick composed a poem for them on the spot. If your library hosts a writing group, propose they do this instead of a normal meeting. Or set teens up at different points in the library, having them compose on-the-spot poems for or about other patrons, random books pulled from shelves, or anything else you can think up.
Rosenbaum, Richard. “Poetry in the Streets: The Spontaneous Prose Store.” Broken Pencil, 53 (2011).
- I don’t even have a suggestion for this, but it was too interesting not to share. The Telegraph has reported that, in the UK, at least, parents are increasingly deciding not to read fairy tales to their children, because they consider them too scary or outdated for them. That’s striking, considering most people like to talk about how sanitized fairy tales have become over the years. If nothing else, this should spark discussion amongst your colleagues and patrons about that ever-present topic in libraries: censorship.
- The University of California system is actually considering going tuition-free, Colorlines reports. Students presented a plan to the UC president proposing that, instead of paying tuition, graduates pay a portion of their income for 20 years after graduation, which would actually make the university more money in the long run. Bring this up as a snappy tidbit at college application or SAT workshops, or use it to spark a discussion about the economy and teens’ plans for the future.
Until next month!
She's a college girl now.
She got a music scholarship, so she's been taking voice lessons, participating in choir, and singing with the worship team in chapel. She sang recently at our All-Church Talent Show:
She probably wouldn't want me to post this, since it wasn't her very best performance; she was at the Urgent Care the next day for an ear infection AND an upper respiratory infection. But no one else could tell!
She's planning on switching majors, though. She can still be in choir, voice lessons and worship team, and probably keep most of her scholarship, but she can tell she's just not cut out for the hours in the practice room that a music major requires. She's not thrilled about her required keyboard lessons or Music Theory class either. Music Theory is, in fact, the bane of her existence this semester.
And she's coming home tonight, on her birthday, for Thanksgiving break! Her siblings are excited.
(I call this "the blonde team." Half our kids have the white-blonde hair, and we honestly can't figure out where it came from! No blondes among their parents, grandparents and great-grandparents. Yes, my husband is half Norwegian, but Grandpa says that out of the 11 in his immediate family, only one sister was blonde.)
Mugging for the camera is one of her favorite activities!
These two have always been close. Ask either one of them who their BFF is, and they will name the other.
(It is one of my great joys and blessings that my kids all seem to like and enjoy each other. I don't know if we've done something to cultivate this or if it's just a gift! I think homeschooling has contributed to a great extent, and it's probably the right mix of ages and genders too. Recently B16 told me that one of the best things about being home this year has been re-establishing his relationship with B12--they are enjoying each other a lot. Too much, sometimes, given their school workload--but I am so grateful!)
0 Comments on Update on the Birthday Girl--Blondechick19! as of 1/1/1900
By:
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on 10/31/2011
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Manno, Mike (2010) End of the Line: A Parker Noble Mystery. Five Star Publishing of Gale, Cengage Learning. ISBN 978-1594148637. Litland recommends of interest to adults, acceptable for older teens.
Publisher description: When former banker R. J. Butler is found murdered on a city transit bus, police take little time making a connection with the embezzlement at his former bank. But is that the motive for his murder? State police detective Sergeant Jerome Stankowski and his persnickety “partner,” Parker Noble, are called to investigate and run into a host of possibilities including a trophy wife on drugs and an ex-wife desperately needing a church annulment R. J. was blocking..
Our thoughts:
The second installment of the Parker Noble series, End of the Line, is a fun yet engaging, quick-paced detective mystery. Parker Noble may be the genius who solves the crimes, but it is Detective “Stan” Stankowski’s antics both on and off the job that lighten the story. Truly a man’s man, Stankowski enjoys girl watching while being easily manipulated by his somewhat-girlfriend Buffy the reporter. He tries to juggle dating 3 girls at the same time, each end up having a role in solving the mystery. Meanwhile, the contrast of Parker’s rigidly-ordered life to Stan’s adds color, and both humor and clues surface throughout the story just often enough to keep the reader alert. My favorite dialogue pertains to Parker’s dog, Buckwheat Bob the basset hound, who listens to talk radio while Parker is at work:
(Stan) “I take it that the human voice is soothing for him?”…(Parker) ”Not really, he likes to listen to the political talk”…”You don’t think he understands all of that, do you?”…”Don’t know, Stanley. All I can tell you is that he’s turned into quite a Republican.” LOL!
A cozy mystery written for adults, it would probably have a PG rating if a movie: use of the bird finger; one suspect referred to as tramp, hussy, nude model; Buffy pressuring Stan into taking a vacation together. However, Stan remains chaste in his girl-chasing and the story is focused on the relationships between all the characters, which adds depth, interest and a few chuckles along the way. A fun story available in the Litland.com Bookstore.
By Alan Jacobs
While virtually anyone who wants to do so can train his or her brain to the habits of long-form reading, in any given culture, few people will want to. And that's to be expected. Serious "deep attention" reading has always been and will always be a minority pursuit, a fact that has been obscured in the past half-century, especially in the United States, by the dramatic increase in the percentage of the population attending college, and by the idea (only about 150 years old) that modern literature in vernacular languages should be taught at the university level.
Well, she's all moved in. With a little help from her fam!
There actually was enough room in the closet for her all her clothes. We were surprised.
Since this picture was taken, she and her roommate have bought matching shower curtains to cover their closets, so all the clothes aren't exposed to view. I forgot to ask what color.
She took a page from "Legally Blonde" with her room decor--all hot pink!
And here's how she feels about college so far....
And how is Mom? Everyone keeps asking me that, and honestly, I'm just so happy for her, that I haven't even begun to really feel much sadness. I think it will sink in eventually. But considering how close she came to going a completely different route and missing out on this entirely, I am just so relieved and thrilled and happy to be back to Plan A! As we left her on Saturday, I barely had room for any emotion other than overwhelming thankfulness for this opportunity for her.
And God is doing a work in her heart. I wish I could share some of the things she's learned from going through all the heartbreak, pain, anger and confusion, and finally moved on to acceptance and thankfulness. We've had so many good conversations, and she's continuing, even in these first whirlwind days of orientation and activities, to lean into God and to rediscover her self.
Her Facebook status today is "God is so GOOD." For an 18-year-old girl who's had to change her Facebook profile from "engaged" to "in a relationship" to "single" in the last two months, that's a pretty huge statement.
I am so proud of her. And so thankful!
Springfield is a college town – in case you didn’t know that.
We have:
Missouri State
Drury University
Evangel University
Baptist Bible College
Central Bible College
Ozarks Technical College
Vatterott College
Cox School of Nursing
And I’m sure I’ve missed a few more technical colleges.
All of these colleges are crammed into our “little” city. (We’re actually the third largest city in Missouri, but you rarely hear that fact because we’re ignored a lot of the time. Which … is actually okay with me because the media is lame to begin with).
So when Fall rolls around, the college students start POURING in. Which is fine – it’s great for our economy, not so great for our traffic flow. But whatever We quickly adapt.
Now that Dude has graduated from high school …
*Side Note: Now that Dude is 18, I really don’t have a problem calling him by his real name on this blog. I want to, but I don’t think it’s wise given this blog comes up pretty easily in Google (not because it’s popular but because I’ve been blogging for nearly seven years now) and I don’t want a potential employer googling Dude’s name and this blog comes up. It’s not that I have anything to hide, per se, but it might just be too weird to watch baby videos of a potential candidate … in case you were wondering why I still refer to my oldest son as “Dude.”
… and has applied for 17 jobs (at last count – and yes, we’re keeping track of where he has been applying as well as the dates he applied through an Excel sheet), but hasn’t actually landed a job yet, he has some time on his hands. Time that he WILL NOT waste away by playing video games all day long.
Since his long-term goal is computers, Kevin suggested (as in STRONGLY suggested, as in you don’t really have a choice until you get a job suggested) that Dude come up to the office every weekday afternoon and work toward his A+ certification. (Computer places won’t hire you to work on computers unless you have this certification). He’s also dabbling in Java and PHP, too. (Those are computer programs, in case you don’t speak geek. HA!)
We really expected him to complain about this “arrangement,” but so far, Kevin and I think he’s actually relieved to have something TO DO while he bides his time on the job front. I mean, playing games is fun and all, but doing it every day, all day long, has GOT to get old after a while.
I think he likes the independence, too. He comes and goes as he pleases (as long as he gets to the office around 1-ish and stays until 4:30 – 5-ish) and he drives his own car. We wanted to give him a taste of what it’s like to leave the house and report somewhere. I want to eventually make him get to the office earlier – there’s really no excuse NOT to. We wake him up at 8:00 (because if we didn’t, he’d sleep until noon every day and if he wants to do that on his days off after his gets a job, fine. But until he gets a job, he’s not sleeping all day and staying up all night &ndas
By:
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WAKING ROSE: A FAIRY TALE RETOLD
Doman, Regina. (2007) Waking Rose: a fairy tale retold. Front Royal, VA: Chesterton Press. ISBN #978-0-981-93184-5. Author recommended age: 16 +. Litland.com also recommends 16+. See author explanation for parents at http://www.fairytalenovels.com/page.cfm/cat/116//
Publisher’s description: Ever since he rescued her from Certain Death, Rose Brier has had a crush on Ben Denniston, otherwise known as Fish. But Fish, struggling with problems of his own, thinks that Rose should go looking elsewhere for a knight in shining armor. Trying to forget him, Rose goes to college, takes up with a sword-wielding band of brothers, and starts an investigation into her family’s past that proves increasingly mysterious. Then a tragic accident occurs, and Fish, assisted by Rose’s new friends, finds himself drawn into a search through a tangle of revenge and corruption that might be threatening Rose’s very life. The climax is a crucible of fear, fight, and fire that Fish must pass through to reach Rose and conquer his dragons.
Our thoughts:
It is difficult to capture the essence of this story coherently because it touches upon so many aspects of life. There is the mystery, of course, and continuing depth of family loyalty amongst the Briers. The craziness of those first years experienced when young adults leave their nest and venture into the outer world of college life, whether as newbie freshmen or advanced graduate students. Unlikely friendships as the strong nurture the weak with Kateri mentoring Donna in her mental illness, and Rose guiding Fish through abuse recovery. Fish’s loyalty to Rose, taken to the extreme, becomes unforgiving. But then self-denigration turns into enlightenment and hope.
And after all of that is said, we are left with the relationship of Fish and Rose finally reaching a neat and tidy conclusion :>)
The girls have progressed in the series to young adults. Blanche just married Bear and Rose is off to college. Fish continues in his college program too. Doman shows us the challenges young adults face when they first enter the world on their own, particularly in making friends and exploring crushes. We can imagine ourselves engaged in the chit chat and horseplay typical in budding relationships. Important also is the picture implanted in our mind of courtship.
Throughout the story, we can see the existence of three pillars: faith, family and friends. Whenever one of these pillars is weakened, internal conflict and unsafe situations arise. Maintaining the balance, we see Rose’s keen ability for discernment that has been honed as a result of consistency in faith life, family home “culture, and choice of friends. Her discernment is key to good decisions, keeping safe, etc.
Going beyond stereotypes, the dialogue paints a clear picture of the perceptions held by non-Christians against Christians, countered with a realistic portrayal of the passionate young Christian student. Previous books portrayed ac
By:
Abigail Johnson,
on 5/16/2011
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This morning I turned in the last piece of homework I will ever have. I submitted my final research project: my master’s thesis.There was no parade, no trumpets or cymbals to herald my victory. No “three cheers!” to mark the completion of my efforts. Just the simple knowledge that I have finally finished.
They won't hand me my diploma until later this month, but the reality is that today marks the end of my years of formal education. Added up, 18 years of teachers, classrooms, professors, projects, presentations, and dreaded papers. Over.
When I think back on the memories of school, what stick out most are not the facts I learned or the books I read, but what I recall are all the relationships I made and the fun I had when I wasn’t studying in the library alone.
School offers us just that, the opportunity to find new experiences that we wouldn’t have otherwise discovered.
Because of a middle-school French-class trip to nearby Québec, I learned that my friend Emma would always find ways to get us into the most fun kind of trouble, and that I love all things maple-syrup related. Because of reading I Will Try during library hour in elementary school, I have made it my mission to travel across Africa (although not exactly the way the author did, when he decided to walk from Malawi towards America for his education). And because of spending countless hours at the local pub after economics class, I have learned that while philosophical entanglements often leave one feeling unfulfilled, beer and good company always leave one in better spirits. We would spend hours there, after Economics Development class, after History of Economic Philosophy class, after Statistics class: my peers and I, in time spent not studying, but taking what we learned in lecture and talking about it, openly, with opinions, with our own theories and smart colleagues to bounce ideas off of.
Though my years of formal education might be complete, they leave me with the knowledge that power lies in asking questions, and life is a learning curve that I will always be trying to bend. I may be out of the classroom, but I will forever be a student.
Do you have favorite memories, or wisdom to share about your education experience? Leave a comment below!
By: 1questionaday,
on 4/8/2011
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By: 1questionaday,
on 4/3/2011
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Image via Wikipedia
*Dear readers, you have inspired me to continue with one more year of questions. Thanks for the new subscriptions and the encouragement. The next year of questions starts tomorrow. Here’s this year’s last answer*
The skeleton was real.
One fearless thing. That’s all I wanted. One crazy-ass thing.
But I never thought it would happen the way it did. I never thought I’d jump. And the real kicker is? I know the real reason why and I’ll never tell. I guess you could say I took it with me to the grave. But I’m totally claustrophobic so it was more like taking it to the crematorium which is a way creepier sounding word than grave, but just doesn’t have the same ring to it. Since the world’s running out of places to bury people maybe it’ll catch on.
It all started at a football game. There was this guy. And there was my lying boyfriend. And, there was my sister’s raised eyebrows. For the first time in my college life something started that wouldn’t stop. It would follow me and put a smile on my face. And would have followed me until I was old and gray because when your jumpmaster is a red-headed, Irish, politically-incorrect joke cracker named Angus and his company mascot is a full-scale [whispered to be real] human skeleton named Winston, well, that crap sticks with you. I think of it every time I eat Giordano’s.
“Look. look. check. check. Pull.”
I received a blog award and I am sharing my love for the Beatles
Last Friday I was fortunate to take part in an event sponsored by Kappa Kappa Gamma, the sorority I belonged to at Duke. We visited K through 1 kids in the after school program at the George Washington Carver Center in Norwalk, and gave them books to keep of their very own from the organization so near and dear to all of our hearts, Reading is Fundamental. (BTW, if you haven't responded to RIF's latest action alert, please do so NOW by clicking here.
Dr. Susan Weinberger, (aka "Dr. Mentor") a former assistant Superintendent of Schools in Norwalk and founder of
the Mentor Consulting Group read the featured book aloud in such an engaging way - she had the kids wagging their fingers and responding to the book's signature line with brio.
Before rewarding them with cupcakes, we did a craft. I'd suggested something that we have them make their own books, which they could write a few reasons why they loved someone special in their life and give it to them as a gift. My kids had done something like that for me at their age in school, and I still treasure those books - especially the observations like: "My mom is always reading books"and "My mom makes the best chocolate chip cookies in the whole world." :-)
As I moved around the room helping some of the kids to write, what became heartrendingly apparent were the stories between the lines of what I was writing. The stories where Mom and Dad didn't really figure - but thankfully there was an aunt or a grandparent who was a steady figure for the child. I wanted to hug all these kids but I also wanted to thank the person they were having me write to for being there for them.
Well, last night for Hanukkah, my son gave us a book of his own. I got all verklempt reading it, because it was about this:
Son is clearly thinking about the creature comforts that will be lacking in a college dorm, because the first few things were:
See - everyone thought that when I put chauffeur in my author bio it was a joke. They were WRONG!!!
By: 1questionaday,
on 10/26/2010
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by Jane
One of the really nice customs in publishing is that when an agent is invited to lunch by an editor or a publisher, the editor or publisher usually brings along a book or two from their list for the agent. Sometimes the books are bestsellers, sometimes they represent new voices the publisher is proud of and wants to show off.
Recently, though, an old friend, an editor with a major publishing house, gave me a particularly thoughtful book at our lunch,
The iConnected Parent: Staying Close to Your Kids in College(and Beyond)While Letting Them Grow Up. The book was written with research done at Middlebury and The University of Michigan and discusses how much or little parents should stay connected to their children as they leave the nest.
The book was a particularly lovely gift as my son is going off to the University of Michigan next week where he will begin his college career. It has been difficult contemplating this separation even though my husband and I of course knew it was coming. Having friends and colleagues who are as thoughtful as this editor was at this time is helping us all to get through this experience far more smoothly.
I have no doubt that reading
The iConnected Parent will be instructional and comforting and I am looking forward to it. I wonder if you have any other suggestions for books to help us empty nesters move forward.
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 8/23/2010
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Snoop Dogg blows up a 4-ton armored truck (in a promotional stunt for the new Zynga game 'Mafia Wars Las Vegas,' that is. The explosive promo, which the gaming giant promised fans would take place when the title hit 10 million users, was broadcast... Read the rest of this post
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By:
DIANE SMITH,
on 8/29/2010
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 |
| Studied this period in college - LOVED IT! |
These past few weeks have been a whirlwind of planning, ordering supplies, phone calls, emails...but it looks I will have full classes, or near full, for the first installments of my art class series for kids. I've putting A LOT of time and thought into it, in spite of the fact that the decision to go forward was only made a few weeks ago. I hope people are as happy with the classes as I am.
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| "Twittering Machine" - Paul Klee |
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| Just Lovely |
I've been on a search for reasonably priced reproductions to add to the few I've saved over the years - not an easy task. But, I think I've found some options. In the process of all this, however, I found myself back in the midst of some college art school feelings and memories. It seems so long ago...but then again, it doesn't. I can still smell the linseed oil and turpentine in the studio classrooms.
Anyway, that's when I was thoroughly drenched in the world of "fine art." I started to think about how I used to be able to frequent galleries and museums around L.A. - I'm especially missing the museums - there's nothing like seeing good work in real life. Books and prints can never seem to capture the whole impact of an artist's work. It's just not the same.
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| Kandinsky |
It's been fun browsing through all of the images available to view online (though not necessarily purchase or copy). It's made me remember how much I enjoy looking at GOOD art. For me, that mainly means representational work (not always, though - everything shown in this post are images I like). I do enjoy some abstract work, but it's hard for me to get excited about a giant gray square or drippy paint splatter
By: 1questionaday,
on 9/25/2010
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Psych Major Syndrome Alicia Thompson
Leigh is a freshman at Stiles College where she must contend with academic arch-nemeses, her high school boyfriend, her high school boyfriend's hott but moody roommate, grad school pressure already, and a junior high mentee. Her roommate is awesome, her relationship with her boyfriend is... weird. Meanwhile, she's trying to figure everything out while not flunking out.
The plot is pretty basic (why are things weird with my jerk boyfriend and why am I having dreams about his super hott roommate?)
But really, this reminded me of a Meg Cabot* novel in all the best ways. The voice, the style of writing, the being completely neurotic while still a strong woman? Funny characters and great parents? Check to all the above.
I loved Leigh's voice and have a huge crush on Nate the roommate. I loved Leigh's roommate Ami and wanted to see Leigh's parents' psychic B&B.
Very funny with good romantic tension and I LOVE seeing books set in college. We need more about college students.
My one complaint? If campus is so small, why is she DRIVING to Andrew's dorm? Also, they have a psych building? And a different one for math? I went to a super-small college too, and psych and math had a share a building. They also had to share it with computer science, chemistry, biology, physics, and the occasional religious studies seminar. Other than that though, the small-college life details are pretty spot-on.
This is the first book I read after finishing Mockingjay. I needed something completely different while I recovered from the trauma and this fit the bill perfectly! Fun and sweet and the perfect happy-making book.
Overall, a super-fun book that I very much enjoyed.
*I actually read this because Meg Cabot sang its praises on her blog. The other book she recommended that I read was Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia. Clearly, her taste in books is awesome.
Book Provided by... my local library
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| Tina Fey and Lindsey Lohan in Mean Girls |
Amsco Extra recently had the opportunity to chat with high school student Lucie M.* of Winnetka, Illinois.AE: You are a sophomore at New Trier High School, which has a student population of over 4,000. What is life like at such a large school? What do students do to create a sense of school spirit and community? LM: Things are pretty crazy with a school this big. Our school is actually divided into two campuses, one for freshman and one for sophomores, juniors and seniors, so the last two years I have had two really significant school changes. Getting used to the larger campus this year was a struggle, but after the first few weeks of school it got better. With about 2,000 upperclassmen around you, it can be really intimidating, but most of the time you can't tell who is a sophmore or a senior because there are so many people. The nice thing is that you can make a lot of friends and have cool experiences with different types of people. In New Trier, there are a lot of clubs you can get into pretty easily (like Pep Club or Girls Club) that generate a lot of school spirit, and different clubs can form tight bonds among students.AE: I have heard that New Trier has subject level ability grouping. Can you explain what that is and give some examples of how it works for a typical student? LM: In December, every student that plans on attending New Trier takes a level test that determines what level they will be in for each subject. The different levels that you can be placed into are 2-level, 3-level, and 4-level classes. Two-level classes are normal high school classes, with minimal homework. Three-level classes are considered 'honors' classes in a normal high school, and four-level classes are considered 'advanced honors' classes, basically college-level classes. Four-level classes are VERY difficult and get a lot of homework.AE: Students at your school need to earn two credits in Kinetic Wellness to graduate. What is Kinetic Wellness? Sounds intriguing!
1 Comments on Interview with a Tenth Grader, last added: 10/12/2010
By: Anastasia Goodstein,
on 10/13/2010
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Man, you will be awesome. You have the knowledge and the passion, the two tools that you need most and which you can't fake. All the rest will come into place. Trust me. I was 22 when I started teaching college and I know you can do better than I did then (and I did pretty well, to be honest).
I think you've got a lucky group of students there.
Hey Brad, thanks for the words of encouragement. I really need to hear it at this point in time. I guess I'm worried that I'll bore them to tears with all the info that I plan on giving them tomorrow - but really, that's what they're there for, right? :) Thanks again, Brad.
Ward, nervous is good; it'll make you sharp. Break a leg. And be sure to tell us how it goes.