...My experiences in high school are my most vivid of memories when it comes to reading, writing, and communicating. My freshman year of high school I had an English teacher that had a big personality and made English class interesting and often unpredictable. She would break out into a song or dance in order to explain things such as a hyperbole. She was the first teacher to peak my interest in reading and writing. Sophomore year was also a turning point for my writing because I had to write a lengthy research paper on Macbeth by William Shakespeare. I learned that I have trouble staying focused on my thesis at times and my wording can often be awkward. I was thankful that quite a bit of drafting was involved and my final paper was a huge improvement. Junior year was a great year for my interest in reading because I read East of Eden by John Steinbeck, which was a great book. Reading East of Eden made me realize how important annotating is and that rereading the text may be necessary if you did not pick up a good understanding the first time around. Senior year was an interesting one because of my expository reading and writing class. One of the hardest things I did was writing a group essay. We were in a group before we started the essay then when we started to draft we discovered we had different opinions on the topic. Communication was key and we had to figure out a compromise so that we could all get our point across. High school had a huge contribution to my literacy narrative...
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...credits, community service, and better grades runs many high schoolers ragged. For many anything but the best is simply unacceptable. In a society that constantly tells its youth they must have the highest pay check and newest car to be happy, why wouldn't this be the case? A fifth year of high school would give students more opportunity to take classes they would enjoy, take stress off of teenagers, and give the youth of our nation a chance to develop good priorities. Schools are always adding new and interesting courses, but for many, like the college bound student, there just isn't the time. Though an arts and crafts class might sound like fun, something like AP Music Theory would probably look better on a transcript. Since there is no time to take both the student will probably take the harder class even if it is just to keep up appearances. Fifteen years old seems too early to start making "career" choices over things that would be fun. But it happens and it causes stress. Teenagers in the country have an ever growing load of stress being placed upon them. Starting before high school teens are faced with the questions: Where are you going to college? How are you going to get there? What are you going to be? All these questions are extremely daunting and often stress students out. Also, with the price of college so high many students take on a job during high school which only adds to the stress. With an extra year of high school not only would students have time to think...
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...High School Years Those four years of high school can be quite difficult. They can either be the easiest years of your life, or the hardest. It all depends on how you make it out to be. High school is so complicated when it comes down to your social life. Nowadays teenagers are bullies. They try to fit in with the “in-crowd”. They usually don’t care about hurting someone’s feelings, so that can cause a teenager to feel out of place. No one wants to go to a place 5 days out of the week, if they feel as if they are unwelcomed and are going to get made fun of. Nowadays, high school is driving teenagers overboard. High school can also make you feel out of place by your grades. Making D’s and F’s can make you not want to come. You feel as if the teacher takes you as a joke, doesn’t think you serious, as if he thinks you don’t want to succeed. Most kids that make bad grades tell their parents it’s the teachers fault. They always use the same lines that every teenager that’s failing terribly says; “My teacher doesn’t like me” or “My teacher doesn’t even know anything” when really it is the teenagers reason they are failing. The teacher doesn’t give you a grade, he or she gives you what you earn. Feeling out of place in high school can also have a positive effect; not wanting to go all the time can make a teenager work harder to graduate, strive harder to get all their credits, and even graduate early. Maybe even make straight A’s! High school is very stressful at times, so...
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...Aim High Allison Reid Saint Joseph’s College William Zinsser’s essay, “The Right to Fail,” is a dangerous article for young people to read. It discusses how he believes that children and adolescents have too much pressure on them to succeed by attaining an education. Zinsser goes on to send the message that it is okay to quit and become a free thinker. He states, in the beginning of it, that, “for the young, dropping out is often a way of dropping in” (Zinsser, 1967). I think that to encourage the youth of tomorrow to not pursue an education is irresponsible. I disagree with Zinsser because I have been that “drop out” and it is a hard road to follow. This great country we live in provides everyone the opportunity to succeed. Zinsser is trying to downplay “go get ‘em” attitude that Americans are so well known for. He is encouraging people to be just average. We are nothing without a dream, a goal, or a vision of our future that is better. Zinsser says, “We need mavericks and dissenters and dreamers far more than we need junior vice-presidents, but we paralyze them by insisting that every step be a step up to the next rung of the ladder” (Zinsser, 1967). This statement from Zinsser says to me that it is more important to dream than to do. I think it is important to dream about what you want to do, set your goals, and go out and achieve them. An education is a great way to do this. From the day you start kindergarten, a framework for success is being laid...
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...High School Imagine this… You forget to set your alarm, so you wake up late. You rush to get ready. As you are driving out of the driveway you realize you are low on gas. You finally make it to class, but you are late. One more tardy and you have Saturday school. Your second period class has a pop quiz which you are not prepared for. When you go to the restroom you over hear two of your friends making fun of your outfit. You are wondering if this day could possible get any worse. And then it does. Your boyfriend of nine months picks this day to break up with you. At one time or another every high schooler will experience a day similar to this. This is an illustration of why the high school years can be the most difficult times in a young person’s life. For example, peer pressure is something every high schooler will face on frequent bases. In an article in the current issue of Parenting Magazine, Katelyn Smith reports that an increase in the number of high school students have been exposed of the common peer pressures in today’s society: drugs, alcohol, and sex. Have you ever been put in a situation where all eyes are on you and you felt like you have to say yes or you will be ridiculed? Studies from the Adolescence Association indicate that roughly 80% of high school students experience peer pressure throughout their high school career. My parents have always told me to,” Say no to peer pressure!” The second most difficult time of a high school student is dealing with...
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...while I had graduated from my high school and I feel privileged that I am standing in front of you students and parents to make my speech. I had been going through the same process when I was undergoing all my graduation. I had many questions and concerns when I was graduating at the time. I was thinking about where I am going to be at after graduating from my high school because I didn’t had any idea what majors to select and what school to go to. I have learned a lot from my past experience. And I will love to share all my knowledge with graduates and parent. To be honest I wasn’t a good student at all I used to bunk my classes and I used to listen to music during my class timing but still managed to graduate. As you guys specially students might be thinking that I was really a brilliant student that’s why today school have invited me to be in front of you guys. But really isn’t true. I am just an illumine of and got successful after graduating from the high school but before that I didn’t had any direction where to head on. You wouldn’t call me successful as I don’t own mention or classic car but I earns a descent salary and live a decent living. According to you guys the most successful person might be Lil Wayne or Lebron James but let me tell you not everyone possesses that kind of talent. High school was the best time of my life I met so many people of my age group and I consider my high school friends still my best friends because they after high school every person I meet...
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...There is much discussion about whether a high school curriculum should be career based or geared more towards college preparation. In the USA the educational system is organized in a way that allows students enrolled in high school to get the education that will mostly suit their ambitions and goals. If students receive a majority of their curriculum in their core courses to help for college preparation, plus have the opportunity to take a few career based courses then they’ll be fine. However, if schools allow students to focus more on the training of a career that interests them at the moment rather than focusing on college preparation they may not comprehend the core subjects such as math, literature, science, and history, and the students will not have the strong basis that colleges require in order to be successful. High schools mainly focus on grades, attendance, and behavior and as a result, surveys consistently show that many high school graduates do not meet employers’ standards in a variety of academic areas, as well as in employability skills such as attendance, teamwork and collaboration, and work habits. (Hart) Having to take classes such as health, culinary arts, and apparel only help in the homemaking career. Advanced students have the opportunity to take harder courses however they aren’t necessarily getting you ready for college; there seen more as a challenge. Even though public schools offer college courses, the students are treated differently from how...
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...The High Life In high school peer pressure is stronger then ever. Students are critically judged by their peers and are forced to either compromise one’s own moral values to fit into the group or face being ostracized and out casted. Students sometimes feel backed against a wall and following the group is sometimes easier than going against the grain. It all started a few years ago on a blistering summer day towards the end of the school year. Class was, like usual, long, boring and unbelievably tiresome. All day long I had been thanking God, more than usual, that it was Friday; earlier that day I ran it an old friend, Deiondre Howard, we made plans to hangout; he said he wanted to introduce me to a few friends and chill with a few girls. So with the possibility of meeting and flirting with a couple hot girls, I droned through last period, counting the seconds go by on my English teacher’s old handmade wooden clock. Suddenly the bell rings, I sighed with instant relief, “Finally”. I darted out of class like a bat out of hell, excited, I immediately ran into the jam packed grid-lock traffic of Bayside High School’s hallways. As I pushed, shoved, and fought my way through the human blockade I slowly but surely made it closer to the courtyard. Bayside’s courtyard is like a crucible filled with every type of spice you could imagine mixed together. With that said, like any other high school, Bayside still had its moments of segregation based on popularity. For instance, there’s...
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...High School Graduation Speech Now that we are graduating I believe this time that we, class of 2014 fine tell all the people cheering on tonight but most importantly our parents three words we swore we will never say you were right. Now today, class of 2014 I challenge you to reflect on your past four years, remember who you are, where you are from, and what you represent. There’s this rumor that high school changes who you are and truth is I agree. Four years can really change a person just as Miley Cyrus because when we are freshmen she was a Disney star who was Hannah Montana riding horses and singing hoe down throw down, but now she rides wrecking balls. Although were change has been a drastic we are the naïve freshmen we once were when we first walked in as 15 year olds very awkward looking forward for the best years of our life. However, we seem realize that high school was not like High School Musical and all these singing and dancing and laughter usually ended as with crying on the way that IBCA everyday and trying to hide behind the bleachers to avoid the dreaded mile on PE. And not even next to classified school survival guide can prepare us for the horror of math excel. Since freshmen year we even change our styles and let’s take a moment to apologize to our parents for having to walk to that headache trap we called abracrombi freshmen over year. And now it’s instagram, twitter, and snapchat and if you don’t update each of them daily people will question your...
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...Jamie is a junior in high school, and she has a part time job, attends school for seven hours a day, take college classes as a high schooler, maintain good grades and keeps up with her school work, and currently in a relationship. America’s society is in a big rush to have teenagers mature and grow up before they reach adulthood. Many adults in today’s generation expect high school students to have all their eggs in a basket by time the student is eighteen. High schoolers are only young once, let them be teenagers and enjoy it. The stress of a high school student is too high because America’s society expects students to keep up with course loads, participating in extracurricular activities, have a job while attending school, maintain relationships, and testing and...
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...The Physics of High Jump Physics is the most important aspect of every sport that people play today. One sport that is completely physics based is track and field, but more specifically, the event known as the high jump. High jump has been around since the 19th century, with the first jump simply a standing high jump. Over the past one hundred years the technique of high jump has evolved to include: the scissor kick, the western roll, and eventually the fosbury flop; which is currently used today. With each new technique came higher results. I have been high jumping since junior high and for the past six years I’ve learned the ins and outs of what it takes to achieve a successful jump. I currently jump for the University of Tennessee and my knowledge of the event has since increased. The specific technique that I will talk about is known as the fosbury flop, or simply known as the flop. High jump can be broken down into three stages: the run up phase or approach, the takeoff phase, and the flight or bar clearance phase. By understanding these three stages and the different laws of physics that make them up, one will have a much greater understanding of the most exciting event in track and field. The first part of high jump is the approach or the run up. The most important parts of the run up are the J-curve and the speed. It is important to maximize the amount of speed that a runner brings to the bar; therefor the approach is run along a curve in the shape of a J. As the jumper...
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...Now the most stressful part about school is the grades. In high school most of your assignments will be graded. Turn in all of your work, classwork, homework, etc… will usually get you a B whether or not your test scores are good. Most teachers give you extra credit, make up work, or turn in old assignments. Test scores don’t determine the outcome of your final grade as much as college; you can pass with a D and have no consequences toward graduating. Not all assignments will be graded on time in college. Tests and papers will determine your grade for the class. The grading also is different for HBCUs and PWIs, I was at both and I can say HBCUs is easier than a PWI. In college you must pass your major class with at least a C or higher or you wont get that prerequisite and have to take that class again until you pass it. At a HBCU the grading scale is just A,B,C,D,F but at a PWI they're grading scale is A+,A,A-,B+.B,-B,C+,C,-C,...
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...At every school in America, there are students that go to school and work their hardest each and every day. They take the hardest classes and challenge themselves more than anyone in their school. At most schools these students are rewarded for deciding to take the difficult route and challenging themselves by means of a weighted GPA. However, there are also students like this who go to schools that do not have a weighted GPA, and the difficult classes they take weigh the same as a general level class. This is why state governments should introduce a statewide high school GPA, so that equality is provided to every student, especially when it comes to applying to college. Applying to college is important and a statewide GPA scale would positively affect this because, “Honors and advanced-placement classes and also can positively affect an admissions decision” (Weaver 1) and with this said GPA system each student would have the same opportunity as those who go to a different schools across the state. Grading systems have been around since the very beginning of schooling. Instructors needed some way to rank their students so they had an idea of how their teaching was affecting them.“In essence, grading is an exercise in professional judgment on the part of teachers. It involves the collection and evaluation of evidence on students' achievement or performance over a specified period of time, such as nine weeks, an academic semester, or entire school year” (Guskey 2). In the beginning...
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...Hard work eventually pays off, so why give up before success is reached? Graduating from H.S. promotes the continued path of education; and greater job opportunities. Public school, online school, and private school have valuable time management for each student. Earning a diploma has a positive influence for kids. The opportunity to attend college is available regardless of a diploma. Finishing core and elective classes throughout all four years of high school establishes the main goal of college and career readiness for all students. By completing high school till the end, it provides students with a range of career options in all kinds of occupations. Higher wages are found more often with those who obtain a H.S. diploma and continue...
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...Most students have a difficult time transitioning to high school, however isolating them is unimportant and can instead have a negative impact. This method is inconsequential since the freshman will lack the upperclassmen’s aid and it may alter their growth and establishment. When the ninth graders are set apart from the high school community, they won’t receive the assistance provided by the upperclassmen. Many high schools have programs such as “W.E.B.” and “mentorship” to assist them in entering high school through the upperclassmen’s guidance. In addition, the freshmen can rely on them for help or to answer any questions they have. Dr. Linda Stern states “students entering high school- just at the time brains are in flux- still have the...
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