Tuesday, August 28, 2012

A Senior's Unclear Road

Colleges today have stepped up their requirements of those who are able to attend in their campus, and this is because of the demand of the society and the budget cuts from the state. Higher requirements and standards mean that students in high school have to also step up their game. Colleges, sadly, can take away acceptance of those who applied when suddenly, for some reason, starts to fail to meet the college's standard. Seniors, in their last year of high school, feels the pressure of going to college and, sometimes, could encounter challenges and failures along the way. Colleges can decline students who they think are unfit, but it is unnecessary for colleges to pull out acceptance of seniors, who have worked hard throughout of their high school years, but failed to meet the standards campuses required, when they encounter mistakes and miscalculations of their abilities.
If a senior is originally accepted from a campus, it means that he or she is able to meet their standards and requirements. A senior would not be accepted in the first place, if they don’t meet the demands of the colleges. It is justified that he or she can attend the college if he or she gets accepted, and that the college cannot pull out the acceptance, since they know she has the qualities to be in the college. Therefore, it is unfair for colleges to take back their words of acceptance to a student who worked hard to deserve the acceptance letter in the first place. However, colleges has their right to not give acceptance to a student to their campus, if they judge the student unfit for their college and could cause a negative reputation for their campus. Seniors who works hard can, however, also have their own downfall or mistakes.
Seniors often tries to challenge themselves or relax for their last year of school, and either way, it can cause to a miscalculation of their abilities or show lack of growth. Some students decide to take challenging classes, but ends up not achieving the grade the college is expecting from them. While other students decide to take the easy way out of their last year, but ends up not showing the growth as an individual and can be judged as someone who does not challenge themselves or not takes risks. Those who does not work hard at their last year of high school may not deserve an acceptance for their college, however for those who worked hard throughout, has to be accepted because of their quality of taking risks and giving full effort, which are the qualities most colleges look for. Colleges have their own expectation for their students and have a reputation they want to preserve.
Many students apply for colleges by showing the qualities the colleges want and by impressing them with what they have achieved. Seniors have to work hard in order to impress a college fit of their interest and be accepted to that college. For example, if a senior is trying to go to a UC, he or she has to take the SAT test or and the ACT test. The SAT test is time limited and the questions have different levels of difficulties, but can show a student’s average knowledge. If the senior trying to go to the UC, does not take any of the test and his or her experience and transcript in high school does not show effort and growth, then a college has their own right to refuse the senior who applied. Those are just some requirements most colleges require and it takes a senior who works hard to meet those requirements. Like what said earlier, if they get accepted, they surely do deserve it and is unfair for the college to take back the acceptance.
Colleges often reject students who do not meet their requirements and they can do that, however they cannot reject a student that is accepted initially, but in the end, rejected after few stumbles in their last year of high school. Students have to prove themselves to colleges that they can attend at their campus and the level of difficulty in applying can vary, but in the end, each and single student has to work hard for the position in that college. If students cannot show certain requirements to college, then it’ll be difficult for them to show much more difficult requirements a workplace would require them by the time they start working. 

Monday, August 27, 2012

Senior Year Highlights


Senior year has started and all the excitement and fear of what is to come, builds up with each passing days. I am quite excited to see how this year will turn out and scared that I might make mistakes that I would regret later on. When Junior year ended and results came out, I was pretty satisfied as to what I have done last year and I’m determined to keep it up, or even better, step it up. 
This year, I challenged myself this year by taking AP Calculus and Economic Honors/AP Government. The first week of school, as of now, did not previewed what is about to come this year. My AP Calculus class is, for now, somewhat laid back. This added to my fear, because I had AP US History last year, and the first week was already busy and full of work, but AP Calculus is staring out too slow and might go on full blast after I let my guard down. Unlike last year, I have two AP classes and I'll give more effort to fulfill a score of "5" and pass on both classes. Passing all of my classes and graduating, will be my biggest senior highlights of the year. After all the hard work, crossing the stage will be the most suited prize for not just me, but for everyone in my class. 
Another highlight of my senior year is when it is time to see the results of college applications we, the students, will be working hard for. Not everyone may be applying for the same college or university, but I do know that we all will be applying for some sort and its result will be one of our senior highlights. 
It is most likely that my biggest senior highlights will be the same as others, but my personal senior highlight is seeing my friends be proud of ourselves, and making the most special person in my life, my mom, proud when she sees me cross the stage.

Photo credit: www.free-extras.com