Gorgonseye on 26/1/2007 at 02:36
Well, it's about half way through the school year, and we just met our high school counselors for high school orientation. First, I'm freaking PUMPED and excited for it. Even though chances are my first week/month will be filled with hazing, pain, and suffering. ( But we get to wear hats in school there so I can show off the TTLG hat I bought!)
But, I find I must take careful consideration in looking through my electives. It seems most highly creditted colleges desire that you at least take 3-4 years of a language. Due to my suspension though, I lost nearly everything I retained from my French class, and will make it much harder to try and pick up again, so I'm considering picking up Italian instead.
Even with that set though, I'm truly concerned with what I want to have as my first secondary elecitve, since that is probably what will be changing most often, I want to try and get something in as a good start. Generally I find myself leaning towards the electives of Personal and Business Recordkeeping, Comparative World Religions, or Journalism. PBR is a full year class, while the other two are half year classes, so I could either just take PBR for the year, run with journalism and CWR in the year, or just pick one of those two twice, and I find myself wondering what would probably be best or what would prove more useful in the long run, so once again I come looking to you all for guidance, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Rug Burn Junky on 26/1/2007 at 02:51
Quote Posted by Gorgonseye
I can show off the TTLG hat I bought!
Don't do this.
BEAR on 26/1/2007 at 03:17
Check and see if there are any community colleges near you, if possible take as many classes as you can to get out of school. Welding is way more fun than you would think.
Try out for a sport if you can, it can be a blast (depending on what type of school it is).
Aerothorn on 26/1/2007 at 03:20
Well, my freshmen year consisted of me going to high school 2 hours a day, special-ed only, so I don't have a lot to say on the first-year experience:)
As far as colleges go, I can offer two easy pieces of advice:
1. Do your best. The better you do, the more options you'll have for college.
2. Don't sweat it. Take things because you want to take them and/or you think they'll be useful to you, not because Harvard wants you to take them.
These may seem like kind of conflicting advice, but it worked for me - despite good grades, I had a funky transcript with barely any of the high-level college recommendations (not enough language, science, math, etc.), no work experience, and limited extra-curricular activities. Yet I was still able to get into my first-choice college. While I realize more and more kids are thinking of college straight from freshmen year - and that's good - don't hedge your bets. If you're like me or any of my friends, you'll change more in high school (or more specifically, from 15-18) than at any other period of your life, save maybe college/post-high school.
What you want freshmen year may not at all be what you want senior year. So keep an open mind, try to get a variety of skills. But at the same time, don't be a college-zombie, taking all the classes that colleges say you want, unless you know straight from the get-go that you want to get into a highly traditional, hard to get into college (most of the Ivy Leagues, for instance). Different colleges want different things. Some care mostly about your GPA and transcript. Others care more little about them, and are more focused on your essays and personal story. Others are honestly just looking for the people who they feel will learn the most from their school.
Yeah, so it's confusing and conflicting advice. Basically, good for you for thinking about it crazy, but don't drive your self insane - I've seen a lot of people get neurotic about college stuff, to the exclusion of actually absorbing what high school has to offer. And despite the cynical responses you're likely to get here, high school DOES have something to offer to most people, though of course it depends on the high school.
Among the listed options, I'd take Journalism - or more specifically, do whatever you need to do to get on the school paper. Many high school papers are nightmares (mine has won national awards, and it still has SERIOUS problems), but there's a hell of a lot you can learn there, skills you can use well outside the field of journalism.
Also, if your school offers psychology, I'd give that a shot if the school has a good psych teacher.
Ko0K on 26/1/2007 at 04:01
Personally, I wouldn't think so far ahead at this point. However, it would make more sense for you to talk to people who actually took those classes rather than coming here for opinions. How long have you been here again? Dude, you should know better. :D
Turtle on 26/1/2007 at 06:10
Have you figured out who you're going to stab first, yet?
aguywhoplaysthief on 26/1/2007 at 06:16
Quote Posted by Gorgonseye
Well, it's about half way through the school year, and we just met our high school counselors for high school orientation. First, I'm freaking PUMPED and excited for it.
Do you live in some other country where "high school" means college?
Because I don't think I've ever met anyone, ever, or heard of anyone, ever, who was excited about high school. Ever.
Shayde on 26/1/2007 at 06:20
Fek Turtle, who did you piss off to lose your moderator status?
Lightfall on 26/1/2007 at 07:48
Quote Posted by BEAR
Welding is way more fun than you would think.
Indeed, especially when you get to point and laugh at those guys with slag all over their goggles because they can't seem to grasp why they're always exploding the welding rod. :rolleyes:
[cue innuendo concerning exploding rods]
OnionBob on 26/1/2007 at 13:48
OH MY GOD HE'S GOT A KNIFE
