STEM High School

Growing up, school was not a major factor in my life. I come from a hard-working, middle-class military family. My mother, a Filipino immigrant, was a homemaker. My father was a 21-year United States Marine veteran. They were my first impression of what I thought my future would be. Being the youngest of four children, I was expected to fall in line behind my siblings when it came to education. I was never pushed to excel in my studies, so I did just enough to get by. As I watched friends escape the grasp of a military town and ascend to their respective colleges, I was left wondering what was next for me. I attended my local community college for a brief period of time. I treated college no different than high school. I

Being admitted into college is a difficult process, one that requires students to be diligent in their studies, engage in a number of extracurricular activities, and overcome the everyday pressures and challenges that high-schoolers face across the country. Admittedly, not everyone in the United States is born with the same opportunities as socioeconomic factors as well as historic injustices have contributed to a society in which some people are far more likely to achieve upward mobility – of which, obtaining a college degree is a necessary part – than others. While there is need to rectify this reality,

As an incoming EOF (Educational Opportunity Found) freshmen attending Rutgers University this fall, I had the mindset that if I did well academically, the transition from high school to college would go by smoothly. Unfortunately, college isn 't that simple. The transition to college is much more complex than people perceive it to be, in my case, it’s the most difficult obstacle I’ve ever encountered. Therefore, my aspiration is to conquer this transitional period as quickly and fluently as possible. When I had to changeover from middle school to high school, I was terrified. I didn 't know what awaited me and how much different things were going to be. It turned out high school was exactly the same, with the exception of the grades being ninth through Twelfth. There was nothing to be worried about. On the other hand, that wouldn 't be the case in college.

When people tell you that high school would be the best time of your life, you don’t really understand the magnitude of what they’re saying until your time is coming to an end. A lot of people say that you “find yourself” in college. I, however, had the advantage of finding myself in high school. These past six years have been awesome, and I really mean it. I know it might not seem believable for a high school student to enjoy school, but I’m not lying about this stuff. I felt this way even before there was a scholarship to apply for. My mom taught me from a young age to enjoy going to school, and as much stress as it might have caused me over the years, I still loved every second of it. It’s easy to focus on the undesirable parts like sleep

As we go on in life we face many challenges and new situations that we deal with. A new situation that most people deal with is college and all the changes that come along with it. What many people don't realize is that high school, in many ways, is similar and differrent from college. Not only are people changing but the surroundings and work change as well. There are some things that seem to never change such as some work and people.

“In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.2 million since fall 2000” (National Center for Education Statistics). That number seems to be rising each and ever year, and it almost seems as students feel like they have to go to college directly after high school. Maybe it is because they feel that they have to fit in, even if college is not for them. Although some students attend college for academics, sports, and other reasons, some students attend college for no apparent reason; with that in mind, students should take into consideration the time and money that is put into going to college.

The transition from high school to college is a dynamic time in one’s life that parallels the change from childhood to adulthood. Both of these changes are dramatic and, as a result, feelings are difficult to put down into words. A messy combination of emotions fills the heart, surfacing in strange ways. Confident high school seniors go right back to the bottom of the chain when entering college as freshmen. These students start all over, just like entering grade school or high school for the first time. The move up from high school to college signals the switch from dependence to self-sufficiency. From a personal point of view, going through the experience of graduating high school and transferring to a residential college campus at STLCOP, made me realize I was no longer a kid and capable of making my own decisions.

Many high school students succeed with a little leniency through their four years. The transfer from high school to college becomes overwhelming and a struggle for some. For students do not comprehend the importance of changing more than their location during the transition. A student must be psychologically, physically, and emotionally mature to pursue college and not venture into a point of no return. Dropping out of college makes the outlook of the conversion difficult to acquire. Individuals should take their time on deciding which college and/or university is the best match for them. There are various reasons that cause persons not to prosper. Issues that individuals may come upon might leave a lifelong scar. Matters such as these

Througout my academic career, I have learned as much about myself as I have learned in school, whether it be from high school, to community college, and my journey that lead me to Arizona State University. I can honestly say as my parents did, that I wish I would’ve tried harder in high school. I scraped by taking the easiest classes possible and choosing to take the easy way out. Looking at my transcript makes me cringe, because I know that I am capable of so much more. I wish that I would’ve taken the honor classes and tried so that I would’ve been able to apply to a college other than a community college. My time at Mohave Community College was a significant improvement from my experience in high school. Not only did I graduate with near honors (3.49), I had made the Dean’s list and Honors List for three out of my four semesters, the first time this had happened since middle school. I had never felt more motivated and focused in my life. I was taking 16 credits and prospering and had a balance of work, school, and a social life. I had never felt more proud of my self in my life. As I sit here and write this paper, I question my time here at ASU as I try to plan the nex chapter of my life. I wonder where I am supposed to go and what I am supposed to do.School for the first time had become a priority, however, it began to consume my life. I would spend hours and hours on end doing homework and studying, and although there seems to be nothing wrong with this, I wouldn’t go

Coming to college has shown me information and knowledge I never thought I was capable of learning and it will be knowledge I will use for the rest of my life. I came to college last year for my own personal growth and to expand my horizons. I thought about what I wanted to do after high school and continuing my education was number one on my list. I’m here simply to better my future, expand my knowledge, increase my potential, and learn more about myself. I want to make my family and myself proud by completing college and getting a degree. Bettering my future and making sure I have the information to be able to do my future career is my top priority because it’s the only thing I have continually been working for since the 9th grade. Expanding my knowledge in these courses that will soon get me to the school I need to be at is a compelling reason for me to stay motivated enough to wake up in the morning and push myself to come to school. I hope to increase my potential and develop into

“As many as one in three first-year students won't make it back for sophomore year” (“Freshmen retention rate”). It just so happened that I followed that statistic. Many colleges do not care much if students drop out or flunk out once their tuition checks have been cashed (Los Angeles Times).Growing up in a very strict household and attending private Catholic school, I was ready to spread my wings and fly. I was looking forward to that independence, my own rules and living on my own. I was enthusiastic to get started on my college journey. In my mind, I was about to live the dream. I would experience my own place to live, no rules, and get to hang out with friends! Oh, and college, too. I was not prepared to be so distracted

In high school, I graduated with a 3.89 GPA, I was a member of the National Honors Society, I was president of my class, and I founded the drama club at my school. I was even a member of the choir for four years. I joined the sign language club, and I volunteered annually for the Walk for Hunger. I did everything I could that counselors suggested to end up in a great college. “Be well-rounded,” they advised. Nevertheless, I enjoyed keeping busy; I enjoyed the responsibility and strong relationships that came with it.

There are five sequential steps in the typical pipeline to college (Choy, Horn, Nunez, & Chen, 2000). Students need to aspire to attain a bachelor’s degree early; prepare educationally to ensure qualification; undertake admission examinations; submit applications to a four year college; and receive response confirming acceptance. Students need current, realistic information about the array of postsecondary options and their individual likelihood for success in particular fields (Valadez, 1998). The readiness of students academically, socially, and emotionally in high school increases the chance for a successful transition to college (Conley, 2008).

As pretentious as it sounds, I don’t think succeeding in high school was particularly difficult. I say this aware of the privilege attached to that statement, but from what I both experienced and witnessed, the simple acts of paying attention and completing assigned work got most people through. Conversely, college will require significantly more time, effort, and discipline, which I intend to embrace because my motivations as a student have completely evolved. Despite the relative ease of high school, I did work hard, but only to uphold my class rank both out of competition and in preparation for college applications. School felt ineffectively structured around testing, and not around actual intellectual growth, contrasting the whole philosophy of college. Now, I sincerely crave knowledge to grow not only as a student, but as a person, to expand my view of the world and attempt to understand its many complexities. Investing in myself, and my future requires more than high school ever would, and that’s fairly reasonable all

The transition from high school to college is not only an exciting and challenging time, but also a great milestone in one’s life. There are several differences between the lives of high school and college students. Some individuals will be able to jump right in and adjust to this change seamlessly, while others may take years to adapt, or never even grab hold of the whole college experience at all. High school and College are both educational grounds for a student to grow and enrich their lives with knowledge. Both are like puzzle pieces: on one side they fit together, but on the other side they are something completely