What I Learned In Honors Classes

Education is very important to my parents and it is not just a means of obtaining a good job in the future, but it serves as a way to get respect and social standing in a world that is so heavily focused on societal and class statuses. Being the first generation to have gone onto higher education, the pressures, put on by my family, can sometimes be overwhelming. In fact, at times I think my parents are more excited and ready for me to graduate than I am, which can be quite comical.

Being a first generation college student is a heavy load to carry due to the constant reminder of having to be a good role model for my siblings. Children of immigrants are often highly expected to excel in their academics and to be involved in extracurricular activities. His/her parent immigrated to the “Land of The Free” in order to receive a better life and to give their children a place to call home. They work from one to two jobs a week just so that we can dig through the pantry, and raid the refrigerator. We sometimes take our parents for granted unknowingly, and constantly fill our heads with a question that we all seem to ask. “How do I please my parents?”, “What do I have to do to make them happy?”. As students we should all be voicing “College!”. Yes, maybe our folks’s dreams have faded away, however that should be our motivation to aim higher; to achieve our American Dream. Throughout our years of education, our very own relatives and teachers have emphasized on the importance of receiving a higher education. I have come to realize that I should not be asking myself “How do I please my parents?”. Instead, “How do I please myself?”, “What will my lifetime goals be?”, “Will it leave my parents hard work in vain?”. Obtaining a higher education will not impact their lives, but will affect yours drastically. My American Dream has always been to become an immigration lawyer that deals with international relations or to become a professor teaching my true passion for

From a very early age, I always assumed it was a part of my future to pursue an education. The American educational system engraves the importance of school at a very young age. Elementary school children are motivated through rewards when they try their hardest to reach their goals. Students are exposed to statistics and facts outlining the consequences of not getting a college degree as soon as they reach middle school. High school counselors and staff make it their priority to ensure that students apply to college. Students are conditioned to believe that education is the building block to a successful future. My cultural upbringing did not support my choice to pursue an education, however, I refused to conform to my family’s behavioral expectations because certain norms must be challenged due to progressive time periods and conflicting values.

I am over excited to continue getting honor roll throughout my years in high school. After highschool, I am going to try my best to get into a well known, or very good, college. I am going to try my hardest to get into the medical field. I am counting on my grades, attendance, behavior, and sports to get me to become a successful worker. I have also received “Perfect Attendance” plenty of times in my years of middle school.

Joining the Honors College will develop my authenticity, not in the sense that I will be a more honest person, but rather, that I will know more about myself and have better reasoning behind my beliefs. The challenging course load that Honors Students face requires a deeper level of reflection. Students must not only know the material, but have a solid foundation behind it. This forces students to question their worldly views, resulting in a reformed person both socially and academically. Striving for a deeper understanding requires my views to constantly evolve.

Being an all A’s honor student is something that was important to me before I even started high school. When I found out how important academics were going to be to get into college in junior high I began to earn all A’s in

. After two years, I was able to find my way and becoming an honor high school student; I was able to qualify honor classes and A.P classes. Due to my efforts, I also got the high school business award for 2008. I persuaded for a better education by challenging myself with heavier work and difficult tasks. I was able to pass the state exams and graduate from high school with a 3.6 GPA.

This Colloquium was important for us, the students of The Honors College, to attend because it granted us advice and knowledge in regards to an issue which is incredibly relevant to us, consent and campus safety. We as college students are a vulnerable population since, according to the information provided to us by the speaker, 11.2% of college students, graduate, and undergraduate, in America will experience some form of sexual assault. This means that sadly we must be prepared to deal with situations like those and to do so we must be informed about what to do if such a situation presents itself. The speaker also made sure to give us advice on what to do when we are not in such a situation ourselves but are witnessing it. Her suggestions

Honors classes at times can be challenging. However, everyone has different perspectives on them. The difficulty of the courses usually vary by the instructor. Some teachers put a heavy load of work on their students and some give a balanced amount of work. I don't know what the teachers are like at your school but hopefully they won't be so cruel. My teachers were okay I guess.

To be an honors student it means you are responsible and respectful. A honors student should be ready to take a task and fulfil it to the best of their ability. It means they are ready to challenge yourself with complex tasks and complete them responsibly while going above and beyond.

Some might disagree with the fact that honors standard are really not necessary, but in reality it is. Having honors courses in high school can make you accustomed to high level of challenge and unlock a students full potential which will serve you well in college than those in regular classes. I have been in IB and honors classes since middle school and it has taught me that there is always a way to take difficult problems and find a solution; school wise and in the real-world. Every day we might accouter some type of math problem to solve even the smallest, it might be counting the change In your pocket, seeing how many miles you need to get to a certain location or telling the time it all requires math. Students who want a career as a

Being in the Honors Program would be challenging obstacle. You will have more tests, more homework, and will be able to take the AP exam for some classes. So in the process of these classes you are being prepared for higher classes like the IB and/or AP courses. I think that the Honors Program will prepare me for the higher courses because in the classes they prepare you for your future. The classes will will help you to exceed in IB and/or AP because of the high expectations that the teachers hold to your ability. Also in college when high expectations need to be met you will have a lot more confidence because you know what the teachers are going to expect from you. This program will also help my writing skills improve because in High School

Advanced Placement classes sent me to the hospital. Education has always been a blessing for my family and I. Both my parents only speak Spanish and little to no understanding of English. That is why at a young age, I learned to be a translator when my parents needed help. Therefore, I aimed to make my parents happy by academically performing well in school and helping my younger siblings at home do the same. I came across Advanced Placement and Honors classes near the end of my first year of high school. I realized that I was bored in my regular English class, but I thought nothing of it because I thought it was the same for every student. I earned an A+, and my counselor introduced me to Honors classes. I relished the Pre-AP Language Arts

I chose Honors because I felt I could do it. Honors just means you have to work harder, but I know I can do it. I just have to sit down, focus and set the bar for myself. I could set it pretty low, if I wanted. D is still a passing grade. Why would anyone want to do that, though? It won’t get you anywhere in life to do the bare minimum. Now overachievers, that’s where it’s at. You get ahead early and stay ahead, then you’re able to retire early and have fun for the rest of your life, with the exception of bills and such. Anywho, riding the mediocrity wave to a low paying job isn’t where I want to be. It may sound fine to some people,

The biggest I probably took this year was requesting to move into an honors class. I was taking regular 8th grade classes and felt like I needed to be challenged. Everytime I sat in my classes i tended to tune out because everything the teacher was saying i had learned in the past