You’d think this would be a lot easier to start, but it’s not. Maybe Dr. Breu talking about the ugliness of capitalism makes it harder to concentrate. English 100 probably isn’t the best place to begin my writing, but when you don’ do the assigned reading; there’s not a lot you can contribute. I’ve been thinking for months about how Woodruff did or didn’t’ prepare me. Moving on, you spend 4 years at Woodruff, and then you’re shoved into “the world.” For me, it’s the world of college, an experience all its own. One that Woodruff prepared me for in some areas, but led me off a proverbial cliff in others.

            Going from a student body of 1000 to one of 20,000 can throw anybody into shock. Looking at someone at Woodruff, without even knowing them, you can pretty much tell who they hang out with. You can tell me I unjustly judge people, and maybe that’s true. In high school I had my group of friends and knew where everyone else fit. I had people surrounding me with similar interests, political beliefs, heritage, social status, everything. While I formed some great friendships, many were based on convenience.

            College was pretty much an explosion of people. At Woodruff you had the same 20-30 people in all six or seven classes. My first semester I had one person in most of my classes with me, through nothing more than a fluke. This semester, unless I signed up for a class specifically with someone, I don’t see them in an academic setting at all. This makes real friendships harder to form, but deeper overall. My three closest friends differ from me, and each other, in almost every way that I was similar to my friends at home. We share some interests, and find some that others have repugnant. From liberal wieners to right wing nut jobs, I’ve met the entire political spectrum, and made friends with them.

            I’m making this sound easy. Like I just came to college, sat down and started talking to people. That is false. I miss the days of walking down the hall, from one class to another, with the same people. In a sick way, miss having my label, being ‘the smart one,’ ‘the speech chick,’ ‘the bitch’ whatever the case was. The biggest challenge I faced in college was not classes, but being more outgoing. Part of this is a personality flaw, I’ll admit it. Part of it is an issue with Woodruff and it’s culture. Out of the 1000 I went to school with, I knew 150, 200 tops. I was close friends with less than that. High school is set up so that meeting people who are not in your classes isn’t difficult. Meeting new people who’re both different and similar to you is a huge part of college and ‘the world.’ Frankly there’s not a lot that Woodruff’s faculty and administration can do to help you prepare for that. It falls on the shoulders of the students. Go out and meet people, including the one’s you don’t think you’ll like. You may learn that arguing is fun.

Done with English, now to Psyche. Dr. Schneider is crazy. Before college, I didn’t understand missing class. But on days when it’s –20, snowing, and windy out, the prospect of walking ½ a mile to sit wet, stinky, and exhausted in a room with 200 others to listen to a professor drone on about intelligence tests, the draw of staying in your dorm is high. Skipping class is a big draw, and I must admit my first semester I fell into the trap. Sitting on the floor of my friend’s dorm room, I’ve had meaningful conversations, crazy card games, and just wasted time watching the Disney Channel. But it’s really not worth it. The panic you feel while scrambling to get stuff done, the disappointment in yourself, the all nighters, they outweigh the little bit of fun you have.

Now you may be asking yourself, “Eva, what does this have to do with Woodruff?” To that I reply, shut your yap, this is my article I’ll get to the point when I feel like it. (Read, nothing really, I just needed to rant.)

            Now this is the point where I could say, “Another way Woodruff failed to prepare me for college was finals. Not taking them for 2 year left me befuddled as to how to prepare for finals at college.” However, there are two reasons I’m not going to:

1.                  They’ve changed the policy, so now you have to take finals and me mentioning it would be a mute point.

2.                  It would be a lie for me to say that.

The fact is finals at college are drastically different from those offered by district 150. At Woodruff, ¼ of your grade is determined from your finals, but treated as though equal to a grading period. You screw up, and that’s a big glaring ‘F’ on your report card, with no chance of negating its worth at all. In college, a final may be up to 30% of your final grade but that’s 70% that is determined going in.  Finals counting as an actual part of your grade is actually relatively rare. In most classes, the syllabus is along the lines of 20% quizzes/papers, 10% class participation, 70% tests, with usually 3 regular tests and one final.  The only reason college students feel stressed, is because it all hits them at once.

            As a senior, you’re juggling extra curricular, jobs, classes, social life, and the whole college selection process. Adding tests that are designed to stress you out and can potentially hurt you does nothing to prepare you for college. Rather it only add stress and takes away any advantage that attending school offers to seniors. Honestly, how many of you seniors didn’t’ care whether or not you had more than five absences, it’s not like you had an incentive to go anyway.

            The strongest area that Woodruff has is the relationships that you can form with your teachers. IN college, a close relationship with your professors can mean the difference between an A and a B or a C and a D. Mrs. Miller, Mr. Crownson, Coach Clark, Ms. Edwards. These men and women were great educators not only because of the knowledge they have of their respective subjects, but because they showed you they were people. Coach relived college days, on a visit back he advised me to go skinny dipping. Mrs. Miller shared stories, concerns, and annoyances. Edwards and Crowson did the same. By shrugging aside some of their authority, and not towering over us with the” I’m a teacher, obey me” attitude, we came to respect them on our own.

            Note: I’m going to be blunt here; this doesn’t work with all classes. If Gallo in Econ, or McCollum in trig had tried that, their classes would have walked all over them. These teachers show an exception, special circumstances in which those who already respect people are given more freedom. The majority of students, need the authority, because they don’t receive it from anywhere else, and never learn to respect anyone.

            Specifically with the college bound, take advantage of these teachers. In college a relationship with your professors is invaluable. If you have to miss class, a professor with 200 other students can’t be bothered with someone who doesn’t take the time to actively participate. However, if you talk to them, get to know them, take advantage of help they offer, then they remember you, and generally will bend over backward for you.