4 year colleges - really??

How long will it take you to make it through college? Most people will quickly think to themselves "4 years" because most WKHS students are looking at 4-year colleges.

Unfortunately, that is not always the reality. While a college is a 4-year school, for many students it is not always realistic that their students will, in fact, graduate in 4-years. You may wonder why this matters now, but it is very important for you to look at the 4-year graduation rates when you are considering colleges for your future because the longer it takes you to graduate from high school, the more you will be taking on in costs for college as well as the longer it will take you to graduate and get out into the working world or to move on to grad school.

You can usually find the 4-year graduation rates on college websites, but it isn't always easily accessible. This is a link to a US Department of Education website called College Navigator where you can search for schools and then by looking at the retention/ graduation rate area you will be able to see the statistics for each school in an easily accessible way.

Each school's 4-year graduation rates should not be your sole factor in making a decision, but it is another piece of the puzzle to help you. You should use the information to help you ask more questions about why their graduation rates are so low. Is it because it is too difficult to schedule classes when you need, is it because the costs are too expensive, is it because students change majors too many times so they end up with a lot of classes that do not help them toward their major, etc.

Happy Searching as you look for the school that is the best fit for you and your future.

Staying Organized

It has been said that your head is a good place to have ideas, but not the place to hold ideas and I believe that makes sense. I have been talking with a lot of students lately about the fact that I need to write everything down.  It would be impossible to remember everything that I need to keep track of if I didn't write it all down.

What works for me is making lists.  It doesn't have to be making a lists (although I would argue that there is great joy in being able to cross something off once you have accomplished it), but everyone needs some sort of a system to help keep your thoughts organized. It is much more difficult and demanding to try to hold something in your head than it is to refer back to it on paper.  It doesn't require a lot of time, but the payoffs are large as long as you stick with it. 

As you start thinking about the end of the semester, please work on staying focused and organized. What do you need to do to make sure that you end this quarter successfully? What about preparing for exams? There is still time left to make improvements, but you need to start now. If lists are not your way to stay organized, that is OK, but find a system that works and use it.

Figure out what you need to do, gather your materials from the semester and organize them, prepare now so that as you are studying you already have your resources at your fingertips and don't have to waste time searching through everything and above all, organize yourself so that you can apply yourself completely to the end of the semester.

Cram and Cocoa

Over the next 3 days all freshman students will be invited to participate in "Cram and Cocoa" sessions during your lunch periods.  This study strategy session is being provided by the Link Leaders and will be a great opportunity for students to get a jump start on effectively preparing for exams. 

As I mentioned yesterday, you (now) have just 11 days of classes to not only learn and master everything you are currently covering in class, but also to go back and study to refresh the material you have covered since August when we returned to school.

The feedback I have heard about these "Cram and Cocoa" sessions in past years is that they are incredibly helpful.  I sincerely hope you will take advantage of their willingness to help you prepare!

Countdown to Exams

The countdown is on... we have just 12 days of school left before semester exams. I *know* some (or maybe all) of you don't want to hear this, but it is REALLY important that you start studying now for exams. 

With exams taking place before winter break, it is important that you take a critical look at where you stand in each of your classes and what you need to do to fully prepare for exams.  If your grades are not where they should be at this point in time, please make use of the resources available to you - the academic assistants in room 209 and, most importantly, your teachers. I am also here to help you with studying strategies and tips if needed. For many students, your final grade for the semester will come down to how you finish out this quarter and how well you do on semester exams. Please don't neglect this opportunity to make the most of the remaining time as a chance to start reviewing for exams!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving!  I have so much to be grateful for  - good health, wonderful family and friends, an incredible dog, and YOU!  Lexi and I both are thankful to have you in our lives.

One of the highlights of my job is the fact that I will, at times, have students reach out after graduation to check in and share updates about their lives.  In the past few weeks I have heard from a student from the Class of 2008 who got engaged, a student from the Class of 2011 who told me he is finishing up college majoring in the field that had been his lifelong dream, and a student from the Class of 2013 who just found out she was selected to her first choice military field.  I cannot even begin to tell you how thankful I am for each of these former students, but even more so for the fact that ALL of you allow me the chance to walk alongside you throughout high school.  It truly is an honor for me and it is not something that I take for granted.

I hope you have enjoyed your Thanksgiving day with your family and friends in whatever ways are most meaningful to you and that your hearts are filled with reminders of all that there is to be grateful for today!

Have a great break!

I know that the holidays can bring many mixed emotions with them, but I hope you have a wonderful 5 days off and that wherever your travels take you that you will have fun and be safe!

Pictures on Campus

I don't know about you, but I am so happy this is only a 2 day school week!

In talking with many of you recently, I know that some of you will be combining the Thanksgiving break with formal visits or informal stops on college campuses. Please remember that I would like to have a picture of you on EVERY campus that you step foot on - regardless of your intention to apply to that school or not.  I hope you enjoy exploring the campuses you get to see over the holiday!