Every year, the fall of autumn leaves signal the beginning of millions of students’ post-secondary journey. But over the years, the path to college has grown increasingly difficult. In order to combat soaring tuition prices and the treacherous application process, PVHS has devised a plan to address the ever growing expectations weighted against high school students.
Career and College Readiness Seminar (CCR) is a half-semester long course that all juniors and seniors must complete prior to graduation. In this class, students are introduced to the application process for colleges and given tips for seeking scholarship and grant money.
While the class does offer information that could prove advantageous to students, it comes with the expense of filling students’ already-busy schedules. A large number of PVHS students are tackling more than 6 classes a day, and strapping on an extra period could prove to be a great task for some. Others would much rather interact with their mobile devices or complete work from other classes, showing little interest in the material.
Senior Phil Lin highlighted a potential area of improvement after experiencing CCR as a junior and a portion of the senior curriculum. “I feel as though CCR isn’t structured to give individual help. We do all these activities in Xello when we should be working on actual college preparation,” he said.
Even though the general sentiment seems to show disfavor towards CCR, could it be that its benefits are simply under-appreciated?
PV graduate and Iowa State freshman Ethan Olderog reflected on his college experience, drawing a more positive conclusion. “I would say the class taught me what the colleges look for in your essay,” he said.
College essays can be a crucial step when applying to some schools, and they often place a story behind an emotionless transcript. “I used that info in my scholarships to make it intriguing and make them more likely to choose me” Olderog continued.
As the path to college continues to narrow for high school students across the country, it is crucial to have adequate preparation in order to achieve success.
Although CCR may seem tedious, there remains a clear benefit for those who engage with the material, whether it be scholarship lists or general application advice. With deadlines appearing around every corner, it may be wise to think twice before using CCR to get beauty rest.
