Well, what a proposal! Senior year, to me, is just as integral, if not more integral than other levels of high school. My problem with the way it is treated in the article, is that it seems to treat all seniors the same. It makes us all out to be bored teenagers who no longer seek any challenge, and are simply waiting around in a building full of rules and guidelines. Some of us are very much awake, welcome new challenges, and still have no problem following rules. If we are bored, it is because we are not finding new ways to excite ourselves and accept new challenges.
Senior year is a time to find yourself, socially and academically. One's freedom is becoming more apparent through social status. There is a slew of opportunities as one decides whether or not to leap into the social scene make senior year a time of social adventure rather than one of academic achievement. Hopefully at this point, you have a choice of a lot of classes because you have nearly satisfied the entire curriculum. Now you choose what classes most directly correlate with your desired college path. Your identity and your interests are formed before one of the most trying times to be had in one's life.
Lastly, the removal of senior year would simply push "senior behaviors" back to the most inopportune time. If one is finding themselves academically and socially, they would not want to do so in the year that presents the most pressure. And even if it were not to transpire, the senior behavior of which the article speaks springs from a mindset that can easily be moved down. It is not the time, but the beliefs.
First I must start off by saying that this was a very interesting article as well as proposal. Ridding senior year would be a tremendous adjustment indeed. But, the way that the author introduces senior year is as if it is just a waste of time, and its pointless. Senior year is represented as if it is just a year where seniors are to relax, and may end up becoming side-tracked due to boredom. But, I believe this claim is absolutely false.
I have heard of the term senioritis, and those similar several times. People describe this term as the point of time where seniors clock out due to an overwhelming work load, college applications, or just plain laziness, and readiness to take a break. Although this holds truth for some seniors, it is not true for all. Many seniors find this year as a wake up call and time to get themselves on track. Although many may believe that it is too late to do this, many seniors come to the realization that life is not a joke, which is very beneficial.
Senior year gives people the chance to find themselves and mature. Many students are already very immature in there high school years even in their eleventh and twelth grades, but cutting high school down to three years would make this immaturity even worse. Students would have to grasp educational material much faster and may have even a harder time due to the fast pace at which they must complete it. If there are less years being spent in high school there is going to most likely be more unprepared young people entering college and going out in to the world. Personally, senior year has helped me become more serious academically, and learn more about myself socially. The removal of senior year would be just plain ridiculous. -Lorina Kegler
After reading this article I've become a tad bit conflicted on how they should go about addressing this issue. Although I do believe that senior year is a staple in America's traditional education system, I now find myself really questioning its true purpose.
I think that being a student at View Park has a lot of weight on how we react to this proposition. Many of us will say that, No! We shouldn't get rid of the twelfth grade because it's so important to a well rounded education. But I believe that many of us are forgetting that for the most part it is by force that we spend such a large amount of time at school. Many of us have already finished our requirements and have our schedules filled with pointless classes that purposeless as we journey off to college. We end up crowding the halls during our first period or lacking the will to go to our art based electives. This eventually causes disturbances for the lower classmen and hinders their learning experience. At other schools students who have finished their required courses are free to go and be on their merry way for the most part.
But if we disregard this first flaw it can be said that entering the twelfth grade is an opportunity to mature and hone in on the skills that we have learned in the previous years. I also think that if we allow them to get rid of the twelfth grade we make the education system more vulnerable and that means more cuts. It's very discouraging, as a student who is trying to access a quality education, to see that people want to continue to make big cuts education. It's just downright unfair to our future generations.
So although I do believe that there are some valid points to this proposition, I think that the twelfth grade should be continued because it's the smart thing to do. (Let’s stick it to the man!)
Eliminate senior year? Yes the Utah Republican legislative proposal would cut taxes but high school senior would lose out on a great experience. Although senior do have reduced schedules filled with many electives, senior would miss out on a great tradition. Yes senior year is filled with a lot of partying truancy, and experimenting but don’t let that overshadow all the positive things that happen senior year. 12th grade allows students to fine tune all of the skills they have learned the previous 3 years, and to develop mentally and mature for college. Some students have already figured out what path they want to follow in life, and senior year helps them better plan this out. For others, it is a time for them to open their eyes to the real world and start planning what they will do with their life. In addition, by eliminating senior year, that would place all of the pressure of college application on junior year, when the student is already pressured by a heavy workload and SATs. Furthermore, seniors are the leaders of every high school, they are who all the underclassmen look up to and aspire to be. If senior year is eliminated, bar that these senior set for the underclassmen is lowered to the bar that the juniors will now need to set.
I don’t think that senior year should be eliminated. Sure, it would cut taxes, but seniors would miss out on a lot of information. Personally, I have learned quite a bit this year. Not just educational, but I also learned a lot of life lessons. For instance, I learned that I can’t give up right when I’m at the finish line. I also learned how to write an effective argumentative essay. Besides, if the state of Utah did cut the 12th grade, juniors would become the new seniors and get lazy a year earlier. I might agree with this proposal if somehow, the 12th grade curriculum could be combined with the juniors’ curriculum. At the same time though, senior year is an American tradition. Homecoming, prom, and a load of other things are the things freshmen most anticipate. If there was nothing spectacular waiting for them at the finish line, high school would just be boring. The more boring high school is, the less motivated students will be. The less motivated students are, the less productivity the school will see. -Monique Mithcell
I personally believe that senior year shouldn't be eliminated. Most students need the final year in order to find themselves and help develop the type of man or woman they will soon become. Coming from a seniors perspective, in order for most of us to survive in the next stages of our lives ( four-year colleges) we need to stick to the traditional senior year because it gives you time to mature, mentally prepare yourself, and analyze your future. Sure the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation intends to give a $1.5 million grant to a project organized by the nonprofit NCEE in order for students to "leap" right into college after 10th grade, but isn't that too big of leap? It seems like a bright idea now, but overall it will affect the students because they need time to grow. In conclusion, high school shouldnt be rushed, its an process that deserves time an'd dedication. - Jay Carter
Wow! guess were just a bunch of rowdy hooligans you guys! I understand the argument and its quite clear, senior year and this ideal of freedom can result in out of control teenagers, which I agree. Although there were some valid points made, I am disturbed by the portrayal of seniors in this article. It angers me that this article makes it seem as if no one is capable of thinking for themselves and we are all the same, it makes us all look like were ignorant young adutls. Well sorry to say, some of us actually care about our future make goals to better ourselves. Although our generation isnt the best, were unique. I look at senior year as a year of growth and opportunity. There are some us who have been focused for the past 3 years of high school and hope to reap the benefits of our hardwork. It's sad that this article categorizes us all under one category, which is erroneous, due to the fact that we are all different in some way. Senior year is a year to find you and prepare yourself for the reality of real life thats headed your way. Yes there are temptations and were surrounded with drugs and sex, but it takes integrity and a strong individual to stand up and be their own person, regardless of those around. Bottom line is, there is going to be a "senior year" whether they eliminate 12th grade year or not. By eliminating it, you will cause another problem. I dont know why all of a sudden senior year needs to be taken out because teenagers have been out of control forever. For some reason when you reach the high school level, teens think they can do whatever they want but my issue is that this isnt anything new. People dont want it eliminated because of the kids, its all about money. Since were in a so called recession, we should take away the education in senior year? We cant afford senior year now? Unbelievable. Eliminating 12th grade will just cause juniors to refer to themselves as seniors because they're the oldest in schools. So now you have 16 years old with the "senior behavior".
I think the Utah Legislature has the right idea. Senior year is largely a waste of time for students who have already fulfilled their academic requirements. Likewise it is also a waste of the tax dollars that fund this useless tradition.
During senior year students spend the bulk of their time in "student leadership" and other elective courses that completely derail any prior academic focus. In my opinion, after a year of relaxed work effort and less than challenging courses students are even less prepared for college than they were during ttheir junior year.
I don’t agree that senior year should be eliminated. Not only does it give students a chance to grow but it also gives us a chance to mature and get ready for the obstacles that will soon come forth. I don’t like the way the article portrays seniors as being because that is not the case with all seniors. Many 12th graders take this time to prepare for college, grow, and take advantage of many positive opportunities. Even though there are some seniors that take this time to slack off and develop “senioritis” which describes decreased motivation towards studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school year this is not true for all students. Many people seem to not see the benefits that come along with senior year because it is often times overshadowed by the negative things that many people feel senior year is filled with such as partying and ditching classes. There are many traditions that come along with this year which many students look forward to before they even get into high school such as prom and graduation. By eliminating this year it would give many students nothing to look forward too. I also feel that if senior year was to be eliminated then many students would just treat their junior year the same way that they would treat their senior year. Which would make this a continuing cycle which I feel would never be eliminated.
Before reading this article I was all for ending senior year and I also feel that taking useless classes were pointless, but while reading this article, I came to the conclusion that ending senior year isn't the right thing to do. The writer as stated above made all seniors seem the same projected all seniors in a negative light. Not all seniors act rowdy, and treat senior year as it was just an added school year with no point in going. To many including myself, senior year is a year where we can mature academically, emotionally, and mentally. Even if it may help with cutting taxes, without senior year, I wouldn't be able to learn and grow as a person and probably wouldn't be able survive at college.
This was a very compelling article and an extremely radical proposal. The author portrays senior year as essentially a time filling party used only because of tradition, a nonchalant year where students coast through and hardly work. Now I may be biased but my experience so far has been the complete opposite. This has definitely been my hardest year to date, hardly a time to relax
I know some of my friends do not have as rigorous a schedule as others, but eliminating senior year will hinder many students even if they are academically ready. Senior year isn’t only about honing your academic abilities and creating good work habits that will carry on until your college endeavors, but an emotional learning period and a time for personal maturity. Senior year gives people the opportunity to really define themselves as individuals, cutting high school down to three years would only make college freshman unsure about their life direction and even more prone to party. I know personally senior year has helped me mature, focus more on my academic capabilities and expand my social skills. I do not agree with eliminating senior year at all.
Some may argue, many students use senior year to impress colleges by taking more classes than are required, and getting more comfortable with the college workload. Others may argue that seniors are put into unnecessary electives and classes that may potentially detract away from valuable learning time. I think senior year should not be eliminated. Sure, many seniors may acquire “infamous excesses, feats of sloth, dances and stretches of absenteeism”, but if senior year is erased, then junior year will not only start to sound more and more like senior year. Junior year will be the next senior year, and similar patterns will begin to repeat themselves.
Then, will junior year become erased and become the next sophomore year? And so on and so on? Senior year is a time to not only colleges that students can follow through with the same dedication (or lack thereof) that was shown through their previous academic pursuits in high school, but to themselves. Four years of high school can also prepare students for the ideal four years that are spent in college, plus the 2 additional years that are spent in graduate school. So, senior year should not be eliminated.
Well, what a proposal! Senior year, to me, is just as integral, if not more integral than other levels of high school. My problem with the way it is treated in the article, is that it seems to treat all seniors the same. It makes us all out to be bored teenagers who no longer seek any challenge, and are simply waiting around in a building full of rules and guidelines. Some of us are very much awake, welcome new challenges, and still have no problem following rules. If we are bored, it is because we are not finding new ways to excite ourselves and accept new challenges.
ReplyDeleteSenior year is a time to find yourself, socially and academically. One's freedom is becoming more apparent through social status. There is a slew of opportunities as one decides whether or not to leap into the social scene make senior year a time of social adventure rather than one of academic achievement. Hopefully at this point, you have a choice of a lot of classes because you have nearly satisfied the entire curriculum. Now you choose what classes most directly correlate with your desired college path. Your identity and your interests are formed before one of the most trying times to be had in one's life.
Lastly, the removal of senior year would simply push "senior behaviors" back to the most inopportune time. If one is finding themselves academically and socially, they would not want to do so in the year that presents the most pressure. And even if it were not to transpire, the senior behavior of which the article speaks springs from a mindset that can easily be moved down. It is not the time, but the beliefs.
-Talayne Gardiner
First I must start off by saying that this was a very interesting article as well as proposal. Ridding senior year would be a tremendous adjustment indeed. But, the way that the author introduces senior year is as if it is just a waste of time, and its pointless. Senior year is represented as if it is just a year where seniors are to relax, and may end up becoming side-tracked due to boredom. But, I believe this claim is absolutely false.
ReplyDeleteI have heard of the term senioritis, and those similar several times. People describe this term as the point of time where seniors clock out due to an overwhelming work load, college applications, or just plain laziness, and readiness to take a break. Although this holds truth for some seniors, it is not true for all. Many seniors find this year as a wake up call and time to get themselves on track. Although many may believe that it is too late to do this, many seniors come to the realization that life is not a joke, which is very beneficial.
Senior year gives people the chance to find themselves and mature. Many students are already very immature in there high school years even in their eleventh and twelth grades, but cutting high school down to three years would make this immaturity even worse. Students would have to grasp educational material much faster and may have even a harder time due to the fast pace at which they must complete it. If there are less years being spent in high school there is going to most likely be more unprepared young people entering college and going out in to the world. Personally, senior year has helped me become more serious academically, and learn more about myself socially. The removal of senior year would be just plain ridiculous.
-Lorina Kegler
After reading this article I've become a tad bit conflicted on how they should go about addressing this issue. Although I do believe that senior year is a staple in America's traditional education system, I now find myself really questioning its true purpose.
ReplyDeleteI think that being a student at View Park has a lot of weight on how we react to this proposition. Many of us will say that, No! We shouldn't get rid of the twelfth grade because it's so important to a well rounded education. But I believe that many of us are forgetting that for the most part it is by force that we spend such a large amount of time at school. Many of us have already finished our requirements and have our schedules filled with pointless classes that purposeless as we journey off to college. We end up crowding the halls during our first period or lacking the will to go to our art based electives. This eventually causes disturbances for the lower classmen and hinders their learning experience. At other schools students who have finished their required courses are free to go and be on their merry way for the most part.
But if we disregard this first flaw it can be said that entering the twelfth grade is an opportunity to mature and hone in on the skills that we have learned in the previous years. I also think that if we allow them to get rid of the twelfth grade we make the education system more vulnerable and that means more cuts. It's very discouraging, as a student who is trying to access a quality education, to see that people want to continue to make big cuts education. It's just downright unfair to our future generations.
So although I do believe that there are some valid points to this proposition, I think that the twelfth grade should be continued because it's the smart thing to do. (Let’s stick it to the man!)
Eliminate senior year? Yes the Utah Republican legislative proposal would cut taxes but high school senior would lose out on a great experience. Although senior do have reduced schedules filled with many electives, senior would miss out on a great tradition. Yes senior year is filled with a lot of partying truancy, and experimenting but don’t let that overshadow all the positive things that happen senior year. 12th grade allows students to fine tune all of the skills they have learned the previous 3 years, and to develop mentally and mature for college. Some students have already figured out what path they want to follow in life, and senior year helps them better plan this out. For others, it is a time for them to open their eyes to the real world and start planning what they will do with their life. In addition, by eliminating senior year, that would place all of the pressure of college application on junior year, when the student is already pressured by a heavy workload and SATs. Furthermore, seniors are the leaders of every high school, they are who all the underclassmen look up to and aspire to be. If senior year is eliminated, bar that these senior set for the underclassmen is lowered to the bar that the juniors will now need to set.
ReplyDeleteI don’t think that senior year should be eliminated. Sure, it would cut taxes, but seniors would miss out on a lot of information. Personally, I have learned quite a bit this year. Not just educational, but I also learned a lot of life lessons. For instance, I learned that I can’t give up right when I’m at the finish line. I also learned how to write an effective argumentative essay. Besides, if the state of Utah did cut the 12th grade, juniors would become the new seniors and get lazy a year earlier.
ReplyDeleteI might agree with this proposal if somehow, the 12th grade curriculum could be combined with the juniors’ curriculum. At the same time though, senior year is an American tradition. Homecoming, prom, and a load of other things are the things freshmen most anticipate. If there was nothing spectacular waiting for them at the finish line, high school would just be boring. The more boring high school is, the less motivated students will be. The less motivated students are, the less productivity the school will see. -Monique Mithcell
I personally believe that senior year shouldn't be eliminated. Most students need the final year in order to find themselves and help develop the type of man or woman they will soon become. Coming from a seniors perspective, in order for most of us to survive in the next stages of our lives ( four-year colleges) we need to stick to the traditional senior year because it gives you time to mature, mentally prepare yourself, and analyze your future. Sure the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation intends to give a $1.5 million grant to a project organized by the nonprofit NCEE in order for students to "leap" right into college after 10th grade, but isn't that too big of leap? It seems like a bright idea now, but overall it will affect the students because they need time to grow. In conclusion, high school shouldnt be rushed, its an process that deserves time an'd dedication.
ReplyDelete- Jay Carter
Wow! guess were just a bunch of rowdy hooligans you guys! I understand the argument and its quite clear, senior year and this ideal of freedom can result in out of control teenagers, which I agree. Although there were some valid points made, I am disturbed by the portrayal of seniors in this article. It angers me that this article makes it seem as if no one is capable of thinking for themselves and we are all the same, it makes us all look like were ignorant young adutls. Well sorry to say, some of us actually care about our future make goals to better ourselves. Although our generation isnt the best, were unique.
ReplyDeleteI look at senior year as a year of growth and opportunity. There are some us who have been focused for the past 3 years of high school and hope to reap the benefits of our hardwork. It's sad that this article categorizes us all under one category, which is erroneous, due to the fact that we are all different in some way. Senior year is a year to find you and prepare yourself for the reality of real life thats headed your way. Yes there are temptations and were surrounded with drugs and sex, but it takes integrity and a strong individual to stand up and be their own person, regardless of those around.
Bottom line is, there is going to be a "senior year" whether they eliminate 12th grade year or not. By eliminating it, you will cause another problem. I dont know why all of a sudden senior year needs to be taken out because teenagers have been out of control forever. For some reason when you reach the high school level, teens think they can do whatever they want but my issue is that this isnt anything new. People dont want it eliminated because of the kids, its all about money. Since were in a so called recession, we should take away the education in senior year? We cant afford senior year now? Unbelievable. Eliminating 12th grade will just cause juniors to refer to themselves as seniors because they're the oldest in schools. So now you have 16 years old with the "senior behavior".
I think the Utah Legislature has the right idea. Senior year is largely a waste of time for students who have already fulfilled their academic requirements. Likewise it is also a waste of the tax dollars that fund this useless tradition.
ReplyDeleteDuring senior year students spend the bulk of their time in "student leadership" and other elective courses that completely derail any prior academic focus. In my opinion, after a year of relaxed work effort and less than challenging courses students are even less prepared for college than they were during ttheir junior year.
-Taylor Johnson
I don’t agree that senior year should be eliminated. Not only does it give students a chance to grow but it also gives us a chance to mature and get ready for the obstacles that will soon come forth. I don’t like the way the article portrays seniors as being because that is not the case with all seniors. Many 12th graders take this time to prepare for college, grow, and take advantage of many positive opportunities. Even though there are some seniors that take this time to slack off and develop “senioritis” which describes decreased motivation towards studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school year this is not true for all students.
ReplyDeleteMany people seem to not see the benefits that come along with senior year because it is often times overshadowed by the negative things that many people feel senior year is filled with such as partying and ditching classes. There are many traditions that come along with this year which many students look forward to before they even get into high school such as prom and graduation. By eliminating this year it would give many students nothing to look forward too. I also feel that if senior year was to be eliminated then many students would just treat their junior year the same way that they would treat their senior year. Which would make this a continuing cycle which I feel would never be eliminated.
Re'Nada Smith
Before reading this article I was all for ending senior year and I also feel that taking useless classes were pointless, but while reading this article, I came to the conclusion that ending senior year isn't the right thing to do. The writer as stated above made all seniors seem the same projected all seniors in a negative light. Not all seniors act rowdy, and treat senior year as it was just an added school year with no point in going. To many including myself, senior year is a year where we can mature academically, emotionally, and mentally. Even if it may help with cutting taxes, without senior year, I wouldn't be able to learn and grow as a person and probably wouldn't be able survive at college.
ReplyDeleteThis was a very compelling article and an extremely radical proposal. The author portrays senior year as essentially a time filling party used only because of tradition, a nonchalant year where students coast through and hardly work. Now I may be biased but my experience so far has been the complete opposite. This has definitely been my hardest year to date, hardly a time to relax
ReplyDeleteI know some of my friends do not have as rigorous a schedule as others, but eliminating senior year will hinder many students even if they are academically ready. Senior year isn’t only about honing your academic abilities and creating good work habits that will carry on until your college endeavors, but an emotional learning period and a time for personal maturity. Senior year gives people the opportunity to really define themselves as individuals, cutting high school down to three years would only make college freshman unsure about their life direction and even more prone to party. I know personally senior year has helped me mature, focus more on my academic capabilities and expand my social skills. I do not agree with eliminating senior year at all.
-Joseph Fiddmont
Some may argue, many students use senior year to impress colleges by taking more classes than are required, and getting more comfortable with the college workload. Others may argue that seniors are put into unnecessary electives and classes that may potentially detract away from valuable learning time. I think senior year should not be eliminated. Sure, many seniors may acquire “infamous excesses, feats of sloth, dances and stretches of absenteeism”, but if senior year is erased, then junior year will not only start to sound more and more like senior year. Junior year will be the next senior year, and similar patterns will begin to repeat themselves.
ReplyDeleteThen, will junior year become erased and become the next sophomore year? And so on and so on? Senior year is a time to not only colleges that students can follow through with the same dedication (or lack thereof) that was shown through their previous academic pursuits in high school, but to themselves. Four years of high school can also prepare students for the ideal four years that are spent in college, plus the 2 additional years that are spent in graduate school. So, senior year should not be eliminated.