ASKING QUESTIONS, EXPLORING OPTIONS, CHANGING THE IMPACT OF PUBLIC EDUCATION.

Jacob Dwyer

Jacob Dwyer is a senior high school student at Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas.

School House

A Farewell To Arms.

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This post is going to be short, and it is going to be my last.

Over the course of this past year, I have been given so many wonderful and amazing blessings, and I sit here grateful as I type this. My time at Rice was only one of the many experiences that contributed to my senior experience.

For all the bashing and trash talk I have towards the education system in America, I want to close by saying this: all and all, I do actually support and approve the educational foundations of America. Sure there needs to be a little body work done, but that’s only to improve an already fantastic system.

We’ve got great teachers, great resources, and great minds, all working towards the central goal of making this world a better place. Overall, America is one of the few countries in the world where a great education can get you places based on merit alone, and I stand by that statement.

Regarding my personal education and experience, I plan to attend Texas A&M University to obtain a degree in Nuclear Engineering, and am super excited to be a part of the class of 2016. It’s a crazy chaotic time in my life, but I feel prepared for it.

I’m ready to write my next chapter.

As for the readers who are reading this, I would like to close by saying this:

Thank you so much.

I would not be here without you. It’s plain and simple: If no one is reading my posts, I would not be a writer for the REEP program, and here I am writing for the REEP program, so that implies someone out there reads my posts.

You, dear reader, have been so fantastic, so supportive, so encouraging.

You have changed my life, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

With best wishes and warm regards,

Jacob Dwyer

School House

Pointillism.

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All star quarterback? Captain of the chess team? Editor-in-chief with a 4.0 GPA?

Boring.

If there is one thing my time in the college admissions lottery has taught me, it’s that we, as an educational system, have reached the era of the super resume. No longer can simply having good grades and being well rounded get you into a good college. Resumes need zing; they need flavor and pizzazz.

They need a point.

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Boxed in.

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As a high school student, I have spent a good part of my life staring out a window from a classroom. Be it in math, science, or English, when it is a nice day outside, and my desk is up against anything that lets me see outside, no work is getting done.

While the responsibility of my negligence does lay upon myself, I think it is only fair to give a little credit where credit is due. The way my daily schedule is built, the one that wakes me up before the sun is out and gets me home as the sun is setting, has a lot to do with why I find staring out a window so entertaining.

Think about it. I spend about three-fourths of my conscious week inside of a classroom or doing homework, and when the birds outside are chirping, and the sun outside is shining, that just feels like a little too much.

Maybe I just have spring fever.

Or maybe not.

 

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Senioritis.

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Second semester senior year is going to be so sweet! Not having to care about grades, not having to worry about learning, not having to worry about test scores. Senioritis here I come!

Not so fast.

As I go to class everyday, I can visibly see my friends lose their motivation, and slowly cease to care about school. Applications are turned in, school is manageable, final rankings have been sent to the few schools that haven’t released acceptance letters yet.
Really having that spark and drive is almost impossible. Comments such as “why are we even here” and “May, hurry up and come. I want to be out of this place once and for all” can be heard throughout the day. When teachers give out homework, instead of the avid AP students whipping out their planners and writing down the due dates, all that comes out are mumbled complaints and sighs.

And this is just how second semester is supposed to go, right? Even the kids who swear to work until the very end experience some form of burn out. I honestly don’t know a single student still holding onto their work ethic from freshman year.

Well, that’s what I thought, or at least I did until this past week.

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Why Do Homework?

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Alright, I know I rant a lot about homework, but what other force in the universe would cause me to be writing this blog post during the witching hours?

Up until today, I though homework was a needed force, a good force that allowed use students to learn at home. Annoying, but ultimately helpful for performances on tests and retention of material.

Now I’m not so sure about that.

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