Category Archives: School Life

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Pros and cons of standardized testing

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By: Siri David

Photo by Andy Barbour on Pexels.com

Standardized testing is a type of testing that happens throughout all school programs. It is a test that is set up where every student answers questions from the same pool. The goal is to see where students are at in their learning process and it helps create a benchmark to compare students and their average scores. This also helps show how successful teachers are with their lesson plans and learning process.

Standardized testing can have a lot of benefits. It helps lower the chances with bias because it has a more consistent scoring process. In the tests, if the questions are multiple choice or true or false this can lead to more accurate results for the education system.

Another pro to the testing process is that the results can help show teachers what certain areas the students need more time on. Along with that, it can help show if certain teachers need more professional development. Overall, standardized testing is one of the main things that helps maintain the education system.

Standardized testing does have downsides. The lead up to testing oftentimes causes a lot more stress for students than the average test. A very important con is that all students learn and process things in a different way, so everyone taking the same test can affect students who might struggle more to understand the material because of the layout.

Another downside is that most tests are around the core subjects, so more art and physical based classes don’t get as much attention which can then make it harder for those subjects to grow and change.

Normally large standardized tests happen once a year, like the MCA’s for example. Since these happen once a year if a student has a bad test taking day it can throw off their score for the whole year.

Overall, there are a lot of pros and cons for standardized testing. In the larger perspective there’s a lot of pros but closer up there are also a lot of flaws within the process. The pros tend to affect the education system well, the cons affect each student.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Pros and cons of working as a student

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By: Demarcus Simmons

Senior year of high school is one of the most exciting yet challenging times in a student’s life. Senior year comes with opportunities to grow, and prep you for life after graduation. On the other hand, seniors can face difficult obstacles that can get in the way of graduating. This year I know I will face challenges, such as staying motivated while balancing a job, and managing stress that comes from preparing for life after high school. These obstacles may seem challenging at times, but I plan to overcome them with these steps: having better time management, staying focused on my long term goals, and reminding myself life is more than high school.

One of my biggest challenges I expect to face is maintaining good grades while working a job. Working at a Chipotle or any job teaches responsibility and gives independence, but it also takes away important time that could be used to catch up on school work. On days when I close late, and when I get home I sometimes push off assignments or rush through them. To overcome this, I can do a few things. Using the planner function in my calendar app on my phone can help me stay organized and make sure I leave time to catch up on other school work before I prioritize anything else. I can also use my study hall, lunch breaks, advisory, or classes I’m already passing to catch up on other classes. By planning my time carefully, I can succeed in both work and school without letting one take away from the other.

Another major challenge I constantly face is staying motivated throughout the whole school year, especially when senioritis begins to set in. It’s very easy for me to get distracted or lose my focus due to graduation being so far yet so close, and when stress from future decisions is on my mind, it makes it harder for me to stay motivated. However, I know staying motivated earlier in the year will have a direct impact on my future, and graduation. To counter this challenge, I will arrange one-on-one time with my teachers to have more insight on work I need help with. By doing this it’ll help me graduate on time, and help me be able to ask for help when needed. Even on days when I feel unmotivated, I can set small goals for myself, like finishing one assignment at a time to keep me motivated, and moving forward.

Senior year will come with both excitement and challenges that we sooner or later will face. Balancing your school life with a job and overcoming stress and senioritis will not be an easy obstacle, but I believe the plan I’ve set in place will help me handle it with good time management, self discipline, positive influences, and determination. If I stay focused on my goals, and stay dedicated to my plans I will not only graduate senior year, but also finish it with pride. These challenges are nothing other than a test for the real world; they prepare me for the responsibilities of adulthood and the next chapter of my life.

Editorials/Student Voice, School Life

Why it’s important to stay organized in school

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By: Seng Nhkum

School starts at Pre-K all the way to 12th grade or later on to college etc. Elementary school and middle school may not be as important, but in high school it’s important to stay organized. These are my 3 reasons why I think it’s important.

First, it’s important to stay organized because more students have said when they are organized for school they have better grades. You can stay organized for school by using a planner to keep track of all the homework you need to do and the assignments you have to submit. This prevents you from forgetting to submit assignments you have to do, and it helps improve your academic performance.

Second, it’s important to stay organized for school because you can manage your time better. Managing your time helps a lot in school because I personally lose track of time, and I always procrastinate homework. So, when I actually manage my time it helps a lot because I have an alarm time set for how long I should do my homework. I no longer need to stay up to finish homework I procrastinated over.

Lastly, it’s important to stay organized in school because it reduces stress. High school can be stressful especially when there are lots of assignments you have to do, and having your backpack and desk organized and clean helps reduce stress. Most students find that a clean environment helps reduce their stress, and gives them a clear mind in school.

Overall, why is it important to stay organized? Because it improves your academic performance, time management, and stress. Also, start staying organized for school when you’re a freshman, so you can continue this good habit.