Seniors: looking back and looking ahead

As the end of the school year approaches, the graduating class of 2018 spends their last few days in the halls of Uni High, their home for the past five years. While preparing for the next stage in their lives, they reflect on the impact Uni has made on their lives, academically and socially.

Uni is known for its rigorous course load, so it comes as no surprise that many seniors feel that academically, Uni has helped prepare them for what they will be experiencing in college.

Senior Camden Coleman said, “[Uni] prepared me well for understanding how to survive in a very competitive environment academically.” However, Coleman also acknowledges that in college, he will have to learn to study in a regimented manner for long periods of time, rather than studying one day before exams as many students at Uni do.

Regarding Uni’s curriculum, seniors discussed what classes have best prepared them. Among these courses, seniors speak highly about the humanities. Anna Ding said, “I feel like my writing skills have developed a lot, as well as my critical thinking skills.” Umar Hanif agrees, saying that he believes that Uni students will excel in college in regards to writing essays.

While Uni has prepared the seniors academically, there were mixed responses in regards to how Uni has prepared them socially.

Yichen Yao explained, “There is a Uni bubble and we expect people to think the same way and because of that, some Uni students who go out of the Uni bubble don’t know how to handle people who don’t think the same way as them or have the same experiences as them.”

Contrary to what Yao said, Hanif feels that Uni has prepared him for interacting with different people, even if he doesn’t particularly get along with them.

Finally, the seniors commented on Uni’s special student to faculty ratio. Ding recognizes the benefit of being in a small school where teachers will take notice when students are struggling.

“A lot of teachers have reached out to me and helped me the past couple of years,” commented Ding.

However, Hanif believes that “Uni has made him kind of soft” because of how dedicated and flexible the teachers are. For example, Hanif states how Uni teachers are very nice about extensions, and how they approach the students a majority of the time, which isn’t something college professors will likely do. He recognizes that he will have to learn to take more initiative in college to reach out for help.

Although there were some differences in seniors’ opinions about Uni, a common theme was that Uni has helped promote a love of learning which they hope to continue developing. We wish all the seniors good luck with whatever lies ahead.