Current Connection: 2.1

Courtney Sollie, director of admissions communications at Seton Hall University, and author of "Making the Final College Decision" posted at College Express, , gives some advice on overcoming a teenager's toughest obstacle: choosing which college to attend.

According to Sollie, the college selection process should begin with "fully considering what you want from your college experience." There are many factors brought into play when considering colleges. Some students, those seeking professional sport careers, for instance, choose colleges with major athletic programs. The quiet, A+ student, however, most likely attends ivy league universities flooded with the future rulers of the world fighting their way to the top with their ever so advanced brains.

Sollie's most stressed tip is to "truly trust your gut." Visiting a college is a great way to advance the big decision, for it gives a student the chance to experience the life themselves before fully commiting. Finding many residential students along the way, a possible future student could be given the opportunity to ask any questions they may have. If it just does not feel right, being at the campus, maybe it is not the right choice, and it can be marked off the list.

As a senior, I am currently faced with this very decision. My factors involve the location and the programs offered. I have had trouble with eliminating college choices, thus I am stuck at a dead end, fork stuck in my side-done. Great tips such as considering factors, prerequisites, and scholarships have greatly helped in narrowing my search for the perfect college.

With the deadline to a final decision approaching, more pressure and stress is being put on high school seniors, myself included. All their lives students believe the decision to be easy and simple, misunderstanding the seriousness of it. A bright future lies ahead for those willing to make the imporant decisions, given they know how.

Current Connection: 1.2

In her article entitled, "High School Homework: Are American Students Overworked?" Lauren Miller, a teenage writer, uses factual evidence to suggest that teachers give too much homework, benefitting no one.

Miller quotes, "...a student should be assigned no more than 10 minutes per grade lever per night." Although this is a guideline from the National Education Association, students receive two to four hours of homework a night. When figuring in the seven hours of school, a total of 45-55 hours per week of schooling is placed upon the kids of today.

The author also claims that in other countries "which have higher-scoring students, teachers give little homework." The United States is proven to give out more homework than most other countries. These other countries, however, have higher test scores than the U.S.; therefore, they should be an example to others.

In the article, Miller also writes, "If schools assign less homework, it would benefit teachers, parents, and students alike." With less homework given comes less homework to grade-a major relief on teachers. Students would be happier, more stress-free, and have more family time in the evenings.

Receiving thirty minutes of homework does not bother me. It is only when I get assigned that amount of homework from four different classes in one night that I stress. I have spent many nights, long and dreary dark times, studying for a big science test the next day while also writing a four-page essay and completing thirty minutes of math problems.

Maybe if teachers communicated with one another about homework we, the students, would not be overloaded and bombarded with hours of work. Would not that be nice? I can only dream of a day...

Current Connection: 1.1

    In an article written by Samantha Noel Cartwright entitled "Teacher attitude on student performance," Cartwright, a student herself, uses her personal experience to prove that teachers' attitudes do make a difference.
    
     In her article, Cartwright shares about having a professor who was "renowned around the campus for her sternness and being unreasonable." Students fear teachers with reputations such as this. Some may even opt out of a certain class, afraid they would not succeed.
    
     The author also claims that students "were afraid to ask a question in class for fear of being scolded" in the aforementioned teacher's class. Being too afraid to ask questions could potentially lead to a student falling behind. Since we first learn how to talk we gain knowledge by asking questions.
    
     Having a professor with such an awful attitude, a negative air about students, caused Cartwright to tell herself things like, "Why even try, she'll tell me I did it wrong anyway." This kind of an impact on students can steer them towards a lazy, negative outlook on their school work. Obvious bad consequences could be the loss of credit or even the loss of scholarships.
    
     I myself have experienced or witnessed each of these three areas. I have had teachers that harbor a bad reputation, a label given to them by students. I have been belittled by a teacher, causing me to fear speaking up in class. I have also watched "good grade" students slack off and become "bad grade" students on behalf of a mean teacher.
    
     Teachers' attitudes have become a big issue. When students are too afraid of a teacher to ask for help, something is wrong. We should look up to teachers as mentors and as counselors.