Housekeeping

One of the things I like to ask students at the end of the school year involves a bit of self-reflection: are you the same person in May that you were in August? If you haven’t changed, I’m not sure whether to admire your backbone or deride your stubbornness–or bemoan my failures as well as the school’s. Knowledge changes people, and if you haven’t changed, I fear that you might not have learned.

This isn’t to say that I want the devoutly religious to become atheists, for Republicans to become Democrats, for Democrats to become Libertarians, for biologists to become chemists. Rather, I hope that learning more prepares your against your vocation so that you can enter it with your eyes wide open. Keep an open mind as a student. You’ll spend more waking hours as an adult at your place of work than at your home. You better love what you do.

Have you changed? Have you learned? Let me know by Wednesday at 4:00, which is when the blog closes for the summer.

This entry was posted in Education. Bookmark the permalink.

25 Responses to Housekeeping

  1. James says:

    My opinions and feelings about popular topics has remained pretty much the same. However, the way I see the world outside of MSMS has. Before MSMS, I was probably going to go to some community college and chase football dreams, which seemed like the best possibility. People from Vardaman didn’t go to university straight from high school. Now, I see there is much more opportunity for my education and extracurricular life. Instead of playing football, I’m much more likely to participate in college esports. Also, I plan to apply to the honors college, instead of just doing the bare minimum. MSMS expands the limits for students who come from locations that may be underperforming or even isolated (like Vardaman). To sum it up, my morals/opinions have not changed, but my horizons have been broadened

  2. Andrew Liu says:

    I feel that I have definitely changed since orientation week in August. Coming to MSMS, I was nervous to meet and talk to new people. MSMS has helped me to build up my confidence in myself as well as my communication with other people. Participating in projects such as Tales from the Crypt has drastically improved my ability to speak in front of audiences, and the podcast project and my engineering paper for Intro to Engineering have helped me in conversation and communication. Before coming to MSMS, I did not care much for leadership and service, but MSMS has showed me that I should care for my community and be more social. Back at my home school, I would likely just keep to myself, so I am glad that I came to MSMS and expanded my horizons.

  3. Bill Arnoldus says:

    I have definitely changed and learned from the person I was when I came to MSMS. It’s almost as if I came full circle. Back at SHS I would stare off into space waiting for class to end. Coming to MSMS I was actively engaged in my classes and did my best. Now I find myself at the end of the year and still staring off into space waiting for class to end. In between these two points I have had a lot of forgettable and memorable experiences that eventually eroded the hope I had for this school. Have it be mistakes on my part, interactions with teachers/faculty, and memories made with friends, I realized along the way that this school is no different from the one I came from.

  4. Yishia Walton says:

    Though the school has taught me a lot I’m not sure it was worth the cost. I think my entire mindset has changed significantly since arriving here in August. School used to be one of the most important things to me but slowly as school progressed I lost that love that I always had. I caught writer’s block and realized I took a lot of things for granted at my home school. I know I’m not the same person as I was in August but I haven’t decided if it’s a better person or not.

  5. Christina Zhang says:

    This school year has undoubtedly changed who I am. Beyond just academics, I have learned a lot, particularly about myself. Having the opportunity to delve into new subjects, new conversations, and new extracurricular activities has certainly helped me explore more about my identity and my interests. For example, I never would have been able to recognize the impact of one’s voice without doing speech and debate, something that was never offered at my homeschool. Moreover, I have discovered aspects about this school that have helped me recognize exactly what I do and do not want to engage in at college.

  6. Hilldana Tibebu says:

    I have learned a lot about myself, and I never knew how much I appreciated privacy. I’ve discovered and developed new academic passions, and have learned to venture into new things. I’ve learned the importance of isolation and staying true to one’s self. I’ve watched myself adjust to the academic rigor and the transition to a new residential lifestyle, but both have shown me things that I underappreciated from home.

  7. Cali Orman says:

    I have learned a lot this year. I have learned about new topics and subjects, and how I may not despise biology the way I thought I did. I learned about myself and how I interact with others, who I want to be when I grow up and who I do not want to be. Being at MSMS has challenged me but in a way that made me realize where my prioritize lied. I have changed as a person and have become more independent and confident in myself and my ability to do things on my own. I have also become more accepting of help although still reluctant (or stubborn) I am more open to getting help when I need it.

  8. Geethika Polepalli says:

    I think the main thing about me that has changed is the way that I can communicate and connect with people. At my old school, it was easy to stay with the same friends and people that I had grown up with, so I did not expand my boundaries and talk to new people at school. Since coming to MSMS, I have had no choice but to expand my horizons and meet all kinds of people. This has helped me grow as a person as it has, overall, helped my people skills. Now, I can put myself in any situation and try to talk to people, older and younger than me, to make relationships with people all across the globe.

  9. Gordon Welch says:

    When I came to MSMS, I didn’t feel that school was important. I thought it was pointless and easy since that’s the way it was at my home high school. After a couple of weeks here, I realized that school is essential, even in high school. I also believe I developed better time management skills since I came here. At the moment, it’s hard for me to tell how much I’ve changed. I think when I head back to my hometown for the summer, and I see a lot of my old friends again. I will then realize how much I’ve truly changed over the past nine and a half months.

  10. Laya Karavadi says:

    Since coming here in August, I have definitely changed in some ways and in others I have stayed the exact same. I met new people that have broadened my knowledge of the world and took classes that made me realize I really enjoyed learning about that subject or know I definitely would never like to touch that topic again. I used to never stay up past 10:30 before I came here, but many nights I find myself trying to finish a project or essay until 11:59 because I definitely do not stay up past then…I never thought I would be able to bring my grades up during first nine weeks, but I somehow did. I got used to the weekly mastering chems that seemed never-ending. They took hours to complete, but sadly that stayed the same. I never experienced those rare occasions when I see that wonderful sleeping panda on my to-do list before I came to this school. I do not belive that my personality itself has changed. I am still the same person I was when I came here, I just think my attitude for the future is completely different. I never thought about my future as much as I did here. MSMS has opened my eyes to a better future, helped me make friends that I will cherish forever, and create a new love for subjects I never thought about before.

  11. Jonathan Kiesel says:

    My change is that I’ve only improved. /s

    In all seriousness though, I’ve become significantly better with elaborating on my ideas in my writing. Once you start expanding your vocabulary, you find more ways to communicate everything, including your own definitions. Sure, I might have been forced to understand the epsilon-delta definition for continuous functions, but I’ve found methods to explain the idea of continuity more concretely (which is that for all input values, you can make the surounding interval around each value small enough to encompose only other values that are nearby). Furthermore, it’s been easier to create my own argument and stances, simply because University Composition shows some of the ways to make them (indirectly through in-class discussion, of course).
    Outside of the class, I’m making new discoveries about myself and the world around me, like how I became a soccer player and a track runner (which I wouldn’t have otherwise done at my home school). That’s what MSMS does for students, it expands opportunities everywhere, inside and outside the classroom.

  12. Arika Gardner says:

    I have most definitely went through a drastic change here at MSMS. At my previous school I was deemed the weird girl since I didn’t talk as much nor did I engage in the same activities as my other classmates (which is understandable since they were heavily influenced by violence and mainstream media yet they accused me of being abnormal 😐). Anyway, I struggled to find somewhere to fit in since I refuse to change for the worse just to be accepted by others. Coming here I found out how true the saying “ignorance is bliss” really is. I realized that my previous school restricted my limits of ability and thinking. I am way more mature and a heavier critical thinker since coming to MSMS. I found friends and other peers who share the same views as me and who I can sit down with to have long drawn out and educational discussions with. At home I felt like I was talking to brick walls but now I feel like I am being heard. I’ve always been involved in my community but it is now amplified since coming here. I am no longer the girl anxious to come to MSMS, but a young lady who has experienced the good this school can do and has used it to my own advantage.

  13. Arika Gardner says:

    I have most definitely went through a drastic change here at MSMS. At my previous school I was deemed the weird girl since I didn’t talk as much nor did I engage in the same activities as my other classmates (which is understandable since they were heavily influenced by violence and mainstream media yet they accused me of being abnormal ). Anyway, I struggled to find somewhere to fit in since I refuse to change for the worse just to be accepted by others. Coming here I found out how true the saying “ignorance is bliss” really is. I realized that my previous school restricted my limits of ability and thinking. I am way more mature and a heavier critical thinker since coming to MSMS. I found friends and other peers who share the same views as me and who I can sit down with to have long drawn out and educational discussions with. At home I felt like I was talking to brick walls but now I feel like I am being heard. I’ve always been involved in my community but it is now amplified since coming here. I am no longer the girl anxious to come to MSMS, but a young lady who has experienced the good this school can do and has used it to my own advantage.

  14. Everett "CJ" Mason, Jr. says:

    This past year has been nothing short of a riptide for me. Coming into this school, I was extremely introverted, scared of expressing my opinions, and terrified of new ideas. After being here for the past year, I have changed a lot. Not only have I been exposed to a plethora of new ideas about life, relationships, and religion, but I have also been exposed to new ethnicities as well. To me, this is easily one of the most important experiences of the past year – I have been able to learn that there is more to life than black or white and everyone doesn’t hate me or make accommodations become of my skin color. Although imposter syndrome still plagues me in my academic endeavors, I have become a lot more confident in myself. Interactions with the people of this school have allowed me to decide on a possible career for my future and set myself up better for the future.

  15. India White says:

    I do not believe I have made the drastic change that others feel they have made, but that is not to say that I haven’t changed at all. Because of MSMS I have learned the importance of prioritizing tasks as well as juggling all the aspects of my life. Before this school, although it is true that I would be busy, I would never have more than 2 or 3 important things going on in my life at a time. Not to mention I would have plenty of time to dedicate to the few important things on my plate. Here, especially recently, I have had no less than 5 important things going on at once and only about a week to address each of these tasks to the best of my ability. Although it has been tenuous and stressful at times, I have been able to improve my prioritizing skills.

  16. Elliot+Mathers says:

    I have changed back and forth like yin and yang. It is almost like i have two tigers fighting against each other one wins sometime and the other wins the other time. I can be good and i can be bad but i know one thing that has changed about me. I lost my work ethic. In the beginning of the year i got everything done ahead of time. Now it takes a lot just to get anything done.

  17. Aaron+Sharp says:

    My outlook on life has definitely changed since coming to MSMS. I have become a much better person, and am not fake anymore. It’s normal at most high schools to be judged based on what makes you unique, while at MSMS it’s celebrated. The workload is much more difficult at MSMS, but it’s much more rewarding as well. I never would have thought I would enjoy programming before coming to MSMS, but now I’ve made numerous projects using python and Arduino, and love it. At Oxford I would have half-assesed a programming class because the teaching would be bad, the work wouldn’t be challenging, and it would likely be a bad first impression of what programming and computer engineering really is, but since I came to MSMS, computer engineering/robotics is what I want to major in.

  18. Hong Zheng says:

    This year has been a long-changing experience. My view of the world has broadened with meeting so many new people. In my previous years, I hesitated to meet new people, but coming to MSMS, I wanted to get out of my comfort zone. I took baby steps such as saying hello to familiar faces and journaling down people’s names. While I did end up quitting the journaling process after the first 9-weeks, I learned many new names and met many new friends which have broadened my community, my family. Not only that but this year, I learned about the possibilities that are available. I use to think oh blah blah blah is impossible I could never do that. After experiencing the misery of Dr. E’s quizzes, I learned that many things that seem impossible are actually doable. This year has been a roller coaster of new experiences, some as hurdles and others as just little bundles of joy. Thank you all for a wonderful year of memories.

  19. Jason Barlow says:

    I feel that I have not changed in my attitude, but that I have grown in my mental arsenal. I still have the same personality, skillset, and interests. Reflecting upon what I have experienced I could not say that I have grown much as a person, however I would come to meet new arising problems with a new, temporary way of thinking. So while I still might not be so certian about my future, I can certianly remember the times that new obstacles are put before me, even if I am still running the same track.

  20. Jay De Ochoa says:

    I think pretty much everyone at this school has changed in some way. I have learned to be more accepting of my appearance. The friends I have made here have been way more encouraging than any other friends I have had before. They have also turned me into a more physical person. By this I mean I really like receiving and giving hugs way more than I used to. Generally, I just feel way more comfortable with who I am now. I have learned how to express myself in better ways. This school has also shown me where my interests in academics lie. I actually love calculus now. I also learned that chemistry is a pain in the rear end and that I literally cannot survive without studying. This year has come with a lot of great memories and lessons.

  21. Claire Ellison says:

    MSMS has changed me for the better and for the worse. The first time I was humbled was when I took my first English quiz, I made a 0 out of 4. Since then, I have never been the same. I have developed a healthier outlook towards college and my future, seeing highly intelligent peers stay in state made me realize institution is not everything. MSMS has also improved my networking skills, without introduction to engineering, I would have never secured my internship this summer. Coming to MSMS has also made me realize I am highly interested in humanities, not just STEM related classes.

  22. I rarely had to use my brain, or legs, at my old school. I would often fall asleep and walk two steps to the next classroom to have more teachers ramble. I would say that my experiences at MSMS have changed how I think about challenges. I learned to love staying busy, marking things off my to-do list, and becoming more independent throughout it all. My ACT score did improve by three points, but also I have been able to blossom socially in expressing myself. Without my old uniform, I can gain my sense of style. I have learned a lot about what motivates me, and how to Door Dash. However, one consistent thing through my time here is that I never once needed The Little Seagull.

  23. Sephora Carly Poteau says:

    I do not think I will ever be the same after this year. This year taught me so much about my work ethic and my ideals when it comes to my education. I am no longer as passionate about getting an A for all of my classes and my passions have definitely shifted since becoming an MSMS student.
    I am definitely more sure in “what I want to be when I grow up,” and I am so happy I recieved this experience now. I love the humanities and I thought I lost that when I came here. I used to love reading so much and I would read books all of the time. Since, coming to MSMS however I have not been able to do the type of reading that I used to do. Hopefully, I will get more into thhe humanities in the coming school year.

  24. Oliver Higginbotham says:

    Yes, I have not only changed but learn a great deal. This includes of course my subjects, living with a roommate, going far from home, and opened my eyes a little more. I have also not changed as my learning experience reenforced my passion and beliefs. MSMS has and will forever be a turning point in my life and I will never forget the impacts this has had on me.

Leave a Reply to Elliot+Mathers Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *