College is a privilege for higher learning and the development of self-identification. But students are not always prepared to embark on this journey of higher education.
Fraser High School has an in-depth curriculum for students at a variety of different levels to follow. It has a fantastic fine arts program, multiple accelerated classes, and a good program for career-readiness.
The department heads coordinate with the teachers in each discipline to offer the best learning experiences for students to achieve and prepare for the next level. Mr. Gary Haxer, the department head for science, strives to get students to use their minds, not just machines.
“I really try to make students problem solvers. I use a lot of labs, discussions, and activities that encourage students to think and not just google answers,” Haxer said.
Mr. Haxer explains how he implements problem solving skills as well as provides a variety of studying tactics to make students well prepared for college.He also takes time within his classes to provide personal anecdotes from his experiences in college. Haxer also has an array of classes he suggests students take if they are college-bound. He suggests taking an accelerated route consisting of accelerated chemistry, accelerated physics, and either AP Chemistry or AP Biology. He also believes forensics is a good class to add to a college bound student’s curriculum, he explains it makes note of what you might be introduced to on your own, as well as creates a deeper explanation of human behavior.
Mr. Haxer was also asked the question: What resources do we as a school provide for students who are college bound? He explained he would suggest the student communicate with a counselor.
World Language department head Allison Fredlund explains she sticks to strict deadlines to build expectations among students, which they can carry into college. She also believes it is a great idea to keep with a foreign language through high school. It is correlated with higher SAT scores, as well as promotes independent thinking. Teachers and counselors work together to make sure students have what they need to succeed.
“The counselors do an excellent job of making sure students know what their options are and what they need to do in order to attend the college they desire,” Fredlund said.
Many students explained they believe they are well prepared for the curriculum but not well prepared for the transition. Diving deeper into this concept, students believe their classes teach them well and give them opportunities to apply skills they would also use in college. Though Fraser lacks in college admission guidance as well as letting students know their options after high school.
“I believe I am taught well and have a strong curriculum, but I was not prepared for the college application process,” student Kaleigh Nordstrom said.
Fraser also offers programs such as Early College at Macomb as well as Dual Enrollment. If a student exhausts what is taught at Fraser, they can move further in their education by taking a class at the college. Asking these students if they believe they are well prepared for college, where their responses were somewhat surprising. Again students explain they are well prepared for the curriculum, but are not prepared for the admissions process and are unsure of their options after high school.
“I have a great opportunity to take classes at the college, but I was a little unsure as to what I will do my senior year. Do I apply now or do I wait?” student Adriana Barney said.
Fraser has a tremendous team of counselors helping students through the college admissions process while they are seniors.This support should start being present through freshman year. Students could be tasked with creating goals for themselves, and having support through their high school years. This can also be implemented through the teaching staff as well. Resources should be present widely throughout the school rather than just with the counselors.
