Travel/study program for high school junior?
January 26, 2011 11:19 AM Subscribe
My 16 year old daughter is fed up with her high pressure high school academic experience, and wants to try something more experiential for one semester of her junior year. She is very motivated, organized and has good people skills. European travel a plus, but the key criterion is joyful experiential learning, and of course a sense of professionalism and safety on the part of the program. Any suggestions?
I don't think NOLS is exactly what you're looking for, but it's a wonderful idea overall. All of my favorite college learning experiences were experiential and in the field (ecology, ornithology, and geology at field camps; New England literature classes while living in the woods of New England). Good on you for encouraging her!
posted by ldthomps at 11:31 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by ldthomps at 11:31 AM on January 26, 2011
CIEE has numerous study abroad programs available to high school students.
posted by zizzle at 11:38 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by zizzle at 11:38 AM on January 26, 2011
This isn't an answer to the question you asked, but perhaps she'd have good results from endeavoring to reduce the pressure of her high school experience.
This book, by the guy who writes Study Hacks is an interesting read. He's a very high-achieving academic who doesn't work after 5 (I think it's 5; might be 4:30 or 6, the point still stands). Ever. There are some excellent strategies for excelling without breaking your back or burning out to be found there.
posted by willpie at 11:40 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
This book, by the guy who writes Study Hacks is an interesting read. He's a very high-achieving academic who doesn't work after 5 (I think it's 5; might be 4:30 or 6, the point still stands). Ever. There are some excellent strategies for excelling without breaking your back or burning out to be found there.
posted by willpie at 11:40 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I did AFS when I was in high school. The academic rigor is not quite the same in the US (I was in France and high school is certainly very difficult for teenagers there, but most of my teachers didn't really expect much of me since I was just starting to learn the language). I too was sick of the seemingly meaningless high pressure environment and I felt restless.
It was one of the most defining moments of my life. If your daughter has good people skills, this would be a great experience for her. Sure, making friends is hard in a new place, but making friends when you don't know the language? It made me more independent, open and worldly. I now have dozens of friends and "family" living half way across the world.
As for what roomthreeseventeen said, sure, you're missing part of high school. But while I had grown into an adult in six months, nothing changed in my small midwestern town. Everyone was still gossiping about the same people. Three and a half years was more than enough of high school.
posted by allymusiqua at 11:42 AM on January 26, 2011 [4 favorites]
It was one of the most defining moments of my life. If your daughter has good people skills, this would be a great experience for her. Sure, making friends is hard in a new place, but making friends when you don't know the language? It made me more independent, open and worldly. I now have dozens of friends and "family" living half way across the world.
As for what roomthreeseventeen said, sure, you're missing part of high school. But while I had grown into an adult in six months, nothing changed in my small midwestern town. Everyone was still gossiping about the same people. Three and a half years was more than enough of high school.
posted by allymusiqua at 11:42 AM on January 26, 2011 [4 favorites]
A friend of mine runs a non profit called Global Learning Across Borders. I don't have any personal experience with it, but from what I've heard about some of the programs it sounds great.
posted by bobafet at 11:46 AM on January 26, 2011
posted by bobafet at 11:46 AM on January 26, 2011
How about a few weeks at sea?
Have you considered home schooling for a semester? She sounds like a good candidate for it.
posted by mareli at 11:47 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
Have you considered home schooling for a semester? She sounds like a good candidate for it.
posted by mareli at 11:47 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
Youth for Understanding is another high school exchange program. My family hosted a couple of YFU students, but I don't know anything about the outbound experience. There's also Rotary.
posted by srah at 11:55 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by srah at 11:55 AM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I know several people who I'd describe in much the same way you describe your daughter, and they attended The Mountain School in place of one semester of their junior year. All were very, very enthusiastic about their experiences there (mefi mail me for additional details if this sounds like something she'd be interested in).
posted by ausdemfenster at 11:55 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by ausdemfenster at 11:55 AM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
Color me skeptical, but is high school really that stressful? Perhaps easing off on extracurricular activities or pressure to excel or take advanced subjects in which she has no real interest is a better idea, unless it's social pressure she's wanting to avoid.
Other alternatives might include getting a GED (I have no idea whether that will harm her chances of college, assuming she wants to go) and then doing some serious early gap year travel before heading into college.
posted by Hylas at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2011
Other alternatives might include getting a GED (I have no idea whether that will harm her chances of college, assuming she wants to go) and then doing some serious early gap year travel before heading into college.
posted by Hylas at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2011
My sister did AFS for 8 months in high school (in Central America) and loved it. Truly a life-changing experience for her; she is now about to graduate from college and is planning to return to the country and work there in social welfare. I know that she considers her time abroad in high school to be one of the most personally important experiences she has ever had.
That being said, the academics were incredibly lax. This is not the time that your daughter will be learning advanced physics (of course other countries may vary, but my understanding with AFS is that you're usually just in the general public school system, and my sister's experience was similar to allymusiqua's in terms of the teachers' expectations). However, if your daughter is already motivated and successful, then a semester or so of a more relaxed atmosphere may be just what she needs to maintain that motivation.
posted by Bebo at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2011
That being said, the academics were incredibly lax. This is not the time that your daughter will be learning advanced physics (of course other countries may vary, but my understanding with AFS is that you're usually just in the general public school system, and my sister's experience was similar to allymusiqua's in terms of the teachers' expectations). However, if your daughter is already motivated and successful, then a semester or so of a more relaxed atmosphere may be just what she needs to maintain that motivation.
posted by Bebo at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2011
I was going to recommend The Mountain School but was beaten to it!
If you guys can afford it, I know someone who used to work for Greenheart Travel's Year Abroad/Semester Abroad programs. She had worked for a couple other similar organizations and thought that Greenheart was by far the most responsible.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2011
If you guys can afford it, I know someone who used to work for Greenheart Travel's Year Abroad/Semester Abroad programs. She had worked for a couple other similar organizations and thought that Greenheart was by far the most responsible.
posted by Sidhedevil at 11:59 AM on January 26, 2011
I did YFU. It was an ok program. I had a horrible time. Others had a great time. Part of it was the luck of the draw of the homestay family. The other problem was my own immaturity.
My parents described me like you describe your daughter and I thought of myself the same way. Even with a good program, and a teen who identifies as mature, a program like that is a crap shoot.
Thinking back now, I see all of the ways that I was unprepared for the YFU thing and how my feelings about high school and being sick of it were typical teenage angst.
BUT, the big difference between my YFU experience 20 years ago and today is that the program would be a lot more hands-on today, whereas today, kids are a lot closer to their parents than we were back then. I and my high school friends wanted to be seen as adults when we were teens. whereas this generation seems happy to prolong adolescence and not put distance between themselves and their parents or other authority figures.
It's jarring to see the lack of rebellion or nonconformity in the college I teach at.
Anyways, while I chafed at the confines of YFU and now see that I was not ready to be abroad as a teen (I strongly feel teens are not emotionally or intellectually prepared to go abroad on these programs), perhaps this generation has lost enough of that rebellious edge that falling into line on an organized program like YFU would feel comforting and normal.
posted by vincele at 12:21 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
My parents described me like you describe your daughter and I thought of myself the same way. Even with a good program, and a teen who identifies as mature, a program like that is a crap shoot.
Thinking back now, I see all of the ways that I was unprepared for the YFU thing and how my feelings about high school and being sick of it were typical teenage angst.
BUT, the big difference between my YFU experience 20 years ago and today is that the program would be a lot more hands-on today, whereas today, kids are a lot closer to their parents than we were back then. I and my high school friends wanted to be seen as adults when we were teens. whereas this generation seems happy to prolong adolescence and not put distance between themselves and their parents or other authority figures.
It's jarring to see the lack of rebellion or nonconformity in the college I teach at.
Anyways, while I chafed at the confines of YFU and now see that I was not ready to be abroad as a teen (I strongly feel teens are not emotionally or intellectually prepared to go abroad on these programs), perhaps this generation has lost enough of that rebellious edge that falling into line on an organized program like YFU would feel comforting and normal.
posted by vincele at 12:21 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Neither of my teenagers has ever been to school. We don't need to leave the country to allow them to follow their passions, but I'm 100% behind the idea of taking a semester off from high school to do something a lot more interesting. Actually, I'm pretty much in favor of skipping high school entirely to do something more interesting.
Another book to look into is College Without High School. There is a lot in it applicable to any teenager, even those that may have to stick with a more traditional education.
posted by COD at 12:28 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Another book to look into is College Without High School. There is a lot in it applicable to any teenager, even those that may have to stick with a more traditional education.
posted by COD at 12:28 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was an exchange student my junior year. I would not trade a moment of it for a million dollars even though the experience was far from perfect.
My major quibble is that in a lot of these programs, the area representatives are volunteers and generally not compensated. The rep in my hometown was fine, but the one in my region in Sweden was a fucking nutbag and gave me some weird grief (eventually she literally ran away and refused to be contacted when I finally got adults involved). I'm sure it would be different now that the internet exists, anyway, but you are going to be largely dealing with volunteer-staffed organizations and will need to adjust your expectations for that.
I was with ASSE, I knew some other folks with CIEE who were satisfied with the experience, and several AFS who seemed fine (and I think AFS was at the time really popular for intra-european summer exchanges, so they had a big network then). It was a long time ago (late 80s), so that doesn't really mean anything.
There are probably other school-related travel-based programs besides school exchange; I would say the problem that was rife among my peers was issues with the host family. It's a real crapshoot, and these families obviously have expectations and agendas for hosting a student that may not be the same as what's presented to the student. I knew some people who weren't allowed to eat the family's groceries or were expected to clean and babysit in return for a place to stay. One friend of mine actually ran away from his host family (I suspect because they were intolerant of his religion), I know two others who spent several months unofficially living with the families of school friends instead of their host families. I was, I think, a status symbol for my host mother, and I never asked why in the world you'd voluntarily take in a 16-year-old girl when you had a 16-year-old son (we disliked each other and had nothing in common, so it wasn't creepy, but it always occurred to me that for somebody else it could have been really creepy). But, again, I loved it and had a great time and seriously grew the hell up and learned to be responsible for myself, and I got to travel in ways I certainly couldn't have from here. In many ways, I think some of the difficulties prepared me for college and working life in ways nothing else could have.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:29 PM on January 26, 2011
My major quibble is that in a lot of these programs, the area representatives are volunteers and generally not compensated. The rep in my hometown was fine, but the one in my region in Sweden was a fucking nutbag and gave me some weird grief (eventually she literally ran away and refused to be contacted when I finally got adults involved). I'm sure it would be different now that the internet exists, anyway, but you are going to be largely dealing with volunteer-staffed organizations and will need to adjust your expectations for that.
I was with ASSE, I knew some other folks with CIEE who were satisfied with the experience, and several AFS who seemed fine (and I think AFS was at the time really popular for intra-european summer exchanges, so they had a big network then). It was a long time ago (late 80s), so that doesn't really mean anything.
There are probably other school-related travel-based programs besides school exchange; I would say the problem that was rife among my peers was issues with the host family. It's a real crapshoot, and these families obviously have expectations and agendas for hosting a student that may not be the same as what's presented to the student. I knew some people who weren't allowed to eat the family's groceries or were expected to clean and babysit in return for a place to stay. One friend of mine actually ran away from his host family (I suspect because they were intolerant of his religion), I know two others who spent several months unofficially living with the families of school friends instead of their host families. I was, I think, a status symbol for my host mother, and I never asked why in the world you'd voluntarily take in a 16-year-old girl when you had a 16-year-old son (we disliked each other and had nothing in common, so it wasn't creepy, but it always occurred to me that for somebody else it could have been really creepy). But, again, I loved it and had a great time and seriously grew the hell up and learned to be responsible for myself, and I got to travel in ways I certainly couldn't have from here. In many ways, I think some of the difficulties prepared me for college and working life in ways nothing else could have.
posted by Lyn Never at 12:29 PM on January 26, 2011
I've had two good friends who worked for The Traveling School for several years and loved it, both because of the people who ran the program and because of the kinds of students who came through. It's an all-girls program that runs semester-long programs in South/Central America and Africa. I have no direct experience with the program, but I can say that my two friends who worked there were, and are, some of the most competent people I know.
posted by colfax at 12:30 PM on January 26, 2011
posted by colfax at 12:30 PM on January 26, 2011
I won a Congress-Bundestag scholarship and spent my junior year in Germany with YFU.
The program was very professional and it was a life-changing, transformative experience. My host family was somewhat of a dud, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world...FWIW, allowing me to go was one of the best gifts my family ever gave me.
posted by mynameisluka at 1:09 PM on January 26, 2011
The program was very professional and it was a life-changing, transformative experience. My host family was somewhat of a dud, but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world...FWIW, allowing me to go was one of the best gifts my family ever gave me.
posted by mynameisluka at 1:09 PM on January 26, 2011
Rotary International- You can do a year of high school in another country (though I think for an american that then means a 5th year/ final year back in the states, but it would be worth it)
posted by raccoon409 at 1:36 PM on January 26, 2011
posted by raccoon409 at 1:36 PM on January 26, 2011
Here's a link for Congress-Bundestag. I have a friend who did this in high school and loved it. For most of the country, it's too late to apply, but the west/northwest region is still accepting applications until early February. That program is a full year, but she'll get credit at her high school for it, so it wouldn't set her behind in her education.
Do you have any family or friends in another country? When I was in high school I spent a summer and a semester with some family friends. It was all done privately - no help from any organizations, but my wonderful new German family helped me navigate all the bureaucracy. I was able to attend a German high school but I didn't get credit for it, but I was ahead enough in credits at my home high school to make it work.
Good luck! I'm so glad that I ditched high school for a semester; it was a terrific and very worthwhile experience.
posted by mandanza at 1:37 PM on January 26, 2011
Do you have any family or friends in another country? When I was in high school I spent a summer and a semester with some family friends. It was all done privately - no help from any organizations, but my wonderful new German family helped me navigate all the bureaucracy. I was able to attend a German high school but I didn't get credit for it, but I was ahead enough in credits at my home high school to make it work.
Good luck! I'm so glad that I ditched high school for a semester; it was a terrific and very worthwhile experience.
posted by mandanza at 1:37 PM on January 26, 2011
I also spent my junior year of high school in Germany with Youth For Understanding (YFU). I had an amazing time and a wonderful host family. A friend that I made in Germany came and stayed with us the following year. I made other friends there (almost 20 years ago) that I am still in touch with. I had a generous host family that took me on trips across Germany and Europe and I've been back to visit them. I learned a lot of important lessons about the rest of the world and it allowed me to look at a lot of things in America with a different perspective, which I have always appreciated.
I also have a friend that worked for YFU for several years, so in addition to my own personal experience, I know that from a business standpoint, they are a trustworthy company.
posted by echo0720 at 1:46 PM on January 26, 2011
I also have a friend that worked for YFU for several years, so in addition to my own personal experience, I know that from a business standpoint, they are a trustworthy company.
posted by echo0720 at 1:46 PM on January 26, 2011
If getting a high school diploma and enrolling in college in a timely manner are her ultimate goals, I don't think dropping out/taking a break her junior year is a great idea. That's usually the last full academic year that appears on your transcripts that are sent to colleges (if you're applying as a high school senior), which means it's the most closely scrutinized.
It would probably be better to take Hylas' advice and simply scale down the stuff that stresses her out. If she's academically stressed in advanced classes as a second-semester sophomore, maybe it's time to face reality and lighten her courseload for next year. If it's extracurriculars and activities, maybe she should drop out of a few things (especially stuff she's joined Because It Looks Good On College Apps but may not actually be enjoyable for her).
If it's social stuff, I'm pretty sure a structured program is not going to be any different. Sure, there will be different kids there, but the same teen social dynamics apply. Unless there's a severe bullying situation, in which case I'm the first person to advocate getting her out of the situation and into anything you think would be better for her emotional wellbeing - at that point "what about college" takes a back seat to "what about not having a nervous breakdown".
Another option would be to do the sorts of programs people are suggesting upthread in the summer - I spent high school summers at ADVANCE in northern Louisiana, but programs like that exist at a lot of state universities.
Or, if she really truly absolutely MUST escape the high school landscape early, and for longer than a few weeks in the summer - she should look into graduating after her junior year (very doable in a lot of places), doing one of the abovementioned programs during senior year rather than junior year, or maybe just homeschooling after the college apps are in. The idea of doing just one more year in traditional high school rather than two might really appeal to her.
posted by Sara C. at 1:52 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
It would probably be better to take Hylas' advice and simply scale down the stuff that stresses her out. If she's academically stressed in advanced classes as a second-semester sophomore, maybe it's time to face reality and lighten her courseload for next year. If it's extracurriculars and activities, maybe she should drop out of a few things (especially stuff she's joined Because It Looks Good On College Apps but may not actually be enjoyable for her).
If it's social stuff, I'm pretty sure a structured program is not going to be any different. Sure, there will be different kids there, but the same teen social dynamics apply. Unless there's a severe bullying situation, in which case I'm the first person to advocate getting her out of the situation and into anything you think would be better for her emotional wellbeing - at that point "what about college" takes a back seat to "what about not having a nervous breakdown".
Another option would be to do the sorts of programs people are suggesting upthread in the summer - I spent high school summers at ADVANCE in northern Louisiana, but programs like that exist at a lot of state universities.
Or, if she really truly absolutely MUST escape the high school landscape early, and for longer than a few weeks in the summer - she should look into graduating after her junior year (very doable in a lot of places), doing one of the abovementioned programs during senior year rather than junior year, or maybe just homeschooling after the college apps are in. The idea of doing just one more year in traditional high school rather than two might really appeal to her.
posted by Sara C. at 1:52 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
Some community colleges have programs that allow high school students to enroll full-time and take standard academic courses. At the end of a successful year they give them a high school diploma, and they have a year of real transferable college credits. There's also Simon's Rock, part of Bard College, that accepts younger students without high school diplomas. It's in western Massachusetts, beautiful campus.
posted by mareli at 2:26 PM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by mareli at 2:26 PM on January 26, 2011 [2 favorites]
I did a year abroad through Rotary and loved it, but I recommend it for a gap year between high school and college, rather than during junior year. Making sure she has enough credits/SATs/ACTs/other college prep while abroad might add more stress.
What year is your daughter in school now? What exactly would she like to gain/accomplish during this experience? Does she want to avoid what she's doing now or is there something specific she wants to do? If she is just fed up with her current grind, I'd suggest looking into how to make her current situation less stressful. If she's aiming for something specific, I'd suggest exploring the idea with her guidance counselor/college counselor (if applicable) with information in hand.
Good luck to both of you!
posted by wiskunde at 3:01 PM on January 26, 2011
What year is your daughter in school now? What exactly would she like to gain/accomplish during this experience? Does she want to avoid what she's doing now or is there something specific she wants to do? If she is just fed up with her current grind, I'd suggest looking into how to make her current situation less stressful. If she's aiming for something specific, I'd suggest exploring the idea with her guidance counselor/college counselor (if applicable) with information in hand.
Good luck to both of you!
posted by wiskunde at 3:01 PM on January 26, 2011
If getting a high school diploma and enrolling in college in a timely manner are her ultimate goals, I don't think dropping out/taking a break her junior year is a great idea. That's usually the last full academic year that appears on your transcripts that are sent to colleges (if you're applying as a high school senior), which means it's the most closely scrutinized.
In my experience, it's amazing how far an exchange program goes in terms of college applications. I had no problem scheduling make-ups of the classes I missed but that were required in terms of graduation, and college admissions essentially drooled over the chance to get a "well-rounded" student with a second language and a year of living abroad under their belt to enroll in their school.
YMMV of course, but I personally didn't miss out on a thing in terms of college apps/opportunities even though I spent my junior year abroad.
posted by mynameisluka at 4:16 PM on January 26, 2011
In my experience, it's amazing how far an exchange program goes in terms of college applications. I had no problem scheduling make-ups of the classes I missed but that were required in terms of graduation, and college admissions essentially drooled over the chance to get a "well-rounded" student with a second language and a year of living abroad under their belt to enroll in their school.
YMMV of course, but I personally didn't miss out on a thing in terms of college apps/opportunities even though I spent my junior year abroad.
posted by mynameisluka at 4:16 PM on January 26, 2011
As a miserable high schooler, I desperately wanted to do Maine Coast Semester (now Chewonki Semester School) - outdoorsiness, farming, etc. My parents wouldn't let me apply and 10 years later I'm still a teeny bit bitter. Like i_am_a_fiesta, I had read The Teenage Liberation Handbook (9th grade in my case). I am not sure whether it ultimately left me more inspired or more just generally disgruntled with my situation - definitely a little bit of both.
I also have several friends who went to Simon's Rock and loved it to bits.
posted by naoko at 4:22 PM on January 26, 2011
I also have several friends who went to Simon's Rock and loved it to bits.
posted by naoko at 4:22 PM on January 26, 2011
I stayed in Japan for a summer through AFS because my mother wouldn't let me escape my high-pressure high school program for a whole semester/year. It was an awesome experience for me, and I ended up continuing my study of the language and coming back to Japan (and even choosing to live in the same general area of the country). I really liked my host family, even though others did not. I think the more rebellious of a kid you are, the harder the homestay experience is. I was pretty minimally rebellious (They want me home by 5? Sure, I can do that. Not allowed to go out in the evenings? Whatever, there's nothing to do around here anyway), so I was happy.
If she's studying a language at school currently, doing even a short exchange program in a country that speaks that language can do a huge amount towards proficiency in that language. I was not placed in a regular school but instead went to language classes.
You can still apply for summer programs for this summer--maybe if you feel apprehensive about letting her go for a full semester, a summer program could be a good alternative. Getting a chance to go abroad is great!
posted by that girl at 4:42 PM on January 26, 2011
If she's studying a language at school currently, doing even a short exchange program in a country that speaks that language can do a huge amount towards proficiency in that language. I was not placed in a regular school but instead went to language classes.
You can still apply for summer programs for this summer--maybe if you feel apprehensive about letting her go for a full semester, a summer program could be a good alternative. Getting a chance to go abroad is great!
posted by that girl at 4:42 PM on January 26, 2011
mynameisluka - I think that could work in terms of a foreign exchange program, because in that case you are attending school in the country where you do your exchange. But something that involves a nontraditional educational environment like living on a farm* or volunteering in the developing world is not high school.
And universities generally have admissions standards - you have to have taken X number of years of English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, etc. Some schools have a process where people who homeschool can demonstrate mastery of those subjects, but it seems like a lot of work when the issue was that you took absolutely the worst possible semester off.
*OK, so The Mountain School does have an academic curriculum. Which consists of four hours of academics per day.
posted by Sara C. at 4:44 PM on January 26, 2011
And universities generally have admissions standards - you have to have taken X number of years of English, math, science, social studies, foreign language, etc. Some schools have a process where people who homeschool can demonstrate mastery of those subjects, but it seems like a lot of work when the issue was that you took absolutely the worst possible semester off.
*OK, so The Mountain School does have an academic curriculum. Which consists of four hours of academics per day.
posted by Sara C. at 4:44 PM on January 26, 2011
AFS. My son went to Hungary, learned Hungarian, which is one of the most difficult languages to learn, got a diploma fromhis school there, made wonderful friends, and basically grew up. Can't recommend the program highly enough.
posted by Ideefixe at 6:34 PM on January 26, 2011
posted by Ideefixe at 6:34 PM on January 26, 2011
Color me skeptical, but is high school really that stressful? Perhaps easing off on extracurricular activities or pressure to excel or take advanced subjects in which she has no real interest is a better idea, unless it's social pressure she's wanting to avoid.
Yes. Most stressful experience of my life. The pressure and workload to simply PASS in honors types of classes would drive grown men to drink. I still have nightmares. And you can't drop down a notch, because you have potential and tested well and are smart enough to handle it.
Now, not that it didn't have its benefits. I passed college Calc 121 (or something like that) with an adequate C+ by attending half the lectures and never going to the labs, by virtue of the fact that it was easier than my high school calculus, which I passed with a "gentleman's D-" On the other hand, I was so burnt out with education that I promptly dropped out and barely went back. I think I still have 4.25 years of NCAA eligibility.
Hell, I *flunked* a class junior year and they *STILL* kept me in honors.
That's the pressure.
Advice: if she is as mature as you say, make her come up with her own plan.
Also, get her tested for ADHD.
posted by gjc at 6:40 PM on January 26, 2011
Yes. Most stressful experience of my life. The pressure and workload to simply PASS in honors types of classes would drive grown men to drink. I still have nightmares. And you can't drop down a notch, because you have potential and tested well and are smart enough to handle it.
Now, not that it didn't have its benefits. I passed college Calc 121 (or something like that) with an adequate C+ by attending half the lectures and never going to the labs, by virtue of the fact that it was easier than my high school calculus, which I passed with a "gentleman's D-" On the other hand, I was so burnt out with education that I promptly dropped out and barely went back. I think I still have 4.25 years of NCAA eligibility.
Hell, I *flunked* a class junior year and they *STILL* kept me in honors.
That's the pressure.
Advice: if she is as mature as you say, make her come up with her own plan.
Also, get her tested for ADHD.
posted by gjc at 6:40 PM on January 26, 2011
If she'd like to do more than a semester, maybe the United World Colleges would be interesting to her. (I graduated from the UWC-USA in 1992.) It is an amazing experience.
posted by candyland at 7:12 PM on January 26, 2011
posted by candyland at 7:12 PM on January 26, 2011
Having nightmares about your ability to pass honors classes in high school is a good sign that you probably don't belong in honors classes*. There is ALWAYS a way to decrease the level of stress in terms of high school academics.
And if one is the kind of person who is prone to crippling stress from attempting to pass as an overachiever, special programs for the uber-gifted are probably not the solution. Those tend to be a lot more stressful than just taking normal classes at a traditional high school.
At my first, normal, high school, nobody gave a shit if you got a C in something or took an AP exam. When I transferred to a special program for academically advanced students (and all the lingo dropped in the Mission Statement of every such school linked here), people talked about grades non-stop. The big competition junior year was your SAT scores and what colleges you were applying to. Then it was what colleges you got into. Then it was how many AP exams you were taking. Kids who were prone to anxiety or who set too much store in that stuff had nervous breakdowns and attempted suicide. I'm sure the kids at International Farm Academy are great people - but the idea that it's some sort of utopia where nobody is ever stressed out about anything? Right. Sure.
*One of my biggest pet peeves about the American educational system is that everyone of a certain class/whatever is expected to be "gifted". It's bad for the kids who "fail" at being geniuses and bad for the kids who really need that approach. Not to mention horrible for people who aren't of the right social milieu.
posted by Sara C. at 8:21 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
And if one is the kind of person who is prone to crippling stress from attempting to pass as an overachiever, special programs for the uber-gifted are probably not the solution. Those tend to be a lot more stressful than just taking normal classes at a traditional high school.
At my first, normal, high school, nobody gave a shit if you got a C in something or took an AP exam. When I transferred to a special program for academically advanced students (and all the lingo dropped in the Mission Statement of every such school linked here), people talked about grades non-stop. The big competition junior year was your SAT scores and what colleges you were applying to. Then it was what colleges you got into. Then it was how many AP exams you were taking. Kids who were prone to anxiety or who set too much store in that stuff had nervous breakdowns and attempted suicide. I'm sure the kids at International Farm Academy are great people - but the idea that it's some sort of utopia where nobody is ever stressed out about anything? Right. Sure.
*One of my biggest pet peeves about the American educational system is that everyone of a certain class/whatever is expected to be "gifted". It's bad for the kids who "fail" at being geniuses and bad for the kids who really need that approach. Not to mention horrible for people who aren't of the right social milieu.
posted by Sara C. at 8:21 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
If you're looking at exchange programs, I can't recommend Rotary Youth Exchange highly enough. It's one of the cheaper programs out there -- I think it might beat AFS on price -- but is excellently organized and provides very good support. They have a series of conferences before your daughter would go -- three or four spread over a school semester and summer, if I remember correctly. You will not be required to host a student on your end, in nearly every case.
The school experience itself is what you make of it, of course, but it sounds like your daughter is really the right type to be able to get the most out of her experience. I went to Hungary, so the first semester of classes was really lost on me, but the program arranged a tutor for me, so I came out speaking Hungarian and with a host of other experiences that I never would have had if I'd stayed in the American education system.
Now is the time to apply, as you might be getting close to the cutoffs due to the pre-trip conferences I mentioned. Talk to your local Rotary club for more.
posted by wandering steve at 10:40 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
The school experience itself is what you make of it, of course, but it sounds like your daughter is really the right type to be able to get the most out of her experience. I went to Hungary, so the first semester of classes was really lost on me, but the program arranged a tutor for me, so I came out speaking Hungarian and with a host of other experiences that I never would have had if I'd stayed in the American education system.
Now is the time to apply, as you might be getting close to the cutoffs due to the pre-trip conferences I mentioned. Talk to your local Rotary club for more.
posted by wandering steve at 10:40 PM on January 26, 2011 [1 favorite]
A friend did what I *think* is YFU, and it seems to have changed her. She was super-smart before (we were in a G&T program in elementary school that she stuck with until 12th grade), and afterwards she was even more confident and outgoing. She made lifelong friends in her host family, and also broadened her horizons.
If you're curious about negative academic impact, she went to UW-Madison for German...and then Princeton and Yale for advanced degrees (with time off to work at UX in industry, consult for Microsoft, and teach at a university in Italy). I would say that is NOT a negative outcome. :7)
I got to take a three-week trip through Europe before my Senior year in high school, and also spend a month living at the local university campus and take three classes. I know which one had a greater and more lasting effect on me, and it wasn't more classroom time. :7)
(And for anyone thinking that H.S. is withotu academic pressure, you may have forgotten your own past. I know I had tons of pressure, starting in 4th grade!)
posted by wenestvedt at 8:55 AM on January 28, 2011
If you're curious about negative academic impact, she went to UW-Madison for German...and then Princeton and Yale for advanced degrees (with time off to work at UX in industry, consult for Microsoft, and teach at a university in Italy). I would say that is NOT a negative outcome. :7)
I got to take a three-week trip through Europe before my Senior year in high school, and also spend a month living at the local university campus and take three classes. I know which one had a greater and more lasting effect on me, and it wasn't more classroom time. :7)
(And for anyone thinking that H.S. is withotu academic pressure, you may have forgotten your own past. I know I had tons of pressure, starting in 4th grade!)
posted by wenestvedt at 8:55 AM on January 28, 2011
This thread is closed to new comments.
I'm certainly no expert, and I know this adds a ton of additional work and uncertainty, but I urge your daughter to think about what she would really like to do, and pursue it outside of a program.
posted by i_am_a_fiesta at 11:25 AM on January 26, 2011 [5 favorites]