Eighth grade not too early to start process
By: AGNES DIGGS - Staff Writer | ∞
In a classic movie called "Fame," actress Debbie Allen, in the role of teacher, cautioned her students, saying, "You got big dreams? You want fame? Well, fame costs, and right here's where you start paying ---- in sweat!"
That admonition could be useful to members of the class of 2009, who are currently doing time in the eighth grade. Most are full of youthful hopes and dreams, but what they really need is a plan. The countdown to their future will begin in earnest in the ninth grade ---- the first year of high school.
So what are eighth-graders thinking about the future, and how close are they to understanding what lies ahead?
Rap sessions with some local students revealed a common understanding of three basic things: College is necessary for the future; it's probably going to be a costly endeavor; they will need some sort of financial aid beyond their parents' contribution.
Big dreams
During a sit-down in the library at St. Francis of Assisi Parish School in Vista, Megan Lopez, 14, of Oceanside, said she is hoping for a soccer scholarship. She plans to apply for as many scholarships as possible and decide which school to go to based on what is offered, she said. Megan wants a career in the biological sciences. After college, she wants to settle in this area.
Without some type of higher learning or training, Megan and others may not be able to afford to live in North County, according to several reports. The monthly cost of living in San Diego County, including basics like food, clothing and shelter, can reach above $2,000 for an unmarried person. That means a no-frills lifestyle and a minumum annual salary of at least $24,000 just to make ends meet. Marriage and children increase those expenses.
Cost and effect
Some students, like Angela Petruzzella, 13, of Oceanside, see the community college route as a viable means to their goal. Angela is considering MiraCosta College as a starting point because she has heard the basic courses are the same as a four-year school but the cost of attendance is less expensive. She dreams of being a math major and attending Notre Dame, but doesn't believe it's within her reach, she said. One way or another, she knows she'll need scholarships, she said.
"You kind of have to (attend college) to accomplish in life," Angela said. "You need money to have things and support a family, but it (college) doesn't look that fun at times. But I know in the long run it will help."
Statistics confirm that the job market for people who have no high school education is rapidly drying up, and income increases earning ability, experts say. The average annual wage in San Diego for someone with an associate's degree is about $40,000, while the holder of a professional degree can average about $76,000, according to a joint report from the San Diego County Office of Education and the San Diego Workforce Partnership. The national average earnings for anything under a bachelor's degree is much lower.
Plan to succeed
Middle school is as good a time as any to create an action plan for high school, experts say. Consider your interests, experiences and extra-curricular activities, assess how much education will be needed to reach your goals and begin seeking resources to make your dreams a reality, said Ed Chiosso, coordinator of instructional services division of the San Mateo County Office of Education, which publishes a guide called "Planning for High School and Beyond." The book offers step by step information and planning tools to help students from the sixth grade and up devise strategies through and beyond high school.
Sydney Wieland, 13, of Vista has her eye on Cal Poly Pomona and a career as a veterinarian. Cal Poly also is on the short list for Ashlyn La Pittus, 13, of Oceanside, who said she'd like to compete in the equestrian Olympics ---- or be a writer, chef or actress.
"It looks exciting to get into college," Ashlyn said. "It seems fun to be able to study something you love. But it looks like it's going to be hard to get into ---- like you have to get really good grades ---- and that you can't mess up once. As more years go on, the standards for grades get higher and I'm afraid that by the time I'm a senior I'll be wishing that I had higher grades. And there's also money. Not many schools give equestrian scholarships, so that's a big worry."
If they could wave a magic wand and have one wish for their academic future, some students said, it would be to be totally sure by the time they enter senior year what school they would attend, what it would cost "so we could be sure we were going."
The journey and the reward
High school with its thousands of students, mixed-grade classes and department heads, may seem like another planet to the young people looking into their future from the vantage point of middle school. Now they face semesters and credits, requirements and evaluations, grade-point averages and, in California, state standards to be met and the constantly hovering cloud of exit exams that must be passed before students receive a diploma. The two-part California High School Exit Exam is first administered in 10th grade, and language barriers or special needs notwithstanding, students must pass the test to graduate.
"Preparing for college is a journey with a great reward at the end," says the middle-school student guide to preparing for the California State University system. The guide offers advice for families and students beginning in the sixth grade and can be downloaded at www.calstate.edu.
"It's best to start early," the guide says, "but it's never too late to start getting serious about school."
In the Grant Middle School GEAR-UP program, kids like Andre Figueroa, 13, of Escondido, are getting a boost from Cal State San Marcos student tutors. GEAR-UP is federally funded and stands for Gaining Early Awareness Readiness for Undergraduate Programs.
Andre said he wants to play football in the National Football League. He has an eye on USC because it's a good school that has turned out lots of Heisman Trophy winners, he said. His second choice would be NFL quarterback Michael Vick's alma mater, Virginia Tech. If football doesn't pan out, he said he would like to be a doctor because they make a lot of money. Or a teacher, so he can help kids. He hopes to have a family, he said, and "to have a house the bank doesn't own and that I wouldn't be in debt." He knows college is a means to that end, he said: "Hopefully I'll get a scholarship or my family can help me out."
The collegiate view
Andre's tutors are several years from the eighth grade, but not so far from high school as to have forgotten the journey. Each had a piece of advice for middle schoolers on the verge.
"Definitely go to college, and don't let the money part scare you," said Ashley Atkins, 20, of San Marcos. Atkins is a world history major who attended El Capitan High School in Lakeside. "A lot of kids don't go to college because of that. They think they can't afford it, but they can always get scholarships and financial aid. And if all else fails ---- loans."
Stay focused on what's important was the gist of the advice offered by Brooke Gonzales, 21, of Oceanside. Gonzales, also a U.S. history major, attended Ayala High School in Chino Hills.
"In high school, there's lots of temptation not to work on your academics and stuff," she said. "But make that a priority because that's what will really pay off in the future."
Fallbrook resident Jon Bechtol, 23, also a history major, attended Fallbrook High School. He suggested that students tour the campuses they are considering before making a decision.
"Go and check out the schools," he said. "And not only look at the school but the people who go there, because different kinds of people go there." A tour would help ensure that they will be comfortable with their fellow students, he said.
Liberal studies major Windy Weinman, 23, of San Marcos, has a minor in literature and writing with a goal to be a sixth-grade teacher. Her advice was to keep pace with the requirements.
"Don't procrastinate," she said. "Know what you're doing and don't fall behind. Don't let life pass you by."
Tip boxes for Road to College
Signposts for the journey to high school and beyond
This information is derived from the guide, "Planning for High School and Beyond," courtesy of Ed Chiosso, coordinator, Instructional Services Division of the San Mateo County Office of Education. Visit www.smcoe.k12.ca.us.
Useful Web sites for all students:
www.whatkidscando.org
www.yesICan.gov.secondary/planning/index.html (English and Spanish)
www.californiacolleges.edu
www.csumentor.edu
www.ucop.edu/pathways/
www.californiacareers.info
www.youthrules.dol.gov
www.afterschool.gov/kidsteens2.html
www.soyunica.gov (English and Spanish)
http://pbskids.org/itsmylife/
www.students.gov
www.collegeboard.com
This information is derived from the guide, "Planning for High School and Beyond," courtesy of Ed Chiosso, coordinator, Instructional Services Division of the San Mateo County Office of Education. Visit www.smcoe.k12.ca.us.
Contact staff writer Agnes Diggs at (760) 740-3511 or adiggs@nctimes.com.
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Momoko wrote on Dec 18, 2007 6:12 PM:I think grades with coments are good than grades without cause if you got a D on a test and no coments what could you do to fix that grade nothing right? so even if a test says "see me" on it you can still go to the teacher and ask her what you did wrong so tests with coments are good
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