Coach Wilson teaches his AP pre-calc students. Photo Creds: Rosalyn Rabinowitz, Watauga Publishing
Rosalyn Rabinowitz
The course catalog is something that determines the futures of students in Watauga. The constant battle of having to choose what classes to take plagues students every year. Each level of classes at Watauga has a varying degree of difficulty, and the decision of what level of classes is right for each student can be difficult and stressful.
Watauga High School allows students to select from a diverse array of classes that may align with their future career goals. Whether it is taking advanced placement (AP) classes to prepare for college or taking classes from Watauga Innovation Academy (WIA) to prepare for the workforce, student’s ultimate decisions can set them up for their post- high school plans. Each study path comes with its own expectations, goals, and objectives for students who choose to pursue it.
“Standard is definitely for people who need to go at a slower pace, maybe need a little extra hands-on help from a teacher or a co-teacher,” said Andrew Wilson. “Honors is going to have a strong conceptual knowledge like you are good at math and you are willing to work at a very quick pace and do a lot of work and kind of more hands off with a teacher, and AP you not only have to be strong at math, you have to be willing to learn about the concept and have a strong conceptual knowledge of each topic.”
As a student, knowing and recognizing your academic strengths and weaknesses in school is a difficult task that requires both proactivity and accountability. Teachers set the expectations for each level of rigor, and students decide what expectations they can feasibly meet while still challenging themselves.
“For your core classes, base the rigor off your strengths,” said Hatherly Armfield, senior. “It's so important to remember that you can move up in rigor but not down, m eaning you can always challenge yourself by switching into honors or AP, but your GPA can be jeopardized if you struggle in the high level rigor.”
Armfield has committed to the University of North Carolina and is a finalist for one of the most prestigious scholarships: the Morehead Cain. Armfield has used this tactic to challenge herself by taking a mix of APs and classes from Caldwell Community College.
“I think both Caldwell and AP classes have their own benefits. AP classes, in my opinion, are far more rigorous and can help better prepare you for a college workload. One thing that turns students away from AP classes is the pressure that rests on the final exam, but I think this helps better prepare students for the importance of college finals,” said Armfield. “I have also taken a handful of Caldwell classes, and they have taught me independence. There is nobody reminding you of due dates, tests, or assignments---it's just you. Also, the college credit from Caldwell [classes] isn't dependent on exam grades. I highly recommend taking a balance of both Caldwell and AP classes.”
Taking advantage of the opportunities such as Caldwell, AP, and workforce ready classes such as Cosmetology and Autotech is critical in creating a personalized high school trajectory. Watauga provides these varied learning experiences to give students real world experiences that will translate to their futures. Classes within our school are not the only ways students can advance in their learning. Specialized schools like NCSSM and UNCSA can help students prepare for their futures.
“I want to go to NCSSM so I doubled up on math and science to have a higher chance to get in,” said Liad Shinar-Weingburg. “ I want to go to NCSSM for the prestige and also I'll be able to get free admission to any in-state school, and I really want to go to NC State for their engineering program.”
The multitude of opportunities that Watauga offers allows students to explore and take interest in multiple career paths and occupations. This exploration is an important step to deciding what you want to do after high school. Self-reflection and exploration help students choose what classes to take and what their priorities are. These classes also ensure that Watauga students go into a field post-high school in which they are passionate.
Students need to make sure that their classload matches both their interests and their future goals. A mix of classes is key.
“One of Morehead-Cain's core values is scholarship. They like to see someone who academically challenges themselves and succeeds at doing so,” said Armfield. “However, one thing that sets Morehead-Cain apart from other applications is they value a student who is deeply passionate about learning a topic. Someone who isn't just ‘taking a class to take it.’ Taking classes that fuel your desire for a topic will be evident in your application. For me, I have found a love for history through AP World History, AP US History, and AP European History. This desire has set me on track for pre-law, learning both the history that defines society, and how to not repeat it.”
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