The Pros and Cons of Year Round School

It’s hard to imagine life without summer vacation. What would we do without lazy summer days catching up on sleep, spending the day at the beach, or trying to earn some money in a seasonal job? The summer-off schedule evolved when we had a more agricultural society, so that kids could help families on the farm. Some say that this is an outdated model in our modern society, especially given the academic declines that occur for some students during the summer break. As a result, the shift to year-round school is becoming a more common practice.

How to Get The Most Out of Being HomeSchooled

“Home is where the heart is”, but it has also becomes where students and parents provide a non-traditional setting for learning. Parents and students, alike, have chosen to take part in home-based instruction, but some are still hesitant on wondering if it is the best decision in getting seen by the college of their choosing. Homeschooling is not a new phenomenon and has continued to grow since the 1980’s. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, over 2.5 million students are homeschooled in the United States. Whether accompanied by individual instruction or e-learning supplementation, homeschool is a fantastic alternative and is respected by institutions of higher-learning.

How to Manage Your Academic Stress

As we quickly approach Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate® (IB), and a vast list of more college preparatory tests, applications, or study abroad programs, stress can become the greatest adversary.

Hiking Mt. Fuji: Friendly Advice From Someone Who Made All the Mistakes For You

“Anthea, are those parachutes?!” my friend asked me. And just like that, I was so excited I practically shook in my dusty, busted sandals. I felt that feeling in the pit of my stomach – the one that usually means I’m about to experience an adrenaline rush. “I think they might be?” I said, looking over the edge at the dark, disappearing shapes falling through the thick, white of clouds circling the top of Mt. Fuji, leaving trails behind them.

Cuba’s Fusterlandia: Transforming a Neighborhood

Cuba and U.S. relations have improved enough that visiting is no longer impossible. One must apply for the appropriately categorized trip on their visa. Cuba is almost indescribable in less than fifty thousand words, but suffice it to say the culture, history, and nature are uniquely beautiful. And the people are unlike anywhere else – a particular kindness, and an unusual sense of safety for two women traveling alone, was a pleasant surprise.

Overgrowth in Chernobyl: Interesting Botany and Wildlife in the Exclusion Zone

What do Korea’s demilitarized zone and Chernobyl, Ukraine have in common? It may sound like the beginning to a poorly chosen joke, but it’s a sincere question with an unexpected answer. Both areas have become nature sanctuaries. Both regions are undisturbed by human activity and construction, allowing animals to flourish and plant life to return unmitigated by industry or landscaping. After the destruction of war and nuclear catastrophe in 1986, Chernobyl’s exclusion zone has seen the return of a number of species to the area, including the intentional introduction of one species.

College Prep Program in Boston

Toward the end of my freshman year, although the college process was still far away, I became anxious as the intimidating standardized tests, said to determine my future, were still a foreign concept. So, I decided to dedicate two weeks of my summer to familiarizing myself with the ACT. Now, as a soon to be high school graduate, I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I made during my high school career.

Stained Glass, Art, and Murals in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone

I’ve heard Chernobyl, Ukraine is best described as a living museum. It’s perhaps the best way to explain what is now referred to as the exclusion zone because it truly feels like even the cities decomposition is a way of preserving what happened there. The exclusion zone – the region now off limits due to residual radioactivity from the 1986 power plant accident – is largely deserted, apart from the military and scientific staff that are rotated in shifts to maintain its borders and keep a close eye out for fires or illegal settlers.

Too Old to Learn a Language? Think Again…

Have you always wanted to learn a new language but question how realistic it is since you didn’t grow up hearing and speaking the language? I had this fear in high school and college, and for many years this prevented me from taking language classes. If I had known then what I known now, I wouldn’t have hesitated…

A Case for Living with a Host-Family, and Switching Families if Need Be

 

During college, I studied abroad in Spain during my junior spring semester. I knew this was a once in a lifetime experience, and therefore I should take advantage of every opportunity given to me, including living with a host family. While this was a daunting and almost scary idea—living with people I never met who didn’t speak English—I knew that I probably would never have this opportunity again. And so I checked the box in my application requesting a family homestay.