Opinion
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The Samohi is a biweekly newspaper by, for and about Santa Monica High School students. Our goal is to empower the student body through information. We do not represent the views of the administration or staff. We do not endorse advertisements placed in our paper. Editor-in-Chief: Sam Reamer Managing Editor: Jones Pitsker Online Editor: Mia Lopez-Zubiri Editor-at-Large: Francesca Billington News Editors: Anika Narayanan Muhammad Yusuf Tarr Opinion Editor: Natasha Munasinghe Feature Editors: Amancai Biraben Micol Azcarate A&E Editor: Max Gumbel Sports Editors: Brooke Weiss Emma Wergeles
I need to take four AP’s to get into college, or do I? You should do it for college things I spend my time doing right now are mostly for the eyes of a college admissions officer. Every single one of us has been trained to think that life is a series of steps: highschool to college to success. I will never shake the feeling that every mistake I make now, as a 16-year-old, is going to in
Shayan Chetty Staff Writer
Advanced Placement (AP) U.S. History. AP Language and Composition. AP Statistics. AP Calculus BC. The four AP classes I’m taking this year have absolutely nothing to do with what I want to do in college. In fact, I have no idea what I want to do in college. So why am I taking them, you ask? It’s the answer most every high schooler has for some part of his or her life: I’m doing it for college. I need to do it for college. My entire existence thus far has been a game of “Will this look good on my application?”, and for good reason too. Practically every student at Samo has been told at some point in their life that their dreams of success can only become reality with the help of a college degree — and not just any college degree. Those top level private schools and universities with ridiculously low acceptance rates are going to look for the best of the best students. In most cases, this means the kids who pushed themselves the hardest. And the truth of it is that the
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Language and Composition teacher, posed my class with an interesting exercise to think about why we’re doing things when we do them. Why do we robotically go from class to class, frantically worrying about the next essay we have to turn in and the test next Thursday? And for that matter,
My existence thus far has been a game of ‘Will this look good on my application?’ and for good reason too.” some way have a much bigger and more ghastly consequence in my adult life. This mindset that my high school career is what either makes or breaks my future career is one that I needed to adopt in order to get ahead. In the admissions process, are pared down brutally; those who haven’t been equipped with AP classes, extracurriculars and community service are those left behind. So, I’ve taken the easier route: I’ve bowed to my fate as a workaholic, at least for these four years of high school. I’ve stuck my nose into textbook after textbook for the sake of the future I’ve been promised, and I don’t regret a single minute of it. High school may not be the ten-year-long journey that Odysseus faced, but if any goal is going to motivate me to defeat my own personal Cyclops, it’s college. Kitaro Webb, my AP
why are we all so stuck on this idea of college and its singular power to make us truly happy as adults? The answer here is that we have to; the modern educational institution pits us against our classmates Hunger Games-style, making the very top the only place that will yield success. And we end up enduring the relentless work when we realize how very badly all of us want to go to that one college of our dreams. The frantic worrying and robotic behavior? It’s nothing more than working towards a goal. Now, don’t get me wrong, it’s not as if I hate every aspect of my life and the things I do are only for college. But I’d be lying if I were to say that anything in my life is done purely out of passion—some things may have started out of pure passion but have probably been continued for the sake of my resume. I love playing volleyball, but I’m not unaware of the fact
that four years on a sport adds a nice balance to my future college application. In no way, shape, or form is any of that mindset something to be ashamed of. In fact, I’ll take pride in the face that one of the reasons I’m in volleyball is to further my college application—I’m working towards a much bigger goal while taking opportunities as they come to me. Many of my classmates and I could have free periods or no AMs or maybe even five classes. But with the college-bound perspective that we have, that is far less sensible than facing the sleep deprivation and stress that a junior with 4 AP classes has the privilege of experiencing. So when I’m posed with the quintessential question, “Why?”, I will proudly say “Because it looks good for college.” High school is a melting pot of people pursuing their goals, and in my case, furthering my collegiate and adult career. And while I may be following the trend of my classmates by filling my schedule with activities for the eyes of an admissions officer, it’s a trend I’m forced to follow. Doing things for the sole purpose of showing them to the admissions board is not a show of superficiality but rather one of ambition, and the ambition that comes with wanting a successful future is the reason an entire generation of overachievers has emerged. schetty@thesamohi.com
Don’t do it just for college
Photo Editor: Elizabeth Mebane
Faculty Adviser: Kathleen Faas
December 12, 2013 Page 3
Francesca Billington
Editor-at-Large If two roads diverge in a yellow wood, many students would take the one that leads to “the best” college. Despite broken limbs or frostbite, getting accepted into college is all that matters. Almost every time someone says they do something “just for college,” I can’t help but think that this ambition is counterproductive. Although getting into a great school is not an unreasonable goal, sacrificing our physical and psychological health ultimately sets us back. Of course there are things we can’t avoid because they are required. There is a line, however, that separates ambitious students from college obsessed ones. Students, even myself, create a mental checklist of all the things they need in order to be considered for college admissions; clubs, extracurricular activities, difficult classes and volunteering. One of the first things we tend to place on this checklist is clubs. Upon entering high school, teachers immediately suggest that we sign up for clubs. Eager club presidents pass out
flyers advocating educational or community service clubs. Im my freshman year, I found myself piling on clubs in the hope that it would make me seem involved in Samo. I soon discovered, however, that I didn’t actually want to attend many of these club meetings and that I joined them just to seem like an active student. Surprisingly enough, I did really find interest in Key Club, a community service based organization. It’s very apparent in a club like this, where
personally signed up for Delians, I didn’t have the mindset of helping the community but rather being in an honors society. Now that community service hours have been temporarily suspended, there is not much effort needed for the application process. Being a Delian is attractive because it looks good on college transcripts, but now that no requirement for community service exists it seems like a group that exists for the sole purpose of conferring a special
Ultimately, doing what we are passionate about will impress colleges because we do what we love best.” members come and go, who is actually interested in what the club has to offer. This ultimately benefits not only the club, but the person. Joining groups simply for college makes it less likely that you will like the club because it won’t seem like a hobby, but something you have to do. Delians Honors Society also faces this dilemma, as many students apply thinking of their applications. For me, the society serves the main purpose of allowing students to wear gold stoles on graduation. A vast number of Samo students participate in Delians because they have outstanding grades. The main objective of these students, however, isn’t to complete community service, but to simply be in this group. When I
status on its members. Taking rigorous classes is important; it allows us as students to challenge ourselves. There is a time, however, when we risk the enjoyment of exploring new subjects to simply work for a grade. Signing up for an honors or
Advanced Placement (AP) course without the desire to learn anything hurts the class, environment and the grades of a student. To take a class because it’s challenging and looks impressive does not benefit anyone. Just like anything, moderation is key. Of course we can’t take all classes we like. It’s important, however, to remember that clubs and grades are just pieces that make a good student. Ultimately, doing what we are passionate about will impress colleges because we do what we love best. We should not change ourselves for college, but rather utilize what we already like and can do. So even if you take numerous AP’s and volunteer for hours on end, do it because you have a reason to, not just because of college. If the whole is truly greater than the sum of its parts, then remember that college will be just one part that makes you whole. And that will make all the difference. fbillington@thesamohi.com