Changed my perspective...

I went into this class thinking that it would be a bunch of writing that I would never need to know how to use. Now, however, I notice journalism tactics in writing everywhere. I also pay closer attention to the newspaper now. I find myself checking over the stories to see how well the author wrote the story. My perspective changed because now I appreciate journalism. I may not use it after this class, but atleast I won't think that writing a story for an event or interviewing subjects is simple, I understand how much work the journalists put into their stories.

<3 Ashley

Rough Draft

Would PSEO Benefit You?

"Post secondary education opportunity is a great opportunity for students, but many students aren't ready for the possible consequences", Jackie Brenny, high school counselor at Zimmerman High School, stated.

In high school, many students look forward to their senior year. Their last year in high school is commonly filled with large group gatherings, exciting football games, and the nicknamed "senior slide" way of taking classes. By senior year most students have completed the necessary courses required to graduate and can enjoy fun extra classes with their friends. A few students, however, always seek the extra challenge.

Post secondary education opportunity, or commonly known as PSEO, is the challenge that a few select students, most commonly in their senior year but it is possible to be in the junior year, opt for. PSEO is either full time or part time. This means that students can either be completely enrolled in college or can be half at their high school and half at college. The PSEO program allows high achieving students to earn both college credit and high school credit while still technically in high school. So, this seems like a great opportunity, why wouldn’t every student choose this option? The most common answer is because PSEO affects their social life.

Students in PSEO have to dedicate a huge amount of attention to their college classes, which can take away from their social life. Leona Shaffer, a PSEO student at Anoka-Ramsey, said, "I love being able to earn double credit, but I am always tired and crabby after a day at school and don’t want to talk to anyone." College classes usually get done about the same time as high school, so students can meet up with friends afterwards or participate in school sports. Jashlyn Yang, a student at Anoka-Ramsey, stated "I had lots of friends in high school, but when I went to college everyone was different. It was scary at first, but now I have even more friends. Its great!"

As great as PSEO may sound, students do miss out on high school events for the seniors. The most likely things that students miss out on are the senior class picture, senior class officers, graduation planning and school dances. Kelli Ellingson, a teacher for 20 years, said about PSEO, "I think its great that colleges college’s can offer PSEO, but its hard to see students missing during senior activities. I know they will wish they had been involved in high school later on down the road." Students can also miss out on information and choices about graduation. Graduating from high school is a wonderful achievement, but when a student is not included in the decision making for decorations or the party after, they might feel a little left out.

"The students I see in PSEO are academically advanced. They are usually some of the best students I have in class because they have pushed themselves in high school," Alejandra Estrin Dashe, a teacher at Anoka-Ramsey, stated about what students gain from the PSEO program. Students can gain college credit along with high school credit, they will be ahead of the game when they actually go off to college, and they will be better adapted to college life and knowing how to handle the homework loads. Brenny stated, "The PSEO program is a great resource for students who can balance high school and college. They will have a head start on college, and it’s a great way to be able to experience the world while still having the security of high school around them."