by Guest Blogger Mandy
Most people, by the eighth grade, have thought of the daunting prospect of what to do with their edjumacation, and, hello, I’m there. And as higher academics goes, while kids often day dream about college, I’ve been thinking about high school and I have discovered something, too. Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences, and the Arts (ASMSA), to me, seems a little shinier than Benton High School.
But before I find myself enrolled this mysterious ASMSA I have to look at it and see what goes on there. I mean, they may have kids in shackles or something. So, when an open house presented itself, we went down to Hot Springs to check it out. The dog came with, and that meant mom stayed outside as Bryan and I toured the school.
“I’m pissed,” texts Bryan as we follow student “community leaders” on a tour.
“Why?” worries mom in a texted reply.
“Because I didn’t go here!”
So yeah, it was awesome. We were really impressed. “It’s a college high school age students go to. We have a college level curriculum and life style” says a professor because students stay in dorms on campus just like a college, and the classes are often college credit. They say kids are often more prepared for university life because of this.
But they aren’t snotty geeks. They all claimed the school was really humbling. “Grades drop” says a boy, with a slightly guilty face. “Plus, the kids around you are also really smart, so you are not held in super high regard.” Still, students are appreciated by the community and they made sure that we left knowing that. They talked endlessly about different scholarships and schools that ASMSA had helped students apply for.
“What will you have to do?” Mom asks over chinese food at a nearby restaurant.
I need to become more organized. Those kids set their own schedules up, in many ways. They don’t have parents constantly over their shoulder, nagging about home work. At this point, I am not sure if I can do that. So that will be a goal, because I really want to go to ASMSA. And I need to get really serious about doing good quality school work, not just getting by but learning things thoroughly and making sure my grades are the best they can be.