rzberrymom
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Posts posted by rzberrymom
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44 minutes ago, Roadrunner said:
All I am going to say is thank you lord for public universities and small liberal arts schools for allowing us to calmly do our work without twisting into a pretzel and know it will be rewarded.
No kidding. My husband is an engineering professor at a state school that emphasizes hands-on learning (often to low-income, first gen kids), I showed him that list, gave him a hug and let him know what an important job he’s doing!
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Just now, Swimmer1112 said:
We have a public high school in our city with kids who have published in science journals. They start working with professors in middle school and are published before graduating high school.
That’s very different than Science or Nature.
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Putting faith in that list seems to me to be a path to a child with mental health struggles. I mean, published in Nature or Science?? That’s truly truly absurd.
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The pressure on little kids described in this post makes me really sad. I’ve interviewed applicants for a tippy top Ivy for almost 20 years, and the ones that stand out and get in are the interesting ones, not necessarily the ones with 12 AP tests, zillions of activities, etc. Cal Newport has a great book on all this, and the nice thing is that his recipe leads to a full, balanced, satisfying life even into adulthood. There’s a great excerpt if you scroll down here (Horseshoe Crabs and Blogs): https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/121349/how-to-be-a-high-school-superstar-by-cal-newport/
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14 minutes ago, SDMomof3 said:
Is she familiar with Kaggle? It's a site very popular for AI and Data Scientist. There are free courses that she can take. They hare courses on PANDAS, Data cleaning, geospatial analysis, ect..
Oh wow, I’m so glad I asked you all! (and she’ll be so excited to get rid of that EdX class...)
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29 minutes ago, Arcadia said:
She might want to be familiar with JSON and PANDAS as well. That’s what I learned as part of a data visualization class
https://docs.python.org/3/library/json.htmlThis online class has already started but she can look for something similar
https://meded.ucsf.edu/events/intro-json-using-python
Oooh, thanks! I’ll tell her to look for something like that.
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Are there any good resources for learning to use Python for research? My DD took a Python course with a great teacher, then she spent months playing around on various sites learning syntax, and then she took the EdX class on Python for Research. The EdX class sounded absolutely perfect—case studies and working with data, but the quality was really kind of terrible.
Are there other resources for using it for research? If not, my DH uses Matlab for all of his research—would it be better to have her just quickly learn Matlab from him and learn to work with data that way? She could get way more from him than she did from the EdX class, and I HOPE the transition back to Python wouldn’t be too bad.
She’s applied for a bunch of research internships this summer, so it would be great to have her more ready-to-go with the programming!
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2 hours ago, daijobu said:
Finally, consider reading "How to be a High School Superstar" by Cal Newport and you may rethink this plan.
This! 👍🏻
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1 hour ago, eternallytired said:
Well, I thought he was doing fine at Intro to Alg in 6th, but according to the AoPS website, that's right on target. By their schedule, he should be finishing the book this semester (or doing C&P and finishing it next semester).
There are lots and lots of stories on here of accelerated kids taking 2 years to thoroughly and carefully go through AoPS pre-algebra. I agree with the wise women on here—definitely don’t rush this one.
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On 2/14/2021 at 4:33 PM, daijobu said:
we are AoPS frequent fliers
Off-topic, but I love this!!! I’m totally going to steal this and make frequent flier cards for my kiddos...
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PrepScholar has a good article on this:
”due to the cost of pre-college programs, some admissions counselors believe that these programs are basically summer camp for wealthy students. Many advise students to find more creative and low-cost ways to explore their passions. For example, you can volunteer to do research with a local college professor or work at an art museum.”
https://blog.prepscholar.com/pre-college-summer-programs-should-you-go
There are lots of selective programs where you’re not just buying access to professors. They’re much cheaper or even free in some cases. My daughter found at least 5 through the UC system, and I’m sure they exist at many more big universities. And since they’re almost all online this summer, geography is no barrier to participating!
Stanford also has a nice article on how high school students can arrange their own opportunities (could be applied to any nearby university): https://oso.stanford.edu/files/programs_299.pdf
And we loved Cal Newport’s How to Be a High School Superstar. He demonstrates really well why paying for these privileged experiences isn’t really what universities are looking for. The horseshoe crab story at the bottom of this page was my favorite: https://www.calnewport.com/books/high-school-superstar/
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On 12/10/2020 at 11:38 AM, lewelma said:
We studied National Geographic and New Zealand Geographic articles for an hour a day for a month. After studying about 10, we picked the one he liked the best and focused on it. We scanned it, enlarged it, printed it, and cut up all the paragraphs. Then we studied the purpose, tone, style of each paragraph. We used multicoloured pens for the different things we were looking for. How was it cohesive? That was purple. What was the purpose of each bit of dialogue? That was red. How was description used from the point of rhetoric? That was green. How do you keep to a thesis when you never clearly state it? How does each paragraph build your point in a subtle way? That was blue We worked and worked and worked to learn the form. Then we traveled to the Mackenzie Basin and visited all sorts of out of the way places, took photos, hypothesized, observed, talked, and just had a ton of fun. When we came home, he wrote it.
His overarching goal was to leave people with a sense of hope. That was a tricky one for an environmental piece! He also focused on multiple perspectives because it was written for a geography magazine -- so environmentalists, farmers, tourists. What made it particularly clever was his overarching yet subtle metaphor that he wove throughout the essay. He also interwove his own personal experience in the region with the history to create a wonderfully well rounded essay.
I’m late to this, but you REALLY need to write a book on homeschooling!!!!! Seriously, over the years, I have cut and paste so so many of your ideas so that I wouldn’t lose them or forget them!! The approach you outlined here is stunning to me!
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9 minutes ago, regentrude said:
I would not bury this experience on the transcript in a course nobody is going to look at carefully.
I would highlight this experience by listing it as an extracurricular on her college application, and possibly elaborating on it in my counselor letter or having her use it in her essay
Ok, this makes a lot of sense. Thanks!
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10 minutes ago, 8filltheheart said:
By double dipping I mean including it on the transcript as a course and then again using it as an EC. Choose whichever category you want to put it in.
I think I’m really dim here. The class will definitely be on her transcript for last semester. This semester’s tutoring is a separate experience for her.
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13 minutes ago, 8filltheheart said:
I would not "double dip" the experience.
Thanks! She’s not actually enrolled in the class—is that what you meant by double-dipping? She took the class last semester, so this is just her sitting through the class again and helping the professor get through all of the questions.
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My DD was asked to be the embedded tutor for a Chemistry 201A class at the community college where she’s dual-enrolled. She attends the online class each week, the professor lectures for 45 minutes or so, and then they go into break-out rooms and she helps the students work through problems for the rest of the class time. The professor is traveling for the semester, and so his internet connection often goes in and out and I hear my DD in there lecturing them when he disappears. And then she has 8 hours/week of drop-in tutoring for the class.
This has been a great experience for her, but it’s taking a ton of energy and time that probably should really be spent on meeting her remaining high school graduation requirements. So, I’ve been thinking of maybe turning this into a work-study class? Would that be a valid elective to put on a transcript?
And how would she describe it on a resume? I had never heard of an embedded tutor before this, but I’m not a mathy/science person. She seems more like a TA to me, but she’s not doing any grading. Listing it as a tutor doesn’t seem like it really captures what she’s being asked to do. Any thoughts?
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6 hours ago, Arcadia said:
Are they all compulsory or some are just optional practice? Are they all computer graded because I am wondering how the lecturer has patience to grade.
Between my two children, none of their lecturers has assigned much homework. DS15 would have dropped the class within the drop period otherwise because he cries over busywork. They have to scan and submit handwritten homework. At least they get to practice their handwriting for maths.
It’s all required. My DH was flummoxed. The only thing we could figure is that the teacher must have a grader or two.
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On 1/30/2021 at 11:39 AM, lewelma said:
The main problem we had with the homework sets in the local university classes, is that the were repetitive. You had to do all the problems to get a good mark, but my son only needed to do about 30% of the problems to understand the content.
This has been my DD’s experience too. This week she’s done 100+ problems for her DE calculus class—my DH is a professor (granted, in engineering, not math) and he found that number of problems to be ridiculous. Ten hours of slogging through very very repetitive stuff.
I wish we had stayed with AoPS for calculus, but my DD wanted to do it this way.
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8 hours ago, lewelma said:
This has been our experience. DS can simply talk to the professor, say he has self-studied xxx content, and take an upper level class. He has never been required to repeat something he has already done just so he can tick a box.
He has been required to take the final exam during orientation to place out of university-wide required math and science classes (he is at a tech school), but was not required to do this to place out of prereqs for upper level classes that were not a university-wide requirement.
This is so good to hear!
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9 hours ago, 8filltheheart said:
I didnt read the thread, so I don't know if this was mentioned, but for some private schools, the issue isnt bringing in the credit as much as they expect you to take that many courses at their school. So say they limit the number of hrs you can bring in to 12 but the student is ready for 300 or 400 level classes. It isnt that they want your student to enroll in 100 level classes. They will let them place into an appropriate level. But, she would probably need 3 1/2 yrs to graduate bc the outside advanced level doesnt let them skip hrs that the U wants to collect $$ for.
This is what I’ve been hoping. I think she’s fine with taking longer to graduate—she just doesn’t want to have to repeat any of these math and science classes.
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7 hours ago, SeaConquest said:
One thing that I would caution you, though, is to be aware that, because she has taken classes at 4 year universities, she could come into the UC with too many units if she decides to transfer (so-called super junior or super senior status, which isn't an issue if all the units are from CCs, and only becomes an issue when some of the units are from 4 year universities). Review pages 34 and 35 here: https://admission.universityofcalifornia.edu/counselors/files/quick-reference.pdf I am not sure if this issue still applies if you come in as a freshman and then they adjust your status after admission. You might want to email Ask UC.
Oh goodness, thank you for pointing this out!!! I had no idea!
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Thanks all! I’ll try to reassure her with this! 🙂 And I’ll have her start contacting the universities, to determine which of the classes she can place out of and which she’ll have to repeat.
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6 minutes ago, JenneinCA said:
Re: the classes at the community college in California transferring to UC or CSU campuses.
This is actually really easy to figure out. Look at the course listing it will say if it transfers or not. If is says it transfers, then it does and that is all.
You might be best off making an appointment with the college advisor at the community college she is attending. They have the latest information on in state transfers.Both of my older kids took classes at a California community college before going to a four year school, one as a freshman the other as a transfer student. Neither had any issues with the school accepting the credits. This is one state school in Arizona and one private school in New York. The classes transferring part was not the biggest part of our decision making. Other things like financial aid and distance from home were more significant factors.
Yeah, I probably wasn’t clear. We definitely know which classes transfer from the community college to the UC. The CSU classes definitely don’t transfer, and the Oregon classes likely do not. And then with the private schools she’s looked at, there seem to be limits on the number of credits she can bring in (she’s already over those limits), and she’s also been worried that she may have to repeat things like organic chemistry if they didn’t see a community college as rigorous enough. -
My DD (a sophomore in high school) has been taking university classes since 8th grade and so has a decent amount of college credit by now. But, we had to move to another state for my husband’s job (we’re in California now), and so she has about 20 credits from a university in Oregon, about 28 credits so far from a California community college, and 4 credits from our local California CSU. Our local community college limits high school students to 11 credits per semester, which is why she ended up taking another class from the CSU.
My DD would prefer to graduate high school this year so that she’ll be allowed to take 4 classes each semester at the community college, and then use the next two years to get ready to transfer to a University of California campus. She has friends her own age, but she says she really likes being in classes with older kids. I think she may regret this plan later—I was a transfer student myself, and I always felt like I missed out on the full college experience not being on a campus for 4 years. I think this plan would also limit her to UC schools, since private schools don’t seem to take many transfer students. And I don’t believe the credits from the Oregon university or from the CSU will transfer to the UC schools (they seem very fussy), so she may have to repeat some classes to transfer.
She’s been worried about how all this will look to private schools, having 3 colleges on her record. Plus, she did a year at a hybrid high school for her freshman year in addition to the college stuff, so we’re really all over the place. She keeps bringing that up, so I know it’s bothering her. And transferring to a UC would eliminate her worry about that stuff, since she just fulfills their very straightforward transfer requirements.She’s also worried about private schools making her repeat classes, since they’re unlikely to take many of these classes for credit. She’s aiming for a major like MCB or neuroscience, so she’s done chemistry, calculus, and biology already and will do organic chemistry, physics and statistics next year. She’s very worried that private schools may not see the community college as rigorous enough and may make her repeat things like ochem or calculus. Is this a legitimate fear?
So, she could:
1) Remain in high school, be limited to 11 units, and maybe add a class or two from the local CSU, knowing that those CSU credits won’t do her any good if she transfers later.
2) Graduate early, transfer at age 18, but probably be very limited in which schools she could transfer to.
3) One other crazy option in that there’s another community college 35 minutes from here, so she could remain in high school and split classes between the two community colleges, and then decide whether to apply as a freshman or transfer in her senior year. She doesn’t like this option because it adds another college to her long list.
One other note is that her grandparents will pay for university, so we don’t have to worry about scholarships (which I know can be an issue with transfer students). Obviously though, spending less is always better!!
Thank you for any advice!!
What is the point of the Ivies?
in The College Board
Posted
Except that someone here said that a college counselor gave it to her, yes? It seems to me not so benign if it’s being presented as a recipe by a professional.
I showed the list to my 16-year old, and her response was, “oh yeah, you read about that pressure messing up kids in young adult novels...”