Hi everyone! This summer is passing by so fast. This past Thursday was my last day of summer classes at Diablo Valley College. Even though I was just improving my grades in two courses, this has turned out to be a learning experience.

At the beginning of the summer, I was very excited about attending classes at this community college. About two weeks into classes, though, my thoughts changed. I was very disappointed in myself for not doing as well as I could have in my high school courses and almost thought of myself as a failure since I could not do many of the other amazing things that some other classmates are doing this summer due to summer school. Surrounded by other students seizing the same opportunity to take summer courses, I became less focused on summer and more focused on doing the very best in my class and became excited about school again. Still, I stuck it out, turned in my chem labs on time, did all of the math homework, and I ended up with solid Bs in both courses!

Taking the summer courses at DVC has changed me because it has made me more responsible. Read the rest of this entry »

Hi everyone! I’ve been busier in this last semester of junior year than in the rest of my high school years put together! As the school year comes to a close, I become more anxious and apprehensive about the future. I feel as though I’m ready to leave high school, yet at the same time I want to hold on to it. These years have passed by so quickly.

It also amazes me how great it is to see that nearly me and all of my peers have begun the process of college admissions so early. As we speak, I am contemplating which top ten schools I am interested in applying to in the week deadline given to me by my mom and step-mom.

Of course, I have been looking into various schools for about a year now, but it is somewhat overwhelming. Since the school that I attend will influence my entire future, any questions float in my head: Which school is right for me? What if I apply to all of these schools and I’m rejected by all of them? Read the rest of this entry »

This post was written by Diamond Broussard, a junior at Skyline High School. -Katy

At school, I am surrounded by the same peers, many of whom I know personally, that I have known since my freshman year. Yet it still surprises me how some of these students get by. Here I am, seizing opportunities given to us students by administrators and other people, taking the time to make sure that I am fulfilling my responsibilities as a student. Meanwhile, a few of my friends are slacking off, enjoying their social lives, shopping or going to the movies every weekend or working at part time jobs — all the while bringing home mediocre grades and achieving very little.

Though I should be used to seeing students settle for less than they should and succeeding by doing just the “minimum requirements”, it bothers more and more each day. While I do not have much of a say in my friends’ educations, I wish that many of them would challenge themselves as I do because many of them do not realize just how bright they really are. Why won’t they go above and beyond in their education?

Today, many Oakland youth are about “hustlin’” and “gettin’ money.” Read the rest of this entry »

The Education Report welcomes another student voice to the blog: Diamond Broussard, a junior at Skyline High School, who will occasionally contribute her musings on high school life. If other students would like to submit pieces for consideration, they can e-mail me at kmurphy@bayareanewsgroup.com. -Katy

As my senior friends are graduating and moving on to better things and prepping for their futures, and as they have overcome the drama of choosing a college that suits their career goal – or for that matter, any goal  — my junior friends and I are beginning to have a little anxiety about the future. 

Often times we are pressured by family members or friends or teachers to know exactly what we want to be and what we want to achieve in life. Although I have known since junior high school that I want to attend a university and later have a career in fashion, and more specifically own my own boutique, other classmates are unsure of what path to choose, for many reasons, but one in particular: what job is right for my GPA or IQ.

My friend Christina and I had a conversation about how important being smart is when considering colleges.  Read the rest of this entry »