Seniors Comment on Newly Implemented Health Classes
Many students are not in favor of this spring’s senior health class, instituted for the first time this year. The idea was proposed by the health department last winter, and after a faculty vote, it is tentatively scheduled to continue for three of four more years. The course, which meets once a week and assigns one hour of homework, was designed to be a short time commitment. The health department believed that senior spring would be the most relevant time for the class to prepare seniors for life beyond high school.
Instructor of health Elizabeth Hurley said that although students took health classes during their prep or lower year, those courses prepared students for high school, whereas the senior health class is preparing students for college. Dean of Student Health and Wellness William Coole expects the class to continue. He feels that the lessons such as financial management are a worthwhile piece to the course. Although there have been complaints on the class, the health department is looking to improve. “I suspect that the Health department will grow in the future as we continue to critique how we support adolescent development,” Coole said.
“If they actually committed to what this is and taught it throughout senior year instead of just in the spring term, maybe it would be more widely accepted.”
At the start of the spring term the students took a survey on potential topics they wanted to cover, and most classes have chosen to talk about financial responsibility. This includes concepts such as purchasing used cars, paying for insurance and handling credit cards. In future classes, topics will include healthy relationships in college.
Classes have been assigned a presentation-type project on finance. A standardized website link was sent to the seniors which included sublinks on financial topics. Many students felt that the financial presentations were rushed or simply non-educational. In senior Sam Kushell’s class, the presentations were scheduled to take up one class, but after four classes, still not all students have presented yet. “We could’ve just read the website at our own leisure,” Kushell said.
Postgraduate Adam Ahmed felt that the website did not provide enough information. “I already know most about this and the resources given aren’t all straightforward so we need to do our own extra research,” Ahmed said.
Senior Keji Oladinni felt that although the information was useful, she had already learned the personal finance information in a health class required at her last school. Oladinni thinks the class should be consolidated into the health classes that preps and new lowers are required to take. She said many of her peers did not anticipate the amount of work the class would require and believes it should not be a class during senior spring. “We wouldn’t even mind going in on a Sunday for an hour and having an actual focus group or discussion. It’s just annoying to have an extra class that actually has more work,” Oladinni said.
Senior Ethan Gould also learned little from the lessons on personal finance. “I absolutely think that these are topics, ‘life lessons’ as it were, that deserve attention, but I have real doubts about how much a once weekly course attended by largely disinterested seniors can actually teach them,” Gould said.
Senior Minh Nguyen agreed with Gould. He said that in the spring, most seniors are ready to graduate, so classes aren’t very productive. “They should’ve either made it optional for people who are really interested in it or not have it at all. Because if people are interested enough to actually put in the effort, then the class would be more fruitful.” Nguyen said.
Senior Fedja Celebic said, “Please, please, please cancel senior health for the future generations,” Celebic said. “They don’t need this.”
Senior Joyce Tseng felt the topics were useful to provide students with a basic understanding of what to expect from colleges and adult life in the United States. However, Tseng felt it did not pertain to international students such as herself. Most discussions and presentations regarding loans, credit cards and other financial topics were only relevant to the U.S. “It was useful to learn about, but it felt irrelevant.” Tseng said.
If two of the nine classes are missed, students risk failing the class and having a meeting with the dean of students. Kushell feels that the auto fail policy is an extra academic pressure. In his experience, the classes are hard to remember because of a rotating schedule between week one and week two and abrupt changes in meeting times. Kushell said that many students are going on college visits which might overlap with classes, leaving students in an inconvenient position. “I understand how it’s not supposed to be convenient; it’s a required appointment, but if they actually committed to what this is and taught it throughout senior year instead of just in the spring term, maybe it would be more widely accepted.” Kushell said.
Senior Sasha Kennedy has noticed that the teachers plan class well and that most students have been able to gain “at least something small” from each class. Senior Matt Asante wishes peers approached the class with a positive, growth mindset so that the class could be more productive. “I think it’s a good time to have this class, I mean there’s nothing to do, there’s no huge assignments to do and we meet once a week,” Asante said. “I don’t buy how we don’t have time; this is a pass fail class. Why are you complaining?”