Age: 17
Location: Norwich Free Academy, Room 6206 (AP Chemistry)
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Chemistry...not one of my best subjects. I'm an excellent lab monitor, but not so much on the AP tests. O well, it's a good class with a good teacher (who also happens to be my homeroom teacher).
Class starts like any other, Mr. Tamborra tells us what's going on in class and proceeds to put equations on the board. Half of them I don't quite understand, but hey that's not bad! We begin to discuss polarity...a concept I NEVER could wrap my head around...and I'm down to doodling. My pencil is stopped by the announcement that for the second half of class, we were going to discuss our futures, including where we wanted to go to school. We were going to go around the room and name our top choices.
"UConn", I heard from the first few people. UConn was nothing to sneer at...I was just looking for a school with a bit more technical background and expertise.
"I'm going to try for MIT." Oh good, I'm not the only one that is going to be trying this...but wait, I was definitely already told I wouldn't like MIT. Was my counselor right? Hmmm....I guess this was going to take more research.
"I'd like to try for MIT as well, but I'm actually thinking of going to Harvard". That was Brad. He was an incredibly smart upper who would have no problem getting into either...and a good friend. Great, it was my turn.
"I'm thinking MIT..." What a lie...I certainly wasn't thinking of anything at the moment. Meh, it'll be like everything else I've ever said in class...just something to get the attention pulled away from me.
After everyone was done regaling us with where they were applying, Mr. Tamboirra piped in, "Wow, all of you bright yourgsters and none of you are even going to try to get into my Alma Mater." He obviously was about say where when a classmate whose ambitions obviously resided at Three Rivers Community College piped in.
"Oh my God, really?? Where did YOU go, Mr. Tamborra?" in her best valley girl accent.
"Worcester Polytech!" he said with pride. Worcester Polytech? I'd never even heard of it. I knew of Rensselear Polytechnic Institute....were they similar?
"Is it like RPI?" I asked.
"Pfft. RPI can kiss my butt. WPI is the way to go." Obviously he was joking around, but the joke lightened my mood quite a bit. "Chris, after class come talk to me." Great, I had made him want to talk to me. I'm so good at that!!
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"So, your counselor tells me you're looking into technical schools." What were they gossip buddies?
"Yeah, but he claims that all of my choices wouldn't have really fit me." Let's see if he corroborates the story!
"Well, I would have to agree. These aren't exactly schools that scream 'Chris'". Damn it! Someone is right about something.
"Is there anything you'd suggest?" I asked.
"I think it's obvious...I would suggest WPI!" he said, again, with pride.
I guess it was time to make another appointment with guidance!
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©2007, Chris St. Pierre
Norwich Free Academy Campus (My High School)
This picture will be here as long as the story is in high school...
2 comments:
There are many colleges out there, and it is often very hard for a high school senior to narrow them down. However, complex decisions usually boil down to simple reasons for the choice. It's crazy to think that one teacher may have influenced your entire life just by recommending his college! I'm not suggesting that your choice was based entirely on this one teacher's suggestion, but it's interesting to see the chain of events that he has set in motion.
My college search was a bit easier. I knew that I wanted to go to a college with a great computer science program, and that I wanted to stay in Massachusetts. I knew about MIT, and it was my first choice. You told me about WPI, and then I learned more from other people. I think one out person of every five people in Massachusetts knows somebody that has attended/is attending WPI. 100% of these people tell me that the person loved it/is loving it. In fact, I have not heard one negative thing about the school. It's ridiculous. When I attended "A Closer Look", it was like everybody was taking happy pills. Even the lunch ladies were happy to be there! Although MIT rejected me, I can't even see myself there anymore, and I'm glad you told me about WPI. In fact, without your recommendation, I don't even know if I would have applied.
Oh, and I'm also good at having teachers talk to me. I should tell you about my World Literature teacher. She was a Harvard elitist, and I think I was the only student that she talked to as a person. She sounded almost condescending to other students... it was a bit embarrassing.
I'm happy to hear I had an influence, you are TOTALLY guna love it here!! OR ELSE! j/k....maybe ;)
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