In November Allen Lewis, a math teacher at Forks High School,  was talking to Luke Dixon about his adjusting to college life from high school. Luke said it sure was an eye opener and he was shocked how different it was.  In November Brittany Leavitt was at school and Lewis asked her how her college life was going.  She had very similar responses to Luke. So. Mr. Lewis got the idea to have some recent graduates come back and speak to his Math classes to help them prepare for college.

On Monday, Jan. 3, Luke Dixon, Megan Klebe, and Brittany Leavitt, came to speak to students in math classes at Forks High School. The students came in and spoke to two Algebra II classes, a Pre Cal Class, and the Calculus Advanced Placement class.  The students took turns sharing their  own experiences with college with the students.

Dixon, who attended one year at Whitman College in Walla Walla and is now attending Peninsula College in Port Angeles, shared his thoughts on the amount of “ free time” students have and how not to waste that time like he did.  

He talked about how teachers in college don’t care if; you are in class or not,  if you want to spend your time texting in class, if you sleep in class, or if you spend class time on Facebook. You have already paid for that class and  then it is  the student’s choice to work hard or not, he said.  Pass or fail, the school already has your money.

Klebe, who is taking classes through Peninsula College’s online system, shared her thoughts on how not to procrastinate.  She talked about how easy it is to just keep putting off work until the due date when taking classes online.  

Taking online classes is not for everyone, Klebe said, and she realizes, now, it is not for her. She mentioned how the teachers would offer ways to get help, but you need to go out of the house for that help.  The lack of  interaction  with other students is hard when taking classes online, she said.

Leavitt, who is currently attending Washington State University in Pullman, shared her thoughts on how to prepare for college. She talked about the emphasis on the  Scholastic Achievement Test (SAT), maintaining a high grade point average (GPA), and school involvement. Colleges use the SAT as a major basis for admission, she said, a student’s high school  GPA is used for some placement. School and community involvement are also very important. Leavitt advised. Colleges want well-rounded, involved students, she said. She also mentioned the importance of applying for college as soon as possible in a student’s senior year in high school.

All three agree that students at Forks High School should get as much help as they can now while it is free and they have teachers willing to help. Students should take challenging classes to better help prepare them for college. Students should apply  often for many possible scholarships to help pay for college.  Students should take notes, take advantage of challenging teachers, and ask for help when needed.

The Forks High School students  attending the classes were excited about what they heard and said it will help them better prepare for college.  They thanked the three Spartan graduates for giving up their free time to share college advice with them.