To some, the constant surveillance, rigid schedules and strict guidance imposed in high school inhibited their development at times.

Stephen Wales, a West York Area High School graduate and freshman at Kutztown University, said, “More freedom in high school would have taught you how to take responsibility for your time and yourself, whereas in high school, you constantly have teachers telling you what to do.�

Hubel agreed, saying, “High school doesn’t prepare you for real leadership and time management.�

In order to provide the population with necessary basics, all students are required to participate in certain core classes that might or might not be of interest to them. With a lot of information to cover in a limited amount of time, teachers and students face the challenge of comprehension versus memorization.

“Schools go more toward memorization but not toward the basis of comprehending that information,� said Debra Fauth, an English teacher at West York. “Kids can memorize facts without understanding the basis of the facts.�

The “cram-and-dump� method works for many students to pass tests and obtain grades throughout high school.

“I feel that memorization is what gets many people by in high school. I probably did that a lot,� said Caitlin Stanley, a Hempfield High School graduate and currently a junior at Boston University. “I feel that students just memorize the necessary facts for the exam and then forget everything a few days later to cram for the next test.�

However, many students caution that memorization won’t fly after high school.

“In college, you can’t just memorize the information,� said Ty Reiber, a West York graduate and Penn State University freshman.

Wales added, “You have to know the information and how it applies.�

You also need to know how to express that application in writing.

“You can’t just memorize things in college because many of your exams will be in essay form and you’re not exactly sure what they’re going to ask. You have to be prepared to explain a broader spectrum of information,� Stanley said. “College is a lot of writing. As long as you’re a good writer, you’ll get by.�

Whether or not America’s public schools are preparing students for their futures as well as they can be, the system is, according to Fauth, “for the time being, the best workable system we have.�

Advice on preparing yourself for life after graduation

Stephen Wales
Freshman, Kutztown University
Age: 18
Major: Secondary education, concentration: math and physics
Advice:
“Learn how to do laundry!�
“Develop good study skills.�
“Do your homework.�

Ty Reiber
Freshman, Penn State University
Age: 18
Major: Engineering
Advice:
“In high school, instead of memorizing, actually learn the stuff.�
“Just be willing to work hard when you get to college.�
“You have to learn to do the work on your own. Teachers won’t feed it to you.�

Randy Hubel
Junior, Syracuse University
Age: 20
Major: Aerospace engineering
Advice:
“Reach out for the extra help that is there, like tutoring or SAT prep courses.�
“You have to stop relying on class layouts and teachers and guidance counselors to guide you.�

Caitlin Stanley
Junior, Boston University
Age: 20
Major: Political science/American studies
Advice:
“Eat breakfast before your morning classes. It’s the only thing that will get you through.�

Nathan Heller
Third year, Villanova Law School
Age: 25
Advice:
“Learn how to develop deeper critical thinking skills.�
“Be open to meeting new people — especially during the first few weeks.�
“Approach college with an open mind.�