If you could make one important change in a school that you attended, what change would you make?
Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.
One of the experiences in my education, and one that I value highly, was attending a small, close-knit school in rural South Carolina. The school had an intimate atmosphere that fostered friendships between students that went beyond the mere learning of subjects. This may have been due to the small class size, which averaged around 20 students, or the teachers, who seemed to genuinely care for the students in their classes. Either way, the small class size and the caring teachers made the learning environment more enjoyable, and I believe that had a positive effect on my education.
I am particularly grateful that I attended such a school because, although I was shy, I felt that I was able to make friends easily. My teachers were kind to me, and I even felt comfortable enough to approach them outside of school and express my feelings. I was able to discuss with them problems that I encountered in my daily life, and thanks to their understanding, I was able to work through my issues. This, in turn, helped me to feel more confident, and I was able to begin to open up to people. When I was in my high school years, I had several friends that I made through the school, and that group of friends has remained my closest friendship to this day. We have known each other since elementary school, and we continue to see each other outside of school, as well.
The school was also small enough that I was able to get to know all of my teachers, and I enjoyed having relationships with them. I can still remember one of the teachers, Mr. D, who would occasionally chat with students outside the classroom, and he always seemed to be in a good mood. I also liked Mr. F, who was the school’s principal. He was kind, approachable, and interested in what students were thinking about. He was always willing to spend time with us and talk about school, and he always greeted us with a smile when we saw him in the hallway. I was also fortunate enough to have two teachers who really had an impact on my education. Mr. C, my AP chemistry teacher, was passionate about his work and cared about his students. He regularly checked to see how we were doing in his class and contacted us if we were struggling. I still remember being devastated when I failed the chemistry portion of the AP exam, but Mr. C encouraged me, and I passed that exam on the second attempt. Mr. B, my AP physics teacher, was fun and interesting. He often talked about his personal life, and I liked that about him. He constantly gave us challenging homework and tests, and I always looked forward to meeting with him after school to work on those assignments.
Mr. C and Mr. B were the primary reasons why I excelled in my AP classes. They helped me to organize my studies and time so that I could stay on top of my classes, and they gave me the confidence I needed to take the AP exams. Without their help, I would not have been able to pass the exams, and that, in turn, would have affected my grade point average and college applications. I would not have been able to be accepted to the schools to which I applied, and I would have had to turn down one school that offered me a scholarship.
Although the school I attended was small, I was able to take as many advanced classes as I wanted to, and I think that the small class size helped me to achieve my goal of attending a university. Many of the other students in my class also went on to college, and I believe that the small school size played a big role in that. The only college class that I had to take was English, and I was able to sign up for it in my junior year. Because I was in high school, I was able to take classes in the evening, which allowed me to graduate early. I also took several college-level math classes during my senior year. Because I was able to take college classes while still in high school, I felt a bit more prepared for college than some of my friends who graduated from high school and took a few college classes in college.
Because of the small school size and the teacher-student relationships, I truly believe that my experience at that school was a positive one. The caring teachers and the close-knit community helped me to feel comfortable, and that allowed me to do well in school. I feel that the small class size and the teachers’ positive attitudes contributed to my academic success.