Being the original class of MACES, here for seven years, from sixth grade to senior year, the class of 2024 has decided to share their experiences and advice for high school.
Many 2024 students have decided to share some advice for upcoming seniors. “Just try. Try hard. It’s very important to push through, especially your junior and senior years. This can be extremely challenging. Be involved, but [don’t overdo it.] It can be really hard when things overlap [and you don’t have time for everything,]” Andrea Quiniones, a senior, said.
Most seniors believe students should keep trying. “Don’t give up. Keep pushing even if it seems like a far time until graduation; the time will be cut short and really just enjoy the time,” Gregory Toscano, a senior, said.
In addition to this, they have faced many challenges in high school. “Not having the academic support from my parents has really been the most challenging part, because both of my parents are immigrants and they have not been able to support me academically. They know I try hard, but I can’t go to my parents and ask them for help with work. They don’t know, because they didn’t go to school,” Quiniones said.
These seniors have not only faced home challenges but also academic challenges. “Keeping my grades up has definitely been one of the most challenging parts. I have slacked off a lot so my junior and senior years were definitely focused on my grades,” Araie Sanchez, a senior, said.
Now, many seniors agree that being indecisive has been one of the most complicated parts of choosing a college. “If you’re indecisive, it’s going to be a more difficult and complicated process. You look into different schools and compare them, ” Toscano said. Agreeing with this, “The hardest part of choosing a college is being indecisive, because it really depends on what college is better or would support me in my major the most,” said Sanchez.
Besides these challenges they have faced, they still have many hopes and dreams they’d like to achieve. “I would really like to major in photography and music. One of the colleges I was accepted to is a music school. It would definitely help me with production and sound for shows or movies, which is what I really want to learn and do,” Toscano said.
Students have had the influence of their parents to decide on a major. “I’m really looking forward to going into the business field, because I’ve always been involved in business with my father. That’s really the main reason I would like to go into business and administration,” Quinones said.
Furthermore, many students share that their acceptance letters had a long lasting impact on them. “Being accepted into Cal State Dominguez Hills and Cal State LA makes me feel accomplished,” Sanchez said.
Although some students share that they were not able to get into their dream school just yet, they plan on applying in the future and accomplishing that dream. “I got accepted to several schools but honestly, my dream school has always been USC, but unfortunately, I was not able to get in. Which is fine because I plan on eventually applying back to USC for my master’s,” Quiniones said.
In all, these students would agree to keep going. No matter what. Push yourself to do better. “Don’t slack off on work. Keep pushing and don’t procrastinate,” Sanchez said.
