York Prep Provides Tips to Graduating High School Seniors

NEW YORK, NY, July 19, 2012

When it comes to preparing for college, there are many questions that graduating high school seniors have. Some of these questions may focus on personal elements, such as how to make new friends, become involved and adjust to life away from home. Other concerns may relate more to academic success, such as discovering a focus, earning high grades and making the most of a professor's lecture. A recent article from The New York Times showcases seven tips aimed to help new students prepare for degree completion. York Prep, a private school based in New York City, agrees with these suggestions, as it is an institution that shapes its students for a prosperous journey through higher education.

Of the tips that the article offers, preparation remains dominant in making the most out of a college curriculum. Students are encouraged to learn how to do most of the coursework on their own, gain an interest in their studies and realize that the opportunity to craft their own education means more responsibilities. Jayme Stewart, York Prep's co-founder and College Counselor, directs the school's College Guidance Program which provides students with many of the same lessons. Through continual individual meetings with students and their parents, Stewart and her staff are able to encourage children to select high school courses that may pertain more to an individual's higher educational goals.

In addition to such preparation, attendance is important to making the most of one's college experience. While many high school's repeat information and build on the foundations of prior classes, college courses are often in and of themselves the entire lesson. The article notes, "Professors have only 30 or 40 lectures in which to cover the subject, so they try to make each class count. If you miss more than a few lectures, you're likely to miss out on content that will be difficult to fill in on your own."

While the article notes that professors are often there to help a student through a course, Headmaster of York Prep, Ronald Stewart makes notices of a monumental difference between high school and university classes. He states, "There is a mind shift between high school teachers, who are primarily interested in their students, and college professors who are primarily interested in their subject. Bearing that in mind, the freshman student may need to show the professor how interested he is."

Having taught college courses himself, Ronald Stewart also suggests that college freshmen go to every lecture, sit in the same place - and in bigger courses, perhaps wear distinctive clothing and always state one's name before a question. He concludes, "Professors are human beings; if you show interest they will reward accordingly."

ABOUT:

York Prep is a private school founded by Ronald and Jayme Stewart in New York City's Upper West Side. The school serves students in grades 6-12 with enrollment currently at 340 students. Today, the school creates its curriculum and course offering based on the needs and abilities of its students. For more information, visit www.yorkprep.org.