Taking WISE

This blog post may not see the light of day right now, and may not be included in my grade (my presentation is tomorrow after all), but I write it for those who are going to be in the WISE program next year. I would like to say two things before I get into anything else. Firstly, I do not regret taking WISE, because it presented to me a problem, a task, which forced me to push myself and consequently I have grown as a person. Secondly, it just feels like the right way to end my senior year, the way being doing something that I love and am passionate about for a grade. The final presentation may be a little rough for me, but it will be a valuable experience.

This last year of classes at IHS went a lot more quickly than I ever anticipated. It feels like just yesterday I was starting the year and it was "back to the old grind." To think that tomorrow is my last day of classes as a high-school student is a scary thought. It makes me wonder where the time has gone.

Time is the most important resource that one can have. Specifically for any potential WISE students, managing it will be a great challenge. If done correctly, then everything will hopefully fall into place, but there is no guarantee.

At the beginning of my project, I recognized my lack of discipline as I slowly sank into "senioritis" and just plain laziness, and I had originally hoped that it would help me deal with that. I was wrong. Thinking back now, all my project did was present me with work that I had to do, like any class at school, and it has changed me, for the better I think. My point, for next year's WISE students, is that you are responsible for yourself and your project. The second semester project can be done well, or it can be done minimally, just passing the requirements and "avoiding detection" as needing to go in for extra help and guidance. I advise against the latter, as your project will not turn into what you need it be for your presentation, nor what you need it to be to grow as a person, unless you put in the time, the work, and the effort. Trust me, it shows.