Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:10 This is the Owl Cast, the official podcast of a ACS Athens. This is the Student edition.
Speaker 0 00:00:18 Listen
Speaker 1 00:00:18 To the exciting story of the American Community schools of Athens. Check out what drives all the members of our international community of learners as we create the education of the future. Here's John Papadakis.
Speaker 2 00:00:44 Welcome to the second part of the outcast episode on the class of 2023 graduates of a c s Athens. Graduating high school is one of those milestones in our life that stays forever etched in our bucket of memories. It is considered not only the passing gate to adulthood, the Rubicon to the real life and all those other cliches that graduation speeches are full of. But when we think of our formative years of elementary and secondary education, it's the moment that comes without even thinking to our minds whether our high school years passed full of excitement and the fulfillment of knowledge or full of frustration and stressful expectations. Graduation is the moment of redemption that feels like an entire world. Weight is being lifted off our shoulders. Class of 2023 is the first group of students that began their high school journey during the first covid lockdown in the 20 19 20 20 academic year.
Speaker 2 00:01:45 All of them must still remember their first online classes in their ninth grade and I'm sure that the experience will also be with them throughout their lives. However, all of the students of the class of 2023 we're talking with today feel that this experience was another life lesson on resiliency, on understanding, on self-reflection and on supporting each other. The graduates of 2023 are becoming the latest addition to the long and diverse body of Theis Athens global alumni who prepare for their academic career in higher education for their business and entrepreneurial ventures for their trip to the world. Wherever this road leads them, the Outkast welcomes two groups of graduates who talk about the realization that high school is over and the anticipation of what lies ahead. All students have a unique history arriving to acs. Athens having followed very different paths. Um, I think everybody would like to know where did you come from, what kind of path did you follow? And you know, what is your first memory from the school? How many years have you been here?
Speaker 3 00:03:03 So, uh, class of 20, 23. So,
Speaker 2 00:03:06 Okay.
Speaker 3 00:03:07 I remember like I started off by having my mom already been a member of the school. My mom graduated around the eighties.
Speaker 2 00:03:14 So she's a graduate of the school? Yes.
Speaker 3 00:03:16 Okay. She's a graduate. And uh, initially I had grown up in a small village outside of uh, Athens. Like it's 40 minutes outside of Athens. That was until I finished kindergarten. That was because my dad's business is there. So yeah. But then when I finished kindergarten, I moved to Athens and I immediately got enrolled into the school.
Speaker 2 00:03:35 So you're here since first grade? No,
Speaker 3 00:03:37 I've been here since kindergarten. I stayed a grade so I could learn English
Speaker 2 00:03:41 Better. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:03:42 And my mom has an international background. She is from Venezuela and Columbia. My dad's Greek. And my first memory when I came here, I remember, I don't remember the name, I think of the teacher, but she still works here. And she was blonde and she's like forties or more. And she was taking me around touring me and she was, she had her own class and I was just following with the class and she dropped me off at my class. Uh, my first teacher in a c s was Miss Anna. And when the person was touring me, dropped me off at the class. I got very panicked cuz I thought, what's going on? I just saw the whole group like departing and leaving and I've just been dropped off at a location that I don't know. So I just started like crying a lot and just started like running around, like trying to find them. And I just started like panicking and everything, but I got caught up and then I'm like, what's happening? Why, why are you leaving me? Like, and then I was told, this is your class. I'm just like tearing you around. And
Speaker 2 00:04:40 So how long did the panic last?
Speaker 3 00:04:42 I think it was probably like five minutes or something. Five minutes? It was until I caught up and like I realized that they had left and then I caught up and then like, okay, they told me that's your class and I just went and was shy there.
Speaker 4 00:04:53 Uh, my name is Constantine and I've been at ACS since pre jk. So since three years old.
Speaker 2 00:05:00 I mean And this is your 14th year? 15th,
Speaker 4 00:05:03 Yes. 15th. Yeah. I, so I don't have much memory of how I got here or before that.
Speaker 2 00:05:08 Maybe your first memory. It doesn't have to be from the first year.
Speaker 4 00:05:11 I do have a first memory. So I came to CS cuz my mom went to acs. Well she didn't graduate from here, but she attended a acs. And
Speaker 2 00:05:19 Uh, is she still considered an alum? Yeah. It doesn't matter that she didn't graduate. Mm. Okay.
Speaker 4 00:05:25 Uh, my first memory was the first day of JK and I thought that the parents stayed with us in school. I was never informed that they leave. So I was panicking and crying all day cuz my mom had left. My teacher had to like walk me around the school basically all day to calm me down. And that's what I remember. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:05:43 Okay.
Speaker 5 00:05:44 Uh, hi, I'm, I'm Sandy and uh, I've been at a c s since sixth grade. I used to live in Italy before and I lived with my grandparents and I moved here because my parents live here and they work here. And I came to S Cs because my brother used to go to S Cs. And I don't think I have any memories from here.
Speaker 2 00:06:06 What do you mean you don't have memories from here? I
Speaker 5 00:06:08 Know, like, I can't think of anything when I think of S cs.
Speaker 2 00:06:11 Okay. Seniors have a blank <laugh>. Okay.
Speaker 6 00:06:16 Okay. So I'm <inaudible> and I was at uh, acs, um, since JK one, but I left after third grade. So I attended fourth grade at St. Catherine's and then fifth grade until ninth grade I was in the US in Chicago. And then I came back for 10th grade.
Speaker 2 00:06:37 So you're here 10, 11, 12 in high school?
Speaker 6 00:06:40 Uh, yeah. Okay. Um, elementary school. I don't have that many memories but I, I can remember one of my main memories is just sleeping in jk, just like in the blue beds and I was always the last one to wake up. I would just wake up with my like mom and my teacher towering over me and the whole class would be empty and I'd be the last kid sleeping. So.
Speaker 2 00:07:02 Okay. That's
Speaker 6 00:07:03 Interesting. Unlike these guys, I didn't panic cuz my mom worked at school, so. Okay. That
Speaker 2 00:07:06 Was good. So as far as you remember, whoever remembers from previous school, I mean, if you are here since early childhood, you don't have a previous school, but those of you who did go to other schools, can you remember or can you think of some of the, uh, differences from your previous school to this school?
Speaker 5 00:07:24 Uh, okay. I think the main difference is that I used to go to public school and it was much smaller and all the grades would eat together. Like all of them from first to fifth
Speaker 2 00:07:33 As a group. Yeah. Right. So what was your expectation when you came to acs? What was the thing that surprised you and where your expectations met?
Speaker 5 00:07:43 I wasn't really expecting anything.
Speaker 2 00:07:45 At some point your parents said you're moving. Yeah.
Speaker 5 00:07:47 And I was just say, okay, I'll move. I guess because um, my parents lived here so I was like, okay, I'll be with my parents.
Speaker 2 00:07:54 Okay.
Speaker 6 00:07:54 For me, um, converting into the British system, which was St. Catherine's in fourth grade was not hard. Just new and just slightly different just because everything was more formal. We had school uniforms. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like I had to wear a tie everywhere every day. And I was like, what is this?
Speaker 2 00:08:13 Do you know how to tie a tie now?
Speaker 6 00:08:14 You know what? No. And it was one of those like ties that have like a rubber band that you kind of just put it over your head. So I didn't really learn how to tie. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:08:22 All right. Tie,
Speaker 6 00:08:23 At least we didn't have to like spend time in the morning figure out what I'm gonna wear. So I already had everything set up to me. It just a lot more formal and just, I don't know, I'd found it slightly weird but then I kind of liked it. Mm-hmm. I didn't mind it.
Speaker 2 00:08:34 So now that we're thinking of putting ties next year, you would like that
Speaker 6 00:08:37 Yout? I'm not gonna be here next year. <laugh>, I don't mind.
Speaker 2 00:08:40 Just kidding. By the way, we're not putting ties,
Speaker 6 00:08:42 But I think I usually adapt easily. So I made friends pretty quickly that I'm still friends with today mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. Even though I only went there for a year. So, and then converting back into the American system when I moved to the us which I didn't want want to do, I didn't want to move into the US at all even though I had a lot of family there I had.
Speaker 2 00:08:59 So you went to an American school in the States? Yes. And yes. You're here too now. Yeah. Which is an American international school. What are the differences, briefly? Briefly, what, what do you see the difference being?
Speaker 6 00:09:09 So I went to a public school there, but it was a, it was a pretty good public school. Um, it was like a really nice neighborhood, like in the suburbs of Chicago. One thing I also wasn't used to was the elementary school, the middle school and the high school. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like not being all together cuz I had only been to private schools all my life so I was confused on that. And also there, it was in my neighborhood so I would either walk or bike to school cuz it was like a five minute walk to my school. So I kind of just became independent very fast because all my friends would be living down the street. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> or very close anywhere where most kids hang out would be very close. So I think I, at a pretty young age, I became pretty independent really easily and really fast. There was also an or a few new kids when I went there that were also from Europe. Mm-hmm <affirmative>. So once again I made friends pretty easily cuz I just made friends with some of the new kids and obviously some of the older kids as well. And there was also Greek kids that I bonded with easily and fast. So once again it was easy to make friends there. School-wise, I can't pinpoint one thing that was so different. Mm-hmm.
Speaker 2 00:10:15 <affirmative>. Okay. So coming back to your life at a cs, could you talk about something that you're really proud of? Friendships. I mean, what are you really proud of from your life at acs?
Speaker 3 00:10:28 I don't think there's been something like a defining moment that I'm really proud about. Like an achievement or something specific. Just, I guess the biggest achievement, I think my peers here can relate it, is that ACS develops the, the character of a child, the character of a person and the the best, like the, the, the students at ACS are the most caring and it just feels closer to like a family than other. What do
Speaker 2 00:10:54 You think, what do you think contributes to
Speaker 3 00:10:56 That? I think it contributes like the whole American mentality contributes to it. Obviously because Americans like compared to Greece, I mean a Greek American who's gonna be in America is gonna become much, much faster friends with another Greek American than a Greek here in Greece, like a neighbor. But
Speaker 2 00:11:13 So the general community feeling
Speaker 3 00:11:14 The the general com, the feeling of community. Yeah. And I just feel that the values that a ACS is trying to focus on and implement and to students like through, since kindergarten to seniors, like the way of thought that ACS puts into people. I think it just helps them be better civil uh, as citizens.
Speaker 6 00:11:33 I also think that the teachers do a very good job in not just being there for a student as a teacher, but like as a person. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like I feel like kids here have a lot better relationships with their teachers, not just academically, which also helps kids do better in class cuz they, they like their teacher more. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, so they're mm-hmm <affirmative> like more inclined to do better I
Speaker 2 00:11:55 Feel like. Okay. Yeah,
Speaker 3 00:11:56 Definitely. And I think like more so in me and maybe next to me constantly and even funny who we've been in this school since very young or funny. Sure. Like as he said, he moved around. I just feel like the general conception amongst the grade, maybe our grade or maybe most grade is that, that we're just a bit of a closer community. And what attributes this fact that we are actually a small grade, we're less than a hundred people. And I think by getting to know each other since so many years, because so many people in our grade have been together since JK or kindergarten or even first grade. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, like everyone had just gotten to know each other but builds onto the sense of community and development.
Speaker 4 00:12:37 Mm-hmm. <affirmative>. So I agree with the other two. I think that one of the proudest things that, uh, one of the things I'm most proud of at ACS that I've done is non-academic things. It's mostly like the community that we've built because as you said, since a young age, we've all been, we've all grown up together and like it's become more of like even friends that have moved out of Greece, I still consider them my best friends even though they haven't lived here for like 10 years just because we grew up together at a acs. Do
Speaker 2 00:13:02 You keep in contact with them? Yeah,
Speaker 4 00:13:04 Yeah. Uh, we still do and it's, it's just that you can tell the difference between students that were here at H Cs like since the beginning and students that that came like later in high school.
Speaker 5 00:13:15 Okay. I didn't grow up here but the friends have made, I think I'll still be friends with them for a very long time.
Speaker 2 00:13:21 So from the things that you, going back to my original question, um, from the things that you did, what are you most proud of? What is gonna stay with you?
Speaker 5 00:13:29 I don't think I've done anything like a ch I haven't done anything great. I would say I'm proud of myself for graduating.
Speaker 2 00:13:36 Okay.
Speaker 6 00:13:37 Yeah. If I had to choose one thing that I'm proud of, it's not academic, it's mostly like sports related. Basically in ninth grade I was always like a basketball person. Okay. But then I always realized that I, I just wasn't that good. Okay. And then in ninth grade I was almost peer pressured by a family friend when I was living in the US Okay. To go and try out for a team for an out of club team, which in the US it's a bigger deal to play a club sport. Mm-hmm <affirmative> so you can make it into an, into your school. While in Europe I feel like you play for your school so you can make it into an outside of school club like team. But basically I it
Speaker 2 00:14:12 It's a different mentality in Europe regarding
Speaker 6 00:14:14 Sports. It is. Yes. And I played for this club team and I was a practice player and I was kind of bummed out but I continued and I played with them and eventually the last like game of the season I played and I thought I was confident enough to try out for my school team. Eventually I made my JV, junior varsity in ninth grade and the day that we were told that we made our teams was the last day before covid hit. So I never got to play even a single practice. But then when I came to acs I tried out and then I made varsity 10th grade and then I kept making varsity 11th and 12th grade. So
Speaker 2 00:14:47 You played three years of varsity basketball?
Speaker 6 00:14:49 Volleyball, volleyball, volleyball. And I was just proud of it because not only was I very new to the sport, but I went from, you know, in like ninth and ninth grade not even being on the team. Mm-hmm <affirmative> 10th grade I was kind of like a bench player just because they didn't know me as well and they already had a team built and then I think I did it, me and some of the other and two or three other players on the team. 11th and 12th grade. I think we did a good job at creating a good foundation and bringing in kids that are new to the sport to leave something behind and continue like the volleyball team even that's,
Speaker 2 00:15:22 We're not, here's great. That's great. That's great.
Speaker 3 00:15:24 I'm proud of one thing but I don't know if you wanna edit this out later or whatever. So back in like sixth grade I used to run an uh, candy trafficking ring <laugh>. So I used to bring candy from the US and like sell it around in school. I had a partner I used to just keep the books and my partner used to do all the selling cuz he was just very good with selling and like talking.
Speaker 2 00:15:44 You're proud of that or you're proud of the entrepreneurship spirit that you
Speaker 3 00:15:48 Have. Mindset. I'm proud of the entrepreneurship mindset.
Speaker 2 00:15:51 Okay. I'll keep just that <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:15:52 Okay. <laugh>,
Speaker 1 00:16:00 You are listening to the owl cast, the official podcast of a c s Athens. This is the student edition.
Speaker 2 00:16:18 Well hindsight and experience are maybe the only things that cannot be given or described. If you knew today what you will know in two or five or even 10 years, you will be able to make better choices but you don't. So unless you learn from those who have been there and have done that. Is there something that you would have done differently back then in your life as an ACS Athens student if you knew what you know today?
Speaker 3 00:16:46 I probably would've stayed more in the house and studied a bit more. I don't think it really matters cuz I'm happy. Kind of what I'm, I just maybe slightly regret that I didn't study as much as I was told to. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> I was more of going out. When
Speaker 2 00:17:03 Did you realize that?
Speaker 3 00:17:05 I realized that after the IB exams ended this After
Speaker 2 00:17:08 The IB
Speaker 3 00:17:08 Exam? Yeah. Like two weeks ago. One day I was sitting in my room like God, I'm like, oh I could have done a bit better. It's fine. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:17:15 So the academic part of it?
Speaker 3 00:17:17 Yeah, like I just, I I I think it should just like put my butt down more and like study. Yeah. Yeah. I think I would've done a bit better.
Speaker 2 00:17:24 Okay. All right.
Speaker 4 00:17:26 I think something similar to Uteri but it's mainly focused towards IB students. For year one I think that students should finish their internal assessments as quick as possible and study as much as possible before the second year so they can have time to relax in the second year and have time to do their college applications with like a clear head and not rush everything at the same time. Cuz there's a lot of work for the last two years of high school and do as much as possible in the first year. So you can have the second year to relax and mostly study. But that doesn't mean that students shouldn't like enjoy themselves as well cuz that's, I think that's a major part of uh, being like academically balanced and getting good grades. Cause I've noticed that students that both study and have uh, a social life and go out as well tend to have what I've seen better performance in students that just like force themselves to study all day even though they're not actually concentrating. Got it. So I think there must be a balance but get the work done quick as possible.
Speaker 2 00:18:25 Okay.
Speaker 5 00:18:26 Okay. So very similar to them. I wish I had like put more effort into my studies and academics and just studied more as well.
Speaker 2 00:18:34 How about the social part?
Speaker 5 00:18:36 The social part? I think I'm good. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:18:39 So everything you did was exactly what you're supposed to do?
Speaker 5 00:18:42 Not exactly, but I think I'm satisfied with it.
Speaker 2 00:18:45 Okay. That's good.
Speaker 6 00:18:47 Okay. Personally, when it comes to academics, I might not be the biggest. I don't sit and study as much as I should. I, I study but I definitely should be studying a bit more. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but um,
Speaker 2 00:18:59 More or better?
Speaker 6 00:19:01 Better. But I also procrastinate a lot, which is a really big problem.
Speaker 2 00:19:05 Mine. Okay. So time is also a factor?
Speaker 6 00:19:08 Mostly the phone is the factor.
Speaker 2 00:19:10 The phone? Yeah. What do you
Speaker 6 00:19:12 Mean? If I didn't have a phone on me, I'd probably get some pretty good setting in. But even if you don't have it, you kind of like thinking about it. You like who texted me? Who would call me? Who? Whatever. Okay. So I think it's a really big
Speaker 2 00:19:22 Distract. Is it the device or is it what you do with the device?
Speaker 6 00:19:26 Most of the time you don't even have to do something like it comes valuable with your time. You just scroll on like Instagram just cuz why not
Speaker 2 00:19:33 Social media? Yeah. You could have a tablet. It's not the phone. Yeah,
Speaker 6 00:19:37 It's true. I think I don't really have any regrets up until like ninth grade. I think I was a more introverted person and as soon as I became like more of an extroverted person mm-hmm. <affirmative>, I think in any like situation, I don't really have any regrets.
Speaker 2 00:19:50 Okay. That's,
Speaker 6 00:19:51 I don't know if that's like the reason but
Speaker 2 00:19:54 So taking from that, the cue from what you just said, uh, do you wanna talk about your future plans? I mean you're graduating in less than a month. What are your future plans? And I'm not just talking, having an extended vacation over summer. I'm talking about the next maybe two, three years or so. So
Speaker 3 00:20:11 I actually have a 15 year plan. 15
Speaker 2 00:20:13 Year. Okay. Let me keep notes here. Hold on.
Speaker 3 00:20:15 But I'm not gonna outline it cuz I'm a bit superstitious and
Speaker 2 00:20:19 Superstitious. Okay. Like
Speaker 3 00:20:21 If I say too much, I feel like it's not gonna happen.
Speaker 2 00:20:23 Outline, don't go into details.
Speaker 3 00:20:25 I wanna go to the US Okay. And I'm, I'm going to the US or university in the US I'm getting a technology related degree. Okay. And that's mainly plan B cuz
Speaker 2 00:20:33 Then do you know your university? Yes. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:20:36 Steven's Institute of Technology. Okay. In, uh, Hoboken, New Jersey.
Speaker 2 00:20:39 Okay. So, um, and you're gonna be studying what?
Speaker 3 00:20:42 I'll be studying a, a cybersecurity accelerated master's program.
Speaker 2 00:20:46 The master's program? Yes. Which is bachelor's and masters together
Speaker 3 00:20:49 In four years. I graduated with a master's and technically five years, but in the fourth year I'll be working full-time. Okay. At a startup firm or a, a firm that's gonna pick me up. Really, really technology in New York. Okay. That's hobo or whole book and is right across New York. So
Speaker 2 00:21:05 That's very specific <laugh>. Yeah.
Speaker 3 00:21:08 And everything's gonna happen to the university. Okay. It's a, it's a good program. Absolutely. The main reason why I'm going to the US is because I wanna do something with my father's business. He has a business and I wanna try and work it out. I don't know if it's gonna work or not, but I think it's gonna be a fun You have options
Speaker 2 00:21:23 Never.
Speaker 3 00:21:23 Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:21:24 Uh, so I was uh, cuz my mother is from, uh, the US and I always planned on going to the US for university. Uh, but I, so for some reason did full ib. I'm not sure why. Since I was planning to go to the us uh,
Speaker 2 00:21:39 It's helpful.
Speaker 4 00:21:40 Yeah. So I did full IB and I got, uh, a pretty good prediction and I was like, th these grades allow me to apply to some top universities in Europe. And I was like, why not? And so I didn't put any safeties, I just applied to my top choices in Europe and I got accepted to one in the uk, which has the exact program I'm looking for for my degree. And it's only three years. Okay. So
Speaker 2 00:22:04 I So what's the degree and what's the university?
Speaker 4 00:22:07 It's like data and information management. It's at University of Manchester. Okay. And uh, so if I accept my offer and get the grades I need in, in the IB exams and I'll go there. But I've already also committed to a school in the US as a plan B. My general idea for my future is that I'll go to Manchester, I'll get my degree in three years and then I'll eventually just move back to the us.
Speaker 5 00:22:29 Okay. Um, I don't really have a plan so I'm just gonna go to uni. Okay. Uh, finish, graduate, probably get a master's.
Speaker 2 00:22:39 Okay. Do you know the university you're going to?
Speaker 5 00:22:41 No. Okay. Because it depends on my results.
Speaker 2 00:22:44 Do you know which continent you're going to? Yeah, Europe.
Speaker 5 00:22:46 Europe. I'm gonna stay in Europe. Okay. Because I've never been into the US and it's really far and my parents live here so I'm not gonna go. But
Speaker 2 00:22:54 For you to go to Europe, you have to declare your major, right?
Speaker 5 00:22:58 Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:22:58 Have you declared?
Speaker 5 00:23:00 Uh, yeah. International business and I'm just gonna try to work and earn as much money as I can so I can pay back my parents as well.
Speaker 2 00:23:07 Okay. Yeah. So what prompted you to choose a degree in business? Um,
Speaker 5 00:23:11 My parents own a business. Okay. And I've helped them around a lot. So I think I have the business mind.
Speaker 2 00:23:17 You have the business mind? Yeah. Okay.
Speaker 6 00:23:20 I'm gonna be going to DePaul, uh, which is in Chicago. For the longest time I said I was gonna study business just cuz I didn't have a single clue of what I wanted to do. And I, well
Speaker 2 00:23:32 Don't forget that the first degree is usually discovery.
Speaker 6 00:23:36 One of the good things about going to the US is you can change your degree really easily. Exactly. Whenever you want. Right. To whatever you want. Almost every single person I've asked has always like, changed their degree. So I'm not really worried. I applied as undecided but then I, I declared, uh, communications and digital media. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, which reading all the courses seemed interesting to me cuz it had, it was a very flexible Yeah. It was a very flexible course. There was a lot of I editing video screenwriting business. There's a, it's like a bunch of,
Speaker 2 00:24:07 I haven't seen you around in the studio
Speaker 6 00:24:08 Here. No, I haven't been in the studio that much here.
Speaker 2 00:24:11 <laugh>. So we cannot take credit for your choice.
Speaker 6 00:24:14 No. Okay. But actually I do really wanna have a podcast one day. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:24:19 Yeah's not that difficult. You're part of one now. Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:24:22 I feel like most people that are like, oh I wanna become a doctor, I wanna become this, I don't wanna have to do like one thing. Mm-hmm. <affirmative> like yes I wanna have a business. Yes. I wanna do, I don't know do understandable. Like I wanna do like 30 different things. So I don't
Speaker 2 00:24:34 Know. Well I hope you all do. Yeah. And uh, my last question is, um, you have in front of you, uh, an 11th grader for next year. Okay. They just graduated 10th grade, so they're going into 11th grade. So they have the option to do anything they want. What kind of advice would you give this person not only on the academic front, not only on the, you know, what you university or what field they should aim for, but in general for their life in the next two years?
Speaker 3 00:25:02 So I'll just talk like a general and then I'll just say sometimes like some something specific to an IB student. 11th grade is harder than 12th grade. So just like study a bit more or like stay a bit more inside and if you're gonna do IB and you really care, like if you like, wanna not get a 24 and get above. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, the best thing I believe that you can do is make your own notes about every topic that you learn. Make them good in like a separate notebook and just have that ready, like a neat notebook by the end of the, of the year of 12th grade and you just use that study and everything and you can make those notes. My best tip would be either for mark schemes or through the course book. The, the book is always the best, best thing. That's, that's
Speaker 2 00:25:49 A useful advice. Okay.
Speaker 3 00:25:50 Just make your own notes and as condensed as possible, but just keep everything, like all the information there.
Speaker 2 00:25:56 Okay.
Speaker 4 00:25:57 I think if, if you are undecided, then for sure take IB and I think that IB is very difficult but if you sit down and break it down, it's not really that hard cuz it's just resource and time management is what can get you a 40 plus. And also a lot of people, a lot of students say like, oh, year two is easier than year one so I just won't do any work in year one and year two will be easy but the work is inevitable. So if you do nothing in year one, you're
Speaker 2 00:26:24 Gonna have to do it in
Speaker 4 00:26:25 Year two. In year two you're gonna have to do colleges extended. I say, right. Uh, your I studying, it's just gonna be a mess. Mm-hmm <affirmative> and you're not gonna get good grades and you'll be upset. Yeah. And so just do everything in year one and then have your year two just to study and prepare for the exams. Okay. And to not cram at the last minute.
Speaker 2 00:26:43 I, I think what what you just said is time management. I think it's one of the skills that someone can earn and can cultivate. Time is limited. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, if you manage your time is not that limited. <laugh>.
Speaker 3 00:26:55 I think that if you have tutors, just don't, they waste too much time. And I think you would do much, much better if you can just like get up the book out and make your own notes and just learn from book. Obviously now if you don't understand a topic or whatever Yeah. Have a lesson or whatever, but,
Speaker 2 00:27:11 But you're gonna always ask a teacher.
Speaker 3 00:27:12 Yeah. Of time. Yeah. Okay. So
Speaker 2 00:27:14 Great.
Speaker 5 00:27:15 Okay. I would say even if you wanna go see Yes, I still think you should take IB because you can always drop it so it's fine. And I think tutors are helpful if you're like really struggling in a course, but you could also ask your teachers for help. And social wise if like a student is doing well in academics and isn't really struggling, I would say like they can go out, it's not gonna hurt their gpa. Mm-hmm. <affirmative>, but if they're struggling it'd be best to stay in and study. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:27:45 Yeah.
Speaker 6 00:27:45 Great. I think my advice would simply just be like, do your research. Just know what you want and what you don't want. I think I, I keep blaming myself because I think up until now, up until very recently, whenever someone asks me What do you wanna do? I'm like, I don't know, but I never really tried to figure out what I want to do. You can't get mad at me cuz I don't know what I wanna do. Mm-hmm <affirmative> like it'll come to me, but it's not how it works. Like you have to go try different things, do research, see what you may be interested in. At the very least
Speaker 2 00:28:14 Have a mentality of flexibility. Yeah. That's what you're
Speaker 6 00:28:17 Saying. Also don't lie to yourself and don't do what other people want you to do. Do what you want. Like you don't have to please anybody else.
Speaker 2 00:28:22 Do you think that then a future 11th grader knows exactly what they want to do?
Speaker 6 00:28:26 I think someone in their forties doesn't know exactly what they want to do. Nobody does. So no
Speaker 2 00:28:32 Class of 2023. Congratulations. Thank you for stopping by and I hope your plans pan out and come after two, three years after you graduate college and let us know how it goes.
Speaker 3 00:28:44 Thank you for having us. Thank you for having
Speaker 6 00:28:45 Us. Thank you.
Speaker 1 00:28:48 You are listening to the Owl Cast, the official podcast of ACS Athens. Make sure you subscribe to the outcast on Google Podcast, Spotify and Apple Podcasts. This has been a production of the acs, Athens Media Studio.
