IN DEFENSE OF FRESHMAN SEMINAR

Every year, freshmen walk into school on the first day not knowing what they are getting themselves into. Freshman seminar was one of the classes created to help freshman meet the health requirement for the state of California. Now that health is being taught in the biology classes and the curriculum for freshman seminar is completely different, people are wondering if it is still necessary.With all the new changes to the freshman seminar curriculum, it is easy to think that the class has lost its value. The class is now split into two different topics for each semester. In the old curriculum, we looked at the eugenics movement during first semester and during second semester we did health and genocide. In the new curriculum, they start by talking about success and their 10-year plan for their future, while in the second semester they talk about the eugenics movement and genocide. No more health, no more meeting state requirements. While some may view this change negatively, most people feel that they will help students in the long run and have a more positive impact on their future.With the changes made to the freshman seminar curriculum, there is a lot more talk about success and the “10-year plan.” The 10 year plan is used to help freshmen get organized and figure out what they will need to do in order to achieve their goals.  Some people might already have an idea about what their future goals are, but to be fair most people taking the class are only 14. The topics discussed in class can open their eyes to further possibilities and options, and get students excited about all the awesome things they can achieve. For example students are presented with information about colleges and scholarships that can be vital to their future. There are not necessarily a lot opportunities like this in a student’s future so it is important to take advantage of them when they are presented to you. Life is not like a movie where there is a set storyline. There will always be obstacles and bumps in the road. If you have a general idea of what your goals are you will be able to keep your eyes on the prize through all the rough patches. The main goal of the plan is just to help students transitioning into high school get a grasp of what they want to have in life and to help them find ways to obtain their goals.Now that they are less overwhelmed and getting into informed discussions about their goals, freshmen might be realizing right that they don’t have a history class this year. The second semester is the fill in history class where students will learn about the eugenics movement and genocide. This is one of the only times students study or even hear about the eugenics movement, which is part of what makes it so important. If kids don’t learn about the eugenics movement, future generations will forget about the mistakes we have made and repeat them. The history covered in the class may seem repetitive and dull, but it is important for the sake of the whole world that this generation learns about the mistakes made in the past in order to understand how to avoid them in the future. Freshman Seminar does a wonderful job of exposing students to the bigger picture and helping to teach them more about the world they live in.