Introduction: I transferred to ACLC at the beginning of my sophomore year. Before I attended a small private school in Moraga called Orion Academy. While the teachers there were great, Orion didn't offer a lot of what I wanted out of high school. They had very little clubs and almost no opportunities to pursue college or honors classes. Orion also had the effect of acting as a crutch, it was extremely structured and provided little freedom to develop the time management and organizations strategies needed in college. ACLC was the exact opposite it provided little structure but plenty of challenging cases and numerous opportunities to prepare for college. I couldn't have made a better choice.
Personal Qualities, Work Habits And Attitudes: At first the transition to ACLC was hard the lack of structure I felt at my new school was freeing but also frightening. In my first few weeks, I found it hard to organize my time I would often procrastinate and in turn, my grades suffered. I couldn't figure out how to organize my free periods I even became depressed and starting to doubt my self-worth. Eventually faced with the possibility of failing my classes, I decided to take responsibility and sought the help of some of my peers and teachers. Together we were able to craft a time management strategy where I would create a list of tasks do in my free periods. I also purchased an accordion binder to keep track of my paper assignments. Armed with my organizational and time management systems I began to improve in my classes and my grades have seen an upward trend ever since. I even earned a 4.5 GPA in junior year. I’m sure that these skills will be a great help in my future career
New Basics: In addition to organization I've learned a great deal in my classes. During my time at ACLC, I’ve seen enormous improvements in my writing ability I've mastered skills such as MLA and APA format which are important in college. My public speaking ability has also improved owing to school presentations and LLCs. Out of all my classes at ACLC one of my favorites was Economics wherein addition to cementing arithmetic skills I learned about the ideas behind supply and demand as well as the underlying philosophy of capitalism. Additionally, I now understand the theories of economists like John Locke and Adam Smith which have given me a useful awareness of the democratic and economic systems that drive the world. In my science class, I was confronted with the fascinated reality of our natural world and I learned about the many interconnecting theories and laws that govern the universe. I also enjoyed art class where I expressed myself in painting and sculpture. Interestingly enough I’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to engage in independent PE which was part of my motivation to join a crew team which has helped my fitness and hygiene.
Thinking and Reasoning Skills: One of the most beneficial aspects of attending ACLC has been having teachers who have taught me new ways to learn and think. A good example of that was in my Pre-Calc class where the teacher would provide a complicated problem and we would have to use his strategies for organization to break up the problems into pieces and solve. I enjoyed this activity because it requires both logic and creative thinking. Another instance where I learned to think critically was in my Junior year English class where we broke down the aspects of what makes a reliable source then we would search for the reliable and unreliable source and discuss amongst ourselves what differentiated them.
Interpersonal Abilities: Attending ACLC means being in a diverse peer-group with everyone having unique life experiences and backgrounds. This environment has been very helpful whether it be access to native Spanish speakers to help with my Spanish homework or debating with peers who share differing opinions. At ACLC I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much from my classmates which inspired me to take up leadership roles including starting a club and leading a diversity day class. These experiences have which taught me invaluable skills about leadership and working in a group.
Technology: Working with technology is a big part of ACLC every class has Chromebooks and the center, filled with computers, is the beating heart of the school. During my time at ACLC, I've become increasingly more adept at using technology which has been essential in my academic progress. I now type all of my assignments on a computer and the ability to use spell check has led to improvements in my writing ability.
Conclusion: In conclusion, I've learned so much to ACLC and I’m confident the skills that I have acquired will serve me in college and my future career.
Personal Qualities, Work Habits And Attitudes: At first the transition to ACLC was hard the lack of structure I felt at my new school was freeing but also frightening. In my first few weeks, I found it hard to organize my time I would often procrastinate and in turn, my grades suffered. I couldn't figure out how to organize my free periods I even became depressed and starting to doubt my self-worth. Eventually faced with the possibility of failing my classes, I decided to take responsibility and sought the help of some of my peers and teachers. Together we were able to craft a time management strategy where I would create a list of tasks do in my free periods. I also purchased an accordion binder to keep track of my paper assignments. Armed with my organizational and time management systems I began to improve in my classes and my grades have seen an upward trend ever since. I even earned a 4.5 GPA in junior year. I’m sure that these skills will be a great help in my future career
New Basics: In addition to organization I've learned a great deal in my classes. During my time at ACLC, I’ve seen enormous improvements in my writing ability I've mastered skills such as MLA and APA format which are important in college. My public speaking ability has also improved owing to school presentations and LLCs. Out of all my classes at ACLC one of my favorites was Economics wherein addition to cementing arithmetic skills I learned about the ideas behind supply and demand as well as the underlying philosophy of capitalism. Additionally, I now understand the theories of economists like John Locke and Adam Smith which have given me a useful awareness of the democratic and economic systems that drive the world. In my science class, I was confronted with the fascinated reality of our natural world and I learned about the many interconnecting theories and laws that govern the universe. I also enjoyed art class where I expressed myself in painting and sculpture. Interestingly enough I’ve also enjoyed the opportunity to engage in independent PE which was part of my motivation to join a crew team which has helped my fitness and hygiene.
Thinking and Reasoning Skills: One of the most beneficial aspects of attending ACLC has been having teachers who have taught me new ways to learn and think. A good example of that was in my Pre-Calc class where the teacher would provide a complicated problem and we would have to use his strategies for organization to break up the problems into pieces and solve. I enjoyed this activity because it requires both logic and creative thinking. Another instance where I learned to think critically was in my Junior year English class where we broke down the aspects of what makes a reliable source then we would search for the reliable and unreliable source and discuss amongst ourselves what differentiated them.
Interpersonal Abilities: Attending ACLC means being in a diverse peer-group with everyone having unique life experiences and backgrounds. This environment has been very helpful whether it be access to native Spanish speakers to help with my Spanish homework or debating with peers who share differing opinions. At ACLC I’ve had the opportunity to learn so much from my classmates which inspired me to take up leadership roles including starting a club and leading a diversity day class. These experiences have which taught me invaluable skills about leadership and working in a group.
Technology: Working with technology is a big part of ACLC every class has Chromebooks and the center, filled with computers, is the beating heart of the school. During my time at ACLC, I've become increasingly more adept at using technology which has been essential in my academic progress. I now type all of my assignments on a computer and the ability to use spell check has led to improvements in my writing ability.
Conclusion: In conclusion, I've learned so much to ACLC and I’m confident the skills that I have acquired will serve me in college and my future career.