"The University Experience While In High School"

We have students that travel to The Ohio State University everyday to challenge their learning by attending college level classes while in high school.  As principal, I knew this was happening and have casually spoken with students who were doing this but just this Summer, I realized the importance of experiencing a day in the life of our College Credit Plus students who are attending OSU.  So today was the day to make this goal come to fruition.

I started my day at 6 a.m. in the Starbucks line to order coffee drinks that I wish I could drink; a caramel frappuccino, a pumpkin frappuccino with heavy whip cream and a pumpkin latte.  I, on the other hand, ordered a bold, dark coffee, which contained less calories.  I also figured that I needed the caffeine to get through a college Stats class.  I met our students at Worthington Kilbourne HS, gave them their coffee (or sugar) order and we were off.  I followed the students through the traffic on 315 S and down to campus where we parked and rode the bus to Campbell Hall.  Maybe it is just me, but I am amazed at what our high school students are doing in 2015 to take risks and further their education.   Now mind you, I cannot compare my high school experiences as the world has changed from 28 years ago. 

After getting off of the bus, we walked for approximately 10 minutes through the beautiful campus of OSU and arrived at the lecture hall.  The students shared their experiences with me, pointed out the different buildings they attend and again, thanked me for joining them.  We were the first to enter the lecture hall and the closer it came to 8:00 a.m., the more the seats filled up.  Class began on time and students took notes with laptops or pen and paper. 

I was most surprised by the personalization of the Professor in a lecture hall of 100+ students.  I went to a small university with classes of 25 and certainly developed a stereotype  regarding OSU lectures.  Students were able to ask questions during class and the professor took the time to answer and extend their learning.  The professor moved into a review of the upcoming exam and I listened to our Worthington Kilbourne students answer the questions under their breath and yes, they were answering them correctly as the entire lecture hall sat quietly.  I smiled and encouraged our students to speak up and be proud to share their knowledge.  These students are definitely ready for college and this experience is only enhancing their confidence and realization of their next four plus years.  

It’s now “real time” and I am sitting in the 5^th row back of the lecture hall experiencing a sense of thankfulness for lots of reasons, specifically that I do not have to take this exam next week.  All in all, I am super proud of our students, like Kyle, Eric, Erica  and others who are taking academic risks to challenge themselves and living the attitude we have been discussing at Worthington Kilbourne High School of “Keep Moving Forward.”

By the way, on our bus ride back to the car, all three students agreed that their teachers at Worthington Kilbourne High School are better instructors than those they have had at OSU..."just sayin'!"

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