The Phoenix
1
pinion Nov. 6, 2012 5 O Road to prosperity driven by college degree By Editorial Staff M oney. Suc- cess. Respect. Something we all want, but how else could we strive for it without higher education? Teenagers feel the constant pressure of having to attend college when it doesn’t sound beneficial to their future. There are alter- nate ways to earn a living, but it’s not as effective as college. Education – wheth- er it’s a community college, trade school or four-year university – is the key to ultimate success in today’s society. The younger genera- tions, typically those in high school, believe they can immediately find a mini- mum-wage job to support themselves. Being able to spend your days working in an average store with a schedule of random hours each day could seem like it would be “the life.” You’re getting paid and relaxing all other times when you’re not at work, so why not? Here’s the truth: Life’s not that easy. Being able to support yourself, and possibly a family, can’t be done with a minimum-wage job. The sad reality is that, nowadays, a high school diploma is only worth a minimum-wage position at McDonald’s or a retail job at the local mall. When still enrolled in high school, having an occupation of this sort is a perfect way to earn money. However, it may not be the smartest career choice for your future. In today’s economy, earning a steady income is a necessity. Everything is much more expensive and prices keep getting heavier. Gas prices, the cost of living, college tuition and mort- gages are on the rise. Money might not really have a true value on its own, but it’s the only legal way of getting the things you want and doing things you strive to do. If there’s an uncertainty in what you want to study, there is always the com- munity college route. This causes less stress than get- ting into a university right after high school and is less expensive than spending money carelessly on classes you don’t need for an unde- cided major. If you’re simply just too lazy and drained from high school, take a year or so off, then return later to sign up for classes. Make sure to manage your time wisely, because one year off could turn into five, or even 10. When earning a degree, there are certain aspects to focus on. Picking an area of study to set as your major should be based upon an occupation you wish to ac- quire for the future. Choos- ing this should reflect how many available jobs there are in the work field and one you know you can imagine doing for the remainder of your life. Even with a college degree, jobs are scarce. The world has become more competitive and now educa- tion is more important than ever. It turns out to be all about showing colleges, and eventually employers, how unique you are and how it can work to your advantage. Without having the “it” factor of maintaining an overall balance of education and additional activities and hobbies, no one will take the time to initiate you into their association. One of the only ways of getting out of earning a higher education is being related to someone of im- mense power or just having connections in general. The more people you know in different job positions, the more chances you have at being able to retain that same job. Sometimes it’s not about what you know, but who you know. If college doesn’t seem like a big deal, get a real- ity check and realize it is essential to one’s future if they strive to be successful based on their own mindset. Although a well-paying job isn’t 100 percent guaranteed, earning a college degree is a reminder to the vast majority of employers that you’re well-educated and look better than most other applicants. Your initial outlook on the journey through a more advanced education might be that it’s too difficult to achieve. But, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything you strive to do if you put your mind to it, as cliche as it may seem. Letters to the editor Thanks so much for reviving The Phoenix! I think it’s so important for students and staff to be able to share information and relive events that happen within their school. Holding an actual newspaper in your hands is the perfect vehicle to do so in our crazy, digital world of today. I was so impressed with the variety and depth of articles covered. I’ve missed read- ing about our school from students’ perspective, but am overjoyed at the prospect of more issues to come this year! Hats off to your adviser, Ms. Hubbard, too. With her leadership at the helm you are all in for a great experience! Pat Lawson, PE teacher Dear Phoenix staff members and adviser, I want to congratulate you on your latest issue, which was a delight to read with its timely stories, excellent photo pages and overall good layouts. I am a former teacher and newspaper advisor for the Fremont Union High School District and I know firsthand how difficult it is to produce a professional product. You have done a wonderful job and I congratulate you. Keep up the good work! Grace Voss, retired teacher Ask Esteban Q: Why can’t we start early on Wednesday and Friday? A: Why would you ever want to start early on Wednesday and Friday? When life hands you two late starts, you take it. Q: How do you cheer up a guy who just went through a breakup? A: If it was bad, let him vent out his thoughts and feelings. Talking it out works best. Be sympathetic, but be firm. If he can’t get over her even though she was no good for him or didn’t treat him well, remind him of that. Q: What is a way to get a lot of money at my age (15)? A: It is hard to find a job at that age, but there’s always a job to be done. Consult with neighbors or people in your area about baby- sitting, walking their dogs or even mowing their lawn. Look for the jobs that don’t have the typical age limit to work. Q: I’m stuck between two groups of friends that are fighting. I try to stay away, but it gets hard at times. What do I do? A: If they’re fighting over something stupid, let them know. If it’s something serious, don’t take sides, but don’t get caught in the middle. Just stay out of it. Let them settle their prob- lems and in the meantime, find other friends for now. Q: Lately, I have been having problems focus- ing and retaining information in class. How would I improve my focus while also being interested in what I am learning? A: There’s no way to teach yourself to be in- terested in something. You’re going to have to grind it out and push through. Set a goal and keep it. If you lose focus, take a break, go for a run or go have a snack. Do something to take your mind away from your work and come back ready to work. Q: How can I be a better writer? A: Take advanced literature classes to strengthen and challenge yourself. Get feed- back on what you write or try journalism. Q: I don’t feel comfortable telling others about my personal life. I’m my friend’s diary. I can’t keep this all in, it’s too much should I open up or keep shut? A: If you don’t feel comfortable doing some- thing, you probably shouldn’t do it. But if you feel like you can place your complete trust in that person, open up. Sometimes opening up to people will help you better deal with problems and having someone to listen to your problems will help you relieve stress and feel less alone. Q: Do you think legalizing marijuana would be bad? A: It could actually be very good for the economy. If people are going to break the law and smoke it anyway, might as well legalize it and bring in some tax money, which can always go toward education. But, along with giving it legality, there should be rules and regulations that pro- mote safe and proper use of it. Q: I’ve literally been running on four to five hours of sleep since the third week of school. I feel so stressed out with school and sports. What do I do? A: Organize your time. If you know you’re going to have a lot of homework this week, take every opportunity to get some work done. If you know you’re going to have a hard practice later, get some of your work done early. Plan your work ahead of time and even if an assignment isn’t due the next day, if you have some free time, do it. Q: I told this guy I liked him and since then he’s been so sweet to me. How do I get him to take the next step? A: If you know that he likes you, take the initiative. Guys really like it when girls are straight-forward and proactive. If you don’t know exactly if he feels the same way, wait a little bit and see what he does. Q: How do I tell my parents about my rela- tionship with my boyfriend when they don’t like him at all and they have told me if I date him I will get kicked out. I’m 18 years old and been going out with my boyfriend for two years and four months. A: Evaluate where you stand with him. If he’s worth it, tell your parents. There has to be some reason why they don’t like him. If they haven’t even met him, that’s unfair and they should give him a chance. If they have a reason to dislike him, find out why. Have a question? Ask Esteban by emailing [email protected].
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2nd Issue. Nov. 6
Transcript of The Phoenix
pinion Nov. 6, 2012 5 ORoad to prosperity driven by college degree By Editorial Staff
Money. Suc-cess. Respect. Something we
all want, but how else could we strive for it without higher education?
Teenagers feel the constant pressure of having to attend college when it doesn’t sound beneficial to their future. There are alter-nate ways to earn a living, but it’s not as effective as college. Education – wheth-er it’s a community college, trade school or four-year university – is the key to ultimate success in today’s society.
The younger genera-tions, typically those in high school, believe they can immediately find a mini-
mum-wage job to support themselves. Being able to spend your days working in an average store with a schedule of random hours each day could seem like it would be “the life.” You’re getting paid and relaxing all other times when you’re not at work, so why not?
Here’s the truth: Life’s not that easy. Being able to support yourself, and possibly a family, can’t be done with a minimum-wage job. The sad reality is that, nowadays, a high school diploma is only worth a minimum-wage position at McDonald’s or a retail job at the local mall. When still enrolled in high school, having an occupation of this sort is a perfect way to earn money. However, it may
not be the smartest career choice for your future.
In today’s economy, earning a steady income is a necessity. Everything is much more expensive and prices keep getting heavier. Gas prices, the cost of living, college tuition and mort-gages are on the rise. Money might not really have a true value on its own, but it’s the only legal way of getting the things you want and doing things you strive to do.
If there’s an uncertainty in what you want to study, there is always the com-munity college route. This causes less stress than get-ting into a university right after high school and is less expensive than spending money carelessly on classes you don’t need for an unde-
cided major. If you’re simply just too
lazy and drained from high school, take a year or so off, then return later to sign up for classes. Make sure to manage your time wisely, because one year off could turn into five, or even 10.
When earning a degree, there are certain aspects to focus on. Picking an area of study to set as your major should be based upon an occupation you wish to ac-quire for the future. Choos-ing this should reflect how many available jobs there are in the work field and one you know you can imagine doing for the remainder of your life.
Even with a college degree, jobs are scarce. The world has become more
competitive and now educa-tion is more important than ever. It turns out to be all about showing colleges, and eventually employers, how unique you are and how it can work to your advantage. Without having the “it” factor of maintaining an overall balance of education and additional activities and hobbies, no one will take the time to initiate you into their association.
One of the only ways of getting out of earning a higher education is being related to someone of im-mense power or just having connections in general. The more people you know in different job positions, the more chances you have at being able to retain that same job. Sometimes it’s not
about what you know, but who you know.
If college doesn’t seem like a big deal, get a real-ity check and realize it is essential to one’s future if they strive to be successful based on their own mindset. Although a well-paying job isn’t 100 percent guaranteed, earning a college degree is a reminder to the vast majority of employers that you’re well-educated and look better than most other applicants.
Your initial outlook on the journey through a more advanced education might be that it’s too difficult to achieve. But, if you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything you strive to do if you put your mind to it, as cliche as it may seem.
Letters to the editor
Thanks so much for reviving The Phoenix! I think it’s so important for students and staff to be able to share information and relive events that happen within their school. Holding an actual newspaper in your hands is the perfect vehicle to do so in our crazy, digital world of today. I was so impressed with the variety and depth of articles covered. I’ve missed read-ing about our school from students’ perspective, but am overjoyed at the prospect of more issues to come this year!
Hats off to your adviser, Ms. Hubbard, too. With her leadership at the helm you are all in for a great experience!
Pat Lawson, PE teacher
Dear Phoenix staff members and adviser, I want to congratulate you on your latest issue,
which was a delight to read with its timely stories, excellent photo pages and overall good layouts. I am a former teacher and newspaper advisor for the Fremont Union High School District and I know firsthand how difficult it is to produce a professional product. You have done a wonderful job and I congratulate you. Keep up the good work!
Grace Voss,retired teacher
Ask EstebanQ: Why can’t we start early on Wednesday and Friday?A: Why would you ever want to start early on Wednesday and Friday? When life hands you two late starts, you take it.
Q: How do you cheer up a guy who just went through a breakup? A: If it was bad, let him vent out his thoughts and feelings. Talking it out works best. Be sympathetic, but be firm. If he can’t get over her even though she was no good for him or didn’t treat him well, remind him of that.
Q: What is a way to get a lot of money at my age (15)?A: It is hard to find a job at that age, but there’s always a job to be done. Consult with neighbors or people in your area about baby-sitting, walking their dogs or even mowing their lawn. Look for the jobs that don’t have the typical age limit to work.
Q: I’m stuck between two groups of friends that are fighting. I try to stay away, but it gets hard at times. What do I do?A: If they’re fighting over something stupid, let them know. If it’s something serious, don’t
take sides, but don’t get caught in the middle. Just stay out of it. Let them settle their prob-lems and in the meantime, find other friends for now.
Q: Lately, I have been having problems focus-ing and retaining information in class. How would I improve my focus while also being interested in what I am learning?A: There’s no way to teach yourself to be in-terested in something. You’re going to have to grind it out and push through. Set a goal and keep it. If you lose focus, take a break, go for a run or go have a snack. Do something to take your mind away from your work and come back ready to work.
Q: How can I be a better writer? A: Take advanced literature classes to strengthen and challenge yourself. Get feed-back on what you write or try journalism.
Q: I don’t feel comfortable telling others about my personal life. I’m my friend’s diary. I can’t keep this all in, it’s too much should I open up or keep shut?A: If you don’t feel comfortable doing some-thing, you probably shouldn’t do it. But if
you feel like you can place your complete trust in that person, open up. Sometimes opening up to people will help you better deal with problems and having someone to listen to your problems will help you relieve stress and feel less alone.
Q: Do you think legalizing marijuana would be bad?A: It could actually be very good for the economy. If people are going to break the law and smoke it anyway, might as well legalize it and bring in some tax money, which can always go toward education. But, along with giving it legality, there should be rules and regulations that pro-mote safe and proper use of it.
Q: I’ve literally been running on four to five hours of sleep since the third week of school. I feel so stressed out with school and sports. What do I do?A: Organize your time. If you know you’re going to have a lot of homework this week, take every opportunity to get some work done. If you know you’re going to have a hard practice later, get some of your work done early. Plan your work ahead of time
and even if an assignment isn’t due the next day, if you have some free time, do it.
Q: I told this guy I liked him and since then he’s been so sweet to me. How do I get him to take the next step?
A: If you know that he likes you, take the initiative. Guys really like it when girls are straight-forward and proactive. If you don’t know exactly if he feels the same way, wait a little bit and see what he does.
Q: How do I tell my parents about my rela-tionship with my boyfriend when they don’t like him at all and they have told me if I date him I will get kicked out. I’m 18 years old and been going out with my boyfriend for two years and four months. A: Evaluate where you stand with him. If he’s worth it, tell your parents. There has to be some reason why they don’t like him. If they haven’t even met him, that’s unfair and they should give him a chance. If they have a reason to dislike him, find out why.
Have a question? Ask Esteban by emailing [email protected].
