In Response To Aleah's...thoughts.

While browsing through the blogs I came across an interesting post written by Aleah.  She says:

So every since I was born I have attended private or Charter which have all been under 400 students...But in my opinion I believe the amount of students or the type of students in a school can change you. I've gone to schools were education was exspensive but hard. Where the Minimum was that all the teachers expected you to excede, and they gave you tools to do that. As a result I do my work just becuase, I am so used to it about now. If I went to a public school I would still do my work the same exact way; and at the same time ever night.

As an individual who has spent her whole life in public school I would just like to state that public school is not all that it is cracked up to be.  Also, let me just state right now this not a post where I am going to jock ASTI and tell you about how it is the greatest school in the world with no drama...not true. There are days where I would love nothing more than to go to a "regular high school," but I am thankful that i go to ASTI rather than a school like Berkeley High, Oakland Teach or Encinal.

I spent three years in a stereotypical public middle school; there were fights, couples, bullies and clicks. In the midst of all the middle school drama I forgot the real reason I was there: to learn. I wiggled my way through middle school without doing any real hard work. Teachers at my middle school would be amazed if you even completed the work, and I think it is needless to say that not much was expected out of you as a student.

When I arrived at ASTI I thought I could get away with having the same work habits (or lack thereof) that I had attained through middle school, let's just say I was greatly mistaken. My freshman year at ASTI was rough...I mean hella hella rough. My grades went from okay, to bad, to worse, to disgraceful. There was no place that i hated more than ASTI, I dreaded waking up in the morning, I loathed every aspect of the school to pieces. Now, looking back I can see that I did so badly at ASTI  because my middle school years didn't mold me into the self-sufficient and hard-working student that you must be in able to achieve success at ASTI.


My Freshman year at ASTI whooped my ass (for lack of a better phrase) but I'm glad that I got to have that learning experience. ASTI provided an environment where I could actually learn and work because that is all there is to do here at our humble little school. Being at ASTI has allowed me to focus on my grades being the best student I can be. At ASTI we do not have the distractions that come with going to a typical public high school. Which in the end is beneficial, although it may not seem like it today.

Soooooo...good luck this year to all the new freshmans, and I know I'm a bit late, but welcome to ASTI (and I promise, it gets easier).