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TriBlox6432
August 26th, 2010, 12:05 AM
I'm going to be a sophomore in High School this year. Just wondering if anyone had any advice? Like, besides the usual "study, try hard" stuff. xD

I'm using my Dell Mini 10v to take notes and the like. Any good *lightweight* software that I should consider? I'm probably gonna use Abiword over Open Office.

juancarlospaco
August 26th, 2010, 12:09 AM
study, try hard

NMFTM
August 26th, 2010, 12:13 AM
In all reality, doing good in high school doesn't necessarily mean a whole lot. More so if your going into the computer field. Even if you get bad grades in HS you can just apply to a small school, they'll probably take you despite your bad grades because of the current economic crisis, you can study hard in college, and get certifications. I have a friend who's my age (early 20's) and seems to know just as much (maybe more) about computers than my (competent) IT teacher who has been using them since the late 70' or early 80's. Computer skills are something that unlike other fields you can learn a lot about on your own without formal instruction.

Technically you can get a job in the IT field with just a high school diploma, it's just a lot harder and you might have to work your way up the ladder a bit longer than someone with a diploma. But it's not required as far as I can tell. Certifications are where it's at and are probably more impressive to an employer than a diploma. The smaller the company you want to work for, the more likely they're going to care less about a diploma and more about actual skill.

The only reason doing good in high school would really help you out is that you'd learn good study habits. Anyway, check out this high school valedictorian (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9M4tdMsg3ts) acceptance speech.

Paqman
August 26th, 2010, 12:22 AM
I'm using my Dell Mini 10v to take notes and the like. Any good *lightweight* software that I should consider? I'm probably gonna use Abiword over Open Office.

Abiword and Gnumeric. If you can guarantee you'll have a connection then you could use Zoho Office instead (install webservice-office-zoho), and pixlr.com does pretty much everything Gimp can.

Cam!
August 26th, 2010, 12:30 AM
Just try as hard as you can. You may have heard this previously, but High School (for the most part) doesn't matter. With the exception of the obvious Ivy Leaguers, colleges are becoming more lenient and acceptant. The only thing I can recommend is that you study your Math and Science.

Afterwards, your Junior Year will be a pain in the ***, simply because of SAT's and early College-related stuff. I'm becoming a Senior in a few days.

matthew.ball
August 26th, 2010, 12:52 AM
The only thing I can recommend is that you study your Math and Science.
This :D

Would be a good excuse to learn LaTeX too (and GNU Emacs of course!).

Spr0k3t
August 26th, 2010, 01:14 AM
I had an interview the other day that required HS transcripts. The job would have been one of the highest paying positions I had ever had... just a smidge over six figures. I didn't get the job due to the low grades in HS. My CGPA was a running 3.184. You do the math. So yes, HS grades do count, and I graduated from HS back in the early 90s. The position was reporting directly to the CIO of a major fortune 500 company.

Study time is the best method to get it down right. See what works for other people and apply their ideas on your study time with your own spin. I found a way to study for the semester finals was to go back over chapters from the very early days of school... keeping the information fresh in memory well before any major test. If you study with another person or a small group, the study time will absolutely fly.

The very best note taking software I've ever used in my life... generic text editor. Get your typing speed up above 50wpm and know your keyboard well. That will give you the best possible notes you can make.

Zorgoth
August 26th, 2010, 01:26 AM
Unless your high school has courses in CS, there isn't that much I can think of in terms of stuff to put on your computer. But then I was going to high school before these newfangled netbooks came out :D (I'm 21)
Using Linux by 10th grade you are light years ahead of me lol. I switched from Windows between my first and second years of university.

No employer will ever care what your high school grades are, but one thing I can tell you is you won't get into a top of the line school in America without a 4.0. They won't even read your application. So yes, "study, try hard." (You can, on the other hand, get into Cambridge - I had a 3.1 or a 3.2 or something - from a private school though - there there are interviews for most applicants and an admissions test for those who get offers, so if you do well at those then you can get in without super grades - don't assume that's because it's easy though - I am, if I do say so myself, rather bright (and was very lazy in HS, which was a BAD IDEA), and it was very hard, and I can tell you a lot of it was luck)

And no, you don't need to go to a top-flight school. Most people don't go to them. But it definitely will help you if you can manage it. I go to Cambridge (UK), and the difference from most schools is pretty amazing. I think the biggest advantage is the quality of the students around you, which you should note, unlike the school's name recognition, will scale continuously with your grades and other qualifications (whereas with name it is just who gets lucky 90% of the time).

And it is also important to do some things outside of school that will impress a college or stand out. Community service is a *very* good idea, for more reasons than just that. If you are good at programming I bet that contributing code to a project would definitely catch someone's attention. Academic competitions like Academic Decathlon or the National Science Bowl are good ideas, as are Speech and Debate and foreign languages. Linux itself might also catch someone's attention if you can spin it right.

However, with regards to activities you should obviously do what you like. If you are only doing it to impress a college and not because you have passion for it you probably won't do it well. Just stressing that anything I said was an example only.

Zzl1xndd
August 26th, 2010, 01:29 AM
I would agree with Spr0k3t. Lets just say my high school grades where not the best, mostly due to lack of effort and even though I have a good job that pays well (we will just say I make more than the majority of people I went to high school with) it took a lot of time and effort to get where I am. If I had started applying myself to my full ability early on I would likely be in a far better spot making a lot more money.

Zorgoth
August 26th, 2010, 01:30 AM
This :D

Would be a good excuse to learn LaTeX too (and GNU Emacs of course!).

+1 for LaTeX - I would recommend writing down any math notes in LaTeX on your computer for practice - you will learn it fast, and if you have any reports you can really impress your teachers - also another little note for your college application.

I myself am a heavy user of emacs, but I would only recommend it to you if a) you are a programmer, in which case I wholeheartedly recommend it, b) you've already started using it and like it, or c) you are obsessed with your keyboard and think there should be a shortcut for every possible action.

Jesus_Valdez
August 26th, 2010, 01:51 AM
Study hard, but also remember that this are, probably, the best years of your life.

So, enjoy the ride.

rollin
August 26th, 2010, 01:52 AM
I'm going to be a sophomore in High School this year. Just wondering if anyone had any advice? Like, besides the usual "study, try hard" stuff. xD

I'm using my Dell Mini 10v to take notes and the like. Any good *lightweight* software that I should consider? I'm probably gonna use Abiword over Open Office.

It's gonna be an incredible and fun part of your life but don't get too distracted. I wish you well in everything you do. For notes I'm going to suggest an alternative, get a blog at wordpress.com, make it private and upload your notes from something simple like gedit to there. They won't get lost and you can easily use a search widget to check for stuff you need to refer back to. Worked for me! Hope you have a lot of fun ;)

jpeddicord
August 26th, 2010, 02:03 AM
I've got to admit, I don't recall learning anything "useful" in high-school beyond general knowledge. I'm a soph. at OSU this year and can relate to my classes a whole lot more as they're geared towards my degree.

An exception, though: I *did* opt to go to a career center for IT a half-day my junior and senior years of high school, and I think I learned a lot more there as it was much more relevant to my interests. Don't be afraid to check out your options.


Even if you get bad grades in HS you can just apply to a small school

This is true, especially for a lot of public universities. For example, at OSU if you apply and don't get into the main Columbus campus, you can apply to an open-enrollment branch and be guaranteed a spot in Columbus for the next year.

Take advantage of the system. Don't let it take advantage of you.

Zorgoth
August 26th, 2010, 02:08 AM
One more thing. Where I went to high school the local public university had a "jumpstart" program for high school students to take university courses over the summer. Sometimes a high school would even let a student take a university course during the semester instead of a high school course for credit. You should look into that and see if you can do it, if that interests you. University courses tend to be much more interesting than high school courses, and this would allow you to take courses in a broader scope and at a higher level, and give you a big edge applying to college.

Little Bones
August 26th, 2010, 03:51 AM
As a university student looking back:

-Study hard: although you may not want to go to university or college, why restrict yourself if you change your mind? You won't regret good grades, I promise you that. Plus like Zorgoth said, you keep doors open to top schools (University of Toronto here), and sometimes the school name makes a big difference. I think the effect of the school name plays a bigger role in the US since there's a ton of schools, it still has an effect in Canada.

-Extra curricular: volunteer, play sports, join clubs, play in a band. Do something! Schools love extra curricular. Plus you can get good references from the above if the school wants them. Like when I applied I listed my high school's phys ed dept. head who was my coach in curling and soccer. So he could vouch for my hard work and leadership. Schools love to hear about leadership, just saying.

-Manage your time: it's still totally possible to have lots of fun in high school, just manage your time. It's a critical skill for post-secondary education (separates those with good grades and poor grades) and for many jobs - so try practicing it now. Allocate time every night for homework, and once you're done that you're free. Once you get into a habit it's easy. I luck out because I have no class on Friday, so I can study during the day and then I'm free to go out with my friends that night if I want to - and you might be lucky to have the same in college or university.

cj.surrusco
August 26th, 2010, 04:08 AM
I just finished my Sophmore year a few months ago. I don't really have any suggestions as far as using software to help you study or anything. My school is like a jail, they prevent you from doing almost anything, including using personal computers in class. We honestly need signed passes from a teacher indicating that we have assigned work just to get into the school library.

Either way, I would just focus on what you would use in your future. The reason that you are required to take different fields of study is because the education administrators feel that we are to young to decide our career path. So we have to be prepared for any path.

This may be true in some cases, but like most people, I've known what interests me from a young age. For me, it has always been science, which is probably related to my strong interest in computers.

So, I study hard in my science and math classes, and make sure that I get something out of them. I'm not suggesting that you forget completely about classes that don't interest you, but focus on what will help you in the future.

Zorgoth
August 26th, 2010, 04:14 AM
I just finished my Sophmore year a few months ago. I don't really have any suggestions as far as using software to help you study or anything. My school is like a jail, they prevent you from doing almost anything, including using personal computers in class. We honestly need signed passes from a teacher indicating that we have assigned work just to get into the school library.

Either way, I would just focus on what you would use in your future. The reason that you are required to take different fields of study is because the education administrators feel that we are to young to decide our career path. So we have to be prepared for any path.

This may be true in some cases, but like most people, I've known what interests me from a young age. For me, it has always been science, which is probably related to my strong interest in computers.

So, I study hard in my science and math classes, and make sure that I get something out of them. I'm not suggesting that you forget completely about classes that don't interest you, but focus on what will help you in the future.

Well yes and no. If you want to get into Princeton, you still need a 4.0. If it's your History and not your Math you got a C in, they don't care, you're not getting in. Remember, colleges also have an admissions system that assumes you could be studying anything (which is probably why the American admissions system is so bad - in England where I go to school you sign up for a course and they can interview and test all their applicants on that material to get the best ones).

Lesson: Do all of your homework. No matter how boring it is.

Austin25
August 26th, 2010, 04:28 AM
My advise is a system rules/tips, here's mine:


A folder for each class, each containing a notebook.
Dedicate a specific amount of time (30 minutes) for doing homework after school.
Bring everything home and to study hall, so nothing is forgotten at school.
Always have almost too many pencils.
Try to have multiple folders on hand at one time.
Plug in laptop whenever possible.
Instead of cramming, make material interesting and fun, as interesting stuff is remembered better, and fun stuff eases stress.
Maybe a to-do list.
Have enough fun to not be bored, bot not so much as to not do any work.

jfreak_
August 26th, 2010, 04:38 AM
I don't understand why people need netbooks at school. I am at college myself and I prefer using a notebook and pencil wherever possible, much easier to draw and scratch out things. Make notes on margins etc ,etc. I use my laptop only for researching stuff or making reports or seminars.

jpeddicord
August 26th, 2010, 05:05 AM
I don't understand why people need netbooks at school. I am at college myself and I prefer using a notebook and pencil wherever possible, much easier to draw and scratch out things. Make notes on margins etc ,etc. I use my laptop only for researching stuff or making reports or seminars.

I agree somewhat. For many courses it is easier to use paper. However, having a netbook is invaluable for CS courses. :D

dannyp32
August 26th, 2010, 05:11 AM
Well in the US (might be the same for other countries but im not sure), the key to getting into a great university is having a great gpa, a sport + many other extracurricular activities and leadership positions.SAT scores are also important, so make sure to take the PSAT's and study for the official one. Its difficult to keep the great gpa when spending so much time on other activities, but its certainly possible.
Also keep in mind that community college classes are free while your in high school ;)
just enjoy your time, make new friends and have fun