The Good Ol' Graduation Project
Start writing a post

The Good Ol' Graduation Project

Is removing the grad project from graduation standards the wrong move?

41
The Good Ol' Graduation Project
Pexels

In recent years, some high schools have been fazing out graduation projects as a requirement for receiving a diploma. Supposedly such projects are being replaced by exams and some sort of analytical hokum. I'm all for results, and without knowing more about the real-life impact of grad projects getting the ax—data that won't be fully-fleshed for a few more years—I can only speak on the subject from a theoretical standpoint. More casually put, the following is my opinion.

When I was in high school a few short years ago, most students kind of laughed about graduation projects. They didn't take them seriously, and many waited until the very last minute to complete them. To be fair, I can hardly blame them for that, being the recent author of an article on the virtues of procrastination. Everyone completed their project or didn't graduate. Them's was the breaks. Graduation projects took around twenty to forty hours to complete, based upon the school's standards. It wasn't the sort of thing to pull off overnight. For anyone who didn't create a vested interest for themselves in the project probably hated it. I imagine their grumbling probably helped spell the end of the good ol' graduation project.

At my school, community service, job shadowing, and creative works were all appropriate projects toward the graduation standards. I expect that students elsewhere had similar options. There were plenty of opportunities to have a little fun while completing the project, but I don't think many students seized those opportunities. Getting students to do the work was kind of like getting the author of Calvin and Hobbes (one strip of which appears above)to do an interview—it happened eventually, but only once, and only after years of nagging. For everyone who finished their project and subsequently graduated, they accomplished a great feat. To me, high school isn't really about accomplishing anything in particular. It's more about setting yourself up to accomplish good things in the future. With a graduation project, students were able to accomplish a little something while still in school, outside of the general norms of high school essays, competitions, and part-time jobs.

Students may grumble and whine about grad projects when they're being enforced, but I truly don't believe that this means that they shouldn't be around. The approach of faculty toward these projects was rarely enthusiastic, and the possibilities inherent in the project guidelines were never neatly expounded on. In my opinion, graduation projects should be restored where they have disappeared, and this time they should be framed as what they are: great opportunities for students to accomplish a little something awesome outside of the normal high school crawl.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

Waitlisted for a College Class? Here's What to Do!

Dealing with the inevitable realities of college life.

58821
college students waiting in a long line in the hallway
StableDiffusion

Course registration at college can be a big hassle and is almost never talked about. Classes you want to take fill up before you get a chance to register. You might change your mind about a class you want to take and must struggle to find another class to fit in the same time period. You also have to make sure no classes clash by time. Like I said, it's a big hassle.

This semester, I was waitlisted for two classes. Most people in this situation, especially first years, freak out because they don't know what to do. Here is what you should do when this happens.

Keep Reading...Show less
a man and a woman sitting on the beach in front of the sunset

Whether you met your new love interest online, through mutual friends, or another way entirely, you'll definitely want to know what you're getting into. I mean, really, what's the point in entering a relationship with someone if you don't know whether or not you're compatible on a very basic level?

Consider these 21 questions to ask in the talking stage when getting to know that new guy or girl you just started talking to:

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

Challah vs. Easter Bread: A Delicious Dilemma

Is there really such a difference in Challah bread or Easter Bread?

37964
loaves of challah and easter bread stacked up aside each other, an abundance of food in baskets
StableDiffusion

Ever since I could remember, it was a treat to receive Easter Bread made by my grandmother. We would only have it once a year and the wait was excruciating. Now that my grandmother has gotten older, she has stopped baking a lot of her recipes that require a lot of hand usage--her traditional Italian baking means no machines. So for the past few years, I have missed enjoying my Easter Bread.

Keep Reading...Show less
Adulting

Unlocking Lake People's Secrets: 15 Must-Knows!

There's no other place you'd rather be in the summer.

959489
Group of joyful friends sitting in a boat
Haley Harvey

The people that spend their summers at the lake are a unique group of people.

Whether you grew up going to the lake, have only recently started going, or have only been once or twice, you know it takes a certain kind of person to be a lake person. To the long-time lake people, the lake holds a special place in your heart, no matter how dirty the water may look.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

Top 10 Reasons My School Rocks!

Why I Chose a Small School Over a Big University.

195265
man in black long sleeve shirt and black pants walking on white concrete pathway

I was asked so many times why I wanted to go to a small school when a big university is so much better. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure a big university is great but I absolutely love going to a small school. I know that I miss out on big sporting events and having people actually know where it is. I can't even count how many times I've been asked where it is and I know they won't know so I just say "somewhere in the middle of Wisconsin." But, I get to know most people at my school and I know my professors very well. Not to mention, being able to walk to the other side of campus in 5 minutes at a casual walking pace. I am so happy I made the decision to go to school where I did. I love my school and these are just a few reasons why.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments