Heather W. - Math and College

Heather W. - Math and CollegeThe first image that comes to mind when you think of Heather W. is the smiling little girl who reads Aesop's Fables. But that was a long time ago and she has changed. Now Heather W. is studying at college and is trying to figure out what to do with her life after graduation.Heather has just started sixth grade and just finished her English class. She will soon be starting elementary school, and she wants to stay there for a few more years before moving on to high school. She tells us, 'I really want to go to school for a while, and I want to do as well as I can.This year, she is working on her SAT's, trying to get into Harvard, Yale, Stanford or whatever. While she is doing this, she has taken the opportunity to work on her algebra. She is trying to understand algebra better than she did last year. What a wonderful experience it is to sit in class and try to figure out algebra equations on your own.One of the challenges that the math classes present is th at there are so many variables. Heather has some difficulty with this, because she does not like to have to memorize things. But if you read closely at the end of the year, she is making a plan to take a math class at Harvard University in the fall.If Heather wants to study at Harvard, she has to find out whether the geography, French, or history major will be accepted. The English class has proven to be a challenge for her because of the strict grading policy. The instructor is at a disadvantage, because she has to teach in an English class where it is very hard to write an essay.She just knows that she cannot excel in English, so she can't do well in math, even though she will have a hard time doing poorly. The American literature class seems to be much easier, because her teacher expects her to know English requires writing rather than memorizing things.Her past experiences with the Greek system, working in the homes for the International House and going to two different schools has given her a different perspective on life. She tells us, 'I want to make the most of my life and try to get everything I can before I go off to college.' One question that keeps coming up in our conversations is, 'Does she even want to go to college?' We cannot tell if she is trying to keep her options open.