College Reviews Part 2
Emily Cordova | Karen Lin | Yuxin Chen
Three Class of 2023 students came together to write about their senior experience. Manhattan Hunter Science High School provides MHSHS seniors with an academic year at the Hunter College Campus while taking college courses. Take a look at what they have to say about their high school in-college experience!
Photo By MHSHS Media Club
What Things Do You Do As A Senior To Spend Your Newfound Leisure Time?
By Emily Cordova
2.22.2023
As a senior, it became evident that I used the free time I had garnered towards a long commitment. Thus, I got my job at the New York Public Library. I knew I wanted a comfortable job where I could learn more every day, and that was exactly what I found. The division I worked in specialized in finding and working with research items, so I touched books from the 1800s or searched through reels from the 1920s about a variety of topics. The flexibility and the atmosphere were perfect (this may sound like an NYPL advertisement), but I truly think finding a job where you do not feel stressed is very important. It was a hassle at first to manage time between class, work, and homework afterward, but that is when the routine becomes especially important. In your senior year, many students pick up jobs or other activities so that free time can be nonexistent. In comparison to other peers who hang out every day or go home early, accepting the fact that I had to work among other commitments meant that there was always a busy schedule for me every day. Considering my personality, having that daily rigor was not a problem, but knowing that it can be overwhelming at times and whether you can handle it or not Time flies by senior year, and at the end of the day, it is what you decide to do with the newfound time that shapes your experience for the last year of high school.
The utter most thing that I do with my newfound leisure time is my homework. Back at the high school, we have over 8 classes that are back-to-back. Therefore, homework is often left for the afternoon when you begin to get tired and want to procrastinate. In addition, homework at the high school is often due the next day. At the college, students are given either a few days or even a week to complete their homework because the homework could be dense.
When homework isn’t as frequent, I often hang out with my friends in the Game Room. The room is filled with activities such as football, ping pong, and board games that you can borrow. It’s a great time for everyone to relax and unwind or wait for their next class. The dance room is also open for people to use unless there is a class in session. The dance room is an isolated place with a mirror to relax or dance. Study rooms can be rented if someone wants to work in a quiet, comfortable place; they can rent a room through the Hunter Library Website.
The best part about college is that you are free to walk in and out of the building at any given time. For example, when someone wants to get a quick lunch or run an errand at their local target, they can freely walk out and back in. There is a GongCha located right across the college. My friends and I often go there for a quick boba run. There is also a chick-fil located at 59th, Lexington Ave. After all our classes, we often grab a late lunch there and talk about our day. Senior year has been an eye-opening experience. It really makes you reflect on the last chapter of your life as you enter your next. It is a nice transition between your adolescence into your adulthood.
One thing I regret doing was not utilizing the extra time I had wisely. During January, the college has an intermission, meaning college students don’t have classes. The college becomes empty, while we have our Senior Symposium Project to get done. During this time, I didn’t have much heavy work to do. However, I decided not to do the project and instead, hung out with my friends. While I enjoyed our time together, I heavily procrastinated on my senior project and was stuck doing the whole thing in less than 2 days. My suggestion is getting it done as Mckay, Desai, and Ganee teach each day to stay on track. It is not fun getting what is designed to be done in a month in only 2 days. Don’t get senioritis and I hope you have a great senior year. This is your last year as a kid. Enjoy it!
What Do You Do During Your Leisure Time?
By Karen Lin
2.22.2023
What Things Do You Do As A Senior To Spend Your Newfound Leisure Time?
By Yuxin Chen
2.22.2023
In senior year, there is more flexibility in how students can spend their leisure time. Some students join a sports team at the high school while other students hang around the college. Seniors may even be able to join school events that the high school might be having. There are some limitations though. Since seniors spend their time at a different buildings, joining a club at the high school can be difficult. Most seniors don’t participate in school clubs due to this reason. Students often spend their leisure time hanging out and chatting with senior teachers and friends. The senior team always has their classrooms open for students to hang out. Some students decide to do work in the school library, while others hang around the cafeteria, and some students even spend their free time in cafes and restaurants near the college.
There is definitely a lot of free time and I recommend spending time in the library or the classrooms with the guidance of teachers to keep up with the workload. All in all, you’ll find that senior year at the college is extremely flexible and it is up to you to choose what you want to do.