The Changing Ventresca Perception of School Over Time - Nick Ventresca

I'm not going to lie. Preparing for back to school? Probably one of my least favorite activities outside of going car shopping with my parents and going to the dentist. It just happens to be something that IAs we begin our descent into the madness that is school, I've began to wonder, have I always been so cynical about school? Did I used to be excited for school? Or have I always wanted to do anything else?

So, being a middle child, I decided to talk to my siblings. My older brother, Ryan, is a senior at the high school, whereas my little brother, Drew, just started fifth grade. I figured that with the wide age demographic, I would be able to put together a picture of how the perception of school changes as we grow older. I also answered these questions, so I could compare their opinions to my own and see how they differentiate.

What is your favorite subject?
Ryan: "In general, English. It's just how my brain works. I don't like math so English is more up my alley."
Me: "My favorite class is marketing because I find it entertaining and I think it teaches many important skills."
Drew: "Math. I enjoy learning about numbers and how to manipulate them."

Do you like school?
Ryan: "Some parts yeah, some parts no. I like the classes where I'm allowed to learn for myself and make my own mistakes in an environment that doesn't really punish me for making mistakes. But I hate the tests, homework, and grades that are given because I feel like they pressure students to memorize not learn."
Me: "For the most part, no. I think the stress it causes far outweighs the educational benefits and there needs to be major educational reform in our country."
Drew: "Mostly. I'd say 75 percent. It helps you learn and make friends and build social skills."

How much homework do you get per week?
Ryan: "My homework can range anywhere from 3 to 5 hours, sometimes more depending on the week. In general, my science classes give a lot of homework."
Me: "I'd say usually 3 to 5 hours as well."
Drew: "I would say about 2 and a half hours per week. I get the most homework in language arts."

Do you think homework is beneficial?
Ryan: "No, it's been proven not to be. I think it dissuades students from doing their own explorations in their own works. I feel like if a student was presented with the topic, they could address their own shortcomings and focus on what they personally need to learn."
Me: "I don't believe that homework is beneficial because if a lesson needs to be practiced, it should be done in class or it wasn't taught well enough."
Drew: "Not as much as teachers make it seem. I think it helps you a very little bit but it doesn't teach you any new things."

How many assessments do you get per week?
Ryan: "Safe answer is three. Often times, it's more. In general, I'm tested more often in math but that's one of those tests you need to have."
Me: "Usually three, but like Ryan, it really does depend on the week. Sometimes I'll have four in a day."
Drew: "One every other week. Usually in math."

How long do you study for tests?
Ryan: "I try to study for an hour to an hour and a half per test. If I feel like I need to study more I will but if I feel comfortable with it I'll study less."
Me: "I usually review for an hour, but more or less depending on how prepared I feel. Sometimes I will be studying up until the period before the test."
Drew: "I study as much as the teachers recommend but no further."

Do you think school is necessary?
Ryan: "Of course. I feel like school provides the proper motivation to learn and I don't know how much we'd learn without it."
Me: "I obviously understand the necessity of our education, but I believe that serious reform needs to be made if we are to not only increase effectiveness, but also student satisfaction."
Drew: "I believe school is necessary because again it builds social skills and it builds every other skill you need in life."

On a scale of 1-10, 10 being very excited, how would you rate your excitement for school daily?
Ryan: "Probably like a 2 or a 3. Just because it's too early in the morning to be excited about anything."
Me: "I'd say around a 4 or a 5. I enjoy seeing my friends but in the classes where I have none, school can be boring."
Drew: "5. I like the idea of seeing my friends daily but the amount of time that we are there is unnecessary because language arts have more periods than it needs."

While the results here were surprisingly similar, there were some interesting bits of information. My brothers and I all agree on the futility of homework, as well as the low excitement that it brings us. We also all agreed that we somewhat like school, but my brothers and I are strong scholars and many other kids who are not as academically inclined don't feel the same.

Overall, I'd say that while our education system is not perfect, it does have its benefits. However, I believe that there needs to be change in the way classrooms work as well as the amount of homework that is given out so we can hopefully make every student excited to come to school and get an education.