Interview

COLLEGE VOICES
COLLEGE
VOICES
By: Matt Pasco
College of Engineering
Michigan State University
Class of 2014, Clarkston Schools
Iam majoring in
Computer Science. My
hope is to become
a software developer,
solving problems through
technology. Thus, I
believe that creativity is
a must in schools. It allows
students to really enjoy what
they are learning and to think outside of
the box.
Personally, I have been taught a lot about
innovative thinking through after school
programs, such as Team RUSH, Business
Professionals of America, or CSMTech
trip to Cumberland Falls. Clarkston teachers
have taught me skills that cannot be
taught in the classroom. In fact, I think
that the most important factor that made
me successful in college was joining FIRST
Robotics. From time management, to
leadership, and to technical skills, FIRST
Robotics was the most impactful learning
opportunity that I have had.
Academically, I was also well-prepared
for college courses. I was able to transfer
21 college credit from high school. The
workload in college is demanding, but
completing it has never been too difficult
for me. Still, I believe, it is not only
the academic skills that are worth
learning. There are also the social
skills to develop. Students must
learn how to work in teams and
collaborate with students for
whom they may not particularly
care. This is vital in college
and, later, in a workplace.
When I look back at my k-12
years, I remembers experiences that
taught me something about myself or
others. In the fourth grade, I did not do
very well in a section of social studies. My
teacher, Mr. Gifford, gave me the opportunity
to try again and resubmit a packet.
I now realize that he cared more about my
learning than about me getting the grade.
In secondary school, I remember a computer
science exam, where one question
asked me to figure out what the code
would do if a line had a trick piece of
code. The four resulting answers were
‘none of the above.’ I thought there would
be no way that four answers in a row
were ‘none of the above.’ When I received
my exam back, however, I saw that I had
aced it! You really have to “trust your gut
reaction.”
I really enjoyed learning German for 5
years, but it is so much easier to learn a
foreign language at a younger age. I wish
There should also be
more focus on
hands-on learning,
not just the theory, in
schools. Projects are a
much better approach to
learning, retaining, and
applying the material.
that I could have started learning it earlier.
I think classes where the exam is worth
~50% of the grade are not worth taking.
I do not think that one exam is a fair representation
of a student’s knowledge. Big
exams lead to unneeded stress. Projects
are a much better approach to learning,
retaining, and applying the material.
18 www.KidsStandard.org
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