Let's Talk About Calgary High Schools

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Weitz

I wish I had a choice of High School.

In Red Deer you only get a choice if you weren't in the Catholic system.

Really? Not about Red Deer specifically, but who really cares about High School?

I had to travel a long way to High School because at the time it was the only one that offered Catholic IB French Immersion. It was really nice of them to move everything I needed to within walking distance of my home the year after I graduated. I really appreciated that.

Bastards.

But in the end, its High School. Do basic work, get decent grades, mission accomplished.

[Weitz]

Originally Posted by Locke

Really? Not about Red Deer specifically, but who really cares about High School?

I had to travel a long way to High School because at the time it was the only one that offered Catholic IB French Immersion. It was really nice of them to move everything I needed to within walking distance of my home the year after I graduated. I really appreciated that.

Bastards.

But in the end, its High School. Do basic work, get decent grades, mission accomplished.

Well yah, I would have preferred not to take the bus an hour and 20 mins to and from school every day.

[Locke]

Originally Posted by Weitz

Well yah, I would have preferred not to take the bus an hour and 20 mins to and from school every day.

Misery builds character.

[Nancy]

Is there anyone who has gone to Carroll in recent years who can talk a bit about what a typical school day looks like? Do you spend most of the day sitting alone studying? How often does a student attend seminars, and are these prepared lectures or just q and a sessions? Is it harder to make friends?

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by Nancy

Is there anyone who has gone to Carroll in recent years who can talk a bit about what a typical school day looks like? Do you spend most of the day sitting alone studying? How often does a student attend seminars, and are these prepared lectures or just q and a sessions? Is it harder to make friends?

I didn't go there, but from what I hear from people who went to Carroll, they don't seem to have any issues making friends.

[P-Rugby]

Originally Posted by Nancy

Is there anyone who has gone to Carroll in recent years who can talk a bit about what a typical school day looks like? Do you spend most of the day sitting alone studying? How often does a student attend seminars, and are these prepared lectures or just q and a sessions? Is it harder to make friends?

I graduated in 2013 if that counts as recent

[Nancy]

Originally Posted by P-Rugby

I graduated in 2013 if that counts as recent

Yes, recent as in the past 10 years...

[jeffporfirio]

We went to the Bishop Caroll open house a few weeks back, both of us and our son were pretty impressed. The teachers seemed approacheable, not a huge hs size, and the resources for students seem top notch.
Only downside is transportation from the NW.

[P-Rugby]

Originally Posted by jeffporfirio

We went to the Bishop Caroll open house a few weeks back, both of us and our son were pretty impressed. The teachers seemed approacheable, not a huge hs size, and the resources for students seem top notch.
Only downside is transportation from the NW.

I lived I scenic acres while attending BCHS, you can grab a bus from Dalhousie and your son will eventually turn 16 and be able to drive himself to school. My friends dad is currently a teacher at BCHS and he says they don't just let any teachers teach at carrol you have to be a special kind of teacher who wants to help a kid succeed and stay motivated.

[boogerz]

Originally Posted by Nancy

Is there anyone who has gone to Carroll in recent years who can talk a bit about what a typical school day looks like? Do you spend most of the day sitting alone studying? How often does a student attend seminars, and are these prepared lectures or just q and a sessions? Is it harder to make friends?

When I was at Carroll, everyone knew everyone for the most part. If you're not holing yourself up in a resource center all day every day, you'll have no problem meeting people. And a typical day is whatever you want it to be... literally. It's a fun school, but you get what you put in.

[Kipper is King]

I enjoyed taking AP classes in high school. I found the more challenging course content to be engaging, and I generally thought the AP courses were taught by the best teachers in a given subject area.

However, I know the idea with passing AP exams is that you can get credit for junior-level courses at some universities. Looking back on it, if I had skipped junior courses in university thanks to AP, I would have had a difficult time. I don't think high school AP courses are appropriate substitutes for university courses.

That renders the AP exams (and their cost) to be almost pointless IMO.

[bizaro86]

Originally Posted by Kipper is King

I enjoyed taking AP classes in high school. I found the more challenging course content to be engaging, and I generally thought the AP courses were taught by the best teachers in a given subject area.

However, I know the idea with passing AP exams is that you can get credit for junior-level courses at some universities. Looking back on it, if I had skipped junior courses in university thanks to AP, I would have had a difficult time. I don't think high school AP courses are appropriate substitutes for university courses.

That renders the AP exams (and their cost) to be almost pointless IMO.

I skipped a bunch of first level University courses due to my IB diploma. I was still better prepared than most of the people in my classes.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by bizaro86

I skipped a bunch of first level University courses due to my IB diploma. I was still better prepared than most of the people in my classes.

I never understood the benefit of this - wouldn't you be better off taking the course in university, getting an A, and using it to boost your GPA?

I'd sure rather have an A in Math 251 than jumping straight into Math 253....

[Tyler]

Originally Posted by I-Hate-Hulse

I never understood the benefit of this - wouldn't you be better off taking the course in university, getting an A, and using it to boost your GPA?

I'd sure rather have an A in Math 251 than jumping straight into Math 253....

Or you could save yourself a few thousand dollars and get them done in public school for free? Also, you lower your course requirement load for your first year University.

[troutman]

Aberhart and Wise Wood are "party schools" according to my Grade 10 son.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by troutman

Aberhart and Wise Wood are "party schools" according to my Grade 10 son.

Wise Wood (my alma mater) is a weird school. In spite of being attended by kids from some of the wealthiest communities in the city, it has never been especially strong academically. It was also extremely cliquey - the Breakfast Club could have been scripted by a student at WW in the 80s.

[troutman]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Wise Wood (my alma mater) is a weird school. In spite of being attended by kids from some of the wealthiest communities in the city, it has never been especially strong academically. It was also extremely cliquey - the Breakfast Club could have been scripted by a student at WW in the 80s.

I was a WW '84 grad. We had freaks, jocks and preppies. And nerds like me.

[REDVAN]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

Wise Wood (my alma mater) is a weird school. In spite of being attended by kids from some of the wealthiest communities in the city, it has never been especially strong academically. It was also extremely cliquey - the Breakfast Club could have been scripted by a student at WW in the 80s.

Originally Posted by troutman

I was a WW '84 grad. We had freaks, jocks and preppies. And nerds like me.

I took partial IB at HWW in the early 2000s (and now some of you have figured out who I am by my username).

Can confirm, there were "cliques", but I never thought it was that bad. Maybe movies made it seem like it'd be way worse than it was.

[CliffFletcher]

Originally Posted by troutman

I was a WW '84 grad. We had freaks, jocks and preppies. And nerds like me.

Class of '87. I was a punk/stoner.

[I-Hate-Hulse]

Originally Posted by Tyler

Or you could save yourself a few thousand dollars and get them done in public school for free? Also, you lower your course requirement load for your first year University.

If you're angling to get into a faculty / masters program with competitive admission and you're on the bubble - many would gladly pay a few thousand for a 0.3 GPA bump.

Assuming the money isn't a limiting factor of course.