NewsAcademicsCollege GuidanceParents
Senior Transition Day helps prepare students for college
Apr 27, 2007 10:53 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Darlington School hosted its first-ever Senior Transition Day Friday, April 27, to help students prepare for college life. The event was coordinated by the College Guidance Office and sponsored by the Parents Association.
“This day is designed to help our seniors be productive and healthy after they leave Darlington,” said Nicole Shaub, associate dean of college guidance. “The programming focuses on issues that are pertinent to the transition from high school to college.”
Morning guest speakers Dr. Asa Peek ('88) and Rob Powell and Amarinthia Torres of the Sexual Assault Center focused on sexual safety and other health issues. Students then selected two senior seminars to attend, all of which were led by Darlington faculty members. Seminar topics included academics, time management, nutrition, roommates, self-defense, Greek life and athletics, to name a few.
"I think this sort of program is essential in schools ... to give students a taste of the atmosphere they are about to enter, to make sure they know about the problems they will face, and to offer some ways of coping and combatting these issues," said senior John Kagley, who will attend the University of South Carolina at Columbia next fall. "For me, this was a very eye-opening experience. My favorite session was about graduate school. It definitely opened my mind and made me think about my own plans."
Classmate Christie Doss, who will attend UGA, enjoyed Jill Pate's session on nutrition. "It was certainly eye-opening when we learned that a small handfull and a half of M&M's is 1,200 calories, nearly the suggested caloric intake for an entire day," she said. "The college experience is becoming more of a reality every day, so programs like this are a great way to educate us about the future."
Norman Bonnyman, who will attend Princeton, agreed. "Darlington students get a lot of preparation for life," he said. "Senior Transition Day is just one of the many instances where Darlington is truly looking out for us, giving us a solid background as we move forward in our lives."
My 'personal finances' class by Mr. Whitworth, Mrs. Pollard, and Mr. Whitworth was definitely a valuable experience. Bank accounts, credit cards, identity theft, and all the aspect of handling one's own money were all things that I knew a little about, but leaving Darlington with a solid foundation of how the system works (and doesn't) is just another example of how Darlington is really looking to prepares us for the real world in every aspect.
Senior parents were invited to join students for a luncheon at noon, where keynote speaker Barrett Seaman, the author of “Binge: Campus Life in an Age of Disconnection and Excess,” talked about campus life in American colleges.
“Mr. Seaman has spoken at many secondary schools and colleges around the country, and his book/talks focus on relevant issues for students in college or approaching college,” said Shaub. “I believe hearing from an expert in the field is beneficial to seniors and their parents at this crucial time in their lives.”
Darlington will graduate the Class of 2007 on Saturday, May 26. Commencement services begin at 9:30 a.m. on the Chapel Lawn. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Huffman Center. For more information, please call 706-235-6051.
“This day is designed to help our seniors be productive and healthy after they leave Darlington,” said Nicole Shaub, associate dean of college guidance. “The programming focuses on issues that are pertinent to the transition from high school to college.”
Morning guest speakers Dr. Asa Peek ('88) and Rob Powell and Amarinthia Torres of the Sexual Assault Center focused on sexual safety and other health issues. Students then selected two senior seminars to attend, all of which were led by Darlington faculty members. Seminar topics included academics, time management, nutrition, roommates, self-defense, Greek life and athletics, to name a few.
"I think this sort of program is essential in schools ... to give students a taste of the atmosphere they are about to enter, to make sure they know about the problems they will face, and to offer some ways of coping and combatting these issues," said senior John Kagley, who will attend the University of South Carolina at Columbia next fall. "For me, this was a very eye-opening experience. My favorite session was about graduate school. It definitely opened my mind and made me think about my own plans."
Classmate Christie Doss, who will attend UGA, enjoyed Jill Pate's session on nutrition. "It was certainly eye-opening when we learned that a small handfull and a half of M&M's is 1,200 calories, nearly the suggested caloric intake for an entire day," she said. "The college experience is becoming more of a reality every day, so programs like this are a great way to educate us about the future."
Norman Bonnyman, who will attend Princeton, agreed. "Darlington students get a lot of preparation for life," he said. "Senior Transition Day is just one of the many instances where Darlington is truly looking out for us, giving us a solid background as we move forward in our lives."
My 'personal finances' class by Mr. Whitworth, Mrs. Pollard, and Mr. Whitworth was definitely a valuable experience. Bank accounts, credit cards, identity theft, and all the aspect of handling one's own money were all things that I knew a little about, but leaving Darlington with a solid foundation of how the system works (and doesn't) is just another example of how Darlington is really looking to prepares us for the real world in every aspect.
Senior parents were invited to join students for a luncheon at noon, where keynote speaker Barrett Seaman, the author of “Binge: Campus Life in an Age of Disconnection and Excess,” talked about campus life in American colleges.
“Mr. Seaman has spoken at many secondary schools and colleges around the country, and his book/talks focus on relevant issues for students in college or approaching college,” said Shaub. “I believe hearing from an expert in the field is beneficial to seniors and their parents at this crucial time in their lives.”
Darlington will graduate the Class of 2007 on Saturday, May 26. Commencement services begin at 9:30 a.m. on the Chapel Lawn. In the case of inclement weather, the event will be held in the Huffman Center. For more information, please call 706-235-6051.
