Throughout middle school and high school, I sacrificed a part of my schedule to a college prep class known as "AVID". Advancement Via Individual Determination is a class all about college readiness and encouragement. Many often mistake it as a class for those struggling in school who need extra academic help, yet, it is for any students who have strive to achieve at a higher rate and make it to a university. The program additionally offers assistance for first-generation college students, those who are trying to find more tuition funds, and simply anyone who aims for academic greatness. Through the class, we learned how to keep an organized binder (which were graded on, of course), how to create a successful study group (also graded on), how to take Cornell notes, and basic life tips in general. I was given the opportunity to participate in this class for a total of five years, and I am endlessly grateful for the knowledge I have gained from it.
When I first joined the class in seventh grade, I immediately wanted out. I didn't feel like I belonged there, nor did I feel welcomed by the other students. In elementary school, I always had an eager desire for learning and getting high marks, thus, I felt the program only brought me down in GPA. Binder checks and tutorials were a struggle for me and I received poor marks on both for the first couple of weeks. However, AVID became a social and academic outlet for me. Each year of AVID, I always anticipated the end, yet still felt compelled to join it the following year. From my first two years in AVID sprouted a vast connection between those in my class, as well as my teacher who would become one of my favorite teachers throughout my years of grade school. The Socratic Seminars were always my favorite part of middle school AVID, which I was privileged to receive an award for during both seventh and eighth grade. Of course, even as the course progressed, I was still a little shabby on binders and organization, but I was able to achieve higher marks. Going into AVID in middle school also helped me break out of my shell profusely. I was generally known as the "quiet girl" who sat in the back of class, was hard to hear, and stuttered whenever I talked. My social skills were under par, but the class developed me into a highly adequate public speaker, and I now have an immense love for making speeches.
High school AVID was not much different from middle school and I was able to delve further into the program as I watched my organization skills improve. Freshman year was a struggle for me, and at times I actually dreaded the moment I would walk into class and sit down for a lecture or in-class activity. The following year, I replaced it with Culinary Arts, which did not do me much justice. AVID was how I got my bearings, found my place among my peers, and became more college-focused. Without it, I was just another student in a large, public high school with no real support system for my studies. I was not getting the most out of school and failed to keep myself composed and organized. Consequently, I rejoined the class junior year and stayed it in until graduation. Eleventh grade was most tasking so AVID became a great resource to assist me in my academics. I often enlisted help from our AVID tutors who got me through the most difficult classes and even helped me study for the ACT and SAT. Senior year, I was given the most rewarding experience to actually become an AVID tutor for the sophomore and junior students. I worked closely with the students and built up a bond between them with a desire to help them just as my tutors did for me in the past. At times, the process in encouraging the kids to strive for better grades and organization was unbelievably frustrating. It gave me a perspective of how my tutors must've felt when I was disorganized and doing poorly on assignments. However, I gained a new understanding of what it is like to be in both roles, as the student and as the tutor. It made me want to become a leader in people's lives and adhere to all AVID principles. I continue to exemplify such principles in college.
My very first classes started a week ago and I have been utilizing the knowledge bestowed in my from the elective I took for five years. I will never leave my dorm without my agenda, I will always take my notes in Cornell form, and all loose papers are hole-punched and filed neatly into my binder. Because of AVID, it is now easier for me to take notes from text and go into deeper thinking in my advanced classes. I additionally find that I am able to socialize more and express my opinions in an open and defined manner, without getting nervous or anxious. While those currently enrolled in AVID might believe it to be pointless, I can ensure anyone that it is not a waste. When I was in the class, I actually had the same view that it could not possibly help me in college, yet all the habits I picked from the course are completely helpful.
For years, I was completely disregarding the AVID standards and underestimating how powerful of a tool it'd be in college. Now, I see that it has a vast impact on my studies and will continue to further my success. I am abundantly thankful for the opportunities I have gained from it, for the teachers that pushed me to be a college-bound student, and for my fellow AVID class that will be forever embedded in my memories. If you are someone who wishes to get right into the swing of everything at a university or community college, and if your school offers this class, it will be nothing but beneficial to you to enroll in.
