Uni High Gargoyle Staff Blog

For those of you who’ll be sophomores next year, here’s what you can generally expect in some of the classes you’ll be taking. Now keep in mind this is all based on my own experience, so don’t just take my word for it. If you’re curious, ask some other Class of ‘09ers.

Chemistry: On most days, you’ll either be taking notes during a lecture or doing a small-group lab activity. In addition to unit exams, expect frequent quizzes — most of which are announced only the day before, so keep up with the material.

Oh, and did I mention that you should keep up with the material? The very first few sections may seem extremely basic and easy, giving you the illusion that chemistry’s an incredibly easy class that you don’t have to study for. Well, in chemistry you build from one section to the next, so in order to do well on the next section, you will need to have mastered the previous sections. This is basically true for all classes, but especially important for chemistry. Pay attention in class and don’t procrastinate, and you’ll do fine.

• Typical homework assignments: Read section, do problems from textbook.
• Grading system: No weighting; quizzes usually 20 points, exams usually 100.
• Extra credit: Usually a few points on every quiz/exam; also a few extra EC assignments.
• Do most students take notes in class? Yes.
• What should I bring to class? Notebook (provided on first day), pencils, calculator, goggles (when announced).

English: Usually, class periods are spent discussing the previous night’s assigned reading. Every Tuesday and Friday, you’re given a portion of the class to read a book of your choice; every Friday a reading journal entry about your chosen book is due, and once per quarter you will give a five-minute “book talk” about a book of your choice (it doesn’t have to be the one you’re reading for the reading journals). Also happening on a quarterly basis are essays (typically four to five pages) and exams.

Quizzes on the previous night’s reading are given on an unannounced basis; there are several of these per quarter. They are usually worth eight points: two vocabulary questions and one question about the reading. Quiz grades — together worth about 15 percent of your quarter grade — tend to be the weakest part of most people’s grades, but you can avoid this by actually doing the reading and learning the vocabulary words each night. (It seems to be easier said than done.)

• Typical homework assignments: Reading.
• Grading system: Quizzes, presentations, papers, exams, reading journal entries, and participation are each worth 10 to 20 percent of your quarter grade.
• Extra credit: Occasionally you can get extra credit by doing optional assignments.
• Do most students take notes in class? Yes (but occasionally), when literary terms are discussed.
• What should I bring to class? The assigned book and a notebook for copying down definitions of literary terms; on Tuesdays and Fridays, also bring your independent reading book and reading journal.

History: If classes are split the same way they were last year, two-thirds of the class will be in Chris Butler’s sections, and the other third will be with Billy Vaughn. I was in Butler’s class, and most days the routine goes like this: You turn in the homework assignment (a flowchart summary), and Butler talks about that flowchart in detail for the rest of the class period. Unit tests usually consist of date questions, short-answer questions, longer-answer questions (which most people answer with flowcharts), identifications, an essay, and usually up to seven points of extra credit. Regarding the tests, some will tell you to “just memorize the flowcharts,” but you really should also read through the attendant readings to get a deeper understanding of things.

On the first day of class, you will be advised to spend a short amount of time per night looking over the unit flowcharts (in addition to the required homework, of course) so that you don’t have to cram seven or so the night before the test. Heed this advice to reduce the need to stay up late the night before a test.

The other things you’ll experience in this class include movie clips, timed slideshows showcasing art from the relevant period, and quiz bowls. You’ll like them.

• Typical homework assignments: Summarize a flowchart.
• Grading system: Average of all homework (20 points each) worth one test; paper (100 points) worth one test; each 100-point test worth one test; each 50-point test weighted to be worth one test.
• Extra credit: For class participation, winning quiz bowls, and on homework and tests.
• Do most students take notes in class? Many do at first, but it trails off toward the end of the year.
• What should I bring to class? Just a notebook, if you’d like to feel more studious than the people sitting around you.

All of the other classes I took this year are equally as important as the aforementioned ones, but I won’t give a detailed preview of them since they’re not ones the majority of you rising sophomores will take. Basically, just make an effort to do well, and you’ll do fine.

As you might expect, there’s a lot more homework and studying to do sophomore year — don’t be surprised to get homework in every class even on the first day of school — but you’ll still be able to find time to have fun. And when the year is over, you can rejoice about the fact that you’ve completed more than half of your Uni High career.

— Jason He