Seniors Seminars help seniors kick butt and navigate new experiences in college. They were created to help seniors academically and personally prepare for college life. Teachers want to ensure that seniors have a good transition to college and know how to take care of themselves mentally and physically.
“The way I think about the seminars is that it’s a lot of teachers who have grown to care about the seniors having one last chance to tell them important information before we send them off into the world,” said Ms. Zimmerman. “Most of the time, they already know, but just in case that hasn’t happened, we want to say, ‘here are some of the important life lessons as you become an adult.’”
“Senior Seminars are one of the best parts of Barstow. It has so much information that is useful and applicable,” Anita Mohan (‘23) exclaimed.
This year, the seminars began in October and will continue until April. The seniors are split into groups and attend a specific lesson.
The teachers who offer seminars include Dr. Cramer, Mr. Downs, Mr. Frank, Dr. Gallagher, Mrs. Guldin, Mr. Jones, Ms. Thornburgh, Mr. Thurman, and Ms. Zimmerman. Each teacher, or teachers, has a specific topic that they help students with.
“Dr. Cramer and I do something about how it will look when they shift to living on campus and taking care of themselves,” said Mrs. Guldin. “One thing we try and encourage seniors to do is to explore the counseling center on the first day and find where they can go when struggling with mental health.”
Dr. Cramer and Mrs. Guldin give students tips on how to adjust to college and the culture shock that comes with it. Similarly, Dr. Gallagher, Mr. Downs, and Ms. Thornburgh have their lesson where they give college survival tips. Ms. Zimmerman teaches how to navigate relationships, both romantic and not.
“We do roommate etiquette on how to make this as smooth as an experience that it can be. We talk a little bit about a few tips for making friends and dealing with homesickness. We go over the basics of sexual consent and how to handle it when you or your friend get into an unhealthy dynamic,” Ms. Zimmeran explained.
Mr. Thurman teaches a finance class, Mr. Jones teaches how to travel safely, and Mr. Frank and/or Mr. Muhammad teach self-defense.
One of the most notable Senior Seminars is Mr. Frank’s self-defense class. The groups are split up based on gender, and Mr. Frank focuses on different techniques to disarm the attacker. Mr. Frank has taught self-defense classes and continues to teach martial arts, so his lessons are full of useful information.
“The demonstration was very good, Mr. Frank has a lot of experience which is what made him very helpful. While it sucks that people have to learn this, it is always good to know,” Allison Orozco (‘23) said.
While it can be a heavy topic to discuss, it is important to know self-defense in case of an emergency. Mr. Frank keeps the environment lighthearted, but still serious.
Every teacher’s seminar has a very important lesson that seniors should know. These seminars are so useful for seniors as they start to prepare for the transition from high school to college.
