Does high school prepare you for college?

There are many different opinions over whether or not what you do in high school can prepare you for college, for your career, and your eventual life. It is almost impossible to agree with everyone on this topic, because there are people from different backgrounds that have had different experiences when it came to high school and college. I can tell you, however, that no matter where you come from, what elementary school you came from, what junior high you came from, or even what high school you came from, or even if you didn’t go to high school, the only way to become prepared through college is through yourself. It comes through your drive to succeed, it comes from your motivation, it comes through the classes you take and it comes from the people you surround yourself with. Even if you come from a disadvantaged home in a crime-filled neighborhood and went to a poor high school, if you find determination within yourself, it is always possible for you to go to college. It may not be the school of your dreams, it may just have to be the cheaper option, or even community college, but if you try you can get there. On the other side, you may come from a wealthy neighborhood, go to a prestigious high-school and have all the resources you need to go to college, if you don’t try hard enough, if you don’t have the motivation or plainly just do not want to you’ll never make it to college. College is for the strong minded and the strong willed.

Within that, what are the steps to take to become one of the strong minded and strong willed people? Who are you supposed to surround yourself with? What classes should you take? Well, that depends on your future goal in life. For example you will want to take an AP Calculus class if you’re going to be an engineer. But if you are leaning towards art school, you may want to focus on the art classes instead. You may want to associate with other people who enjoy art, as you may learn from them and they may be of good influence on your career. High-school is largely focused around priorities, and if you don’t have them you will not succeed. Once you have enrolled in the appropriate, but more ideally challenging, classes that your school offers, you have good friends, who can be your support group, have set your priorities straight, and mapped out you future, there is no way to stop you from achieving what you want to achieve, especially if your goal is college. It’s all about being strong and going for what you think you can do and what you want to do.

One may wonder, how influential is the high-school you attend in helping you with getting on that college bound path? Of course, like I discussed above, high-school is what you make of it. You can take the challenging courses or you can not. It also really just depends on the school individually. Some schools don’t offer the courses you need to prepare you for your intended field of study, and maybe they don’t offer any challenging enough courses at all. You might not know what a really challenging class is like until it hits you like a train when you take your first college chemistry class. However, you may be fortunate enough to attend a high-school that more than the necessary resources available to prepare you for college. There may, in fact, be an overwhelming amount. However, graduates of these types of school are generally well equipped for college. You may notice, like I mentioned above, some are not.  These people are not strong willed and did not take advantage of what they were given. That is not to say that those who came from a poor high school are not prepared for college. They will be if they want to be, if they try to be. They will find the resources necessary to succeed.

What are some examples of the courses that your high-school may offer that well prepare you for college? I know for one thing, my school has them. For example, I am enrolled in AP U.S. History. That class has taught me so many valuable lessons about staying on top of your work, getting into good studying habits, academic competition, and learning that you get what you out into it. I feel that that class is assisting me in becoming prepared for my future. Everything I’ve learned I will be able to apply it to my future. That’s not even counting all the valuable knowledge I am gaining.

I know that there are many other difficult, challenging and yet rewarding classes like that are offered at our school. We are blessed with many gifted teachers, helpful administrators, and caring counselors that I feel all share the common goal of guiding their students to success. I feel our school prepares us well for college.

I must point out that that will not be the case for all schools. Many high-schools’ staff are there just to get paid, and don’t care at all about your future. They don’t care that you might be trying your hardest to succeed. They may fail to remember that they were once in your position, trying to get good grades, trying to make good friends, trying to succeed. It doesn’t matter to them. Like I’ve mentioned many times before, It is how you handle the situation in your school that counts.

Your high-school may be there to help you get to college. It may give you everything you need. It may hold your hand along the way. You may get the ‘A.P. U.S. History’ experience. You may not, and your school may make it hard for you. The lesson to learn is that no matter your situation, it does not have to affect your success when it comes to college. You do.

Simba, Mufasa, and their similarities and differences.

It takes a lot to be brave. There’s many things that go into it or contribute to it, such as determination, perseverance, and motive. People are brave and different times, and you never know when an opportunity to be brave will approach. Bravery is illustrated in different ways and in countless situations throughout the media, cinema, and even our childhood stories. Generally, it is a very admirable trait to have but it can sometimes get you into trouble.

In what is quite possible one of your favorite childhood movies, The Lion king, a Father son relationship is quite visible, and proudly displays a common theme of bravery. Mufasa, The King of the pride land, is very brave and protective of his son, Simba. Simba tries to follow in his dad’s footsteps, but comes across many struggles along the way. Here, I will compare and contrast the two characters to understand the level of bravery they shared, their personalities, and how they impacted the movie industry with their personal characteristics.

To better understand this comparison of bravery between Simba and Mufasa, one must have the story fresh in their mind. Here is a quick one from imdb .com if that isn’t the case:

“The Lion King takes place in the Pride Lands of Africa, where a lion rules over the other animals as king. As dawn breaks, all the animals of the Pride Lands are summoned to Pride Rock, the home of the pride of lions. Rafiki Robert Guillaume, a mandrill, walks through the herd and climbs the face of Pride Rock to greet his friend, King Mufasa James Earl Jones. Mufasa leads Rafiki to his mate Sarabi Madge Sinclair who is holding their newborn cub. Rafiki anoints the cub with fruit juices before presenting him to the gathered animals. The animals cheer and then bow to the new future king.Meanwhile, Scar Jeremy Irons, the younger brother of Mufasa, is sulking by himself behind Pride Rock. He is envious of his brother's position as king and is disgruntled at the fact that he will never be king now that Mufasa has an heir. Mufasa and his majordomo, a hornbill named Zazu Rowan Atkinson, confront Scar on why he wasn't present at the ceremony that morning. Scar shrugs it off, claiming he had forgotten, and scoffs his new responsibility to show respect to the future king before wandering off.Simba returns to Pride Rock where his Uncle Scar is lurking about. Simba brags about his fate to be king to which Scar reacts without the slightest bit of enthusiasm. Casually, and goading Simba's excitement, Scar asks if Mufasa showed him the shadow place on their morning walk. When Simba replies no, Scar adds that it is a dangerous place where only the bravest lions venture. Simba perks up, saying he's brave, and begs his uncle to tell him what's there. Scar feigns an accidental slip of the tongue by revealing that it's an elephant graveyard but praises Simba's cleverness. He asks that Simba never explore the place, but as Simba reassures him and leaves, Scar smiles to himself knowing full well that Simba's curiosity will get the better of him.Simba meets up with his friend Nala Niketa Calame who is being bathed by her mother, Sarafina Zoe Leader. He tells her about a cool place hes found, lying to Sarabi that its around the water hole. Sarabi gives them permission to go as long as Zazu accompanies them. Along the way, Simba and Nala devise a plan together to get rid of Zazu, which works. They then run off, Nala showing off her skills as an expert pinner, before finding themselves in the elephant graveyard. Suddenly, Zazu reappears and demands that they leave. Simba shows off his bravery by laughing in front of a large skull. Laughter echoes from within and three hyenas emerge, surrounding the cubs. Shenzi Whoopi Goldberg, Banzai Cheech Marin, and Ed Jim Cummings deliberate what's to be done with the cubs, more specifically, how to eat them. The cubs and Zazu escape for a moment, but Zazu is pulled back and stuffed into a boiler which shoots him into the air. The hyenas eventually corner the cubs in an alcove and Simba tries to roar. The hyenas laugh and tell him to try again. A real roar is let out as Mufasa appears and attacks the hyenas before they run off. Zazu reappears by Mufasas side and Simba tries to say something but Mufasa furiously reprimands him for being deliberately disobedient and leads them towards home.As the dust settles, Simba runs down to look for his father. He discovers him beneath a broken tree, dead. As he mourns his loss, Scar appears and blames Simba for what happened. The hyenas watch as Simba runs into the distant desert and decide that he will most likely die, shouting to him that if he ever comes back they will kill him.Scar returns to Pride Rock to announce that both Simba and Mufasa have perished in the stampede and assumes the role as king. The lionesses look on in fear as a horde of hyenas arrives to live alongside Scar at Pride Rock. Rafiki watches sullenly from a distance and smears the image he had once created of Simba.Scar manages to slip away from the fighting but is followed by Simba. Simba flips Scar with his hind legs over the edge of Pride Rock. Scar tumbles down the rock face and lands at the base. He groggily stands up and notices the hyenas approaching him from between the flames. He greets them as his friends but they respond that he said they were the enemy. Scar looks at them in horror as they lick their lips and surround him before attacking. Rain begins to fall and Simba returns to the lionesses where he greets his mother and Nala. Rafiki rattles his staff and points it towards the tip of Pride Rock. He bows to Simba, who gives him a hug, and says it is time. As everyone watches, and as the rain washes away dust and bones, Simba ascends Pride Rock, gazing one last time at the heavens before letting out a mighty roar and sealing his position as king. The lionesses join in, hailing their new king. Some time later, the animals of the Pride Lands gather once again at Pride Rock, cheering at Simba and Nala as they overlook the kingdom. Rafiki comes between them and holds up their newborn cub for all to see.”

Here is a comparison of Simba and Mufasa, point by point.

The two characters are both extremely brave, but in different ways. First, Mufasa is brave because he wants to protect what he has. He is responsible for the safety of all the animals of the pride land, and he will stop at nothing to make sure that they remain protected. Simba, however, is young and is brave in the sense that he wants to have fun. He doesn’t always take into account the dangers that ensue when approaching something, or trying something new. However, he learns this valuable lesson throughout the film.

Mufasa and Simba have similar, yet contrasting personalities. Mufasa is a strong, well respected ruler all throughout the prideland. He protects the others, respects them, and gives them affection. He is brave when he needs to be but never takes unnecessary risks. Simba wants to be like his father, king of the prideland and a powerful ruler,  but he is just too young. He thinks he is big and strong, but he just has a=to wait and is being very impatient. This gets him into a lot of trouble along the way.

Lastly, Mufasa and Simba both have had a huge impact on the film industry, as their characters displayed many valuable and admirable characteristics that are recreated in many characters after. Mufasa presents passion, bravery, respect, and protection. Simba shows how to be adventurous, yet being able to have fun and having something to look forward to in life.

As you can see, the Lion King was an epic film in which two very brave characters who had things in common and yet many differences were able to show us how two can live together and come across many challenges, yet still eventually live in peace.