Tara's Story - High School Accelerated
My name is Tara Willett, and I am a former High School Accelerated student. I believe that the Accelerated program helped me better prepare for University because it gave me a strong idea of what the work load would be like, which many other students don't understand until they are actually in classes full time, and that gave me an advantage over other students. It also provided me with a fulfilling way to spend my time, because for someone who wasn't interested much in sports or teams, I wanted to spend my time working towards my future in a productive way and this was a great choice.
I took a sociology class and an astronomy class through UR Accelerated, and it has benefited me immensely. I took my first class when I was 15 years old and in grade 11.
The program helped me meet new people and make more friends before I started as a full-time student, so that I wouldn't be starting university without knowing any of the students or professors. I got to know my way around campus better, and became familiar with the University's resources. These were all great things, because when I finally started University full-time I didn't have any of the culture shock that other students sometimes have. I knew what to expect from my classes, and I knew where to get help if I needed it.
Because I only took one class at a time with the UR Accelerated program, I was able to get to transition more smoothly from high school to university. If you jump right from full-time high school to full-time University, you have to struggle with the transition of expectations and independent study with 4-5 classes, which is a lot more stressful than developing your own study schedule and transition with one class. The UR Accelerated program allowed me to better prepare myself for University than I would have been able to if I hadn't taken it.
I would encourage any young person who wants to get a taste of university before they start full-time to try this program, as long as your schedule allows it, because it gives you such a strong introduction to university life. And if you're a high school student like I was who thinks you could already be in University, this is a great way to start sooner and convocate early.
Tara - November 2013