Senior research

By Mark Thomas, senior

The senior research criteria has changed every year for the last four years.. Some students may see this as a good thing since because certain criteria changes may benefit students.

In the 2005-06 school year the requirement to graduate was a ten page research paper, but last year the seniors only needed a fifteen-minute PowerPoint presentation.

Based on changes that took place this summer, students are required to write at least ten to twelve pages about their chosen topic. Some examples include how teen suicide affects a family and how raising the minimum work age can benefit students.

The senior research for this year has excluded the PowerPoint presentation portion that was required for last year’s exhibition. Sophomore Imani Calloway said: “ A presentation sounds easier because when I do papers I like to procrastinate.” This is a common problem among many other students as well, and it proved to be a reason for lower grades on the presentation in past years.

More than half of the students (65%) were undecided as to whether the changes in Senior Research would help them.  Senior Lacierra Smith states: I think students get discouraged when they hear ‘ten pages’ because they think it is the end of the world.  I was actually looking forward to doing a presentation this year.”

             Junior Crystal Brown is a year away from this project:  “I do not think it is a good way to tell a senior’s success because some people are more gifted than others at writing.”  She later goes on to say, “If this year’s change in the senior research shows good results then I think they should keep it that way.”

The senior research project is a good example of what is to come when a student goes to college. Senior Marcell Wilson knows this. “It just helps prepare you for college, he says. Doing long papers in high school helps prepare students so that if they do decide to go to college, doing such papers will not be as hard.

Senior guidance councilor Ms. Matthews states: “ I think that benefits of the addition of the paper to the senior exhibition project are immeasurable. Writing good research papers will allow students to gain experience in writing which will help them when they get to college.”

There are some tips for seniors when trying to do the research paper.  Pick a topic that is interesting. Some students may have trouble committing to a chosen topic because they might not like it, so do not expect a teacher or parent to give you a subject you like.

Also, avoid trying to do the research paper at the last minute. Procrastination usually produces poor results when trying to do something as important as senior research. This research paper is the most important assignment a student will receive because it is one of the determining factors of student graduation.