Reply to Workload at Richard Montgomery IB magnet program

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]what do you mean by missing out on the high school experience? Would a student have enough time for an extracurricular activity (sports, theater, orchestra, whatever) if they are in the program?[/quote]

Yes, I was wondering what this means too.  I'm not too worried about my kid missing out on the "social scene" of high school, if that means parties and hanging out.  I do, however, want my kid to have friends, and to be able to do things like sports or other fun interests.  I am also concerned about stress, lack of sleep, and health issues.  How did the PPs who graduated from the program feel about the stress, lack of sleep, etc?  Were you "hating life" in high school because of the pressure of the program?[/quote]

I think these kids become adept in making time for fun. If an exam finishes early, they go and have lunch in a restaurant before heading home. Birthdays and stuff get celebrated but the invites go out weeks in advance - because people are super busy with studies or with EC activities. My DD went to all the homecoming dances and her senior prom and it was planned months in advance.    However, they do not have time to hang out every day. It becomes more like the social scene of a full time working adult who is a single parent of 3 kids under five years.  Things need to be planned wayyyy in advance, and academic work has to be finished in advance to make leisure activity with friends happen.   This is not how typical HS kids roll.

The usual hs drama of having cliques is not there because no one really have the time to waste. Magnet kids tend to get along with everyone in the program.   My DD friends were supportive and really a good bunch of kids. I also liked all the parents because they were there to offer rides etc when needed.  I do not think these kids are "hating life" in HS. I think the closest analogy I would use that if HS was like joining the NAVY, the magnet programs are like being recruited into the highly specialized Navy Seals.  It is different and more gruelling training. However, just like the Seals, these kids have been chosen because they can handle the rigor. There is a sense of camaraderie between these kids because they all are in the same boat. It is also a super smart and sharp set of kids. Their academic and EC achievements are mind boggling.

Sleep deprivation and stress can be a real issue. So, parents need to make sure that they are being somewhat of a sleep nazi and making sure that the lights are out at a reasonable time (maybe midnight or 1 am). Make sure that they catch up on sleep during weekends. Stress is usually a result of not steller time management and parental pressure. The workload is what it is (brutal), but if parents are hoping for straight As all the time - that's not gonna happen.

As parents we did small things for my child that could make life somewhat easier for her. We drove her to school each day so could catch some extra zzzs. Her siblings took over chores that she used to do previously...stuff like that. [/quote]

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