Another aspect of CHARGEnorth that I feel like helped me for the real world was 100% public speaking. AP Seminar and AP Research were vital to me in getting a good grade for my freshman year odyssey class, and because of AP Seminar/Research and the public speaking I did in general for SPARK, I was able to rank 3rd in my presentation abilities for this class. 

What have you gained or learned from being a CHARGE student?

I think the business or professional events we did were actually really helpful. Talking to your professors can be casual but a lot of the times, first impressions really do matter and having that professional or business tone to yourself is extremely important. It shows respect and that you are being serious about college. I used to think all of those business or professional events we would do were unnecessary (sorry Ms. Davis, I love you) but they were crucial in me being able to professionally conduct myself in front of my peers and professors. It was through these events that helped me make great first impressions with all of my professors to a point where I'm building relationships and casually conversing with professors from big lecture hall classes. 

If you could describe your CHARGE experience in 3 words what would it be and why?

Realistic- I say realistic because CHARGEnorth teachers are real with you about your assignments and the exams, especially with the fact that if you don't put in the effort, you won't get the results you want. It is an accurate representation of what college rigor is like.

Beneficial- I say beneficial because it truly helped me have an upper edge on so many students here whether that's professionally, academically, or socially.

Encouraging- I think CHARGEnorth really helped me understand that I can achieve and do the things I want to accomplish in my life. The teachers in charge showed me that if I do put my mind to it and put in the effort, nothing is impossible as cliche as it is. If it weren't for CHARGEnorth and especially the CHARGEnorth teachers, I think that I would not be as confident in my abilities as I am today.

Are there similarities between college and CHARGEnorth that you didn’t expect?

I did not expect college to be as similar to CHARGE in terms of the class difficulty levels. I think that, at least in UGA, the classes are very similar in terms of difficulty with AP courses. I am not taking really difficult courses this semester fortunately, so I think that may change, but for now, compared to my peers, I have been more easily able to integrate into college life and conduct myself in college course fairly easily.

What advice would you give upcoming CHARGE freshmen?

Honestly, embrace change. Change isn't necessarily a bad thing and high school can be daunting, but it's truly a matter of perspective that can change you and your high school life tremendously.

What advice do you have for any seniors about to head to college?

Definitely, definitely, definitely use rate my professor. I know there's a lot of discourse about it, but I highly recommend it. The difference in professors can drastically change your grade/gpa, like my philosophy professor currently is amazing and they are willing to give us multiple extra credit opportunities after I was so worried about my grade in the class; my sociology professor was telling us that if we're going to go to a concert then we can get an excused absence and to just let her know who's concert we're going to, which I thought was pretty funny. 

Also know that an A- in certain classes means a 3.7 GPA (at least at UGA) so keep that in mind when you sign up for classes and look at the syllabus!!!!!!

Also if you are going to UGA and need any help with the bus system (which I thought was the most confusing), or for which classes to sign up for (or not sign up for), or just genuine advice, please feel free to contact me!!

Anything else you would like to say?

As someone who defined their entire existence on college acceptances and getting into an ivy league, it really isn't that big of a deal. I was so hurt and upset about the fact that I couldn't get into an ivy league/highly prestigious private school, but I genuinely love UGA from the bottom of my heart. UGA has taught me community, acceptance, and the fact that the name of your school doesn't define who you are. So be proud of yourself no matter what and don't let anyone put you down, be who you are.