A group of advanced science students is trying to help their younger peers decide which science class is right for them.
From Feb. 24-26, sophomores and juniors had the opportunity to shadow AT science classes during lab periods to get a feel for what each class offers. The program, hosted by RU Science, is an expansion of last year’s AT Science Shadow Day and was meant to help students decide which of U-High’s science courses is right for them.
According to RU Science co-president Zoe Cobb, who participated in AT Science Shadow Day as a sophomore last year, the program can help students find the clear differences between classes amid a sea of options.
“It was really helpful for me in deciding to take AT Chemistry versus AT Bio, and kind of just determining what was best for me to learn,” Zoe said. “So I think it’s a great opportunity for anyone who’s a little bit more on the fence about what they might want to take next year. Instead of asking someone and getting, like, 80 different opinions, it’s very easy to just kind of go to a source that gives you a lot of candid responses.”
In addition to the opportunity to shadow classes, this year’s AT Science Shadow Week included two panels. On Feb. 20, juniors and seniors helped answer questions about AT science classes, and on Feb. 27, a panel of sophomores explained the differences between Chemistry and Accelerated Chemistry.
Zoe said, “We just thought it’d be a great opportunity to kind of open up to the broader community and let people just kind of free range, ask questions and we can give very unfiltered responses as well.”
Shadowing labs for AT Biology and Accelerated AT Chemistry helped sophomore Tala Ardati with her decision to focus on her interest in biology. According to Tala, while seeing different teaching styles firsthand and talking to teachers helped, getting to hear the different opinions of students taking each class was the most impactful.
“It was really great, because I got to work with and talk to my friends who were in these classes,” Tala said. “I also went to the panel that RU Science did for the AT classes and that was really helpful for the content. I could ask my questions and get responses from tons of people who are actually taking it instead of just asking the teacher what it’s about.”
