VentralVex

  Image Source:  The Harvard Crimson (The acceptance rates only decline from 2021 onwards, by the way.)  Undergraduate admissions in the United States has grown increasingly complex and competitive in the last decade. This one process encompasses a multibillion dollar college consulting industry, significantly influences the future of society, and governs the lives of millions of high school children. I don’t intend to discuss the college admissions process in its entirety, but I do have some advice to share with children apprehensive about the whole ordeal (as they should be).  Having finished submitting all of my college applications in my senior year, I’ve reflected on these last four years of my life. I’ve experienced triumph, tribulation, happiness, sadness, exasperation, disillusionment, enlightenment, and a bevy of other ineffable emotions. Even if I’m not accepted to all of my reach schools, I’m proud of how I’ve spent the last four years of my life. I made p...

I’ve enjoyed reading textbooks for a while now. I first picked up the infamous Campbell Biology in the beginning of 10th grade after being encouraged by a friend to participate in USABO (to his disappointment, I forgot to take the exam despite registering). I had read nonfiction books suitable for the layperson, skimmed news articles, analyzed op-eds, and watched educational YouTube videos, but textbooks and academic publications were new to me. Admittedly, it was difficult to conceptualize Campbell Biology’s many complex concepts as I was unfamiliar with the style and rigor of academic writing. However, by persevering through half of the textbook (I couldn’t bring myself to finish it), I developed a proficiency in comprehending academic material that has continued to reward me. Unlike lay scientific material, academic material is intended for rigorous study. This rigor can only be appreciated as one endeavors to apply concepts delineated within academic material. Consider the way plan...

GTO, or Great Teacher Onizuka, is one of the greatest manga ever created. It follows ex-delinquent Eikichi Onizuka as he teaches a class of misfits in a series of farcical escapades. At least, that’s what GTO first appears to be on the surface. On a deeper level, it’s a compelling tale of a teacher willing to sacrifice anything for his students to save them from the horrors of society. My Experience With the Education System As anyone who knows me remotely well can observe, I loathe the American education system. My passion for the subject has even convinced me to write a book about how to reform it. I will, no joke, burst into lengthy rants about how much I hate school whenever the thought appears. Although there are countless flaws in the education system, the issues I feel most vehemently about stem from my personal experiences. After passing an admissions exam, I entered a private preschool for gifted children. During the lessons, I couldn’t pay attention to the teacher’s explanati...

  This article is a tentative preview of a book I'm beginning to work on. I am attempting to criticize the American education system and devise solutions for its shortcomings that are actionable at a pedagogical and institutional level. Teachers are the primary audience of this book and most of my advice is meant for them, which begs the question: what makes a good teacher?  There are so many qualities that people agree to make a good teacher, but no formula to simplify such a complex job–there likely never will be. Nonetheless, attempting to answer this question reveals many invaluable insights.  Why A Good Teacher Matters Before attempting to answer the question, we need to understand why a good teacher matters in the first place. Financially, one teacher has the potential to completely shift a student’s academic trajectory, preparing them for a lifetime of financial success. One Stanford article predicts a teacher’s financial impact by modeling the distribution of tea...

The point of assignments in education is to provide students with tasks that assess and bolster their understanding of the material. Unlike instruction, which relays content to students, assignments deepen students’ knowledge of instructional content.  Here are the three key criteria that all assignments should follow: Relevance : This criterion is obvious. There is no reason to assign work that does not teach students pertinent information. Why would you ask students to color a diagram of a cell in Biology class when you can ask them to practice labeling that same diagram? Exactly. You don’t. Conciseness : Superfluously cumbersome or tedious assignments waste both students’ and teachers’ time. Keep things only as long as they need to be without compromising learning quality. Maybe students don’t need to research a presentation about when an assigned reading would sufficient.  Effectiveness : More specifically, effective assignments allow students to develop a deep understandi...