Expectations vs Reality Final

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CAPE: EXPECTATIONS VS REALITY

by Haila Forde

My name is Haila Forde. I am a 16-year-old who currently
attends The St. Maarten Academy’s CAPE Division and I’m
in my first year. Being a CAPE student comes with loads of
responsibility and let’s not forget pressure; pressure to set an
example for the high school students; pressure to do what’s right
even when no one is watching. As a CAPE student, my schedule has
become busy and I now have to learn to balance extra-curricular
activities with courses and assignments. Nonetheless, this doesn’t
stop me from achieving my ultimate goal.

Before I entered CAPE, I didn’t have high or as much
expectations that a student who is entering a university for the first
time should have. I thought of CAPE the same way I thought high
school was going to be, challenging with strict teachers. And it was;
except, they were also compassionate and understanding. A week

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before school started, an orientation meeting was held for all the
first year students and two points stuck with me.

The first: that CAPE is challenging. Being a science student
who is obtaining an Associate’s Degree in Natural Science is not an
easy task. As a science student, it is required of us to complete a
certain amount of labs, for each science subject, at a certain time.
I chose to do all three of my science subjects, so you do the Math.

However, trying to complete labs while having a load of
assignments and having to study is a lot for someone to manage.
This is where your skills as being someone who can manage their
time wisely and prioritize gets tested. A constant reminder of what
I want to achieve at the end of my studies here at CAPE is what
gives me the motivation to keep me going. Also, my family, friends
and teachers play a huge role as they are the ones who continue to
support, motivate and guide me.

The second point that stuck with me was that as a CAPE
student, we do far fewer subjects in high school. This allows us to
have more free periods. The free periods were beneficial because
they allowed the teachers to use that time to get more work done.

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Additionally, these periods can be used to complete labs and
seek further assistance that we need concerning tests and
assignments.

Being a part of CAPE prepares you for the real world. It
prepares you for college and the work force. It teaches you
discipline, structure and time management skills. CAPE is
manageable but only if you stay up to task with your work and do
not procrastinate.

My advice to you is: Don’t give up! I’m enjoying this phase of my
educational journey. If I can do it, you can do it, too. As young
people, we have the opportunity to break barriers and surpass the
norm which is that society expects us to fail. But I believe that we
can prove them wrong. After all, we are the future.