What’s On Their Minds? 12 Rising H.S. Seniors Sound Off
BERGEN invites a dozen Bergen students to share their thoughts on the college admission process, AI, school security and more.
It’s one of our favorite traditions. Every year, BERGEN brings together 12 rising high school seniors for a moderated discussion with Editor in Chief Rita Guarna. The students share their insight about college admissions, artificial intelligence (AI), school safety, social media and much more.
We compiled that discussion (with some editing for brevity) for the August issue of BERGEN.
In preparation for the forum, we sent each of the students an anonymous survey. Check out their answers here, and then read the whole forum in the August issue—you may find more insight than you expected.
What is your biggest concern as a high school student?
Five students answered, “Balancing academics with my social life.”
One student answered, “Studying for and doing well on SATs.”
Five students answered, “The college application process as a whole.”
One student answered, “Peer and/or parental pressure.”
Do you enjoy using social media?
Ten students answered, “Yes, and I use it often.”
Two students answered, “No, but I feel like I have to use it.”
Have you ever used AI for schoolwork?
Eleven students answered “Yes.” How have they used it? A few examples:
“I used AI to create study guides and practice problems for different classes. It helps me better prepare myself and better understand the material.”
“It is helpful for brainstorming ideas for projects or assignments, and also for studying for exams.”
“I often use AI to check my answers on physics and algebra assignments. If I get a question wrong, I walk through the AI-generated steps to see where I made a mistake.”
“I use it to create outlines for writing assignments, but not to actually write the assignment.”
“If I struggle to learn a lesson and I am unable to contact my teacher, I ask AI to teach me the subject in new and different ways.”
One student answered “No,” and elaborated: “I think it’s unethical, and that every student should do their own work.”
Would you describe your school as tolerant?
Ten students answered “Yes.”
One student answered “No.”
One student answered “Sometimes,” and elaborated:
“The school administration attempts to be accepting of everyone, and I see the effort they put into being inclusive. However, I believe that effort is overlooked by a portion of students. On a more positive note, my school does a good job in including everyone in events and fun activities such as spirit week.”
Find out what each student considers their dream job, then read the entire forum in the August issue of BERGEN!
