JC is a prestigious college preparatory high school rewarded in numerous areas of excellence, but people still aren’t happy.

Prom has come and gone, summer is just a few days away, and students can’t wait to get out of school. But people need to slow down and look at what we had. After all of the complaining and whining over these past four years, it’s time to get a reality check. JC is a fantastic school.

JC labels itself as a college preparatory school, which means that they try to prepare students for college. Like it or not, those several hundred dollar computers we lug around are similar to the ones we will be using in college.

Although many think that it’s just a piece of crap, they were bought four years ago. In general, a laptop remains up to date for two years and then dies off around the fourth year. This doesn’t include the students who literally throw their uncovered laptops two feet across the cafeteria table and overcharge their battery every night.

Some also complain about teachers forcing students to use their computers, but how do they expect to take notes in a lecture hall in college? Professors move faster than ever since every student in college has a laptop, and they aren’t going to slow down for someone to write their notes. Keep up with the times.

Another common misconception is that JC doesn’t do that good of a job getting kids into college. However, according to Guidance secretary Rita Malone, on average 88 percent of students go to a four-year college, and normally 100 percent of students go to some form of post-high school education. In fact, last year’s class received a record breaking $16,702,000 in scholarships.

Still, some people lament that the education that they’re getting isn’t worth the tuition. New and exciting classes for the students require money. JC has six superb foreign language classes, among the many other interesting classes that are constantly being added. Without money, JC students wouldn’t be able to benefit from the fantastic electives, sciences, foreign languages and more.

Additionally, the school is very familiar with honors and AP courses, giving students that extra selling point to colleges.  Not to mention that all courses are challenging and encouraging to all students, too. With small classes, the teachers are able to focus on all of the students and build a relationship. In public schools, this case often isn’t the case.

But aside from the fancy courses and progressive extracurricular props, JC has small details that really make the school what it is. It seems that the general student body has forgotten how lucky it is to have a mod system in place. Students have time to eat, socialize, and study during the middle of the school day.

Public schools in Harford County have four 90-minute classes in a day and only a 30-minute lunch break every single day.  JC also frequently has off of school for holidays or other reasons when public schools are stuck in school.

It’s about time for people to take a step back and appreciate JC before they walk across that stage. I love John Carroll, and I hope that people come to realize it’s a wonderful place to be.

Ryan Selvy can be reached for comment at [email protected]