College preparatory school. It is the reputation that precedes St. Paul Academy and Summit School students when they enter this institution. What we will do will in our four years here defines what we will do in our coming years at college.

We learn how to analytically read texts, write four page papers in one night, manage our time with problem sets, and deal with the stress that comes with all of it. We are nothing short of ready for the what workload college will bring.

But are we really prepared for all aspects of college and beyond? Do we have what it takes to succeed in a world filled with more than books and paper?

You probably know how to solve a quadratic equation or write a thesis statement. You may have spent a few years learning conversational Spanish, French, German or Mandarin. But what else?

We are unquestionably thankful for having had the opportunity to expand both our intellectual and moral horizons. We pride ourselves on being able to succeed in the upper echelons of professions as widely-varying as business, law, medicine, engineering and countless others. But what skills are we destined to apply before our legal internships and medical residencies? Do we know them? As many students learned at the senior retreat, we often lack the ability to mend torn clothing or budget our time and money in a “real-world” setting.

The Senior Project is one excellent way of giving students a chance to gain some experience in a world beyond school. But why do we need to wait until the last month before students graduate to give them this experience? We could immerse this “real-world” mind set throughout our four years here.

With a new schedule to come, SPA has the opportunity to add classes that will go beyond academic fulfillment. We are at the threshold of institutional advancement; we must take advantage of this and add classes that will prepare us for the non-academic aspects of life.

With an 8:45 late start on Wednesdays but plenty of students still arriving at 8:00, SPA has a perfect opportunity to add in classes that will challenge students to think beyond what school expects of them. In a world so dominated by technology, a computer science class could go a long way in giving students the chance to try their hand at web design or basic coding. Or we could take this time and give students a chance to try their hand at cooking or give them an opportunity to explore different aspects of community service.

SPA has done well to prepare students for what lies beyond, but there’s always room for improvement. Learning more of these often mundane but undoubtedly important skills would improve our educations even further.