The Last Month Of GLP - How Does It Feel?

The Last Month of GLP – How Does It Feel?

By Cathryn Kim

             We are busy as we have always been. “Occupied” is what exactly epitomizes the GLP students: we are occupied with homework, SATs and APs, performance assessments, and play. And the busy year is coming to an end–with only one month of GLP left. For the freshmen, the end of the year is an omen of an approaching opening of the Hell Gate; the sophomores get to catch a few breaths from what is perhaps the busiest year of their lives, and yet they are surprised by how fast time has flown for them. Now, personally and from up close, I want to ponder how the year has been for me and how I feel about the last month of GLP.

             As we students first entered GLP, we were granted the freedom and privilege to make acquaintances with students in other departments–and they turn out to be even more awesome than we thought. Awesome. Some relationships with friends were fortuitous, some weren’t that bad. There had been mild scandals between boys and girls, even during the few hours we spend confined in the “sleep chamber”. Gossips, those that I know and cannot mention, have been going around a lot, too. At the end of the year, as we would feel in almost anything else, we feel grateful for all relationships we’ve encountered and formed.  Among the realms of GLP, nothing seems wrong, every relationship seems safe. But outside, I’d have to admit, it is very hard to keep relationships intimate with the domestic department kids. Although this being something all seniors have experienced, it comes to us, we freshmen, rather, as a surprise. Experiencing the unspoken boundary of the domestic department students and GLP students, I personally felt a sense of apologetic and lingering regret. I also felt an unperceivable tension between the two groups, either side too sensitive or prudent to speak of which course is more onerous. This type of thought could almost be called perfunctory since it has been there for the entire history of the GLP program, but the pain remains fresh every year as more GLP students come in to fill the classrooms in the afternoon.

             This year, the GLP curriculum also underwent a lot of radical changes – as we have felt. Maybe we are a little overexaggerating, but the freshmen felt insecure and frightened by the various changes that happened or were to happen. There was talk; there were even some that resigned from GLP. A beloved teacher left us, and it was hard for all of us to get back on track. But above all that, we learned a lot of valuable things, and we ourselves noticed the tremendous development we went through–development that cannot be seen or heard, of course. For me, I know that my vocabulary and reading speed has definitely gotten better. There remains only one huge, major problem: I don’t think we necessarily have to learn the domestic department curricula. I think students are just merely coping with the, I dare say, ineffective system that I think students only use for the sake of GPAs. Now that there were changes in the student acceptance system, I wish the curriculum had also altered accordingly.

             One thing that keeps me in GLP despite all the hard work is the teachers. They are very caring, and care about the students to an extent I’ve never seen other teachers do. They are cheery, and their classes take form in a creative environment like that I have experienced in my few years of living in America. They are the best at taking the students’ honest and sincere opinions about their teaching, and are very understanding about each and every student’s situation. I feel ashamed that some teachers we’ve had during the freshmen year will not continue to teach us during the second year as well; however, I do hope that many more acquaintances with even more fascinating teachers await us.

             I bet many students feel both regretful and. It is how people feel every year, looking back at the busy days that have flown by, but for a year spent in GLP, it is more special. It is how soldiers feel when they are more equipped for the coming war. Or perhaps, it is more like starving, aching soldiers who have received aid after a considerable length of time. The time, however, was definitely not a waste; we had many companions, supportive teachers and an intense but engaging curriculum. Henceforth we are able to advance and proceed with assurance; we GLPians are now ready to raise our limits to the infinitude.