High School

Getting Past the Fear of DBAs

By on March 19th, 2015

This article is based on student work published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.

DBAIf discussion-based assessments make you nervous, these tips from FLVS students may help!

DBAs are verbal assessments and are often the most dreaded assignments for FLVS students. Instead of comfortably typing essays and worksheets on their laptops, students communicate with an instructor one-on-one over the phone.

But why is this so terrifying? Surely the verbal component of the DBA is not intimidating, especially when the assignments are approached by the instructor as a conversation instead of an oral exam.

TIP: Did you know that DBAs can be completed in a live lesson setting or over a video call? Ask your teacher about this option! Learn more in this post about mastering the DBA.

However, if you compare talking on the phone for twenty minutes to being the only student called on to answer random questions for 20 minutes in a classroom, you can see why students are reluctant to dial their instructors’ numbers. Continue reading


It’s Summer! Go on a College Field Trip

By on June 20th, 2014

college field trip coverIf you’re a high school student, you probably have a list of activities to do over the summer: hang out with friends, watch movies, or go to the beach. Here’s another suggestion – go check out a college campus! This can be a lot of fun with no strings attached. Your family and friends will probably be excited for the trip suggestion! Even if the college that may be close to your home is not your #1 choice, walking around the campus can give you a sense of what you are and aren’t looking for in a college.

While checking out a college campus, you can also get a feel for its town or city by scoping out the college’s surrounding areas. Perhaps you like two different colleges, but like the location of one over the other. You may notice you would rather live on campus then off campus or that you like a large city over a small town.  Continue reading


Career Development through Childhood and Adolescence

By on May 30th, 2014

careers blog cover

When you ask a young child what he or she wants to be when he or she grows up, we often find the answers are similar: a doctor, teacher, firefighter, or athlete. As children grow older, they begin to expand their knowledge of careers and start exploring what may be the perfect fit for them in the future.

All counselors who work with children have a unique opportunity to help foster, support, and grow the knowledge of the young clients they work with.

While most elementary and middle schools may host a yearly career fair, there are many ways to go beyond the career fair to keep career development at the front of our young clients’ minds! Continue reading