Real Talk: An Introduction

 

 

High school is a trying time—that much is obvious for anyone who has been through it. However, the reasons for such difficulty can differ from environment to environment, and the set of challenges that students face can be uniquely tough for outsiders to understand.

Real Talk is a series of student-parent forums that bring in current and former high school students who are more than happy to reflect on and share the wisdom that they’ve gleaned over the years, and who are dedicated to making the problems more understandable and soluble for the parents and students alike. In fact, one of the main goals is to bridge a gap between student experiences and parental perceptions, and to hopefully inspire and guide families to work even more effectively together as children navigate their way into young adulthood. 

Real Talk, initiated in 2017 by UD High School graduates Peter Hu and Michael Deng and Drs. Cynthia Song and Ling Liang, has been supported by UDCA and UDSD Excellence and Equity / Asian American Students and Families Committee in the past years. Although the participants of the forums are primarily Asian Americans in the greater Upper Dublin community, the lessons we arrive can apply to people of all walks of life, and are especially useful for those who face high stakes, high expectations, and a densely competitive college scene.

Past talks have extensively discussed the following ideas:

  • The potential problems with chasing after a strong academic transcript and top-level college

  • The benefits of refocusing onto a more self-mindful approach to achievement

  • Core soft skills that are a worthy investment (and how a perfect SAT score is not one of them)

  • The necessity of thinking of failure not as a mark against one’s personal record, but as room to grow

  • Though passions shouldn’t be over-prioritized (as nothing should be), neither are they to be eternally suppressed; they may lead to the development of useful skills later, and provide an excellent way to recharge

  • The importance of being adequately vocal in American society about one’s own ideas and achievements

Past Forums

Anyone who wishes to add his or her own voice to the panel is welcome to join! Real Talk runs roughly twice a year, during summer and winter breaks. To contribute to future talks, please contact Dr. Liang via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. OR any other core members on the Forum Committee at any time. 
 

High school is a trying time—that much is obvious for anyone who has been through it. However, the reasons for such difficulty can differ from environment to environment, and the set of challenges that students face can be uniquely tough for outsiders to understand.

Real Talk is a series of student-parent forums that bring in current and former high school students who are more than happy to reflect on and share the wisdom that they’ve gleaned over the years, and who are dedicated to making the problems more understandable and soluble for the parents and students alike. In fact, one of the main goals is to bridge a gap between student experiences and parental perceptions, and to hopefully inspire and guide families to work even more effectively together as children navigate their way into young adulthood. 

Real Talk, initiated in 2017 by UD High School graduates Peter Hu and Michael Deng, and Drs. Cynthia Song and Ling Liang, has been supported by UDCA and UDSD Excellence and Equity / Asian American Students and Families Committee in the past years. Although the participants of the forums are primarily Asian Americans in the greater Upper Dublin community, the lessons we arrive can apply to people of all walks of life, and are especially useful for those who face high stakes, high expectations, and a densely competitive college scene.

Past talks have extensively discussed the following ideas:

  • The potential problems with chasing after a strong academic transcript and top-level college
  • The benefits of refocusing onto a more self-mindful approach to achievement
  • Core soft skills that are a worthy investment (and how a perfect SAT score is not one of them)
  • The necessity of thinking of failure not as a mark against one’s personal record, but as room to grow
  • Though passions shouldn’t be over-prioritized (as nothing should be), neither are they to be eternally suppressed; they may lead to the development of useful skills later, and provide an excellent way to recharge
  • The importance of being adequately vocal in American society about one’s own ideas and achievements

 

Past Forums

 

Anyone who wishes to add his or her own voice to the panel is welcome to join! Real Talk runs roughly twice a year, during summer and winter breaks. To contribute to future talks, please contact Dr. Liang via This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. OR any other core members on the Forum Committee at any time.

 

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