Since my sophomore year at Pattonville High School, no program seems to receive as much criticism as Pirate Connections. Though providing students with information on applying for jobs and censoring their Twitter posts is helpful in theory, the actual practice appears to be anything but impactful. It’s not uncommon to find students sleeping, texting or doing other schoolwork during Pirate Connection lectures because, quite frankly, not every student cares.

This apathy is due to lesson plans in Pirate Connections courses that are not always applicable to each student. This is not to say that some students are “smarter” than others, but that no two students will travel the exact same path after high school. Some will go into the military, others will go to a two- or four-year college, and still more will go straight into the workforce. As a result of this diversity, lessons during Pirate Connections commonly end up including some students while excluding others, leaving many to openly denounce the course as a waste of time.

For this reason, something must be done if the district still hopes to provide career guidance for its students. Perhaps the easiest way to do this would be to categorize Pirate Connections classes by career path, like classes geared toward students going into the military. This categorization would then allow students to learn the most valuable material for their futures while eliminating the less relevant information.

The constant complaining and 30-minute naptimes associated with Pirate Connections does not have to be permanent. By instructing students in the most practical ways, rather than one universal method, Pirate Connections will finally succeed in preparing Pattonville students for their careers.