Tips for New (and Current) Ag Students

Agri-Science is one of the best parts of Ledyard High School. The teachers are welcoming, the classes are great, and the opportunities are endless. Despite how great Ag is, it can be confusing at times. Here are my tips (as an Ag senior) for incoming (and current) Ag students.

Get to know the teachers. One of the best things I did during my time in Ag was getting to know my teachers and being on good terms with them. My Ag teachers have been a tremendous help during my time at LHS and have helped me with college and future planning. It’s also extremely helpful to have a teacher that you can trust and go to with your problems and questions.
Explore! Each Ag pathway has great resources and opportunities, but not every student knows what pathway they want. Your first year, plus the first semester of your second year, will be exploratory and you can get a taste of what each pathway has to offer.
Do morning crew, if you’re able to. Every teacher in Ag needs help in the morning before school starts and this is where “Morning Crew” comes in. Morning Crew consists of a group of students who have daily chores assigned to them in each classroom. Morning Crew can also help when it comes to exploring your interests. If you’re unsure of what pathway you want, you can always try out helping in the labs and classrooms. Morning Crew is what helped me decide on Animal Science as my pathway.
Go to activity period. Every month, during the first advisory of the month, we have activity period, where students can go to different classrooms and clubs. Ag always hosts a fun activity that typically helps you meet new people. It also allows you to meet the officers.
Interact with the officers. It’s their job to make Ag a wonderful experience and keep it running smoothly. Don’t be afraid to tell them your opinions, they’ll always keep it in mind.
Get involved. Go to Ag events, attend field trips, and most importantly, go to the meetings! Important things are discussed at the meetings and you get to participate in an activity that allows you to meet new people. Ag events and field trips also allow you to meet new people, but they can also help you get your FFA degrees and often can get your SAE grade up.
Do SAE! SAE is such an important piece of your Ag grade. Not only that, but it gives you a chance to explore your Ag-related interests outside of school. You’ll get the chance to exhibit your SAE, too.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Especially when it comes to SAE. Your SAE advisor and your teachers are here to help you. They can give you advice and open the doors to excellent opportunities. Once you reach the point where you’re thinking about colleges and careers, your teachers can help you with that, too.
Don’t spray perfume in any room. This seems like an odd tip, but many, if not all of the teachers will ask you not to. It can be extremely harmful to our animals. And if there aren’t animals, some teachers just don’t like the smell of perfume. It can be super overwhelming. Overall, respect the teacher’s rules. Even if it doesn’t make sense, because it does to them.
Don’t touch animals without the teacher’s permission; this includes the turtles. A lot of teachers have rules about touching and handling the animals, and it’s best to ask before you do it.