Since 1919, De Soto High School has seen many students graduate and become successful college students. Recently, DHS has helped students aim for success by implementing a program called Individual Plans of Study, or IPS, using a website called Xello.

IPS is designed to help students search and prepare for career options and colleges. However, despite the well-intentioned lessons, IPS has elicited some negative responses from some students. Junior Adam Kellogg is one student who has expressed dislike for IPS.

“I think there are more cons to it [IPS] because I’ve already done all of it, and it takes time away from what I’m actually trying to get done [in Seminar],” Kellogg said. “I think it’s taking the place of more important things, such as getting kids to join NHS, or other things that will actually get them into college.”

Some students are conflicted about the program, such as freshman Anna D’Andrea, who feels that there are positive and negative aspects to it.

“I had a few options that I was looking into for college, and it [IPS] helped me narrow down the things that I would be interested in pursuing,” D’Andrea said. 

However, D’Andrea also feels that IPS could be done a little later in one’s high school career.

“It’s kind of showing options that I wouldn’t have looked into previously,” D’Andrea said. “Some of it feels kind of repetitive and other parts seem kind of premature.”

Other students, like senior Abby Martin, thoroughly enjoy IPS and even have ideas to improve it. The lessons for seniors have been geared towards choosing colleges and financial preparation.

“It [financial preparation] was good advice. It seemed like the lessons urged students to apply to scholarships more than anything,” Martin said. 

Martin also thinks that having parents involved in IPS would be a good idea.

“I think parents should be more involved in IPS overall because I feel like many students don’t relay the information they learn to their parents,” Martin said. 

De Soto High School’s use of the Xello IPS program is aiming to help students become more successful in their futures, and hopes to be doing exactly that in the lives of future college students.