Monday

[midget patrol]

Another monday.

Another week of pointless highschool.

Another week of sleep deprivation.

Another week of friendships.

Another week of pointless highschool drama.

Another week of tests and quizzes designed to check how well I memorize.

Another opportunity.


Here we go again. *sigh*

 

[treehuggerhikerboy]

Maybe high school isn't that pointless.

There's actually a congressional candidate running here in Colorado that believes that the 2nd semester of your senior year is a waste. So he wants the boys, and boys only, to volunteer to help clear forests, patrol the Mexican border, etc....

I think some of his ideas are a bit brash, but if it is a waste of time, then maybe something needs to be done about it (like giving them more work to do!).

To avoid political fall out, I'll avoid revealing his party affiliation.

 

[darin3200]

I agree with midget_patrol. The way high school is set-up is very pointless. I still have teachers who give out fill-in-the-blank worksheets everday and give multiple choice tests and it's the same style of learning that I've been doing in elementary school.

Senior year of high school needs to be more about college prep and it should be a year of transition between the two.

 

[midget patrol]

I agree with midget_patrol. The way high school is set-up is very pointless. I still have teachers who give out fill-in-the-blank worksheets everday and give multiple choice tests and it's the same style of learning that I've been doing in elementary school.

Senior year of high school needs to be more about college prep and it should be a year of transition between the two.

On the right track, but not quite.

If you ask me, education, after 8th grade or so, shouldn't be about memorization. Somebody with "an education" isn't someone who has memorized and memorized and memorized; it's somebody who has learned how to think on their own. So through 8th grade you get a typical education: facts, a base for higher thought. After that, you're thinking. Teachers answer your questions with other questions.

I love being a transcendentalist.

I'm taking English, Government, Electronics 2, AP Calculus BC, AP Physics, and Digital Photography. DP is fun, but I'm not really learning. The only classes I'm learning any new material in are Physics and Calc. Even there, it's only formulas. Last year, I covered 9 semesters of electronics curriculum over 1.5 semesters of time and didn't even get the chance to test out of E2. Pointless? Yeah, maybe.


God, this is so frustrating... I could rant and rant and rant. Let me just end by saying that I'm in the process of applying for two patents, neither of which have anything to do with anything I'm doing in school.

 

[darin3200]

Yeah, that makes more sense. That's why the US is so bad in terms of education. People aren't challenged, it's just memorization.

Very cool about the patents. It seems that a lot of people who are 'good in school' never have that sucess translate to the real world, while there are plenty of very sucessful people who don't do amazingly in school.

 

[treehuggerhikerboy]

I think you're right, but maybe more of a balance between memorization and how to think on your own. Memorization is critical for a lot of basic duties (doctors/lawyers/chemists and just about any other profession out there), but eventually you're going to have to learn how to think on your own, definitely...it's critical for your own survival.

I teach, and have other friends that teach, college courses and we're always surprised by the lack of basic writing skills....for the most part, it's pathetic. Not just the your/you're mistakes, but very basic sentence/paragraph/research paper structure. I agree that the senior year (or at least the 2nd semester of senior year) should be dedicated for college prep, that's where I want my tax dollars to go.

This is probably a whole different can of worms, but as Americans, our general complacency coupled with the whole 'online learning' class and 'educational' colleges where you can basically buy your degree will have some nasty effects for us in the future.

Sorry for my lengthy diatribe...it's just an interesting subject nowadays.

 

[midget patrol]

Yeah, that makes more sense. That's why the US is so bad in terms of education. People aren't challenged, it's just memorization.

Very cool about the patents. It seems that a lot of people who are 'good in school' never have that sucess translate to the real world, while there are plenty of very sucessful people who don't do amazingly in school.

Thanks. I mean, my GPA is only 3.2 -- which is pretty pathetic considering that my ACT score is a 33. (99th percentile, for those of you who were wondering. YES, I'm excited about that.)

Treehugger: I see what you mean about general writing skills all around me. Instant messenger is making the problem worse. Would you ever guess from the way I write that I'm only 17?

There's also a certain level of creativity that has to get mixed in with straight academics if you want to be productive later in life.


No worries about the diatribe; that's what the board is for!

 

[treehuggerhikerboy]

Treehugger: I see what you mean about general writing skills all around me. Instant messenger is making the problem worse. Would you ever guess from the way I write that I'm only 17?

Anyone that can use a semi-colon with prowess has gotta have some smarts. Just don't fall into the holier than thou trap that a lot of smart folks have, it makes them look like an ass, 145 IQ or not. It's like money...the truly rich don't have to show off their money, it's the wannabe's that flaunt it.

 

[midget patrol]

Anyone that can use a semi-colon with prowess has gotta have some smarts. Just don't fall into the holier than thou trap that a lot of smart folks have, it makes them look like an ass, 145 IQ or not. It's like money...the truly rich don't have to show off their money, it's the wannabe's that flaunt it.

Point taken. I know I can come off as a pompous ass sometimes. Mostly in jest, but my sense of humor is wierd as well so many people don't pick up on that and i just seem like a pompous ass.

Totally off the subject, Treehugger, I'm looking at CU Boulder as my top choice college.

 

[treehuggerhikerboy]

No worries...I was just making a general point. I used to be smart.

CU Boulder is a good school for the most part....Boulder itself is really vibrant, beautiful, and odd place filled with very intelligent people as well as N.a.z.i environmentalists ('don't step on the grass, you're killing it!!!!!!!') and wannabe homeless people (some are trust-funders).

Wow, now with all this posting in one thread, I feel like Corry and one of her cyber flirt friends.

 

[mortallis288]

high school is pretty pointless this year and im a senior, i mean i have 8 classes that all i do is sit there and wonder why am i even coming to school. my hardest class is calc and my funnest is photography but besides that its just kinda like . . .