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Education is hindering my education | ||
Tags: School Education | College/University | ||
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 Language Learning Forum : General discussion |  | |
| Jinx Triglot Senior Member Germany reverbnation.co Joined 5694 days ago 1085 posts - 1879 votes  Speaks: English*, German, French Studies: Catalan, Dutch, Esperanto, Croatian, Serbian, Norwegian, Mandarin, Italian, Spanish, Yiddish | Message 25 of 70 14 May 2011 at 7:49pm | IP Logged | ||
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Akao, I just want to say that I completely know how you feel. Don't pay any attention to the people saying "high school is fun, stop working so hard and enjoy yourself" – that's just silly. The simple fact is that people are different. The vast majority of people are perfectly happy to gossip about relationship drama, play video games, and study the minimum possible. However, there's a frustrated minority that really wants to get things DONE in life and can't stand the mindless drivel that surrounds them. I'm part of this minority too, so I understand your situation.
Unfortunately, I have some bad news for you: most kids at college are just like the kids in high school. Many of them are out from under the watchful eye of their parents for the first time, so they're basically acting like complete giddy idiots due to this new freedom. I'm a senior and about to graduate from college, but I live in a dorm with a bunch of freshman. Their activities this year have consisted of the following: screaming in high-pitched voices at all hours of the day and night, playing dubstep music at deafening volumes until at least 3 a.m., getting drunk off their asses EVERY night, yelling about their cocaine right outside my door, destroying the dorm to the best of their ability, "hooking up" and getting pregnant and getting abortions, puking in the sink and leaving it for the cleaning lady to deal with, etc. And I'm at a school which is considered an "elite private liberal arts college." It's not very encouraging. Because of this factor – the constant-immaturity-of-most-people-factor – I think it's a fantastic idea of yours to work through high school and college simultaneously. I haven't done graduate-level or postgrad-level work yet, but people tell me that the students in such programs are often more interested in actually accomplishing some things in their lives (although the previously mentioned example of a Masters-program graduate who spent most of his time drinking and partying shows that there are always exceptions). So I think you'll really enjoy graduate school. Just do all your academic work to the best of your ability (who cares about being labeled a nerd – when you've got a full scholarship due to your impeccable grades they won't be laughing any more), and use your free time for your own studies or for hanging out with your more mature and interesting friends (I have always felt more comfortable with people over 40 – as the majority of my real friends are – so you're not alone!). Best of luck to you! Just remember, there are more of us out there. 12 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Thantophobia Groupie United States Joined 5163 days ago 49 posts - 66 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Japanese | Message 27 of 70 15 May 2011 at 4:29am | IP Logged | ||
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It's one of the reasons I wanted to learn a new language. We don't do much learning in
Spanish class. School makes me die inside. I can't take it. It limits people, even ruins their lives. The stuff I'm learning now, I can't help but think that I could have easily done this at a much faster pace in third grade. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| tracker465 Senior Member United States Joined 5353 days ago 355 posts - 496 votes Speaks: English* Studies: German, Spanish, Dutch | Message 28 of 70 15 May 2011 at 7:36am | IP Logged | ||
Unfortunately, most of the classmates of the friend I had mentioned previously acted in a similar manner... Let me just say that the situation with the American educational system is extremely screwed up, even at the university level. Hard work does and maturity is not always rewarded (I had written work at a graduate level during my undergraduate studies, according to several of my professors yet cannot find the proper funding to afford graduate school) and then there are others who literally do nothing but get rewarded greatly. I may personally be a bit jaded, but rightfully so. The sad truth though is that many American students are lazy and immature, and are just working for the grades as opposed to knowledge itself. These days one almost has to go to the university to get a decent job, the standard is being lowered, and the value of a bachelor’s degree is decreasing. Many students would rather take an “easy” class to get an A than take a difficult class, learn more, and get an A or perhaps a worse grade. I do remember, however, my last semester at the undergraduate level. I took a psychoanalytic seminar course for my English major. Often, the students would share their papers with the rest of the class and many of the papers were just appalling, despite the fact that this was the final class for most of the students. It is unfortunate, but many people would rather party and hookup than get their work done first, especially if they aren’t paying for the education. Okay that is my rant for the night, now on to writing my language book. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| Cavesa Triglot Senior Member Czech Republic Joined 5010 days ago 3277 posts - 6779 votes Speaks: Czech*, FrenchC2, EnglishC1 Studies: Spanish, German, Italian | Message 29 of 70 15 May 2011 at 4:21pm | IP Logged | ||
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This is not about american education system only. Most systems are wrong in some ways (I could speak for hours about bugs of the czech one) but it is true that the american schools are said to be much less requiring than the european ones in general. All of my friends who went there for a year of half a year said they had been among the best students in a class of people of their age without any work and usually without learning anything new about the subjects (not taking away the value of English immersion and the experience of living abroad of course).
However, the majority of teenagers is the same quite everywhere and as Jinx pointed out, many don't grow up (I remember a group of students from my faculty shouting vulgarisms out loud in a crowded bus and considering it a great fun. 20-year-old people). Most schools have no idea what to do with the more talented students, it always depends on the teacher. Many teachers take talented students as more work. Some take them as unnecessary complications and even enemies. But there are as well great teachers who have no trouble with giving different tasks to a student or even giving him the time for his own studies. The more talented people often go to better schools but it has some disadvantages as well. The high school I went to had horrible shedules. Hard to find time and mood for studying what I wanted after sitting there from 8am to 5pm with several gaps. Your school, Akao, has a different disadvantage. There are only 5 people in a class so the teacher knows perfectly what you are doing. You have no chance to study something more interesting during the class. Have you discussed your trouble with the teachers? You are at a private school, they should be interested in helping you, shouldn't they? Perhaps they would allow you to just write tests with your classmates and use the rest of the time more purposefully. 3 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Akao aka FailArtist Senior Member United States Joined 5337 days ago 315 posts - 347 votes Speaks: English* Studies: Spanish, Mandarin, Toki Pona | Message 30 of 70 15 May 2011 at 9:28pm | IP Logged | ||
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My teachers are probably the nicest millionaires you will ever meet.
However, they are still millionaires. There is no questioning schedules and rules with them, unless there's a VERY good reason. They are quite disciplined. It's good for everyone, but it restrains the freedoms as well. There's truly a downside to everything. Thanks for the idea though, it could help in future situations. 1 person has voted this message useful | |||
| cpnlsn Triglot Newbie United Kingdom Joined 6174 days ago 22 posts - 29 votes Speaks: English*, French, German | Message 31 of 70 15 May 2011 at 11:42pm | IP Logged | ||
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I think you're describing feelings of frustration that I can
well understand. But I don't think you'll go backwards - only forwards but it might be hard at times. What might help is to add a well defined target to supplement your studies with. An example might be to start a new language or work on Spanish grammar in a more advanced way. Equally your teachers might be able to advise on a project you could study for. Education is always only a starting point. 2 persons have voted this message useful | |||
| Hampie Diglot Senior Member Sweden Joined 6660 days ago 625 posts - 1009 votes Speaks: Swedish*, English Studies: Latin, German, Mandarin | Message 32 of 70 16 May 2011 at 12:18am | IP Logged | ||
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You’re 14 — enjoy it while it lasts. School will occasionally suck, occasionally be good, and be so-so in between.
Study whatever as a hobby in your spare time, and do what you shall in school. In Sweden highschool means absolutely nothing — we just need the grades to get into the university programme we want to do. I have a feeling that it’s about the same in the States. 1 person has voted this message useful |
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