What do YOU Think of School?

[Twilight Dirac 721]

On 7/23/2014 at 9:31 PM, EquestrianScholar said:

I for the most part always looked forward to school.

 

That is impressive.  I always hated attending school, even though I was always real good at the academic subject matter.  Then again, I hated my classmates with an undying passion, so there is that.

 

 

 

On 7/23/2014 at 9:31 PM, EquestrianScholar said:

Though one thing that helped I feel was my love of reading and through such my love of the school library. My librarian was awesome, not only getting books for students that requested to seeing certain things the library didn't have but also having an anime/graphic novel section... which for me made the librarian cool in my book.

 

I originally considered reading an absolute chore, and could never understand why some people read for pleasure.  I partially blame the school's selection of books for assignments on this matter.  When it came to fiction, literature got divided into what I would consider the classics and what I would consider more casual reading.  The classics were hit and miss.  I enjoyed the likes of Greek mythology, Shakespeare and Mark Twain but loathed pretentious rubbish like Great Expectations, The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men.  But oddly enough the worst offenders were the casual reading, as the stories always centered around other school age kids going to school.  Because when reading can take you literally anywhere, why not take us right back to school?  Because the first thing I want to do when I get home from school is open up a book a read about somebody else going to school.  Did anybody think this out?

 

Thankfully some friends of mine (not associated with School so School doesn't even get credit for that) introduced me to sci-fi authors Larry Niven and Isaac Asimov.  That is what got me into casually reading both fiction and non-fiction and I read for enjoyment to this day.

 

 

 

On 7/30/2014 at 11:08 PM, Maud Shakespeare said:

Two words: standardized testing. Enough to strike fear in any student's heart. In my particular school, they trained us to pass it since the first day, their tactics being pressure and fear. I didn't have a fun experience with the math portion when I failed it by one question. The school put me through hoops over it until they finally decided to just leave me alone and let me enter high school. Even now, I don't see the purpose in finding the area of a right triangle. Even worse than this is the students themselves. They're the typical teenagers - inconsiderate of others and just plain rude, afraid of anything they don't understand. Thank Celestia I found a forum with some sane people. 

 

What has happened to standardized testing in the 15 years since I left grade school?  They had them back when I was in school and I remember the teachers spending about a week fussing over the things, making sure we knew how to fill in the stupid bubbles with a #2 pencil and that whole song and dance.  But the test themselves.  They asked math questions about math I was supposed to know and English questions about vocabulary, writing and reading comprehension I was supposed to known and most of the times I knew the answers.  In fact, the bulk of the questions were on material that I had know for several years prior to taking the test.  What the heck are they testing you guys on?

Edited April 13, 2019 by Twilight Dirac

[SkyDream 315]

Gah. The concept of school tries so hard, but can't be perfect.  Everything that needs to be said has already been said.  I too have always yearned for a "life skills" class.  I wish my schedule had been free for that one Home-Ec class that they offered in High School.  Instead, there's a Youtube channel to fill in the gaps.  Where were the classes on how to do your taxes and buy stocks and bonds?  Where?  You have to find that information from your local library or on the internet.

 

Hell, in 9th grade, a history textbook had an incorrect fact, and no teacher caught it.  I'm sure it was its own isolated incident but it was very telling.

[Twilight Dirac 721]

I too have always yearned for a "life skills" class.  I wish my schedule had been free for that one Home-Ec class that they offered in High School.  Instead, there's a Youtube channel to fill in the gaps.  Where were the classes on how to do your taxes and buy stocks and bonds?

 

The irony is that state of Florida actually mandates high school teach a semester of "Life Management Skills" to all its students.  But the course never taught anything you mentioned.  Instead it was about what the school system must have thought were hot topics for the day.  We got a whole bunch of crap on anorexia, bulimia, STDs, smoking, drinking, DUIs, obesity, suicide; your standard array of crap the youth were supposedly at risk for and which at this point in our lives we had been warned about several dozen times before in previous classes.  But actual life management stuff apparently didn't make the cut to be included in a Life Management skills class.  So it was basically a waste of a semester.  Yea for state mandates.

Edited August 1, 2014 by Twilight Dirac

[XxConfusedUnicornxX 834]

School isn't that bad. It's just like an activity center where you learn things and get graded. Like how figure skaters learn new moves and get tested to move to the next level. Without school, I'll be bored. Every summer I always want to go back to school because school gives me something to do. Projects, plays, dances.

[SkyDream 315]

Dirac - That's terrible, and I am so sorry.  I'm fairly sure that the majority of people don't want to endanger their own lives before they even really begin, and wouldn't go out having crazy unprotected orgies while drinking and driving while smoking fifteen different things at the same time on the surface of the planet Venus where it's slightly dangerous to breathe.   Where was I going with this.

 

..right.  The kids who actually want to succeed in life can just ask for the important biological advice, or go on the internet (like with anything else) but are already self-aware enough not to do something stupid. 

 

So these aforementioned classes are more like accident-prevention classes than classes on how to properly engage yourself in adult achievement-oriented activities.

 

 

 

School isn't that bad. It's just like an activity center where you learn things and get graded. Like how figure skaters learn new moves and get tested to move to the next level. Without school, I'll be bored. Every summer I always want to go back to school because school gives me something to do. Projects, plays, dances.

That's why I opt to engage my attention span with two jobs and a lot of studying in my spare, albeit shrinking time.  I repeatedly receive reports from people who have attended the variety of schooling that I am interested in that they wish they hadn't, and had spent their time studying at home due to laughable classroom curriculums, which Firefox does not believe is a word.  Good job there. Edited July 31, 2014 by SkyDream

[Teen Buscemi 135]

I...I just hate people! So it isn't very pleasant!

[frecklesareblooming 225]

That is impressive.  I always hated attending school, even though I was always real good at the academic subject matter.  Then again, I hated my classmates with an undying passion, so there is that.

 

 

 

 

I originally considered reading an absolute chore, and could never understand why some people read for pleasure.  I partially blame the school's selection of books for assignments on this matter.  When it can to fiction, literature got divided into what I would consider the classics and what I would consider more casual reading.  The classics were hit and miss.  I enjoyed the likes of Greek mythology, Shakespeare and Mark Twain but loathed pretentious rubbish like Great Expectations, The Great Gatsby and Of Mice and Men.  But oddly enough the worst offenders were the casual reading, the stories always centered around other school age kids going to school.  Because when reading can take you literally anywhere, why not take us right back to school?  Because the first thing I want to do when I get home from school is open up a book a read about somebody else going to school.  Did anybody think this out?

 

Thankfully some friends of mine (not associated with School so School doesn't even get credit for that) introduced me to sci-fi authors Larry Niven and Isaac Asimov.  That is what got me into casually reading both fiction and non-fiction and I read for enjoyment to this day.

 

 

 

 

What has happened to standardized testing in the 15 years since I left grade school?  They had them back when I was in school and I remember the teachers spending about a week fusing over the things, making sure we knew how to fill in the stupid bubbles with a #2 pencil and that whole song and dance.  But the test themselves.  They asked math questions about math I was supposed to know and English questions about vocabulary, writing and reading comprehension I was supposed to know and most of the times I knew the answers.  In fact, the bulk of the questions were on material that I had know for several years prior to taking the test.  What the heck are they testing you guys on?

The teachers' careers rode on the percentage of passing and failing, so they pretty much expected us to buckle down and study for the test on the first day of school. Also, apparently the test went through several revisions and became another one entirely, now called the STAAR test, only effective in the state of Texas. There were more advanced questions thrown in and the teachers admitted to being clueless as to what was going to be on it. They panicked, and it resulted in more than half of the study body failing, according to the principal. 

[Twilight Dirac 721]

The teachers' careers rode on the percentage of passing and failing, so they pretty much expected us to buckle down and study for the test on the first day of school. Also, apparently the test went through several revisions and became another one entirely, now called the STAAR test, only effective in the state of Texas. There were more advanced questions thrown in and the teachers admitted to being clueless as to what was going to be on it. They panicked, and it resulted in more than half of the study body failing, according to the principal. 

 

Sounds like fun.  I am so glad I no longer have to deal with the school system. 

 

Incidentally, people have screamed bloody murder of this new common core curriculum.  I have seen demonstrations of math taught under this new paradigm, and have concluded the school system has lost its collective marbles.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Twilight Dirac

[Professor SnuSnu 100]

As some other people have stated what you are going through will not be through all eternity of your life. As you go through each subjects you will learn and enjoy specific subjects that you like. 
As for me I have a wide range of subjects that i liked but i came to conclusion of what I preferred in the last year in High school.
I started off loving art, as I could sit down for hours on end just try to perfect a sketch or thinking up new ideas for a new portrait or abstract painting. Sitting down for a long time was a rather difficult thing for me to do. But for the past year I narrowed down my interest to the sciences , math and Computer science. Right now I would sit down no matter how long it takes just to solve a math problem or to learn and understand every aspect of a new topic. 
School is overall enjoyable for me since I only do the subjects that I need to or want to.
 

[Adorkable 2,737]

Oh goodness.

 

I'm no longer in school, but I didn't enjoy it when I was in it. Many reasons why.

 

As for the learning part of school, I felt a lot of it wasn't exactly necessary.

 

I don't want to come off as one of those "math sucks" people, but the teachers never really explained how the things I learned in Algebra 2 could be used in my daily life. As in, I would use the things I learned in that class daily.

 

I could understand for some subjects, but I just felt there were a handful that were unnecessary.

 

One thing I never enjoyed was having a...for lack of better words, a list of classes you had to pass in order to graduate, the required classes.

 

I felt the entire idea was stupid. Say I wanted to become a chef of some sorts, in some cases, I would never be able to fit Culinary in because I would have so many classes I was required to take. True story, by the way.

 

I dunno, I could rant all day back and forth why I didn't like school, but overall, I feel like students should have more freedom in what classes they need to have, along with basic recommendations from guidance counselors and teachers.

[Twilight Dirac 721]

 

 

I don't want to come off as one of those "math sucks" people, but the teachers never really explained how the things I learned in Algebra 2 could be used in my daily life. As in, I would use the things I learned in that class daily.

 

I here this a lot but I certainly use algebra every day of my life (ok I'm a physicist, but still).  I have used it so much it has become a reflex.  I can't imagine not being able to do this anymore, it would be like forgetting how to breath. 

[Lumen 106]

School is useful and necessary but the system could and should be improved upon. I think the biggest problem with the current education system is that everyone gets the same treatment when not everyone learns the same way. The image below pinpoints the problem I'm talking about. I feel like I'm the elephant in the picture. The current education system is not the most efficient way to learn for me.

Edited July 31, 2014 by Lumen

[BastementSparkle 20,326]

My personal feelings on school while I was in it? It was a living hell. The social aspect was awful, I was one of those people who was pretty much constantly mocked and laughed at for every reason under the sun. The teachers didn't help, in fact one of them was actually one of the worse bullies I had. He constantly mocked me for reasons and told the other kids to join in too. He was never fired though.

 

 The Education part wasn't very good either. I struggled a lot with math and I could never get enough help. They would make me stay after class and try to force me to use the exact same method that hadn't been working earlier and it continued to not work. They wouldn't let me try other methods because we were required to do it this way.

 

 My language arts classes were boring. They required you to read at a slow pace and you would always get in trouble if you read ahead. If I found the book interesting then I would finish the required reading quickly and read on anyway. I actually once had a teacher send a discipline note home to my parents just because of this. That was only if the book was interesting though, a lot of the time they weren't. They gave me a lot of stories that I just didn't find interesting, but no matter how often I asked they wouldn't let me pick anything else.

 

 History was dull. The books were filled with so many boring numbers and years. They would explain the when and the who. But rarely did they ever explain why or how, or even try to make it interesting. I remember only one year of this class fondly and that was because we had a teacher who actually did things to make history fun and interesting instead of another boring chore.

 

 I've only mentioned the social aspect and my experiences with just a few classes. If I tried to explain everything I would have to write an entire essay. I don't feel I'm good enough at writing to explain all of my feelings and thoughts though, and that is my fault. Of course this is just my experience and I know many people who enjoyed school. I think the system has some decent ideas and can work well for a lot of people. But there are plenty of others who just don't fit into that mold for one reason or another, and for them school can become something akin to a prison rather easily.

[CT-1138 3,182]

Beats construction, I know that much. Stay in school, kids.

[Snowbrezze 100]

for me school was sooooo

[NotoriousSMALL 1,984]

I think school is alright. my experience has been top notch. I don't mind going. Just wish I didn't have to get up so early.

[Luna 831 466]

School in general is ok however high school and college are the same thing.

[Fantasma Phantasm 673]

      I like school. Yes, to some extent it can be iffy and annoying but sometimes its the students themselves who make it that way. Their are teachers who SUCK at teaching, but its the only way to get a taste of the outside world and interact with other people.

 

Homework is pretty useless to me. Well at least tons of it is. I think TONS of Homework should be used when your failing.

 

    While I was in school I found it hard to believe people had a hard time following some freaking rules. And they were reasonable! The rules are there for a reason.

 

      I much rather go to school then stay at home and probably watch brain washing videos from the government or get taught by my parents and have no association with anyone. That makes a shy person. 

 

My only problem with school truly, was the students who acted like complete idiots the whole time they were there... all that sex, drugs, parties, sexism, and they didn't know how to follow the simplist directions. Other then that, I have no problem with except for the students. I mean! One of my classmates brung an E-Cigarette to school!! Who does that?

[Jatuyu 33]

Since i go to a magnet school, (you have to take a test to get in) it's a lot of fun because there is no bullies, if there is, they gonna get kicked out

[ReGen 1,466]

As of now, I really enjoy school! Ninth grade has to have been my favorite year so far, due in part to the teachers and the fact that i'm actually interested in learning these subjects, as uneccesary as some may be. I do wish that it's improved on, as it could use some work.

[deprime 65]

I think school is amazing...  well school, not the people at the school 

[Gone Airbourne 21,977]

I do miss being around my friends throughout the week and being able to talk to them on a daily basis... such a simplicity that I really miss these days.

[Midnight Solace 5,132]

I really hate school. I always hated waking up, and all the work is way too much for me, and people at my school are assholes. I often get bullied a lot, and as a guy that really has no motivation to do anything, I let myself get bullied physically and verbally. My experience from school traumatizes me to this day.

[Kevin Tang 2,426]

School is the only place where I get real social interaction

[KillerKingBakudan 702]

Never liked it. I thought going to college would change all that, but with everything I've learned ABOUT school since getting my bachelor's degree, I regret borrowing all that money for tuition. I went to my university to get educated, not indoctrinated.