This generation of kids...

[AmateisGal]

We told all of our kids that if they want a college degree(s), they will need to find the funding. It worked well. I'm not writing checks for kids to go and have fun for 4-5 years. It's amazing how motivated a kid (young adult) can get when it's their money, or their loan/grant.

I tend to agree on this (though some parents might not). I think a lot can be said for a student putting his or herself through college as it builds character, shows them what hard work is really like, and gives them the drive to do what needs to be done.

 

[jamespowers]

We told all of our kids that if they want a college degree(s), they will need to find the funding. It worked well. I'm not writing checks for kids to go and have fun for 4-5 years. It's amazing how motivated a kid (young adult) can get when it's their money, or their loan/grant.

Sounds like what I am going to do. Then again after 12 years of private school for both of them they had better pay the rest.

 

[1961MJS]

Sounds like what I am going to do. Then again after 12 years of private school for both of them they had better pay the rest.

Hi James

You can't count on that. The places that get the most $ in scholarships, also cost the most. It's possible to be charged more for for a $2,000 a semester scholarship than for a $3,000 a semester tuition payment.

School is kind of important at some businesses, but not in aerospace that I've seen. The INITIAL job MIGHT be get some help from a school, but ONLY if your new manager went there. If you didn't go to U of X, they don't care if you went to U of Y, Z, A, B, or C.

Later

 

[sheeplady]

Well, there always is financial aid and independent scholarships.

 

[Canadian]

I have a friend who owes 60k CDN for his Masters in something like Kinesology. I don't know the name, but he's likely going to make about 45k a year.

My Masters (in progress) costs me about 2k a year, and I'm doing it over eight years, paying my own way. Undergrad was different. Dad paid the whole ride, because I stayed at home and worked for him. I made 100 bucks a week and he paid for two major conferences a year. Basically I behaved and in return I got to go on two massive benders, disguised as a political science and Model UN conference. I remember one MUN trip where one of my fellow delegates brought a mickey of vodka and was passing it around. I could have drank the whole thing in one sitting, but I passed, as I preferred to do my drinking after hours. Dad would put a thousand dollars on my CC and whatever I'd saved in the bank had to last me five days. Factor in the shopping, the wine with dinner, eating in the best restaurants, all adds up quickly.


I know I'm lucky, but I worked for five years under my father for minimum wage. Our agreement was I get minimal pay and he forked out for the trips and a bit of spending money each week.



Tom

 

[John in Covina]

I have always felt that there are a number of professions that require a college education, or even an advanced degree, that don't really require all that schooling. And then there is the elusive-to-some concept of common sense that goes a long way to making one able to fulfill a number of vocational choices that have been deemed as attainable only with a college degree. The scary part is that the college degree sometimes over rides or operates separately from common sense in a given individual.

In cali they push for more and more certifications thru college. for a while they were trying to get a Purchasing ceritification prerequisit.
What? Those who can do, those that can't teach in many vocations.

 

[Canadian]

For my masters, it's critically important that I don't rack up debt. I plan to be a professional missionary, or at least raise money for such things. As my padre said, "You might end up living in Manhattan, or maybe sleeping under a tree, eating mangos to survive". The level of uncertainty is such that I will probably not be able to repay any debt and count on it.

Tom

 

[sheeplady]

In cali they push for more and more certifications thru college. for a while they were trying to get a Purchasing ceritification prerequisit.
What? Those who can do, those that can't teach in many vocations.

I'm sorry- there are bad teachers out there (just like every profession) but maligning a whole profession isn't really fair at all. If it hadn't been for a few good teachers throughout my life (and I mean well into adulthood) I probably wouldn't be a functioning adult today, and there are many many adults who feel the same way.

Seriously, teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible-whether that is in a formal or informal sense.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

I have several 'opinions' about public school and teaching today and in the past 20 years. My older children went to public school and not only faced intimidation from some of their peers(due to a lack of disipline in the school..hands tied!)...but also enough bad teachers to have me banging my head against the wall almost every year. Just one example: Daughter came home with an F on her report card. Reason: New teacher gave everyone in her class an F..to show them just what a failing grade was like...and it's not the end of the world. She would not change the grade and Admin backed her. However because of parents complaints about other accumulating problems..this teacher,fortunately,didn't return the next year. This may be an extreme..but some other teachers activities throughout 12 yrs weren't far behind. It only takes a few bad ones to upset a kids life. Just as a few good ones can uplift it.
Then...school decided that a classroom of 22 was just too much for the teacher to handle..so parents must get involved. Loaded up with homework..it was expected for parents(in a sense) to go back to school..and sit with their kids most every evening and also become teachers wrestling with their kids homework and understandingas well(even though some parents had been out of school for YEARS). What about the kids who's parents just weren't interested in doing that? You guessed it!...the kids suffered. Even grading papers and tests were handed off to the kids to check each other. Teachers just too busy.
When my young Son was ready to start school my daughters actually pleaded with us to not send him to public school. We took their advice.

 

[John in Covina]

I'm sorry- there are bad teachers out there (just like every profession) but maligning a whole profession isn't really fair at all. If it hadn't been for a few good teachers throughout my life (and I mean well into adulthood) I probably wouldn't be a functioning adult today, and there are many many adults who feel the same way.

Seriously, teaching is the profession that makes all other professions possible-whether that is in a formal or informal sense.

I have yet to meet a college professor I'd ask to do anything in the real world.

 

[sheeplady]

I have very strong views on public education that a few bad apples aren't going to persuade me that teachers deserve ridicule as a group of people. I've known doctors who have killed people by malpractice- and I don't slam all doctors by trade. I had the occasional teacher who was much much worse than the example you gave; basically I had a third grade teacher who called me names I can't use on here. I had a teacher that chased every girl in his art classes in high school. But I still value my public school education so much because I had outstanding teachers too- teachers who stood up for me and my abilities and fought for me.

Not every child can afford a private education or even has access to a private school. Private schools tend to benefit urban and suburban dwellers who are middle class and above. Public education leveled the playing field for me in tremendous ways. I had neither access nor funds as a child and if public education hadn't been available, I would have gone nowhere in life. My parents could not have given me the level of education I got- and I realize my public education was both underfunded and probably not the best it could have been compared to children in richer school districts. But it was a heck a lot better than nothing.

Kids should have homework. I know that sometimes it is too much (children do need some down time) but considering how little our kids in the U.S. are in school, they can work some outside. I don't think having 3-4 hours of school work outside of school (perhaps more) is unreasonable. Kid's duty in school is to study. In many other countries (which outpace the U.S. in math or science) they keep children in school longer, kids have more homework, and most of their children are sent to public schools. Teachers shouldn't have to spoon feed kids- they should have to do work on their own.

 

[sheeplady]

I have yet to meet a college professor I'd ask to do anything in the real world.

I am one. I regularly work for industry in addition to academia (which is encouraged in my area). I have to say that there's several corporations that would disagree with you since they keep hiring me (and many others of my ilk) back. Chances are I've worked for an organization you either work for or do business with.

 

[John in Covina]

For my masters, it's critically important that I don't rack up debt. I plan to be a professional missionary, or at least raise money for such things. As my padre said, "You might end up living in Manhattan, or maybe sleeping under a tree, eating mangos to survive". The level of uncertainty is such that I will probably not be able to repay any debt and count on it. Tom

Do you mean missionary as in bringing religeon to the natives or more of a bringing clean water and teaching how to raise crops and livestock. Or both? Mostly people that are fund raisers for such endevors tend to stay closer to home such as in Canada or the USA because we do have a good tradition of giving for such efforts.

What are you 'majoring" in? Fund raisers usually need salesmanship and marketing skills to help get the message across and get that giving feelings going. The actual money handling might take more accounting / banking skills, whereas the allocations might take some more logistics skills so the goods and funds are bringing what is needed and to the right location, best, fastest cheapest way possible.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Normal gasoline is something that has disappeared that I need to add to the appropriate thread. The sugar in the gas tank was a myth until the addition of alcohol to the gas. In addition to slowly dissolving any rubber parts the alcohol absorbs water that increases corrosion and as everyone knows, sugar will dissolve dissolve readily in water (and slowly in alcohol) thus we have a problem.

Exactly. Thanks for clearing that up. BTW got the car back and it runs again.
Tom older cars can run with the engine light on, usually an O2 sensor or something, although it can affect the mileage. Yeah in the Fleetwood it's probably not noticeable.

 

[jamespowers]

I have several 'opinions' about public school and teaching today and in the past 20 years. My older children went to public school and not only faced intimidation from some of their peers(due to a lack of disipline in the school..hands tied!)...but also enough bad teachers to have me banging my head against the wall almost every year. Just one example: Daughter came home with an F on her report card. Reason: New teacher gave everyone in her class an F..to show them just what a failing grade was like...and it's not the end of the world. She would not change the grade and Admin backed her. However because of parents complaints about other accumulating problems..this teacher,fortunately,didn't return the next year. This may be an extreme..but some other teachers activities throughout 12 yrs weren't far behind. It only takes a few bad ones to upset a kids life. Just as a few good ones can uplift it.
Then...school decided that a classroom of 22 was just too much for the teacher to handle..so parents must get involved. Loaded up with homework..it was expected for parents(in a sense) to go back to school..and sit with their kids most every evening and also become teachers wrestling with their kids homework and understandingas well(even though some parents had been out of school for YEARS). What about the kids who's parents just weren't interested in doing that? You guessed it!...the kids suffered. Even grading papers and tests were handed off to the kids to check each other. Teachers just too busy.
When my young Son was ready to start school my daughters actually pleaded with us to not send him to public school. We took their advice.

Oh geez! You had the experience I had just one year ago with public school.:eusa_doh: It only took one year for me to have enough. They are in private school now and getting honors where they were falling through the cracks before and failing. What a difference!:eusa_doh: Now I am proud and moved to tears about how they are model students. :eusa_clap I'll pay twice thanks.
I work all day and I am not up to coming home and teaching my children pages of class material that they should have learned in school!

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Oh geez! You had the experience I had just one year ago with public school.:eusa_doh: It only took one year for me to have enough. They are in private school now and getting honors where they were falling through the cracks before and failing. What a difference!:eusa_doh: Now I am proud and moved to tears about how they are model students. :eusa_clap I'll pay twice thanks.
I work all day and I am not up to coming home and teaching my children pages of class material that they should have learned in school!

Exactly JP. My Son just graduated with top honors last spring. Had two summers of community college behind him..plus half of each day of his HS Senior year attending more college classes. Taught and obeyed the school rules with manners and respect since kindergarten. He now attends college full time with smiles and confidence. Turned out one of the nicest guys I've ever known. Yes..proud Dad here. Seems certain detailed things were put in place to encourage that this should be the outcome. Worth every penny and more..even if I would have had to pickup and sell pop bottles to get it done.
HD

 

[jamespowers]

Exactly JP. My Son just graduated with top honors last spring. Had two summers of community college behind him..plus half of each day of his HS Senior year attending more college classes. Taught and obeyed the school rules with manners and respect since kindergarten. He now attends college full time with smiles and confidence. Turned out one of the nicest guys I've ever known. Yes..proud Dad here. Seems certain detailed things were put in place to encourage that this should be the outcome. Worth every penny and more..even if I would have had to pickup and sell pop bottles to get it done.
HD

Sounds like he won't be like "this generation of kids" sorts. Public Education just ain't what it used to be. Oh wait, it stunk when they were trying to teach me "New Math" too. That was ridiculous and turned off a generation to math. Good thing I did my part by teaching my friends Old Math after my mother told me: "I have no idea how they do it that way but I can tell you how I do it." It saved many who were failing math in my class. The teacher hated it though. lol lol Too bad.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Sounds like he won't be like "this generation of kids" sorts. Public Education just ain't what it used to be. Oh wait, it stunk when they were trying to teach me "New Math" too. That was ridiculous and turned off a generation to math. Good thing I did my part by teaching my friends Old Math after my mother told me: "I have no idea how they do it that way but I can tell you how I do it." It saved many who were failing math in my class. The teacher hated it though. lol lol Too bad.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Math

Parents and teachers who opposed the New Math in the U.S. complained that the new curriculum was too far outside of students' ordinary experience and was not worth taking time away from more traditional topics, such as arithmetic. The material also put new demands on teachers, many of whom were required to teach material they did not fully understand. Parents were concerned that they did not understand what their children were learning and could not help them with their studies. Many of the parents took time out to try to understand the new math by attending their children's classes. In the end it was concluded that the experiment was not working, and New Math fell out of favor before the end of the decade, though it continued to be taught for years thereafter in some school districts. New Math found some later success in the form of enrichment programs for gifted students from the 1980s onward in Project MEGSSS.

Gotta love being experimented on. :doh:

 

[LizzieMaine]

I'm a victim of New Math. We had it from first grade thru third, when they suddenly abandoned it and began teaching us our times tables. No matter, it ruined me for life. Where can I sign up for a class action suit?

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Tom Lehrer -- New Math (1965)

[video=youtube;Vetg7vWitTU]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vetg7vWitTU[/video]