Boston Legal brought up a pretty good point the other day. Kids today aren't smarter than they were thirty years ago, even though statistically...they should be. I really like how they explained. They said kids just learn the test. They know it for the test and as soon as they get their A, they forget it. They aren't learning because they don't have time.
We're constantly being pushed to do better than the neighbors kids. Get into the better college, be the better athlete, hold the higher position in student government. I'm in so many activites I don't have time to learn. For my ACTs, I studied some in the summer, and I knew I wanted a higher score than my friends. I needed a higher score than them, because they had slightly higher grades than I did. But my GPA was still very close to theirs. Currently we're all in the top 15 out of 262 and it's a struggle.
I have to get the highest grades to beat them, I have to be in more activities so I can beat them. I have to beat them so I can have any pick I want in where to go to college. So many smart kids coming from one grade in hard on my class rank. Anyone in the top 50 would be in the top 10 easily in another grade. Yet we're competing against eachother for scholarships and just about everything else.
Learning? What's that? I can memorize, sure. That's easy. I can write essay a college level essay, no problem. But ask me a question from one of my freshmen classes, and I would probably have to go look it up before I could answer.
I have had the same problem with our education system for years. Multiple choice tests and a huge final at the end of a symester have become ingranded in our schools. Fortunately, my perseption of many universities, particularly smaller liberal arts schools, is exactly the opposite.
I have also felt the same pressures in applying to college, as its well known that colleges select only a certain number from a high school, so we are truly competing with our peers and friends.
My university is required to accept anyone who meets the requirements, even if we don't have room for them. Plus, there is no shame in going to a community college first, and then transferring, as many do for financial reasons.
~C
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Yet at the same time, how else would ambition and ability to perform at high levels be measured by colleges or jobs when assessing students?
Our educational system measures mental capacity, ability to rise to standards when faced with challenges, and ambition.
The high-stakes testing environment has not helped your situation at all. NCLB is leaving all kinds of kids behind. It does you guys no good to come out of school knowing tons but understanding little! I encourage you to take up the cause of education reform when you get into the real world.
Also, I know there are a lot of people who will disagree with me, but I strongly believe that it does not matter where you go to college. If your desire to learn is intrinsically motivated, you will get as good an education at a state school as you would at an Ivy League school. You may not graduate with a powerful network or a legacy scholarship for your grandchildren, but that doesn't matter if your definition of success is internal betterment, and not external markers like money and power.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/ediblewoman
I can certainly relate to the situation you describe. At my school people compete over who has the highest GPA (some have a 5.0, and a 4.0 is impressive but not acceptable for some), and who takes the most AP/Honors classes- something I admit to doing myself. But I see no real alternative to the current system- only to remind ourselves to keep things in perspective, because that one B on a report card won't really kill my chances at a good career or having a fulfilling life.
It all depends on how you learn. I learn best by understanding concepts. If I try to memorize something, I won't learn it. Which is unfortunate, because a number of my classes require memorization.
But when I'm done with a class, I'll remember the basic principles of the class, though I may not remember all the specifics. It's the way I studied for those classes that made all the difference.
~C
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My psychology teacher brought up the other day that are Iq. scores show that were smarter than previous generations, but like you said are we really? I mean it basically is just memorization to get the grade not to learn. Society puts such pressure on achievement over actual learning I think they get the two confused. Colleges do accept people who have more activities and such which really cuts into studying time and such, and it makes you wonder what their really trying to have you do. I mean being involved is great but do they actually care if you learn sometimes getting an A is easy if you just do the work, but once your test is done or worksheet all that information leaves just as quickly as it came. I definately agree I would probably have to look it up to.
I could not agree with you any more.
I am one who memorizes things the night before a test, gets an A on the test & all that information just leaves me right after the test. It is coming to the point, however, that I am constantly asking in my classes, "When are we going to use this in real life?" teachers are finding it harder and harder to answer this question. We are learning so bizarre thins, no wonder we forget it all.
As for getting into college... I feel like it'll be like winning the lottery. I i am ranked 12 out of 389. & i feel hesitant about even getting in.
You're not applying to the right places if you're worried about getting in with a class rank like that. Not everyone can go to the Ivy league schools, and you can get just as good of an education at a state institution.
~C
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