It's one of those days again. And "by one of those days" I mean, well... it could be better.
I don't mean to sound like Eeyore, or maybe I do?
First of all, I have to both recognize and admit that all of my problems stem from not taking initiative of my life. But there are only so many hours in a day!
I feel like so many of my hours are wasted at school learning subjects I am never going to need when I get out into "the real world." Now, I know this is a notorious teenage belief, that school doesn't teach you what you need, but I find it to be one hundred percent true.
Please tell me, when I, an aspiring broadcast journalist, am ever going to need STOICHIOMETRY? I mean, I'm pretty sure I didnt/can't even spell the word right. Let's face it, tons of students take classes just because it will look good on college applications. I thought chemistry was going to be fun, really I did, but now I'm 3/4 of the way through the year and am now realizing that I have no idea what's going on. It's like a foreign language.
Then of course, there's spanish. I can't conjugate my verbs. I can't speak the language. I know basic grammar from year one. I'm in year three.
And English... I love, LOVE English class... but if my teacher spends one more forty-five minute period rereading the chapter we read the night before... I don't exactly know what I'll do, but when I do plot it out, I'm sure it will be good.
It's just that I come home... and I have to do all this busy work on subjects in which I'm NEVER GOING TO NEED! Granted, some of the stuff I may need, but not all of it.
Can't they offer classes that will help us once we become independent?
I'm sick of falling asleep in class.
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It's lame. The alternative highschool I went to offered an abundance of independant living courses covering a wide variety of subjects. I think the real reason schools provide classes we don't need is so we can find subjects we like. Also, it helps to do stuff you really don't like so when you have to do something you kind of don't like it makes it easier to follow through.
This is true. It's just such a pain. If there wasn't such competition from colleges, students wouldn't feel forced to enroll in courses they know they don't like/they know that they will be bored in.
"I think the real reason schools provide classes we don't need is so we can find subjects we like."
I think this is exactly it. Plus, just a general knowledge of the world is neccissary to being an educated person. I'd much rather have a conversation with someone well versed in many "impracticle" disciplines than someone who merely knew how to do the tasks that directly affected their life.
Ha. Stoichiometry was one of the many Chemistry terms my friend and I would make fun of junior year.
And just think, these subjects can be useful...to chemists and rocket scientists.
Yeah I know, I know. It's such a good thing that I had no hopes and dreams of becoming a whiz in such a profession, or else my dreams would have been absolutely crushed the second my lisped-teacher uttered "Itht's time for athids and bathes!" (Nothing against people with lisps, it's just hard to understand him sometimes. And if you're in the front row, you have to make sure to have a paper towel hand to wipe the spit off of your face.)
woooooooo I love teaching you chem
Those clases are there to help people find what they might want to do for the rest of their lives. Knowing a second language, especially Spanish, will take you far in the "real world." Although, I've taken 4 semesters of Spanish and barely remember much past what I learned on Sesame Street when I was 3. Well, I can conjugate verbs. I love grammar and I got by knowing the accent.
More classes should be offered for going out into the real world. I knew people that took Consumer Math which was one of the lowest math classes available. As it turns out, that is the class you really need to go out on your own. The class focused on understanding credit and keeping a bank account. The people I know in credit card debt that don't understand how took Calculus.
Good luck, you're almost done.
-Sonja :)
hey now, i like chemistry (yes i know, i must have fallen on my head as a baby)
but math, now thats a subject that really needs to burn in hell. funtions, zeros of x. what? no, that cant be right....i just hate it. three more weeks, and then i have an independent study. i can not wait.
ps, i have trouble logging in everysingle time, i was wondering where the mods are on this site, cuz its my password and i cant figure it out. can anyone direct me?
non ducor DUCO
i wish upon shooting stars
My least favorite "pointless" class was Earth Science. I was a Sociology major and a Comm minor. Why did I need to know how to identify different types of rock? Well, I didn't! But I think an important part of the college experience is stretching the mind. It's not so much about learning new facts as it is about learning new ways of thinking. It exercises the critical thinking skills and forces us to solve problems in unfamiliar territory. It's painful and boring and annoying but my mind is stronger for it. You'll be thankful for the way your brain has developed when it's all said and done.
it's quite ridiculous all they make you go through, and some of the dumb classes even my high school offers.
in fact, i almost feel bad for the kids who wont go on after college, and just work at the gas station, only english and basic math will have helped them.
heck, we need spanish, because of all the immigrants, illegal or not. they wont all want to or will learn english.sometimes we'll just have to suck it up. and some spanish is fun to use. :/ meh. its up to you.
plus, those other languages do really help it when you go to learn to program computers, which i'll be doing a little for computer engineering. because all that is is learning another language.
but yeah, i wont need chemistry at all either. just physics, and god, it's pretty hard sometimes.
Actually most classes are useful at some point in your lives, although when tends to vary. Probably one of the most celebrated examples of how certain useless classes can have real world applications is how Steve Jobs took a calligraphy class in college and it wound up resulting in the creation of multiple typefaces. This is why there everyone has a choice of using hundreds of different typefaces instead of just one.
Chemistry is one of the sciences that is probably the least useful for people who will not be pursuing a degree in science. At least Physics explains how the world works and bio will always be useful because everyone gets sick or hurt at some point in their lives. However in high school, many of these classes are just a way to figure out what u like.
Yeah rereading chapters in class isn't taht useful. I consider it a sign of weak teaching if they are re-reading full chapters without at least discussing certain ideas beforehand. However it generally does get students to analyze passages better.
Spanish u may want to start studying every night in an effort to catch up.
You may not use the actual material you're learning, but a lot of those classes teach you new methods of learning. Example-I took calculus in high school. I never used it again, but the class did teach me critical thinking, which is someone important in Nursing.
The things you learn also seperate you from someone who hasn't finished their education.
It's great you know what you want to do! You will be among a minority going to college not majoring in "undeclared." You'll still have basic requirements to take, but after that you can focus on classes that you'll actually use in the real world. High school isn't really the place for that.
http://www.progressiveu.org/blog/sawaboof
"...There is a crushing guilt that comes with being a Catholic. Whether things are good or bad or you're simply... eating tacos in the park, there is always the crushing guilt."
-30 Rock-
You're right. (: Thank you.
I just am terrified that some University is going to see that I had a lower grade in chem and think that I'm a bonehead.
If the rest of your grades are pretty steady, the only thing they'll think about your Chemistry grade is that you probably shouldn't go into that field of study in college. In high school it is important to get good grades and to challenge yourself, but not to the point where you're lost in a subject. That doesn't do any good for your stress level or your GPA.
-Sonja :)
True post. I often asked myself the same question in high school but saw that same exact stuff in college. It is amazing how much it truly means to have knowledge and be versatile.