Oh, you’re too slow? You must be bad at time management, -30 points even though you completed it correctly. Oh, you work 20 hours a week, spend 4+ hours in public transit, barely get 4 hours of sleep a night, and have a major project in every class? And you were crying all night because you got stuck on something and this assignment was 1/5 of your homework grade? Too bad, you should’ve started earlier. You had earlier deadlines you say? That you also had trouble keeping, you say? No excuse.
But no worries! A grade is just a number! It’s not like you spent years trying to get it high enough to put it on your resume, right? And it’s not like you had to take out a massive loan just to afford the class, right?
It’s not like school has ever killed anyone, right?
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Yeah.. School is just one more turd on the giant pile of shit that’s called life.
Your question seems plenty valid to me. Two students attending a school not far from here offed themselves last month.
Maybe the deeper issue is this. Once upon a time in the US those who completed college would usually find work or avocations to meet their aspirations and those who did not complete college could usually find rewarding work that would satisfy their needs and some of their wants.
Nowadays non-degreed work is usually paid too low to sustain even the most modest living expenses of an individual and many times done under arduous circumstances as well.
I have tutored multiple individuals attending college or primary school and the pressure they are under is high.
Thank you. It hurts so much to hear events like that. I wonder how much academic pressure was a factor.
Yeah, I could never even consider not going to college. It’s a set plan for so many people, almost required for a good job. I mean… I personally wanted higher education, to really study my passion, but it’s hard to enjoy my studies or feel passionate about them anymore when I’m forced to split my attention between things I’m interested in and things I’m not and keep up with a slew of deadlines. And it’s so expensive. Because my parents didn’t have a dime for my education (my mom wanted me to get a full-ride to an Ivy League…), I had to get my grades high enough to get the scholarships I needed so I wouldn’t be in even deeper debt than the thousands I eventually ended up with. So I went to a community college first and transferred, but my education has taken way longer than expected.
There was always so much academic pressure, even when I was elementary school. I was never good enough to be near the top of my class, but it was so difficult to even maintain my A minus-ish average.
And thank you for tutoring those students. My school’s mentors/tutors, when available, were incredibly helpful in relieving some of that pressure.
All valid points. Especially the one about people that are so quick to write off your grade as “just a letter”. If you’re going to spend 4 years of time and money doing something, it’s natural to not want to suck at it, and try to do well. And make it count for something.
Yeah, there are so many things wrong with the education system in general. I’m glad that stage of my life is over for now.
As for you, my only advice is to grow a thick skin and tough it out. Determination and grit is your best friend, and sometimes just taking the pain and waiting it out is the best way to go.
Thank you. It’s frustrating to see so many people just shrug it off as no big deal.
Yeah, I wish the education system were more flexible and treated students like individuals who each have their own struggles, available time, learning styles, etc. I mean, I understand, as the system is, that professors can only do so much, especially when some university classes have 60+ students. However, even small steps, like having a more reasonable late policy, can really help. But the problem is deeper than any single professor, and I think the education system needs to be rebuilt from scratch. Not to even mention tuition.
Thanks, that is actually good advice for my situation. I should graduate in December. But I’ve been in college for a little over 7 years, and it’s wearing me thin.
If it makes you feel any better, those who actually did manage to do well in school don’t necessarily all make it in life either. Case in point: me. Depressing, no?
Fun thing, most of my class mates cheat on almost every class we’re taking. They get awesome grades, yet some of them (often the top grades of the class) have no idea what to do when confronted with real situations. A few get decent/average grades, but know what to do. Who do you think the teachers appreciate more? (hint: it’s not the ones who know what to do, lol).
So yup, the system is fucked, not much that can be done about it. If you’re aware of it you can deal with it a bit better tho. Not that it makes it easier, but it’s one of those things that can’t be changed, you can only change how you deal with it (ftr: i hate that things are like that nowadays).
That’s seriously frustrating. Thankfully most exams in my university are in the testing center, which makes cheating almost impossible, and if the whole class did poorly, the more reasonable professors will curve the test grades. …But I really do hate the grading system.
Yeah, I’m trying to hang in there for another month. I really hope the education system actually changes someday.
School is forced learning
Pretty much. I love learning, but I hate school.