What can I do now?

[SDNalgene]

I haven't met too many people who weren't socially awkward at some point during middle school and high school, regardless of their type of schooling. I only remember a few kids that were "cool" during that time and the only reason I remember them is because they never went anywhere in life. So when I go home to visit my Mom I see the cool kid who skipped all his classes and was convinced he would make it to the NBA working at a cell phone kiosk in the mall. There is also the hot chick who has ballooned and popped out two kids to another derelict who was God's gift to a half rate 3A football program. He didn't go too far either. Being cool in middle school and high school is overrated. College is where the real fun is had anyways.

By the way, I was a public school product, and I turned out okay. I knew three home schooled kids in high school: 2 were perfectly normal and the 3rd was being protected from a sinful and deviant society by his ultra-religious and ultra-looney parents. Poor kid never had a shot at being normal regardless of schooling. Hardly a representative sample, but two thirds normal and one third nutty sounds about like the rest of society.

 

[A4sForever]

.... you input .....

Probably a pretty good perspective. Probably pretty good averages, too. Well said.

 

[whitesoxnation]

If I had of been home schooled I would have been at home playing XBOX all day and I probably would have learned more than I did at my HS

 

[larbear]

Do what everyone else said but most importantly, concentrate on not becoming a social retard like the other 300,000 home schooled children I know. Do that, and all will be fine.

As a former homeschooled kid, I take offense to that. That is about as ignorant as you can be on this subject. I have heard the same thing from so many people that I normally won't admit to being homeschooled, even if asked...because I get so pissed off by this bullshit that my head's going to explode one of these times. Did a homeschooled kid beat you up and take your lolli? I wouldn't be surprised.

While your Little Johnny is getting "socially adjusted" at public school, my kid will be learning skills to make him dominant in the marketplace. I guess Johnny better learn to be submissive while he's at it, eh?

Quoting one of my early teachers: "if children were meant to run in herds, they would have been born in litters." I think there is something to this claim.

 

[larbear]

For Grunt, I took math and science at a community college during my last two "high school" years. It gave me a leg up when I moved to the university. In particular, it is good to take calculus at a community college, since they don't tend to use it as a weedout course like some universities do.

 

[Son of a Grunt]

Hello, you people hijacked my thread. I was looking for advice on highschool classes to take, the best majors to look into, the best universities, habits to start now, things that i can do now to help me help my country, not start flame wars over a conflict i have to listen to way to often.

 

[raptor10]

Check out this website here, it's targeted at students who want to attend UC's but these are standard courses that one should take that will make you a well rounded competitive student.

Good Luck.

 

[FLY_USMC]

Trust me, I wasn't beat up by a homeschooled kid, I can promise that. Second, that's my general opinion, I'm entitled to it.

Third, having lived in the south, I can honestly see why a family would homeschool their children, the school structure and quality around where I'm out now is attrocious, so if that's why you do it, good on you.

Last, I agree about the 2 types of homeschool kids, but your forgetting the third, the one I know a lot about. I grew up in a small farm town with an awesome school system, ie skipping school or anything resembling it was absolutely intolerable. This is where I met the 3rd type, the poor redneck kid who's parents aren't exactly educated themselves, but insist on homeschooling because public school(the only type where I'm from) is a waste of money, not much of which do they have.

I have no problem with homeschooling. If your wife is incredibly educated and can do it, sweet. These families should not have. And since I'm pretty sure homeschooling wasn't allowed in High School where I lived, they all showed up Freshman year, and they were, dare I say, SOCIAL RETARDS.

Opinions, that's what makes the internet great.

 

[corvairdroptop]

but your forgetting the third.

But you(')r(e) forgetting grammatical conventions. Did you go to some sinful public school or something?

[I omit the USMC IQ jabs -- they're better for "hey, watch this" moments anyway. I've learned a lot (very quickly) from a GySgt...but little with efficiency during my four years in public school.]


To be serious -- I am no fan of our current public education. A family member of mine is a (non-Bolshevik) principal and finds it nearly impossible to fire an inappropriate or offensive teacher, let alone an incompetent underperformer. It's endemic to government bureaucracy:

http://www.viddler.com/explore/RazrHog4Life/videos/1/


I remember being a young elementary student of the state and receiving a "rights and responsibilities" handbook. That was right about the time my mother said, "that's it...you need to get smacked by a nun."

On one occasion an Education PhD candidate showed up at my high school and asked the principal, "what rights and responsibilities do the students have."

"Rights? They have none. [pause] And even if they did we would reserve the right to take them back at any moment without notice."

I loved that guy.

I believe "we" referred to the Vice Principal, USMC (ret.) who once made me show up on a Saturday morning, wearing a coat and tie. My particular offense was wearing a gray (vice white) undershirt during the week. He then sent us outside to clean the school's lawn...in the rain. There were always about twenty properly-dressed guys out there every weekend.

You just don't get that spirit at most public schools.

 

[scoober78]

You just don't get that spirit at most public schools.

Which makes them bad how again? If we are going to start casting stones and debating the merits of a particular system of education, be it home schooling, public schooling or private, I'd like to think that we'd elevate the debate above charming anecdotes about nuns and detention and "weird" home schooled kids in high school.

Second, that's my general opinion, I'm entitled to it.

Yes...you are, but you are also equally entitled to be wrong and an opinion does not an argument make.

 

[skim]

Hello, you people hijacked my thread. I was looking for advice on highschool classes to take, the best majors to look into, the best universities, habits to start now, things that i can do now to help me help my county, not start flame wars over a conflict i have to listen to way to often.

Welcome to Air Warriors!!

If you want to help your county, go to city hall

 

[xj220]

I too was a product of public school. I was given the opportunity to attend private school but I turned it down since all my friends were still in public school and didn't want to leave them. Also, I was fortunate enough to have a good/great public school system. I honestly don't know that much about homeschooling, but to me it seems like you'd be missing out on the high school experience (for better or for worse). Yeah there's drugs, bullies, etc, but there's also a lot of great people and the social interaction is unbelievable (football games, other sports). I feel I learned a lot in high school that you wouldn't learn at home, and I don't mean academically.

 

[kevkwondo08]

One cannot make sweeping generalizations. There are exceptions to each. However, as an actual highschooler, I can tell you that the poster above me is correct. As good as a strong education is, there is something to be said for having "real" interaction with others in the same age group. (By this I mean non-chaperoned parties or activities that aren't associated with a religious or educational group).

 

[phrogdriver]

To get back to the regularly scheduled thread...

Are you still being homeschooled through high school, or are you back in the public system.

If you're still at homeschool, you need to show objective academic and extracurricular accomplishments. I.e. get in a league sport, do Explorers, Scouts, etc--stuff that shows leadership and breadth. Academically, look at taking at least some classes either at the high school or at a community college or something. Real classes--math, science, REAL history (e.g. Western Civ, not "history of American pop culture")

In HS, the same still applies. Blend sports (self-explanatory) and non-athletic extracurriculars, for example, a philanthropic club like Key Club or Students Against Drunk Driving. Don't be too Machiavellian about it--do what you like, but branch out a little from your comfort zone. Take solid classes. I don't mean you have to take Electrical Engineering in high school, just don't load up with 4 art classes and "math for mechanics."

 

[MasterBates]

Whats wrong with Math for Mechanics?

Got me thru 5 years at GMI and the Navy so far?!?