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What has school taught you?

Insetick

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Link to original post: [drupal=2428]What has school taught you?[/drupal]



As a senior in high school, I'm working through the college app process. After some intense self contemplation, I've finally realized what school has been trying to teach me:

Stand out and speak up.

It just hit me how important it is to be an individual. It's an obvious lesson, but I never put much thought into it. This came about when I saw what I would need to ensure getting into my top college choices: straight A's, to be the president of two clubs, to be in a varsity sport for 4 years, 100 hours of community service, etc. From this, I saw also that I didn't speak up or ask enough questions last year. I never stop talking now, and my teachers love me.

This is an important lesson not only for students, but everyone living in America. It's obvious that the US is founded upon individuality. You just have to realize what it can do for you.

Recently, a major problem occurred in my neighborhood, but no one reported it (the problem lasted for weeks). Specifically, the problem was that my street smelled like death and decay. When I noticed this, I emailed public works. They're outside right now repairing a sewage block.

I know this is an obvious lesson, but I feel that not enough people realize how much it can affect their lives.

From your experience, do you agree? And what life lessons did you learn from school?
 

SuSa

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It teaches me how to do tasks I don't want to do, and to be able to pay attention for nearly 8 hours.

It reminds me of a 9-5 to be quite honest.

What school doesn't teach you (unless you take a specific class, IF offered) is how to manage money, how to - instead of being an employee; be an employer.

It gets you ready for the work force, and the few people able to see past that can generally escape the trap.
 

CRASHiC

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All I that school could have taught me about people, social interactions, and being a part of the work force I already learned by being born into a Waffle House family.
If you can please a drunk truck driver on 3rd shift, you can please anyone.
 

SuSa

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I've known it since about 5th grade.

I had it shoved in my face after reading "Rich Dad, Poor Dad" (A book written about a rich dad's view on what's important, and a middle class dad. Basically, Poor Dad said go to school, get a good education so you can get a good job. Rich dad said get assets as early as possible, save earlier rather then later, OWN the corporate ladder; rather then climb it. Funny thing is, Poor Dad (IIRC) graduate high school/college (one or the other), rich dad was a high school drop out who had a good financial education and could see what's really important.

/wall of text

tl;dr
Those who are financially educated are better off then anything you could possibly learn in school.
 

Yaya

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I have learned absolutely nothing from School.

It's THAT much of a waste of time for me.
 

Jam Stunna

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I've learned that working hard and putting in the effort to perform well, and then performing well, is one of the best feelings in the world. There really is nothing like getting an "A" on an assignment, and knowing that you really busted your *** to earn that grade.
 

SuSa

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I've learned that working hard and putting in the effort to perform well, and then performing well, is one of the best feelings in the world. There really is nothing like getting an "A" on an assignment, and knowing that you really busted your *** to earn that grade.
But what is that "A" really giving you? Besides being a mark in a class that could honestly mean very little in your future? So you picked up on a task better then someone else, congratulations. You may be the manager instead of the courtesy clerk. That's what grades tell me. The good part, is I don't plan to be an employee for any longer then I have to be.

Don't get me wrong, I'm getting a standard job - but that is not what I have planned for my life. I have businesses planned out (3 in fact), one of which I was doing well with for a time. But school got in the way. Another, if school wasn't in the way, I'd be able to advertise more and work for a longer time. I handed out 7 DOOR TO DOOR fliers and got 3 customers. I have a deal with a printing company to get 1000 fliers. If 7 netted me 3, I could only imagine 1000 in several communities, rather then 7 in a small culd-a-sac Each customer is $60-$130 a month and I work maybe 5 minutes a day, twice a week for each customer?

School just gets in my way, glad it's only there for 2 more years.

I'd drop out, but my parents don't trust me enough and want me to have a diploma to fall back on. To be quite honest, a fall back never killed anyone. So I'll at least give them the pleasure of me graduating high school for them.
 

Spelt

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i learned that if you strategically place your head in english class while you're suppose to be reading something you can sleep without being raged at.
 

Insetick

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Don't get me wrong, I'm getting a standard job - but that is not what I have planned for my life. I have businesses planned out (3 in fact), one of which I was doing well with for a time.
Business is risky, but naturally has high rewards. My dad has started a small adhesives business and it's building up very quickly. It'll actually be our family's fallback since his job is at risk (which is annoying, seeing that he graduated from Cornell U).

I plan on minoring in business/finance so I can maintain my dad's business when he retires. However, I mainly want to do premed so I can have a secure job. Step one for me is of course getting into a good school, which has been stressing me out b/c I feel like I haven't done enough in HS. :ohwell:
 

Jam Stunna

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But what is that "A" really giving you? Besides being a mark in a class that could honestly mean very little in your future? So you picked up on a task better then someone else, congratulations. You may be the manager instead of the courtesy clerk. That's what grades tell me. The good part, is I don't plan to be an employee for any longer then I have to be.


Cynicism- Cruise Control for Cool ™
 

SuSa

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People go for what is "safe" or "secure".

I believe both were actually used directly in "Rich Dad, Poor Dad"

Stay blinded by your education, work your safe job, never take risks. You may always have enough to get by, but that's all you are doing. Just getting by.

Rich Dad said:
"Job. It stands for "Just Over Broke""
People treat money differently then life. You still learn by failure. No one successful succeeded without first failing. Disney has gone bankrupt several times. Donald Trump nearly lost his entire business (IIRC). The owner of AT&T was actually going to sell his small company to Western Union Bank for $100,000 back when he first started it due to it not working out for him. The bank laughed at him and refused his offer, and now AT&T is a multi-million dollar corperation.

Quote by Michael Jordan:
I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.

It is because people are afraid of failure when it comes to things that involve money. So they go for safe, and get caught in the trap of a 9-5 for most (if not all) of their working life.

Even doctors and lawyers, generally well sought after jobs, would not be called "rich". They may be better off then most, have more surplus then most, but are not "rich".

Anyone who is rich, took a chance of failing. It's that simple....if you can refer me to someone extremely successful who did not take a chance to get to where they are at, or "played it safe" - please let me know.
[/quote]


 

Aurasmash14

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This^ its quite easy to understand. no pain no game. if you wont risk failing, ya wont get the chance at succeeding.My dad quit his job and became self-employed. now he works from 9-12, and the family is better off now. but this happened AFTER going broke thrice.
 

SuperBowser

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I'd rather do a job I genuinely enjoy than make a bunch of money :ohwell:

Anyways, school didn't teach me as much as I'd have liked. I guess the most useful academic skill I learnt was to be able to pick up a textbook and learn it by myself.
 

SuSa

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I can do my hobby as a job I enjoy while making a bunch of money by having others work for me.

See how that works out?

@Aurasmash
I am assuming am to am. May I ask what your father does as a living?
 

Jim Morrison

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Haha, no SuSa, working 3-4 hours a day is reasonable really. My dad works as a freelancer, he builds props and sceneries for plays in theatre and that little ******* sleeps from 4 AM to 12 PM and then goes to sit on the comp for 3 hours, then he works on his design for 2 hours and gets paid 12000 euros in a few months of barely working. He has awesome TV, TV screen, a great house outside, close to super market and I can see the happiness shining off his face. He only has himself to take care of himself. (+ paying money to my mother for the children)

When I grow up, I wanna be just like this lazy ****er. My life would be complete.

EDIT: So Michael Jackson Jordan missed...
OVER 9000 SHOTS!?
 

SuSa

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I freelanced a bit in the web design business. I worked 2 hours a day. Made good money, but not often due to not really being known... at all. lol

Michael Jordan, not Jackson.

And I know a 3-4 hour day is reasonable, that's why I assumed AM to AM (9am to 12am, 3 hour day). Then I inquired about what his job was.
 

ndayday

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It taught me that humans are selfish and cruel.

I mean, you really don't learn that at home unless your parental unit(s) tell you all the sick stuff people have done in the past.
**** bucket-dippers.
 

zeldspazz

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I have learned one thing in Earth Science:

No matter how long you stare at that rock, it doesnt ****ing change :mad:
 

Mr. Rogu

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school might be long and boring but just realize this: without proper education, you cant go anyway in this country these days. especially in our current economy situation. yeah, im taking classes that im probably gonna never use in my life but its the stuff i need to go to college and learn what i wanna do with my life there.
 

Firus

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school might be long and boring but just realize this: without proper education, you cant go anyway in this country these days. especially in our current economy situation. yeah, im taking classes that im probably gonna never use in my life but its the stuff i need to go to college and learn what i wanna do with my life there.
School isn't required to get places in the world. You're generally better off doing so, but it's absolutely not true that you can't do anything unless you go to school/college.
 

Insetick

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school might be long and boring but just realize this: without proper education, you cant go anyway in this country these days. especially in our current economy situation. yeah, im taking classes that im probably gonna never use in my life but its the stuff i need to go to college and learn what i wanna do with my life there.
What you learn in class is useless unless you're genuinely interested in something (or do trivia gameshows all your life). I love biology, so I've absorbed a lot from my bio class that may come into use one day. Ultimately, the college you go to determines the jobs you're offered upon graduating. Most people think that's all that matters.

I would disagree. As I stated, I've learned life lessons and life skills from HS. I used to be a very quiet student. I joined the Model UN team (basically a debate-type club), and now I'm a great public speaker. It also offers me chances to teach new members, which has improved my leadership skills. I actually got to put my bio knowledge to use in my last conference where my committee's topic was epidemic fallout- this is evidence of how classes can be helpful.

You shouldn't just think of school in terms of classes. If you take advantage of clubs and extracurriculars, you gain very useful and important life skills.
 

CRASHiC

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School isn't required to get places in the world. You're generally better off doing so, but it's absolutely not true that you can't do anything unless you go to school/college.
Actually, you'd be surprise how much this has changed. In order to be a manager at Waffle House in Florida, you must have at least 2 years college experience.
yep. that's right COLLEGE EXPERIENCE to work at WAFFLE HOUSE.
The career fields have changed. Education is not to prove you are intelligent, but to prove you can follow through with something.
 

Ishiey

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School taught me that society is horribly ****ed up and that the majority of people who have power are really incompetent. My principal cut substitutes from the school budget, but got new computers, monitors, keyboard, pointless letters to put up on the school, AND a new vending machine for the lunch company that doesn't give ANY of its proceeds to the school. Where the **** are his priorities.

It also taught me that people want you to be society's ***** and fill slots for whatever jobs are available instead of actually doing something useful that you want to do with your life.

**** school.

:059:
 

El Nino

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This thread is full of lulz.

What did school teach me? That's a good question. My high school was designed by a prison architect. It taught me that there are no windows facing the outer perimeter, and only one toilet in the bathroom ever works.

I admire ambition in almost anyone. But a word of caution.

My father read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." He quotes it. He's a former assembly line technician turned business man; he's a risk taker. He's been marginally successful in recent years. But a little while ago, the bank called saying that the money he owed them was going to collections. My brother bailed his *** out. My brother, with his 9 to 5 wage slave job.

As for the value of knowledge? There's knowledge, and then there's application. One is useless without the other. If you have vast amounts of knowledge but don't use it, nothing comes of it. If you apply yourself but have little to no information about how the world around you works, you're running blind, and you could easily run off a cliff (see: most recent economic recession). So, I would advise anyone to build up both skills.
 

Insetick

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School taught me that society is horribly ****ed up and that the majority of people who have power are really incompetent. My principal cut substitutes from the school budget, but got new computers, monitors, keyboard, pointless letters to put up on the school, AND a new vending machine for the lunch company that doesn't give ANY of its proceeds to the school. Where the **** are his priorities.

It also taught me that people want you to be society's ***** and fill slots for whatever jobs are available instead of actually doing something useful that you want to do with your life.

**** school.

:059:
I feel that you could have written to the school board/superintendents to complain about the principal. Then again, it's important for a school to keep up with new tech. and maintain a good image. The money had to come from somewhere, and it looks like the substitute-teacher budget was the best option for the principal.

My school + teachers have been preaching to us about doing what we want. They give a lot of options, like a hundred extracurriculars, dozens of sports, and a wide variety of fine arts. This year, I'm taking a philosophy and psych class, which are obviously outside the normal liberal arts curriculum.

My school has been doing the same for college applicants. When I mentioned Johns Hopkins in front of my counselor, I got an earful about applying to every Ivy League school for the sake of going to a name-brand college. I had to spend ten minutes convincing her that JH is an option b/c I want to study bio/chem and do premed. I think my school does a good job of getting students to do what they want.

My school, however, is the equivalent to an Ivy League in terms of academics and wealth. I know not all schools offer the same opportunities as mine, but I'm sure education is still improving.
 

SuSa

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This thread is full of lulz.

What did school teach me? That's a good question. My high school was designed by a prison architect. It taught me that there are no windows facing the outer perimeter, and only one toilet in the bathroom ever works.

I admire ambition in almost anyone. But a word of caution.

My father read "Rich Dad, Poor Dad." He quotes it. He's a former assembly line technician turned business man; he's a risk taker. He's been marginally successful in recent years. But a little while ago, the bank called saying that the money he owed them was going to collections. My brother bailed his *** out. My brother, with his 9 to 5 wage slave job.

As for the value of knowledge? There's knowledge, and then there's application. One is useless without the other. If you have vast amounts of knowledge but don't use it, nothing comes of it. If you apply yourself but have little to no information about how the world around you works, you're running blind, and you could easily run off a cliff (see: most recent economic recession). So, I would advise anyone to build up both skills.
It really depends what your dad did as a business man.

Some people do fail at it. Some just fail a bit harder then others.
 

Insetick

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Susa, I feel that you talk about business as if it almost ensures success.

I adamantly feel that one's success in starting a small business is almost entirely based on luck. Not everyone can start a self-sufficient business. Of those who can, very few can become rich. Every small store you see (like flowershops, barbershops, etc.) is a small business that obviously doesn't rake in millions.

The most I can say is good luck when you begin your own small business, because there are no guarantees.
 

SuSa

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I am stating that there are those who fail, for whatever reason.

If I do a business where my business pertains only to a specific time of year, or to a certain era (Do people still need my service/product?) Then the profit is short lived compared to something that can adapt and change with the time.

Which do you think is more successful:
Beeper/Pagers or Cell Phones?

That being a poor example.
 

El Nino

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There's a portion of any outcome in life that depends on your own actions, but the rest often depends on circumstances beyond your control. This applies to both gamblers and nine-to-fivers. When Wall Street makes bad decisions, it makes bad decisions as a herd. Then the whole **** just snowballs and takes down the little people. In reality, no option is completely safe and secure. We're all winging it. But this is why it pays to have working knowledge of the world at large; this is why there is still value to education, to knowing how systems work. And to caution.

My father took risks for greater gains, but my mother kept the business grounded. When he first started, she was still doing her nine-to-five, and for a while she was our only reliable source of income. For the first few years when you open a small business, you're not going to be making any money. When things even out, you'll still be paying off loans. If not for my mother being practical and cautious, my parents would be in a worse situation than they are now.

I guess the moral is, surround yourself with good people, and not just people who always agree with you. It helps to have someone else balance out your own deficiencies.
 

Insetick

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My dad used to work for Motorola, which used to be a great cell-phone manufacturer. But the competition is wrecking Motorola, and it's in the gutter.

I'm sure that a creative idea and a lot of effort will go a long way, but you can't assume that your business will be successful. Among other reasons, the market changes and you can't predict it.
 

highfive

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School taught me how to spell, write, do arithmetic, catch a ball, how to study for a test, which girls will just burn you over and over again, how to be part of a crowd but never how to stand out. That's something you need to learn by yourself.
 

Kantō

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besides the normal reading/writing/counting answers , i was fortunate enough to go to a highschool that offered college credit culinarly arts courses. i never knew that i would love to cook so much before i took this class (because i was failing and needed something to boost my grades). im so glad that i learned how to cook there and made it my career to this day.
 

Insetick

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School taught me how to... be part of a crowd but never how to stand out. That's something you need to learn by yourself.
Obviously, school can't teach a person how to stand out. But I think school shows why it's important to be unique and offers plenty of opportunities.

A lot of a student's success in school depends upon standing out, like if you apply to a position in student government. If you're aiming to do well in school, it should be obvious that individuality is incredibly important.

Its taught me how to fit in.
You're focusing on the social aspect, right? Fitting in socially really isn't important.
 

Teran

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And why would you ever want to do that?
To many, conformity is a pleasure, just as to others, conformity is seen as something to avoid.

The obvious reason for conformity for me is not standing out, and having judgment passed on you for whatever thing you've shown yourself to have a different outlook on.

For example, most British schools have school uniform, for the reason that it removes the barrier of clothing tastes, and students will all interact and make their friendships by means of personal compatibility. It's nice when someone doesn't ignore someone because they're dressed in urban clothes or tight jeans. Differences are what keep us apart, and conformity is good in that it doesn't exaggerate our differences (which obviously exist), but rather remind us of what we have in common. Believe it or not, people have a lot more simlarities than differences, it's just that society likes to exaggerate the differences we have to create barriers and distinctions.

As Huey Lewis said, "it's hip to be square".
 
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