 |
| Well, this is awkward. |
So, we’ve finally reached that fork in the
road that most of us have been dreading for some time now: what are our plans
for the future, both short-term and long-term? In other words, which is the
lesser hell we hope to pursue in order to get a career that pays the bills. I’m
willing to wager that regardless of your level of enthusiasm for the path
you’ve set yourself upon, you’re worried. After all, this is
university/college/workforce we’re talking about here; there’s no half-assing
your way through it like you did in high school. You’re looking at long,
grueling hours of hard work with your brain in 6th gear 24/6 (you
need at least one day to party, A.K.A sit at home and watch television). Instead
of staying up late to surf Twitter and watching “Keeping up with the
Kardashians” (guilty), you’ll be pulling all nighters finishing that immunology
essay you should have started a month ago. After the initial shock of your
first few feeble passing grades (which frankly, you deserved), you’ll begin to
pick up the slack and take this game a little more seriously.
The problem with university and school in
general, is that the subject matter that is being taught tends to be useless. I
mean, how many of us actually know how to balance a check book, file taxes, pay
bills, and manage budgets (but I’m ever so glad I can derive a polynomial function)?
Sure, some could say that’s a parent’s job, but how did your parents discover
it? If the first and foremost reason we attend school is to learn, shouldn’t we
be taught the most essential life skills that will actually benefit us? Every
teacher reminds us that we’re young adults at this point, but put us in the
real world on our own, and I guarantee the majority of us won’t even know how
to use a plunger. Food for thought…
 |
| Life without technology probably sucked. |
Then you start to think, maybe the point of
the educational system isn’t about what you learn, but how you learn. By that,
I mean the mental process that goes on in your head to solve an equation, to
memorize a series of chapters for an exam, to comprehend an advanced
vocabulary, or simply to deal with the avalanche of responsibilities that
threatens to crush you. Maybe math isn’t about knowing how to transform an
exponential function into a logarithm, but about developing problem solving
skills; breaking down complex fictional characters develops your analytical
abilities; reading about ancient civilizations shows you how much better life
is with internet. School is a cocoon that isolates you from the realities of
the world until you’re ready to face real world challenges; you might have to
brave some difficult weather here and there, but ultimately you should emerge
as an able-bodied and extremely tired butterfly.
 |
| "I'm ready! Promotion!" |
I may not be in university yet, but I have
a sister who’s in medical school. You can trust me when I say it’s only uphill
from here. For all of you actually considering dropping your studies and
flipping burgers, life is like a bank account, in that you only get what you
put into it. As my old man puts it: “Work hard now, play even harder later”.
DISCLAIMER: “Flipping burgers is not
beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a word for flipping burgers-they
called it opportunity.” –Bill Gates (1)
References:
I, for one, am super worried. Not because I feel unprepared, but because I feel as though I don't know myself enough yet to make such monumental decisions. I'm only 17! I'm still a child in my own little world. Perhaps its by choice, but I'd like to think I'm not the only one who feels this way. Revenons à nos moutons, I don't feel prepared only because I haven't fully discovered who I am, not because I don't know how to pay taxes or use a plunger. School has however helped me discover who I am as a person to a certain extent, which to me is much more valuable than being able to pay my non-existent mortgage payments at the age of 17. These basic life skills are called "basic" for a reason, meaning that they're at the base of all skills and therefore must be simple. If for some reason you're unable to acquire these BASIC skills on your own initiative, not to sound harsh, but you're probably incompetent.
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm slightly confused, but maybe you can clarify. You say school has helped you discover who you are to a certain extent, yet you still feel you don't know yourself well enough to make these big choices. Has school therefore not failed in it's attempt to prepare you for the future? The time to decide is fast approaching, and if you're not ready yet (you're not the only one), when will you be? The road beneath our feet is running out; before you know it, you'll be in your twenties. Will you be ready by then to pay a very-existent mortgage or debt and manage independent living? I like to think ahead; you may disagree, but I believe every one can benefit from a basic life skills class, in the sense that these skills should make up the base of our know-how.
DeleteAren't we all shivering in our rain boots? Hell, I am going to be utterly alone in a foreign city at a school 10x larger than any I have frequented before. You truly do not realize how fleeting youth is until you are introduced to reality. It's funny because when I think about it the nervousness is coupled with ecstasy for what the future beholds. As for your "reading about ancient civilizations shows you how much better life is with internet" comment, I could not believe my eyes! We are definitely blessed to have a plethora of information at our fingertips, but with all of the falsification of information and the pointless social media with its endless consequences, I'd almost dare to say we have over-abused this advancement.
ReplyDeleteAs you already know, you won't be alone dans la belle Ville-Marie! I am very much inclined to agree with you, although I am quite guilty myself, social media has been quite the plague. Unfortunately, I am not sure that the internet would have evolved to become anything else than what it is today.
DeleteWhere have all the years gone? It's true that our precious time as innocent children has vanished in a blink of an eye. My only hope is that we all learned something from it all. Your future is one that is shared by many, and one I would be afraid to contemplate. Perhaps I haven't developed your level of independence, and all the better to you for your competency and courage. In regards to your claim concerning our improper use of technology, you could not be more right. However, nothing worth having comes without its fair share of challenges, and I am willing to make the effort to preserve the integrity of this tool. We wouldn't be having this conversation without it, after all.
ReplyDeleteI remember teachers always telling us that elementary school would prepare us for high school and that high school would in fact prepare us for university. I do believe that we were somewhat prepared to tackle the new challenges that were ahead of us, but I also feel as though we are not fully prepared for what is about to come until we experience for ourselves. That being said, although we have prepared ourselves (or tried to at least) for whichever route we are choosing to take next year, I think it is safe to say that none of us know what to fully expect.
ReplyDeleteI completely forgot you were in my English class, this is the first blog I have read of yours so far, but let me tell you that it was the most inspirational thing that I have read, I didn’t even know someone could speak like that but wow, you sure did man. I'll be reading all of your blogs now.
ReplyDeleteThis post, is the one post that I know everyone can relate to! I believe that school is only there to teach you life lessons that you will later on use. It teaches you problem solving skills, time management, organization and analyzing situations. Yet I feel as if it doesn't really prepare you for your future. I feel lost, I am going to Wayne State University for Biomedical Engineering, and I have no idea what I am up against. I fear I'll fail my classes, I fear I will lose all my money because I can't keep track of it well enough to budget....etc. My parents have said that high school will be the best years of my life, but what about after high school? I feel as if I wasted my high school years, trying to get the needed grades to get in my university program. I lost so many chances to go to parties because I had to study, and now I feel like I am facing a brick wall that is impossible to climb and it will be hard times from now on out! Looking further after high school it seems to be all down hill and miserable! I hope it pays off in the end!
ReplyDelete