High School dropout

[mikeyg]

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone else had dropped out of high school, for whatever reason.  I dropped out about 6 months ago, right before christmas break in my junior year.  I just couldn't stand the fact that it was more of a daycare than an institute of education.  I since have been taking courses at UNH (University of New Hampshire).

So... discuss.

[Torp]

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone else had dropped out of high school, for whatever reason.  I dropped out about 6 months ago, right before christmas break in my junior year.  I just couldn't stand the fact that it was more of a daycare than an institute of education.  I since have been taking courses at UNH (University of New Hampshire).

So... discuss.

Sounds more like you moved on rather than dropped out.  Big difference in how you sell that concept.

"Institute of Education"      mikeyg, you're a funny guy!!

[tds]

mikeyg, you have stronger personality than many of us do.

tds *thinks lamely of himself*

[pianonut]

at least get your GED.  finishing anything looks good on record.  some of your college credits MUST fit in somehow, right?  go back to your HS with your parents and have a talk with the admin. - am sure you could work out a home study - and get it done quicker than at school.  most schools don't advertise that they allow home study, but with the exception of maybe science (which you could take in college), most classes are simply study.  you might have to take your work in every friday or something, but that's probably not that hard.   then, when your graduation time comes, what would keep you from getting your diploma!

[mikeyg]

at least get your GED.  finishing anything looks good on record.  some of your college credits MUST fit in somehow, right?  go back to your HS with your parents and have a talk with the admin. - am sure you could work out a home study - and get it done quicker than at school.  most schools don't advertise that they allow home study, but with the exception of maybe science (which you could take in college), most classes are simply study.  you might have to take your work in every friday or something, but that's probably not that hard.   then, when your graduation time comes, what would keep you from getting your diploma!

I've already bagged my GED.  My god, that was a long test... (8 hours  )

We tried to work something like that out, but the administration was unwilling to cooperate.

[tds]

oh, i m sure mike will finish high school alright. he'll go on achieving much success in future education. my prediction is he'll get his doctorate degree faster than most people think a person could. mike is smarter than 10 tds's combined. heh...

oh mike, do that kamehameha thing again.....

tds * 1/2 drunk*

[00range]

I have a similar story myself; I grew up in NH and bounced around in it's school systems as well.

I had struggled for a few years through high school (public, private and homeschool), when I eventually had enough and dropped out. Your sentiments of the daycare mentality mirror my own - if they keep their charges from hurting eachother and themselves it's a substantial victory. Although, with the tools they're given, I can't exactly hold them at fault. Teachers are underpaid, undermanned and sorely neglected in today's country. Throw in all of the psychiatric drugging (NH school systems had the highest per capita in the US a few years back) and the "special education" programs running rampant, I felt it was in my best interest to move on.

Two weeks after I formally dropped out, I got my GED. The standards are rather low and anyone who cared to would be able to pass them with ease, with a little studying on the side at worst.

In the year since, I've been studying music at a small community college and writing for my own enjoyment on the side,  not having the burden of high school has made a world of difference.

I was considering taking some English/writing courses at UNH myself. What, may I ask, are you enrolled in? How would you rate your experiences thereat?

[Goldberg]

I'm about the same as 00range, having gone through public, private, public, private, homeschool (in that order--I spent the most time in private school) and finally a local community college. I "dropped out" two years early and signed up for homeschool, and after two semesters at the college, working with dual credit classes, my parents graduated me to make me a full-time college student a year ahead (that is, I *would* be a senior if I were still in high school right now). It's definitely the way to go, and I only wish we had thought of it sooner! No flunking around with zombies who were socially raised by evening television sitcoms and who consider learning things "gay."--or, what's worse, they believe they ARE actually learning something in those absolutely ridiculous classes and, having done their "duty" after school lets out, are free to go vegetate.

Well, to be honest, that's not what it was like at my private school; the classes there were very well-taught and enthusiastically attended by MOST students...

But, still, the independent community college thing allows a much more flexible schedule for practicing and reading things that are more interesting that school material, and indeed even having fun every now and then. What's more, you get college credits while doing it, so when you want to go to a "real" school it's theoretically much easier to apply (actually, to transfer) to one rather than try out with all the other high school seniors; but, I'll grant that it depends a lot on the specific university. Some might not accept certain credits from the community college or the administration may have steep demands for transfer students. For me, those concerns are negligble, however. When in a stimulating atmosphere, I am a hard working student who always enjoys learning...so steep demands only motivate me.

Then again, it's not like my school is exactly the most stimulating environment this side of Cambridge. You do have to keep in mind that if you go to a community college, most of the people who are in your classes will be students who went all the way through high school and still do not care enough about education to go anywhere better than the community college. I do not associate closely with the student body at my current school, mainly because all they seem to talk about other than which teacher is easier than the next one usually includes alcohol, drugs, sex, or sports of some kind. Even the ones who do well in classes never seem to care much for the material itself; they have been trained, it would seem, to accept answers from a teacher, memorize them, spit them out at a test after looking for certain patterns in questions (for instance, "ok, he said that if I see THIS phrase, I do THIS and if I see this shape here it means I reverse such and such..." or whatever), and then forget them later.

Again, it's a good place to be if you hate public high schools, but, at least at *my* particular school, I wouldn't advise staying in community college for too long! I always make sure I am advancing far beyond the boundaries of my decidedly dull and limited classes, and hope to get into a far more prestigious school after another year or, at most, two.

[mikeyg]

I was considering taking some English/writing courses at UNH myself. What, may I ask, are you enrolled in? How would you rate your experiences thereat?

In spring I took English Comp 1, Calculus 1, Piano 2, Engineering design, and Java Programming.  Right now I'm in Calculus 2 and Physics.

All I can say is that the experience is much, much better than that of highschool.  Although I may not have been very socially active (I hang out with my old friends), the people there are very nice.  I encourage you to join.  However, next year I think I may go to UChicago or something like that.   

[mikeyg]

Oh yeah, and I'm double majoring in physics and math, but that may change if the course work becomes ridiculous.

[BoliverAllmon]

I personally didn't go to school for about two years. I despised it. It was just the same crap over and over again. My senior year I joined school again and graduated. Took some work but oh well. High school sucks

[keys]

The only bigger waste of time then high school that I can imagine, is elemenatry and middle school.

[rob47]

I'm more of a college drop out like Kanye West.

Although I'm still enrolled,  I made the mistake of thinking my piano playing is god-like and only focusing on that.  Whereas I really should have been focusing on theory, history, and my electives.  OH well.

[Goldberg]

Your playing IS god-like, man! We at the Piano Mafia confirmed you as "The One" a week or two ago, after hearing your elaborate improvisation on themes from "The Godfather" and we now submit to you the course of life that has been your destiny ever since birth. You most go into the concert world, dear Rob, and eliminate everything that has to do with Lang Lang. It is completely up to you to change the course of music history and annhilate all that is evil for the recital hall. Before your task is complete, you will have to face Lang Lang mano-a-mano and end the ridicule on the spot with an epic duel that won't end until one of you collapses.

Once Lang Lang has been eliminated, Thalberg-style, you will go on to inspire millions and receive a glistening halo that floats around your head...oh and a chorus of angels to follow you around where you go, free of charge. By that point, your skills will be so advanced, you won't even have to touch the keys anymore. All you will have to do is *believe* in yourself and the instrument and, with the slightest thought, you can manipulate any piano to do anything imaginable.

The rest of us will just sit back, eat Krispy Kreme donuts and have some booze. ON MY TAB!!!!!!

[rob47]

Your playing IS god-like, man! We at the Piano Mafia confirmed you as "The One" a week or two ago, after hearing your elaborate improvisation on themes from "The Godfather" and we now submit to you the course of life that has been your destiny ever since birth. You most go into the concert world, dear Rob, and eliminate everything that has to do with Lang Lang. It is completely up to you to change the course of music history and annhilate all that is evil for the recital hall. Before your task is complete, you will have to face Lang Lang mano-a-mano and end the ridicule on the spot with an epic duel that won't end until one of you collapses.

Once Lang Lang has been eliminated, Thalberg-style, you will go on to inspire millions and receive a glistening halo that floats around your head...oh and a chorus of angels to follow you around where you go, free of charge. By that point, your skills will be so advanced, you won't even have to touch the keys anymore. All you will have to do is *believe* in yourself and the instrument and, with the slightest thought, you can manipulate any piano to do anything imaginable.

The rest of us will just sit back, eat Krispy Kreme donuts and have some booze. ON MY TAB!!!!!!

hahaah true.  I will remember this.  And by rememebr this I mean I will remember you agreeing to pick up  the tab 

p.s. did the wiseguys at the Piano Mafia really say all the those nice things abut me? I hope they don't to wack me or something.   

[contrapunctus]

Harvard, Princeton, MIT, or any other good school would not even think of accepting a high school drop-out.

[Bouter Boogie]

Hey, I was just wondering if anyone else had dropped out of high school, for whatever reason.  I dropped out about 6 months ago, right before christmas break in my junior year.  I just couldn't stand the fact that it was more of a daycare than an institute of education.  I since have been taking courses at UNH (University of New Hampshire).

So... discuss.

Nah.. Neva 

[Nana_Ama]

I suppose I'm really lucky because my school is really small and all the students go to class.  The teachers love teaching there and it's really challenging(all of our regular classes are on the honors level).  I even get college credit for my courses.  AND it's free even though you have to get in.    
But... I guess I never realized just how lucky I was...

[Derek]

I dropped out of public school to be homeschooled in 11th grade, then I went to a small private school in 12th grade.

Had these events not occurred, I would very likely not be a musician at all, today.

[mikeyg]

Harvard, Princeton, MIT, or any other good school would not even think of accepting a high school drop-out.

Ah, it's good to see a retard post in this thread.  Self-Esteem++.

Are you *** retarded?  Seriously.  Did you even look at MIT or Cal Tech or any other school statistics?  No, I thought not.  How many drop-outs get 1560 SAT scores?  maybe .1%.  I am a different kind of person then them.  So until you know what the *** you are talking about, don't generalise. 

Harvard, Princeton, MIT, or any other good school would not even think of accepting a retard like you.

[keys]

Ah, it's good to see a retard post in this thread. Self-Esteem++.

Are you *** retarded? Seriously. Did you even look at MIT or Cal Tech or any other school statistics? No, I thought not. How many drop-outs get 1560 SAT scores? maybe .1%. I am a different kind of person then them. So until you know what the *** you are talking about, don't generalise.

Harvard, Princeton, MIT, or any other good school would not even think of accepting a retard like you.

Actually, Harvard University in particular does not give any value to high school diplomas. Funny they should come up in this topic.

[Goldberg]

Same with MIT. In fact, they don't even put THAT large an emphasis on standardised test scores. Only a second rate university would stress such an exceedingly trivial number (though I do not deny that it does have some pull in the admissions, I mean they have to have some point of comparison). One reference source even explained that a reasonable number of students over the years haven't even had GEDs or...whatevers. So, one might imply that schools like MIT understand just as well as we do that public education in America is going to hell and people with any degree of intelligence would get bored of it and figure out some other way to get through.

(and before the flames come, that is not to say that anyone who is still in high school here is stupid, and also it's not to say that I am, for one, smarter than everyone else here. And, no, I do not attend nor have I ever attended MIT, and I am in no way an official spokesperson for them. I'm just going by what I have read and heard from a few sources, including the MIT website.)

[allchopin]

There are better alternatives to coping with the... futility of high school.   Rather than dropping out, you could have considered graduating a year early.  All that is necessary is to possibly take a few summer school courses and get all the required credits out of the way.  I don't regret 3 years of high school at all.

[musik_man]

It doesn't matter if 1337 Colleges don't want people with GED's.  You'll do just as well if you go to a good state school(And you'll spend half as much.)  There was a study that found that people who were accepted into Ivy League but went to public made the same salary as those who went to Ivy League.

[mikeyg]

There are better alternatives to coping with the... futility of high school.   Rather than dropping out, you could have considered graduating a year early.  All that is necessary is to possibly take a few summer school courses and get all the required credits out of the way.  I don't regret 3 years of high school at all.

The problem was that the highschool didn't have the courses to satisfy me.  I had already outgrown all the math and science courses that they had.  Only university level places had the courses I needed..

[Torp]

The problem was that the highschool didn't have the courses to satisfy me.  I had already outgrown all the math and science courses that they had.  Only university level places had the courses I needed..

Does that mean that you completed all the high school courses then?  Couldn't you technically graduate then?  Or is the school P**d as you because you moved on to something more challenging?

[mikeyg]

The school was just not willing to work with me.  they wouldn't accept credits from a respected college, which is complete bull, so I said "screw you guys".  I didn't need to deal with their s***.  But, like was mentioned earlier in the thread, a highschool diploma is becoming less and less necessary to succeed in the modern world.

[Torp]

But, like was mentioned earlier in the thread, a highschool diploma is becoming less and less necessary to succeed in the modern world.

I agree.  I certainly don't believe any diploma is a prerequisite to success.  For that matter, education isn't necessarily a precursor to success.  I've just never been one to limit my options, so I was just wondering.

[classicarts]

Dropping out of school isn't something to brag about.  Now, stop being on the internet and go study boy!!

[BoliverAllmon]

Harvard, Princeton, MIT, or any other good school would not even think of accepting a high school drop-out.

Incorrect. I know of a guy who dropped out of high school, got his GED, went to a community college for a year, applied to harvard and got in on scholarship. It can be done.

boliver

[rc]

The only bigger waste of time then high school that I can imagine, is elemenatry and middle school.

No way! Elementary is probably the most valuable schooling, that's where we all learned to read, write, add/subtract, color in maps (). It's the foundation for everything man!

Like everyone else, I was completely disinterested in highschool education, they really don't make anything remotely interesting. In the last year I became more interested in what we were learning, probably just personal development. But I'll never forget what one teacher said about highschool education:

"You'll be lucky to remember 5% of what we teach here. What you really take away are social skills"

How 'bout Mark Twain: "I never let my schooling get in the way of my education"

 

So yeah, highschool was an overrated joke.