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Post by gato on Mar 9, 2024 5:43:40 GMT -5
I read occasionally of peoples' attitudes regarding their years in school. Some lament growing up .."it was the best time of my life"... while for others school was an ongoing nightmare, regardless of the grade level.
As my dad's job kept us bouncing around all over the country, I was the perennial new kid. We always seemed to land in another state with the new semester well underway. Some of my worst memories involve an entire class going silent, as the school principal enters the classroom with me in tow. The New Kid.
The teacher, probably caught unaware of being saddled with this additional responsibility, scrambles to shift her seating chart, and since I'm already standing frozen in front of the class, exhorts me to "tell us a little about yourself."
Given a choice ... the speech, or undergoing a root canal, I would have opted for the dental work. As you can probably deduce, school for me was an ordeal; never quite finding my footing, before shipping off to yet another state, another school
How about you? Was school where you made lasting friendships? Are you the high school reunion type?
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Post by Leftee on Mar 9, 2024 8:08:32 GMT -5
My school years were a mixed bag for sure. I was pretty socially awkward around the young ladies. I wasn’t a jock. Instead I was a band nerd (trumpet). That was quite formative in my life actually.
I’ve never been to any of my class reunions. I’m toying with going to an alumni dinner one of these years. And I think I’d rather attend one of those than a reunion. Most of my school friends were in other classes. I kept up with my best friend (who was in the class behind me) for about 10 years after school. But even that drifted to the wayside.
School days were not what I consider the best years of my life.
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Post by Rick Knight on Mar 9, 2024 8:31:11 GMT -5
Gato's experience is much like my wife's. She was always the new kid; and went to 4 different high schools.
I grew up in a small town and my school years couldn't have been much more stable. I went through 8 years of grade school, mostly with the same kids, and 4 years of high school with most of them, and kids from other grade schools, many of whom I already knew from playing baseball and basketball against them while in grade school. There were 11 or 12 in my grade school graduation class and a little over 60 in high school.
It seems odd to me that my wife always felt like an outsider, as I was always pleased by the arrival of someone new. I thought my life was boring and couldn't wait to go somewhere else. I didn't see the point of reunions for several years; but went to the 25th and enjoyed it enough that I have continued to attend most of them.
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Post by Leftee on Mar 9, 2024 9:08:46 GMT -5
Years ago we went to my x’s 20 year reunion (same school, year behind me). Aside from seeing my best friend, it was just awkward. All the people who stayed in the area gravitated to each other, and those that had left were left on the periphery.
It’s a small school in a rural area. I think there were @120 in my graduating class.
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Post by Rick Knight on Mar 9, 2024 9:26:45 GMT -5
All the people who stayed in the area gravitated to each other, and those that had left were left on the periphery. That's unfortunate, but it hasn't been my experience to any significant degree. Perhaps that's because I have stayed in touch with some of them and/or because I still have a lot of family in the area and so return for occasional visits? |
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Post by Leftee on Mar 9, 2024 9:31:15 GMT -5
My HS was small yet cliquish. I guess that carried on in life for some.
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Post by rickyguitar on Mar 9, 2024 9:42:21 GMT -5
Wouldn't call it the best years. I just wanted out. Graduating class of 300 and some. No reunions for me.
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Post by ninworks on Mar 9, 2024 9:47:03 GMT -5
I lived in the same school district all my life. I had known many of my high school classmates since 1st grade or thereabout. I was always the tallest or one of the tallest my age in my school all through school. I was kind of nerdy but I was pretty good in sports, played Little League Baseball during the summers and was one of the better players in our sizable league. As a result of that I was usually involved with some kind of sports in school. I was the tetherball champ the last 2 years I was in grade school. I had an athletic brother who was 5 years older than me and we had a tetherball pole at home that we played on constantly. He always needed someone to throw a baseball at or play horse with a basketball and I was readily available to him whenever he wanted and I was willing. I played sports through my Junior High school years and that's when I discovered it was a lot easier to sit on my bed and play guitar than it was running up and down a court or field everyday playing some kind of sports. I also found out that girls liked it. I was hooked.
I played in the high school's jazz band my last 2 years and met some lifelong friends I am still in close contact with even though we live in different states.
There were 900 students in my high school graduating class. My best friend was the valedictorian and he was also the other guitarist in the stage band so we had a lot of the same friends.
I guess I was lucky to be bigger than everyone else my age because nobody ever really messed with me. There were a couple times older guys picked on me but after I retaliated they left me alone. They thought they were intimidating until I punched them in the mouth. Remember, I had a brother 5 years older than me so I had to defend myself often. I wasn't a tough guy or in the who's who of school politics but I think I was somewhat respected by those who were. I tended to hang out with the musician types. I was also a behind the scenes thespian. I usually worked in lighting and special effects. I often got the stage manager position in the productions.
My school years weren't what I would call the best time of my life but they weren't bad. The best times in my life came after finishing high school and starting to play in bands with my buddies through college and after.
I haven't attended any of our class reunions. I got a notice a couple weeks ago that they are organizing our 50 year reunion next year and I might attend that to see who shows up. I doubt any of my close friends will attend by I might see one or two people I liked somewhat. I lost touch with my valedictorian friend and he is nowhere on social media. He's the one I would really like to see. I haven't found his name on any of the survivor lists but there's a strong possibility that he could have been a 911 victim at the WTC. I am told he was working for Lehman Bros. in NYC at that time. I just don't know if it was at that location.
Pat, if you're out there, Kenny wants you to please message him. Maryvale HS 1975 was a long time ago.
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Post by HenryJ on Mar 9, 2024 9:51:02 GMT -5
My school years were a mixed bag for sure. I was pretty socially awkward around the young ladies. I wasn’t a jock. Instead I was a band nerd (trumpet). That was quite formative in my life actually. I’ve never been to any of my class reunions. I’m toying with going to an alumni dinner one of these years. And I think I’d rather attend one of those than a reunion. Most of my school friends were in other classes. I kept up with my best friend (who was in the class behind me) for about 10 years after school. But even that drifted to the wayside. School days were not what I consider the best years of my life. A lot like my experience. The best I can say is that "I did NOT peak in high school!" The closest I have come to a class reunion was my 10th, when I was busy all that weekend. I would love to go to a reunion, but I don't think they have them. Or maybe I was just invisible. I think there are about 110 or 112 in my graduating class. Class of 1966. On graduation night, a lot of my classmates were awarded scholarships. Of all the students who did NOT get a scholarship, I was the one who graduated with the best grade-point average. Now there's a dubious distinction for you. |
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michael
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Post by michael on Mar 9, 2024 10:13:38 GMT -5
i was a USAF brat. never in the same school more than 2 years until dad retired when i was in middle school. i learned to make friends quick but i never knew anyone long. best school days were college... best friends... still have several but they're starting to pass.
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Post by Leftee on Mar 9, 2024 10:29:22 GMT -5
In hindsight I’ve very glad they weren’t the best times of my life.
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Post by gato on Mar 9, 2024 11:04:26 GMT -5
In hindsight I’ve very glad they weren’t the best times of my life. Years ago, my son spoke of an arrogant SOB who was in his class in high school. The guy was a champ at football, had all the accolades (and chicks). He was one of those "most likely to succeed". After graduation, time to find a job. To "Champ's" surprise, employers were more inclined to hire workers with real world skills. I can picture the guy sitting down for an interview, wearing his lettermen jacket, showing the employer pictures of himself from the high school yearbook. "Here I am intercepting the pass that won the game!" |
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mikem
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Post by mikem on Mar 9, 2024 11:26:18 GMT -5
I was a non-jock band-nerd in high school. I went to my graduating class' 10th year reunion and haven't been to another since...... That ^^^reunion featured all of the (now overweight) football players & cheerleaders reliving "that great catch...". DONE with that.
My HS years were quite excellent though as my girlfriend (sophomore through senior year) was the sweetest/prettiest blonde....... The jocks couldn't believe it!
a side note: If I had a job that kept me moving throughout the country every few years I would definitely have my children play a band instrument; trumpet/trombone/clarinet/percussion/etc. so that they could immediately join a school's band = instant friends throughout the school.
A buddy of mine is the HS band director in a town next to Newport, RI (Newport Naval Base) and he sees that many of the military families' kids play wind/percussion band instruments and those kids swing through his program. A HS band always welcomes new players.
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mikem
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Post by mikem on Mar 9, 2024 11:38:58 GMT -5
In hindsight I’ve very glad they weren’t the best times of my life. Years ago, my son spoke of an arrogant SOB who was in his class in high school. The guy was a champ at football, had all the accolades (and chicks). He was one of those "most likely to succeed". After graduation, time to find a job. To "Champ's" surprise, employers were more inclined to hire workers with real world skills. I can picture the guy sitting down for an interview, wearing his lettermen jacket, showing the employer pictures of himself from the high school yearbook. "Here I am intercepting the pass that won the game!" One of my class' jock-heroes best job was as a bouncer at a local club... I'm sure that there was plenty of room for advancement - lol.
Back in my high school teaching days we heard of the jocks bullying the band/chorus/quiet kids and I used to say to myself; I wish that I could tell them all: Be nice to nerds as they-will-be-you-boss-someday. |
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Post by tahitijack on Mar 9, 2024 12:35:48 GMT -5
I can never understand those that say high school was the best time in their lives. Geez you didn't do much since then?
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Post by Taildragger on Mar 9, 2024 13:06:31 GMT -5
I was a top student, very popular and outgoing til I skipped 4th grade. Thereafter, I was an average+ student and physically smaller than everybody else in my grade, which probably helped push me towards being much more introverted from there on. Being a year behind was especially tough when all the other guys were getting their driver's licenses but I wasn't: this was 1960s Los Angeles County where "car culture" and hotrodding were a huge part of socializing.
Never went out for sports: we lived 10 miles outside of town in a then-rural area, but near the beach, so I became a surf rat instead of a football (too small anyway) basketball (too short anyway) or baseball player (no little league where I was at). At that time, there wasn't really any professional surfing (just the Huntington and Makaha contests) and those were more like big beach parties than competitive events. There was no organized, youth/amateur competitive surfing as there is today: surfers were seen as fringe dwellers and rowdy, trouble-making bums by society at large. So it was just me against myself and the ocean as far as participation in competitive sports went. I played some 2-on-2 beach volleyball, but that was informal. It was one sport for which you could easily find enough people for two "teams" in our area. Ping pong was another: just find one other person who's up for it and you're good t'go!
School was OK until the last year and a half of high school. I had to keep my grades up if I wanted to go to college (which my folks were pushing me to do) and most of my friends, who had always been "C-or-worse" students knew they were going to be heading for The Service, so they started partying in earnest. For that reason, we kind of drifted apart and went our separate ways and I became something of a "loner" til graduation. That pretty much cut my high school social ties, so I never felt motivated to go to any reunions, especially since I'd moved several hundred miles away by then. From what I've heard about those events, all the old cliques pretty much reform and it's like you never left: not very appealing as far as I'm concerned:
"All the people who stayed in the area gravitated to each other, and those that had left were left on the periphery."
^Yeah, like that^.
I kept in touch sporadically with a couple of guys from the old neighborhood, but when your conversations basically boil down to "hey: remember the time we...", it gets a little tiresome after the umpteenth time. We'd become such different people by then that we didn't really have much else to talk about, so I've pretty much lost track of them by now.
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Mar 11, 2024 12:46:37 GMT -5
I was a brainiac in grade school. Always the first one done with a test, perfect scores, A+'s. I was also very small for my age all through school and I got picked on some in grade school....mostly in 5th and 6th grade when everyone started really growing and I didn't. When I started high school, I was under 5' tall and about 90 lbs. I was 5'4" and about 120 when I graduated. Sports weren't really an option even though I was very athletic....I was just too small to compete in the sports that interested me. I probably could have been a rock star in wrestling, but that wasn't my thing. With a school of around 2,000 kids, I was always the smallest or one of the smallest kids in school. I was bullied constantly. As a small, scrawny kid, girls had zero interest in me. I went to one homecoming dance with a girl who accepted my invite only because she had no better offers. She spent the entire night ignoring me...she wanted nothing to do with me except to pay for her dinner and drive her to/from the dance. Basically, high school sucked and I couldn't wait for it to be over.
I went to an early reunion....5 year I think it was...hoping to see the one or two people that I was interested in, but they weren't there. I hated it and vowed to never go to aother. The next reunion, I didn't get an invite even though my parents lived in the same house I grew up in.
Everyone said "wait until about the 30 year....all the cliques and stuff dissolve and it's more fun". I tried one because a friend hounded me to go and nobody knew who I was, all the same popular kids hung out together and I was just an ignored bystander. The guy who hounded me to go didn't show up. I won't go to another one....no. freakin'. way.
My wife (no pics) is the same way....zero interest in her class reunions.
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Post by longhair55 on Mar 11, 2024 13:43:21 GMT -5
Graduated in '74, should have been '73,but got "held back" in 4th grade,(which is when it was discovered, I needed glasses, always sat in the back). So, my 50th reunion is this summer.
I've missed a few of the reunions,... I used to hang with the "jocks",.. but "merged" with the "stoners" in high school,.. so I got along with a wide range of former students.
My 5 year reunion was most fun,...more people,and most hadn't drifted apart to much yet,..The last one I went to was the 40th,.. not a lot of people,..but I hung around the bar with the old jocks,.. and while outside where the smokers were, met up with a brown eyed chick I hadn't seen in 40 years, ended up walking back into the building holding hands.
If I do go to the 50th,. it would probably be the last one,..might be interesting to see how many show up.
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Post by Laker on Mar 11, 2024 13:51:32 GMT -5
I was an excellent student up until 5th grade when my family moved from my hometown. At the new school I never seemed to get above a C+ grade average and that continued into high school. During my senior year of high school I had absolutely no interest in school and spent half of my senior year playing six nights a week in a lounge act (still friends with the leader of that group). With spending that little time on studies I still managed to graduate with a C+ average. I had a hard time relating to school life because I spent my evenings partying and working with people that were, in most cases, well away from their high school years.
Beginning at around 30 years old I decided to go back to school with the GI bill helping pay for my first associate degree, graduating with 3.5 GPA in Electronics Technology. A few years later a second associate in Data Processing brought another 3.5 GPA, and I finished with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at age 40 with a 3.6 GPA. I found school became really easy if you applied yourself. My music went a long way for paying for the education after high school.
I missed a few high school reunions because of constantly working with bands, but have gone to those like 25th and 50th to see old classmates but don't really have any close friends from those days.
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Mar 11, 2024 13:56:18 GMT -5
K through 4th grade was at a parochial school in Detroit. Pretty much the "evil nun" era. 5th grade was at a suburban public school with mostly old school marms as teachers. They were like nuns in street clothes but with a (mostly) sweet disposition. Because of the quickly developing suburbs I got moved to a new elementary school in the 6th grade. Many of the teachers were younger and gave the nuns a run for their money. Some of the most mean spirited teachers I ever had. But I made a ton of friends and they were all in my neighborhood. Yet another school for junior high (7th and 8th grade) and some new friends and parting ways with others. I had a couple of teachers I really liked (and my first crush on a teacher). The new high school wasn't built yet and I got shoveled off to a separate school for the 9th grade. Missed the whole "freshman heirchy" thing, hated that school and a lot of the bums that went there. Sophomore through Senior class was at the new high school and a mixed bag of expeiences. At least I got to spend 3 years at the same school for the first time since K-4th. It was a weird time with all the movement to the suburbs and their inability to handle the influx. In retrospect much of it seemed like a disorganized resettlement of city kids being integrated with a transforming farming community. It kinda had a hippies vs jocks vs greasers feel to it.
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Mar 11, 2024 15:17:13 GMT -5
K through 4th grade was at a parochial school in Detroit. Pretty much the "evil nun" era. 5th grade was at a suburban public school with mostly old school marms as teachers. They were like nuns in street clothes but with a (mostly) sweet disposition. Because of the quickly developing suburbs I got moved to a new elementary school in the 6th grade. Many of the teachers were younger and gave the nuns a run for their money. Some of the most mean spirited teachers I ever had. But I made a ton of friends and they were all in my neighborhood. Yet another school for junior high (7th and 8th grade) and some new friends and parting ways with others. I had a couple of teachers I really liked (and my first crush on a teacher). The new high school wasn't built yet and I got shoveled off to a separate school for the 9th grade. Missed the whole "freshman heirchy" thing, hated that school and a lot of the bums that went there. Sophomore through Senior class was at the new high school and a mixed bag of expeiences. At least I got to spend 3 years at the same school for the first time since K-4th. It was a weird time with all the movement to the suburbs and their inability to handle the influx. In retrospect much of it seemed like a disorganized resettlement of city kids being integrated with a transforming farming community. It kinda had a hippies vs jocks vs greasers feel to it. Our school had a number of cliques. As a moderate sized city (70,000 people) and a pretty large high school (about 2,000 kids) in a rural state, we had a pretty diverse student body. We had the greaser types from the north end, we had a ton of farm kids that were bused in. The old money wealthy kids from the nicer areas of town went to our school too. Throw in a bunch of middle class kids and we had an interesting mix. The groups in our school were the brains, the thespians, the band/choir kids, the greasers, the farmers, the jocks, the stoners and then a whole bunch of misfits. I had a couple good friends, one who was in the popular group (which was mostly jocks as usual) so I was a fringe member of that group. I hung with the stoners, knew the brains (because I was in the advanced math classes and college prep curriculum) but didn't hang with 'em because I was more of a partier than they would tolerate, sometimes got to hang with the popular group but, other than my friend, they all ignored/tolerated me. My freshman year I hung a lot with a bunch of seniors from my neighborhood that were really cool....treated me like a younger brother that they liked. Then they graduated and I had to kinda start over. |
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Mar 11, 2024 15:24:38 GMT -5
A lot of the "greasers" in my school were the farm kids in the transforming suburbs. Many were also the jocks. I remember one kid in junior high school, his name was Skip. He came to my rescue on the playground early on in the 5th grade. He had sideburns and drove a car...in the 8th grade. I made friends with a number of them.
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Post by Leftee on Mar 11, 2024 15:59:44 GMT -5
He must have been really good at middle school! You know… after all that time there.
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Post by LTB on Mar 11, 2024 17:35:02 GMT -5
I was an excellent student up until 5th grade when my family moved from my hometown. At the new school I never seemed to get above a C+ grade average and that continued into high school. During my senior year of high school I had absolutely no interest in school and spent half of my senior year playing six nights a week in a lounge act (still friends with the leader of that group). With spending that little time on studies I still managed to graduate with a C+ average. I had a hard time relating to school life because I spent my evenings partying and working with people that were, in most cases, well away from their high school years. Beginning at around 30 years old I decided to go back to school with the GI bill helping pay for my first associate degree, graduating with 3.5 GPA in Electronics Technology. A few years later a second associate in Data Processing brought another 3.5 GPA, and I finished with a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science at age 40 with a 3.6 GPA. I found school became really easy if you applied yourself. My music went a long way for paying for the education after high school. I missed a few high school reunions because of constantly working with bands, but have gone to those like 25th and 50th to see old classmates but don't really have any close friends from those days. You just describe me. Did well to make C throughout school but in college in Electronics Technology in Digital Computer technology I made 5 A’s and a B. B in Algebra (had to study more for it that all 5 electronics coursed. Remained on Honor Roll throughtout. |
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matryx81
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Post by matryx81 on Mar 11, 2024 20:42:33 GMT -5
Starting with 4th grade, my school experience became somewhere in between Jim Morrison's experience there and Roger Waters' experience in school. Grades 4-6 were probably the worst, 7-10 not as bad, and by the time I started my junior year I was effectively counting down the days I didn't have to see most of the students or teachers. I do still have active contact with 4-5 people I went to middle and high school with (one I would count as a best friend that I first encountered in 7th grade), but about 80% of my graduating class (167) hasn't seen me for nearly 25 years.
I had vague plans to do my 10-year reunion, but they wanted $35 for individuals and $45 for couples. I wasn't interested in shelling out that money to see a handful of people and I didn't want to take my wife on account of nosy people I didn't like back then wanting an introduction to someone they didn't need or deserve to have.
When you are the kid with a brain they don't understand/can't handle, it makes school a REALLY bad time (I was also the typical existentially curious kid come about middle school as well, so I have no doubt the philosophy books I would carry around then made some teachers unsure). My school experience has colored my view of teachers enough that I generally don't get too involved with my children's teachers for fear of bigger problems (yes, I know what is going on with them but if problems appear I let my wife handle that, as I will likely make it worse).
Finally, this thread let me know (although I am not sure that I didn't know anyway) that the Al Bundy phenomenon is a very real thing.
Edit: to clarify, by the time I started my junior year I also had a job and a car and had started establishing a life I could continue after high school that wouldn't be such a social upheaval. School was something I just had to do to get through it. I also did college for 3 years after (no degree), but that is another story that could be lengthy.
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Post by LTB on Mar 12, 2024 5:51:47 GMT -5
How about you? Was school where you made lasting friendships? Are you the high school reunion type? School was where I made many friendships but lasting ones they were not. One friend told "Everyone Change's". I said "I did not" and they looked strangely at me and rotorted "I guess you wouldn't". They all got into drugs while I didn't. They wouldn't quit bugging me and back then if someone just wanted to hang around but not do drugs they looked at you like your were possibly a Narc. I didn't care what they did and was not the type to cause them any trouble. Tried some once but didn't get into them. Finally just wanted to be me and if "me" bugged them I didn't care and or stopped hanging with them. |
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gbfun
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Post by gbfun on Mar 12, 2024 9:32:07 GMT -5
I never went to school reunions though I have to say that my school years WERE my best years.
I made 3 major moves(three States) and I was the anti-bully schoolyard cop, top 5 student, marching band member, elite choral guy, and varsity sports guy who stayed clean. But remained under the radar. To the big jocks and stoners and top musicians, I was weird, and rather quiet. Some girls didn't mind. I was free and healthy and had all sorts of opportunity there for the taking. I failed to take a lot of it though, including not having any electric guitars or equipment, or even interest. A major mistake to be sure ! My only real problem was not having enough money in college to match the rich guys, and one insane professor who was the king of multiple choice questions that could be answered a number of ways...depending on one's perspective. Unfortunately, that "perspective" wasn't in the textbook, which I mastered well...as usual. So I could only get Cs in his class. Quite frustrating ! I quit that class and got my first ever F. I then took the same class from another professor and got an A plus. I didn't care about graduating with honors but if I'd just accepted the first C, I would have done so. But it was more important to prove I knew the material to myself. By that time I was just playing cowboy chords. Sadly. An opportunity missed. I didn't have the money for the now collectible 60s equipment anyway. And I didn't even take a singing class until years after college.
I was contacted a few times for H.S. reunions but most of my friends were in other years, so I skipped those. I just found out my sister didn't go either. And today...a 40 or 50 year reunion ? That might work if one grows up in a small town with all the same people, but wow. It boggles the mind to think of my old classmates(what's left of them) all in the same space. It's not that I wouldn't mind talking to them, but...people change and people are gone...bigtime.
At about the 10 year reunion mark, someone printed up a booklet of all the accomplishments(claimed anyway) from my wealthy H.S. and wow...there were people who sailed the world while the rest had gotten all sorts of amazing degrees, books, movies, jobs and families.
If I'd enjoy any School reunion thing, I'd LOVE to have a booklet on all my schoolmates like that again !
Perhaps these "reunion" urges might be a lot more fun if each participant got 200 words to write up what they did in their life and put out a booklet. That's a more effective and permanent record of how everything turned out. And then if anyone still wanted to contact each other, a way would be provided.
Probably better than Facebook I think !
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Mar 12, 2024 9:38:05 GMT -5
Maybe it was this thread, but I had a school dream last night that reminded me of a story from my senior year in high school
I had a class called World History. I was never much of a history guy, but I was capable of being a pretty good student. My MO was to get A's on the tests, slack on the homework and walk away with B's and C's. In World History we had a huge research paper we were supposed to do. It was 10% of our grade but was going to be a crapton of work. I had a 95% going in the class, so I decided not to do the paper and take my 85% B in the class.
The teacher came around collecting the papers and, when he got to me, I said I didn't have one. He said something about a grade cut for turning it in late. I told him he could just give me a zero, that I didn't plan to do the paper. His response was to inform me that it was a requirement to pass the class. I said "you can't fail me with an 85% in the class". I was wrong...got my one and only F. That was first semester of a two semester class. Second semester I went to the first class just long enough to tell him to eff off and walked out. It was quite a scene and had a lot of people gossiping.
Ultimately, it was not a big deal for me. I didn't need the credits to graduate, so my second semester of senior year I started at 11:10 and was done at 1:30 with a break for lunch in there. Two days a week I started at 10:15 for gym class. I'm sure he was probably pretty pissed to see me graduate on time....I think he thought he was really tanking me with that F.
I also wasn't too worried about the impact to my overall GPA....I was going to the state university and I got a 32 on my ACT, so I was pretty much an automatic yes for admissions.
I don't even remember the teacher's name, but the story remains.
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Post by slacker 🐨 on Mar 12, 2024 10:00:55 GMT -5
I never went to school reunions though I have to say that my school years WERE my best years. I made 3 major moves(three States) and I was the anti-bully schoolyard cop, top 5 student, marching band member, elite choral guy, and varsity sports guy who stayed clean. But remained under the radar. To the big jocks and stoners and top musicians, I was weird, and rather quiet. Some girls didn't mind. I was free and healthy and had all sorts of opportunity there for the taking. I failed to take a lot of it though, including not having any electric guitars or equipment, or even interest. A major mistake to be sure ! My only real problem was not having enough money in college to match the rich guys, and one insane professor who was the king of multiple choice questions that could be answered a number of ways...depending on one's perspective. Unfortunately, that "perspective" wasn't in the textbook, which I mastered well...as usual. So I could only get Cs in his class. Quite frustrating ! I quit that class and got my first ever F. I then took the same class from another professor and got an A plus. I didn't care about graduating with honors but if I'd just accepted the first C, I would have done so. But it was more important to prove I knew the material to myself. By that time I was just playing cowboy chords. Sadly. An opportunity missed. I didn't have the money for the now collectible 60s equipment anyway. And I didn't even take a singing class until years after college. I was contacted a few times for H.S. reunions but most of my friends were in other years, so I skipped those. I just found out my sister didn't go either. And today...a 40 or 50 year reunion ? That might work if one grows up in a small town with all the same people, but wow. It boggles the mind to think of my old classmates(what's left of them) all in the same space. It's not that I wouldn't mind talking to them, but...people change and people are gone...bigtime. At about the 10 year reunion mark, someone printed up a booklet of all the accomplishments(claimed anyway) from my wealthy H.S. and wow...there were people who sailed the world while the rest had gotten all sorts of amazing degrees, books, movies, jobs and families. If I'd enjoy any School reunion thing, I'd LOVE to have a booklet on all my schoolmates like that again ! Perhaps these "reunion" urges might be a lot more fun if each participant got 200 words to write up what they did in their life and put out a booklet. That's a more effective and permanent record of how everything turned out. And then if anyone still wanted to contact each other, a way would be provided. Probably better than Facebook I think ! I had a college prof like that. I was in computer science and, unfortunately, he was my academic advisor. The first day of class he stood up in front of the class and proudly proclaimed that nobody would get an A in the class. Sure enough, his tests were very tricky. Not "more than one right answer" tricky, just questions designed to confuse and trick you into the wrong answer. I got an A in his class and he was pissed. So pissed that I had to go to the dean and request a different advisor. |
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Post by Auf Kiltre on Mar 12, 2024 10:51:14 GMT -5
Good educators should take pride in teaching a pupil to become as proficient as themselves. One that proclaims that no one is going to "get an A" is preoccupied with maintaining intellectual superiority. Their process then becomes a performance, not education.
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