The Most Disappointing thing about School..

[tgpo]

My Grades

Poll Submitted by EddyH

Submit your Poll Ideas Here

[ghoster]

i think what sucks the most is Graduation because after that you will likely not see most of you friends ever again.

[dbaker6165]

well if your're talkin about highschool then there was definitely not enough beer... my grades were/are disappointing in college

[disturbed1]

i think what sucks the most is Graduation because after that you will likely not see most of you friends ever again.

That gets my vote

[i-on-s]

There should be a "All of the Above" opition cause i would pick that. Well we had plenty of beer thanks to a senior that worked at a beer/wine store.

[Gazorgan]

Who Authors VCD's anymore? You mean DVD Authoring!

[i-on-s]

Well back when i was in school i dont think there was even any dvd writers for the pc around so maybe he is just a older lad thinking back to when he was in school.

[DiscoverPlatinum]

I think the worst thing was not having a VCD authoring class. I think it would be great if we would have. Or even better, if there's a class like that in college

[birdygal]

Going back makes you feel ancient

[macleod]

I guess I am the only geek here. The thing that I hated about school (other than the classes, the grades, the fact that everything learned in college debunked everything you learned in school-i.e. christopher discovered america, july 4th was the signing of the declaration of independence, and crap like that) was that the people I went to school with were involved in their own groups. When I watch American Pie, I laugh. Those guys (and girls) would never really associate in a real school. A "jock" and "the one guy that nailed the mother" getting along????!!!

I did not fit into any class (or click) except, I guess I was the loner. Way too much stupid crap there that got in the way of my goals. I know I shouldn't be this way, but I go back to the town I grew up in and see the same people that I went to school with. Either they are on their 50th kid, are in jail for drugs, or are in general losers. I just wish that I could tell my own children that the short time that is spent in school can be fun, however, it is not all there is. The world is a bigger place and not to let your "friends" being you down. Man, sounds like I am soundling like my father. Crap. Hate it when I say stuff and I sound like my parents, LOL!!

I'd be interested to hear from people on the sum of their high school experience, what "group" they considered themselves in and did it really shape their lives at all.

[tgpo]

I was a loner as well, but hung out with every clique. The Jocks, the band people, the smart people, the dumb people. I consider myself to be in the punk clique. I always just hung out with the people I felt like hanging out with, no need to turn my back on anyone.

[EddyH]

Cool, I got one posted even though it came about as a result of 3AM brainblock on a project assignment
Because of that, having trouble hanging out with any friends really regardless of group til it's done.. wonder if they'll still recognise me just saying 'hi' to random people in the library before getting back to the serious business of emptying the photocopier *without* opening the paper load tray.
I also didn't feel the need to particularly clique with anyone, but there were some I disliked and tended to avoid (that tailed off as i got older), those I liked and stuck with (that didnt), and some who avoided -me- instead (which ended up about halfway - some guys/gals became more mature, cool and laid back about it all, and some stayed just childish and a bit name-calling/bully-like )
College is a whole wierder different kettle of fish. Luckily it's quite hard to find anyone to dislike, there's hardly anyone who's outright unfriendly, though some will still be a bit cold, and others you feel uncomfortable around but have to make the effort to be pleasant whilst forced into their company.. rather than telling them to stuff it and either having to bear the emotional attack or finding out in short order that they know a malleable wrestler.
Just worried about the whole keeping contact thing. Sometimes it seems I know people from back home who I didn't like so much - but we just got thrown together and kind of stuck that way - better than those I'd like to keep hanging with here, through stupidities and circumstances.

Ah well. If it comes down to it, there's always stuff to do on the net, and lots of car repairs to be carried out. And beer can always lubricate the forging of new friendships.. or ill advised relationships!

Coulda sworn it said "college/university" before tho and nothing about VCD authoring being a class... good idea all the same, if i could take an exam in it rather than the insultingly obvious Vertebrate Loco one this afternoon...
(Tho I gave full permission for alterations so no worries!)

(put hand up for ppl who still author VCDs.. i only got a DVDROM drive all of two months ago for chrissakes!)

Seeing as there was that little change, i've gone for High School not being like American Pie... but what can you do when it's a boys-only grammar school until the upper two years, and all the girls that transfer into those years are 99% hideous, 1% beautiful (brit guys: for example, only Kat f*in Deely for two years..!) and lesbian/immediately taken?!

Closely followed by not enough beer (though there was still plenty enough of that at times!) and My Grades.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

[DiscoverPlatinum]

Macleod,

Everything u said is so true! Well here's my high school experience. I guess u can compare me to like one of the stars of those school shows. The star is usually regular, have a few close friends, and not part of any group. That was me. I think about it and realize most of the people were stupid. I didn't make the best grades. In fact, a lot of smart people made bad grades. I graduated with a 2.20.

Macleod, u bought of a good point; about the kids. My best friend and I are keeping up with who got pregnant and had babies. It's amazing at the number of people we went to high school that had babies. We even heard that one guy I arrested for drugs. Another I saw in the club and he said he was in the "street pharmacy" business. I see some around campus, and just around. Of course, let's not forget the general losers. Everyone went their own separate ways. I would love to know where everyone is and how they're doing. Sometimes I think about it and me and my best friend discuss it.

I guess if I went back to high school, I'd fit more into the geek category. That's only since I'm a computer freak and I know how to author VCD's. =) Sounds geeky to me.

PS - Macleod, what city in TX are u from/went to high school at?

[macleod]

Actually, I am from St. Louis, MO (actually a small town outside of it with about 150 people, 3 bars, and 1 church).

I look back at high school is a waste of 4 years. What did it prepare you for in the real world? Nothing!!!! All it taught was how to snub your nose at other people and try to make your own crap not stink. My only claim to fame in high school is that I kicked the high school bullies ass. This guy, I swear, flunked 3 years just to toment me. He was held back in 6th grade for 3 years, until I was a 6th grader. Then, by the forces of hell, I ended up having just about every class with him. I took band just to get away from him. I began training, learning martial arts (thank God). I was finally able to defend myself (actually I could have defended myself years ago, but now I had confidence). I didnt go all karate kid on him and I did not start it, I just didnt back down when he tried to knocl me down. The rest is history. I was an instant celebrity, but didnt let it go to my head as these new "friends" were the same people that snubbed me for so many years.

One of my only friends back in MO is a police officer and I get to hear about the kids I went to school with. Basically, we could have our 20 year reunion in jail as most of them are either dead from OD'ing or are in jail for meth.

I know that there has to be more people out there like me. The guys that just didnt fit in. That took High school for what it was, one big attitude scene. A waste of 4 years.

My wife tells me that I should go back to our 15th/20th high school reunion just to show everyone what I have become and to push their noses in it. A small part of me wants to, but mostly I look at it as, I didnt care then I dont care now. Maybe I should go on the Montel Williams show, LOL!!!!!!

[DiscoverPlatinum]

Macleod,

I can't stress enough that you're right! High school didn't prepare us for anything. In elementary school, the teachers said, "In middle school they aren't gonna baby you". When we got to middle school, that turned out to be not true. In middle school, the teachers said "In high school, they aren't gonna baby you". That turned oout to be not true. In high school, the said "In college, they aren't gonna baby you". Now that's true! You're on your own here. High school really didn't prepare us for that. High school all boils down to a big fashion show and a bunch of social groups. I can't say I hated it. Come to think about it, it was ok.

That's good that u stood up to that bully. I never really had a problem with that. When I did, I usually just ignored it or in some cases, got into fights. Fights do make u instant celebrities. It's usually just 15 minutes of fame.

I also hated when rumors would circulate. I'd hate it when stuff about me gets all over school. I have to say to myself, "In a week, it'll be history".

I just can't imagine going to a reunion and some of my former classmates are dead; especially from drugs.

U should go to your reunions
My best friend and I sometimes talk about it. She wants to do the Romy and Michelle thing and make up a career. lol I'm definately going to mine. I wouldn't miss it for the world =)

15 and 20 year reunion? U must have graduated in the 70s. What year did u graduate? I graduated in 2000. So I'm not that old. I can't believe it's been 3 years! And what have I done? not much. I finished an equivalent of 1 semester, and got myself in credit card debt. Not much accomplished there, yet.

Write back Macleod!

PS- What city in TX do u live in?

[macleod]

I tell non Texans that I live in fort worth tell Texans I live in Keller Actually, I graduated in 1990.

What is kind of funny about this is that I was finishing up a meeting this morning and I brought up this post. I had each person tell me what clique they think they belonged in (we are all project Manager tech geeks) and what they thought of school.

We had a conglomeration of every high school group. I laughed mentioning that a cheerleader would never be caught dead talking to the loner. We had some book nerds in the room, some jocks. Everyone was shocked that I was a loner in school and spent most of my time in detention, based on what I do now. People thought I would be the jock/bully type? Go figure.

You mentioned credit card stuff. Wouldn't it had been nice if instead of them teaching you that the Lincoln went to war with the South to free blacks (I say this because he didn't) or better yet, your individual vote actually means something, they would have taught finance management. Dont you think that teaching a person to manage their finances is more important than certain aspects of math or chemistry.

I'll write some other comments here soon, I just had a server crash!!!

[DiscoverPlatinum]

Hey Macleod,

Oh u were in detention a lot of time? I didn't become a regular of that until towards the end of 12th grade. Around February 2000, I just started getting really tired of school. I was so ready to get out. The reason I was in detention so much was because of being late to class all the time. The student parking lot was far from school. So I'd have to try to rush to get there then I had to walk to school. I was always walking in late and the teacher would always send me to the office. I just got tired and didn't care. It was then I got my first suspension ever. I was suspended for 1 day. So what were you in detention for?

Yes! It would have been great if they would have taught some finance management classes. I could have really used that. It would probably cut back on so much college credit card debt. I have a friend that had credit cards too. Only my total debt is about the same as the debt on one of his credit cards. And he had 5 of them.

Of course, there are some classes we could do without. Some math and chemistry; i agree with u on that. It's a waste of time and a lot of students don't get it anyway.

What did u major in in college to be a project manager tech geek? I'm gonna major in computer science =)

But your individual vote does mean something

-DiscoverPlatinum

[macleod]

As far as why I was in detention.....name it

I got 1 week of detention (it was actually called in school suspension where you sat in a cubicle - the only thing about school that mimics life - and had your lunches brought to you and you were suppose to study) for starting an underground paper and writing a book about one of the students in the school. We sold the book for $1.00 and we sold several copies. It was nothing too terrible, but the principal sure did not like it.

I got suspensions for getting into fights, for not showing up to class, for using the "lincoln didn't do it to free the blacks" when the teacher said that was why. I learned that teachers do not like to be contradicted (I swear I didnt do those types of things on purpose, I just didnt think that the students and myself should be subject to inaccurate information), smoking. One of my favorites was after the ferris buelers day off movie came out. Our computer system wasn't sophisticated enough to break into, however, they printed out all of the report cards on the same printer that was in the computer lab(apple II's). I have always been an entrepenuer (even if I cant spell the word), so I made "backups" of people's report cards to sell back to them. Showed up late, took off from school early.

I got 2 weeks after my computer teacher got all ticked off at me for making a "inappropriate" video game on the computer. That didnt do it, the phone rang in his office and he yelled at me to answer it. Hmmm, ticked off teenager, phone, jerky boys sound track. What did he expect?!!?!

In short, I guess I was a delinquent. There was a time that I would look up to the teachers,believing that they were intelligent people (some of them are), but they are average joes and dont have a better grip on things than anyone else.

I even got suspension by my band teacher (who I liked and still like to this day) as he thought that I said a bad word to his daughter (his daughter was also in band. Tried to argue my point, but in retrospect, would I have listened to someone what that past? No way.

I just think back to all of the people that I went to school with and think of all the pressures that kids had to be popular or whatever. How often did your friends dictate your clothes or the music you listened to? Or even who you spoke with. I listened to metal ONLY because I like the sound of it. I do not care for the majority of rap, country, or pop, however, I will listen to what I enjoy, not what the click says I have to listen to. Movies, I enjoyed Romy and Michelle and my wife and I laugh at a lot of the scenes in it. Could I have openly talked about a chick flick in a clique??? Clothes were the same way. Look back at certain styles and things you wore because your friends did. Have you ever snubbed someone JUST because of who they are? Most people will say that they were an individual. I say that most people are individuals, just like everyone else. (BTW, I am saying you as a "in general" not you personally).

When people get out of high school, they are expected to do things, however, usually aren't prepapred for it. All of my wifes friends got married a few years after highschool or college. They ALL bought houses and cars that they couldnt afford, because they were use to the homes they grew up in, so they debted their way into it. My wife and I bought a nice, small home for a 1/3 of what everyone else had. We bought our cars outright, and yes, they were basic transportation and crappy by todays standards. I kept telling my wife to wait a few years and see what happens. Well. after 8 years of marriage, (from just a standpoint of material wealth) lets just say we are doing just fine. All of our friends, however, are actually trailing considerably. One of the reasons I know this is that they all call me asking for debt advice (I spent several years in the liquidation industry). They have kids, have to have mom and dad help them out all the time and dont have 2 nickels to rub together.....but they look good to everyone else Yes, I am envious of the silver spooners and I do gloat a little because these were the same people that use to make fun of use behind our backs. We were the party poopers that didnt spend any money and lived in a small house. BTW, when my wife and I were serious about getting married, we planned everything out. She is a stay at home mom and I work. It works for us.

Well, I am going to get off my soapbox now because I think I have rambled on way too long. Actually, it felt good to write about this (a weight lifted). The one thing I have learned is every year I think I have it all figured out and the next year I look back and think, MAN, what was I thinking. At 20'ish years old, I would get a life plan and stick to it. You will be SO happy that you did.

Ps. My wife and I (as I mentioned earlier) loved Romy and Michelle's high school reunion. My wife said I was the cowboy guy.

OK. Going to spend some time with my son....

[macleod]

forgot to mention the colege stuff----

I have a BS in Business Administration with a dual minor in Management and MIS. Graduated with honors and deans list my entire time (yes, I am bragging)

I work for one of the largest mortgage companies in the country and do project managment for technical solutions (installations of web sites, hardware, software, upgrades). My primary focus is call center technology(ACD, PBX, CTI apps). That and I act as the middle guy between the business folks and the IT folks. Oddly enough, they cant speak the same language, so I take business talk and convert it into It terms and specs and the same for IT stuff. In my spare time, I chair various committee meetings and what not. It is a challenging job and requires you to wear a billion different hats and deal with a number of different people. If you are a person that cant do the same thing twice and love to learn about new things (basically, you dont like to be comfortable), its a good job to have. If you want to punch a clock and do the same stuff over an over. Run away from it.

On the IT thing, be ready to never leave school. You will be receritifying all the time, By the time you finish, technology will be all different.

[DiscoverPlatinum]

LOL,

Lincoln didn't do it to free the blacks. That sounds about right to me. I could imagine u or someone in class saying that to the teacher. I would laugh. I don't think I could contain myself. It probably stirred up all kinds of controversy.

I can count the times I was in detention. Once in middle school for a fight. Once in 10th grade for some computer stuff that I'll explain later. Like 5 or 6 times in the 12th grade for being late all the time. I was lucky because I was a senior and had only half day of school. I got out at 11:15 on A days and 1:30 on B days. Of course, one day I had detention on a B day and I lied and said I left at 11:15 both days

Ok....the computer stuff. In the 10th grade, I took basic keyboarding which was soooo boring cause I could already type like 50 words of minute back then. The teacher was old, and she really didn't teach. If I didn't know anything about typing, I would have left the class knowing the same thing. All the computer were kinda linked together. It was primitive. I don't even think there was a version of windows on them. There were 4 printers in the room. I could go in under someone's name and print some of their old saved work on the printer at their station. They would get it and looked puzzled. I would also type stuff about the teacher and print it at a printer that's not near me. I'd also do Marilyn Manson song lyrics. I would also be nice and copy my work and save it under my friends' names since they didn't know crap about computers. It was sooooo funny!!!! I had a ball! I got caught. She saved all the stuff printed out and gave it to the principle. I was caught because the stuff was saved under my name. But towards the end of the stack of papers, they couldn't tell it was me because I had found a way for me to be untraceable. But it was too late. Of course, I denied it. The principle gave me 3 days of work detail (a form of detention). I didn't dispute it so I guess he knew I was lying. Of the 3 days, I only served one day. On the first day, they cancelled it but took down the names of everyone that showed up. The second day, the teacher that was supposed to be supervising it wasn't at school. So they just took down the names of everyone as if we served it. That day, I had missed the bus because I thought I had work detail and i guess my punishment was that I had to walk home (about 2 miles). The third day, I served it. It sucked.

About fighting:
When I started the 9th grade, my parish (county in other states), adopted a Zero Tolerance Policy. That means that if a fight happens, both parties get arrested and have to post a $250 bail. I'm quite sure this discouraged many fights from happening. I probably would have gotten into 3 if it were not for that.

My "cliques" were not like the ones on TV. We didn't keep up with the latest styles or scold people on what they wore. Sometimes if it's something outrageous we'd laugh. Nor did we keep up with what kind of music everyone was listening to. I listened techno and pop. I didn't care what anybody thought. We talked openly about anything. I had like different cliques. When I was in the 9th grade, I was kind of a loner. I'd hang around the nerds or the "outsiders". U know what I mean? They'd be isolated from everyone else in the square during lunch. In the 10th grade, that's when I met my clique. It was like 6 or 7 of us. Then in the 11th grade, I met my current best friend. We didn't really start hanging out until the summer between 11th and 12th grade. I was still friends with my clique from 10th grade, only it was reduced to 4 of us. In the 12th, I primarily hung around my best friend. Since I didn't go to lunch anymore my original 10th grade clique and I kinda grew apart.

Well...it would be nice if school would get rid of some of those useless subjects. Are u into politics? If so, which party?

Write back!

DiscoverPlatinum

[Dutch Coder]

8) Sorry to say this......... but polls like this bring this site down....... use the space wisely, instead of " wasting space " like this, well........... thats mine opinion. D.C.

[Treebeard]

8) Sorry to say this......... but polls like this bring this site down....... use the space wisely, instead of " wasting space " like this, well........... thats mine opinion. D.C.

Yes its your opinion, but I think most of the regulars enjoy the Tradition of TGPO's polls, no matter what the topic of them is.

And the thing most disappointing about school is... I'm still going!!
Trying to get a degree, working full time during the day and spending time with my family (wife, 2 kids and one on the way) takes up more time than I have.

[oldfart13]

Most disappointing thing was that it wasn't like Animal House (never saw American Pie, which I guess dates me). My grades were okay though and I got my diploma as an electronics engineering tech, so I must have been doing something right...

[macleod]

Ah politics. There are 3 things that you never discuss.

1. How many of your backups are really back ups
2. religion
3. politics

Seriously though, I really do not have a political affiliation. I know enough about politics to know that the business of politics is something that I never want to do deal with. That and even if I said that I was a democrat, indpendant, or republican, they are soooooo close on the scale it wouldnt matter. I do not believe in a particular party and I certainly do not believe in a particular candidate. Anyone who managed to stay awake in high school government would know that for the most part it doesnt matter. Who do you vote for and why? I say this just for people to think about it, not for an actual answer.

There was this crappy movie that came out way back when called "they live". While it had some corniness in it, the message was there (not as obvious as having to look through special glasses. When I watch the elections, I just have to laugh at the candidates (not just for the presential stuff). The next time elections come up, REALLY, listen and see what the candidate is offering to do (or not do). Then, think about a gov't class and think about if he/she could actually do what they are promising.

You might start seeing why I was a loner in school. A tad bit over analytical (or something) . I just wish that people would not let the world pull the wool over their eyes. It is frustrating. If anyone thinks that I am crazy, think about how gas prices work