'Why do so many Americans drop out of college?'

Is this what they told you or what you conjecture? Because I am very skeptical about it. I'd like to see data. I bet that kids who are gifted at English and history are also likely to be gifted in math and science. Or at least of above average competence at the high school and undergraduate college level.

Someone mentioned beer as a reason that kids drop out. I bet that now it's as likely to be video games or, at least a few years ago, online poker.

I've mentioned before on here that my biggest fear is that my son will have a high school sweetheart at home. That seems to be a huge siren song. I'd love to see the data on drop-out rates among single people and those in a relationship back home. I bet there's a disparity.

 

That seems kind of weird to me. I know literally dozens of people who took more than four AP classes in high school and lettered in multiple varsity sports, some while also juggling student organizations and academic groups.

In fact, I'd say I learned a lot from having to juggle sports, academic organizations and actual classes. It made me realize I had to value certain things over others and set priorities. It also forced me to give up one or two of them. Valuable lesson for college, when some of those things end up getting traded for a night out on the town or video games with your friends, etc.

I also totally disagree with the second point. Almost everyone in my high school that took AP classes took all the AP classes (literature, language, physics, calculus, government, etc.). Most did well in all of them, though I'm sure there were a few that did better in one "side" of them.

Small sample size, I guess. But not sure I agree with those two points. They may very well have told you that, but I'd disagree with them.

 

That's why you dropped out?

Or that's why you stayed?

 

It seems girls are more willing to dump their boyfriends back home and hook up with a "mature" college guy.

 

I'd argue it's a combination of two factors:

1. Cost
2. College education kinda sucks

Sorry, but professors don't work nearly hard enough on teaching. Some of them can't teach. Some of them can barely speak English. There is no such thing as a "good" class with 300 kids in it. It doesn't exist. The subject matter might be interesting, and the teacher might be interesting, but the sheer size of the class negates one's ability to absorb and appreciate information. It's hot. It's smelly. The desks are small. You're tired.

You could buy the book at the bookstore, read it, take whatever workbook comes along with it, fill that out, and learn more.

Whatever college once was - it isn't now in many places. It's you paying a big fee for a piece of paper. Is it different at 100 or so schools? Sure. But the fee's even higher. And that's where the cost comes in.

If a kid's going to school, I tell them: Be a pain in the ass. Demand everything. From professors, support staff, the campus involvement people who like to collect a paycheck for handing you a flyer about student opportunities, everyone. And anyone who tries to throw it back in your face, sorry, huh uh. It's your money. You get your money's worth.

 

What they told us, in my own language (hence the "boiled down"). They were more diplomatic: "Students who already know that they hope to go to med school frequently find it helpful to concentrate their AP courses in the sciences, while aspiring engineers may want to choose several AP math courses ... "

FWIW, since the courses she selected would have her on track for AP English and science, I agree with you about intelligence at the high school level crossing disciplines.

 

Keep in mind, waterytart, that your school probably has an interest in keeping enrollment numbers lower in those classes because there may not be enough funding if everyone takes everything. I too haven't heard about the classes precluding each other like that. In fact this doesn't sound all that different from the football coach saying his players can't go out for basketball. The reasons are his, not yours.

 

Not sure which of us is misunderstanding the other. I meant four classes per year, not in high school overall. The way the curriculum here is set up, you would take a maximum of nine AP courses sophomore through senior years, if you take the standard number of core courses. A lot of kids will forego an elective to take an additional core course as juniors and seniors, so the real ceiling for AP courses is 11.

If you could handle seven hours of school plus six-eight hours of homework per night, and still maintain athletics and other activities, kudos. I remain unconvinced it's a good idea.

 

They're not saying you can't. You can take as many as you wish. They're trying to keep a school district full of hyper-motivated parents realistic.

Two things it might be helpful to know: It's not a choice between AP and general classes. There are honors classes slotted between those tiers. Also, you can't transfer out of AP or honors classes. What I think the school is trying to do is keep kids from registering for four or five AP courses their junior year, and realizing three weeks in that they can't hack it.

 

I would argue, at least for those of us in our mid 20s-mid 30s, it was hammered into our heads that we absolutely had to go to college or else we would be flipping burgers for the rest of our days.

Whether or not it was for kids, I saw a lot of my friends pushed into it by parents, when all actuality something like a trade school or military might have been better for them. Not everyone is college material.

Hell, in high school I did as little as possible and still pulled a 3.5 gpa. Which was fine then, but come college I was screwed. I had awful study habits/liked to party a bit too much and my gpa was shit for about a year until I pulled my head out of my ass. I don't feel our high schools do enough to prepare kids for what's ahead. Not that it's entirely the teachers' fault, it's not their job to babysit kids, the parents are to blame as well.

On top of skyrocketing costs, I think another mitigating factor is the disappearance of manufacturing jobs. A generation or two ago, one could graduate high school and go right into factory work that actually paid.

 

I'm sure the fact that many people in the past few years have graduated with a degree (or two) and not be able to find full-time work has not helped matters. For anyone.

 

My mistake, that makes a lot more sense.