“When I was 16 I was appalled at how stupid my parents were. When I was 21 I was amazed at how much they had learned in just 5 years”
Mark Twain

ELEVEN RULES THAT SCHOOLS DON'T TEACH

Charles Sykes is the author of DUMBING DOWN OUR KIDS. He recently gave high school and college graduates a list of eleven things they did not learn in school. In his book, he talks about how feel-good, politically-correct teaching has created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and set them up for failure in the real world.

Rule 1: Life is not fair; get used to it.

Rule 2: The world won't care about yourself-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone unless you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipping; they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes. Learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes, and listening to you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parents' generation, try cleaning the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers but life has not. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades; they'll give you as many times as you want to get the right answer. This, of course, doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off, and very few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life, people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

Harsh, but from what i have heard true, i am only in 9th grade and so far school sux major! It wouldnt be so bad if you didnt have all the homework to cope with. Espically when ur folks are pressering you to do sports or do what THEY want you to do, any trying to manage a social life and a job! Ok my venting is over, i need to go FISHING!!!

Brat...parents have a way about them where they always want you to do the things they want you to do. I think when it comes to sports parents want to participate and take most sports way too seriously. Your best bet is to figure out what is fun and do it . If it ain't fun stop doing it. You'll have lots of time later on to be serious. If your folks still force you into sports so they can relive their childhoods tell them grandpa said to knock it off. You'll be fine.

I do agree about the homework thing. I did excellerated classes as a freshman, and figured out I was learning the same things as people in normal classes, they just had less homework. How is that excellerated?

If I may make a suggestion, get yourself into the Running Start program as a junior. Even if you don't plan to go to college, having a free AA is very helpful. When I enlist (Army), I automatically get a $250/mo raise just for having my AA.

Curtis