What's at the end of the learning rainbow?

[Anonymous]

This is a more general question not intended to stir controversy. Having visited this board for about a year now, I’ve become accustomed to expressions of accelerated math and STEM learning almost as an end to itself, with TJ and Ivy education often as ultimate goals. I’m wondering what aspirations AAP parents and older students have beyond that. In what dream career do you actually see your child after college? Do you think there are enough good paying jobs? Or is it ultimately about becoming a doctor? My kid only started at third grade center this year, but I find myself wondering about this.

[Anonymous]

Do not I do not view education at the elementary, middle, or high school level as a path to a career. College more and grad school for sure. To me, a challenging education helps my kids learn and grow as human beings. I hope they will find something that will make them happy or, at least, that they mostly enjoy as a career. I hope they are productive members of society. That's it. No specific college or job.

[Anonymous]

I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

[Anonymous]

I view the end as a high stress job, still trying to keep up with the rat race. I feel like we are becoming so obsessed with challenging our kids academically and improving their intellect that we aren't giving them time to be kids. I wonder if there are still parts of the country where parents and kids aren't caught up in the constant race that never ends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

+1. I'm trying to teach my kids that the better they do in school/learning/intellectual curiosity, the more opportunities they'll have. I don't want them to think a "good" job is an entitlement, but I do believe you're more likely to land in a career you like if you haven't closed too many doors because of poor grades, less challenging schooling, etc.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

+1. I'm trying to teach my kids that the better they do in school/learning/intellectual curiosity, the more opportunities they'll have. I don't want them to think a "good" job is an entitlement, but I do believe you're more likely to land in a career you like if you haven't closed too many doors because of poor grades, less challenging schooling, etc.

OP, here. Thanks for your perspectives. I guess what inspired me to post was a recent comment by a parent who seemed awfully pleased about a child who “got a 98th percentile [on the IAAT] without outside prepping. He went on to get As in every math class he took in middle school and then at TJ and is presently at a top ten STEM college.” The linear nature of that statement made me wonder if that kid’s path was set the moment he tested into 7th grade Algebra I honors and whether he’s happy. It’s silly, I know, and certainly none of my business. I’m sure it’ll all make more sense once my kid is older and has a stronger sense of self. But I do like the idea of having as many doors open as possible for my kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

+1. I'm trying to teach my kids that the better they do in school/learning/intellectual curiosity, the more opportunities they'll have. I don't want them to think a "good" job is an entitlement, but I do believe you're more likely to land in a career you like if you haven't closed too many doors because of poor grades, less challenging schooling, etc.

OP, here. Thanks for your perspectives. I guess what inspired me to post was a recent comment by a parent who seemed awfully pleased about a child who “got a 98th percentile [on the IAAT] without outside prepping. He went on to get As in every math class he took in middle school and then at TJ and is presently at a top ten STEM college.” The linear nature of that statement made me wonder if that kid’s path was set the moment he tested into 7th grade Algebra I honors and whether he’s happy. It’s silly, I know, and certainly none of my business. I’m sure it’ll all make more sense once my kid is older and has a stronger sense of self. But I do like the idea of having as many doors open as possible for my kid.

My parents did that for me. College with a STEM major (electrical engineering). But, before classes began, I was talking to a faculty advisor who advised me that I get to choose. He urged me to follow my passion. So, I changed majors before the first day of class. Mwah ha ha....Oh, I ended up in Physics. And earned a PhD. Earning more than I ever wood have as a EE.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

+1. I'm trying to teach my kids that the better they do in school/learning/intellectual curiosity, the more opportunities they'll have. I don't want them to think a "good" job is an entitlement, but I do believe you're more likely to land in a career you like if you haven't closed too many doors because of poor grades, less challenging schooling, etc.

You may be surprised to learn that going to Ivy League and SLAC schools actually closes a lot more career doors than, for instance, state schools. Students from elite colleges disproportionately enter consulting, Wall Street, law, and medicine. If you need your child to do one of these things then fine, but they are disproportionately less likely to become a teacher, a musician, a social worker, a realtor, a pharmacist, a landscape designer, a forester...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

+1. I'm trying to teach my kids that the better they do in school/learning/intellectual curiosity, the more opportunities they'll have. I don't want them to think a "good" job is an entitlement, but I do believe you're more likely to land in a career you like if you haven't closed too many doors because of poor grades, less challenging schooling, etc.

OP, here. Thanks for your perspectives. I guess what inspired me to post was a recent comment by a parent who seemed awfully pleased about a child who “got a 98th percentile [on the IAAT] without outside prepping. He went on to get As in every math class he took in middle school and then at TJ and is presently at a top ten STEM college.” The linear nature of that statement made me wonder if that kid’s path was set the moment he tested into 7th grade Algebra I honors and whether he’s happy. It’s silly, I know, and certainly none of my business. I’m sure it’ll all make more sense once my kid is older and has a stronger sense of self. But I do like the idea of having as many doors open as possible for my kid.

My parents did that for me. College with a STEM major (electrical engineering). But, before classes began, I was talking to a faculty advisor who advised me that I get to choose. He urged me to follow my passion. So, I changed majors before the first day of class. Mwah ha ha....Oh, I ended up in Physics. And earned a PhD. Earning more than I ever wood have as a EE.

It isn't that great of a leap from EE to physics. . My father is a theoretical physicist, my DH got his BS in Physics Enginneering and Master's in EE. It looks like one son will get his BS in EE/CSE and the other is headed toward PhD in physics. The gene pool is narrow in our family.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I view the end of the rainbow as my DD being in a career that she CHOOSES rather than what she has to do.

+1. I'm trying to teach my kids that the better they do in school/learning/intellectual curiosity, the more opportunities they'll have. I don't want them to think a "good" job is an entitlement, but I do believe you're more likely to land in a career you like if you haven't closed too many doors because of poor grades, less challenging schooling, etc.

You may be surprised to learn that going to Ivy League and SLAC schools actually closes a lot more career doors than, for instance, state schools. Students from elite colleges disproportionately enter consulting, Wall Street, law, and medicine. If you need your child to do one of these things then fine, but they are disproportionately less likely to become a teacher, a musician, a social worker, a realtor, a pharmacist, a landscape designer, a forester...

If you're responding to me (the immediate PP), I'm actually not one whit surprised. And I never indicated anything about Ivies or SLACs in my post. I graduated with an excellent network of friends and mentors from a really big state school. I had a career that I loved and was important to me. When I wanted to switch gears years later, I went to another state school and then began my second career. If my kids want to be lawyers, that's fine. (I'm a lawyer, and I love my job.) If they want to be teachers, that's fine.

Even after reading these boards for a while, I'm still a firm believer that there is a college for everyone. I just want my kids to find theirs, like I found mine. A place where I "fit."

[Anonymous]

I guess what inspired me to post was a recent comment by a parent who seemed awfully pleased about a child who “got a 98th percentile [on the IAAT] without outside prepping. He went on to get As in every math class he took in middle school and then at TJ and is presently at a top ten STEM college.” The linear nature of that statement made me wonder if that kid’s path was set the moment he tested into 7th grade Algebra I honors and whether he’s happy.

I am the parent who wrote the sentence quoted here. That sentence focused specifically on my child's math experiences because I was responding to a question about a test to determine readiness for algebra. Math happened to be my child's favorite subject. He did well at other subjects also, and enjoyed all kinds of reading and learning, but math has always been his favorite, so it never really felt difficult to him because he was doing something he enjoyed.

He was involved in lots of non-academic activities, including varsity sports, at TJ and made a lot of really good friends there. He loves his college! He picked a major where he can keep doing the math that he loves and he looks forward to an eventual career in that field. At school he is involved in a number of athletic and community service activities that he enjoys. He's actually a pretty well-rounded kid who prefers math to literature and history.

My kids are all very different from each other and I've encouraged and supported them all in discovering what they like and are good at so they can be happy as adults. For this one, math happened to be the subject that he liked the most and was also good at so we helped him find a college where he could continue to study and learn more about the subject. He's happy there and he appears to be on track to be happy in the career he has chosen.

[JLaurie]

My son is in AAP and has high test scores.

We have had "what if" discussions on what areas he could get a scholarship in college. He wants a baseball scholarship. I want whatever scholarship pays the most. He is inclined to take a partial baseball scholarship over a full ride playing double bass. We will figure that out when the time comes. Having options is always good.

The other night he mentioned that he wanted to be an engineer. I told him that would be a good use of his skill sets as long as he likes it. I never had it in my mind that he would have to be a doctor or lawyer. I don't really make comments on what he should be growing up. That is his choice. I do make comments about being lazy and not getting work done; no one wants someone like that working for them.

Hope that is helpful.

[Anonymous]

The pot of gold is having a child who is confident, knowledgeable, a good writer, socially competent, intellectually curious, and who can get into the program that he/she wants to pursue in college (whatever that is).

After that, it's 100% on them -- but I hope that being around other motivated, creative kids in ES/MS/HS cements that mindset and those habits in my kids' minds.

[Anonymous]

For my children (and myself), the whole point of acceleration is to feed an inner urge. The urge to learn better and more, and more in-depth. There is no other goal, and certainly no college or career goal - how materialistic.

Sadly, acceleration is restricted to a few with a certain profile, instead of to all who need it or want it. And then in some classrooms, acceleration is not done well.

So my conclusion is that you "accelerate" at home, by reading, reading, reading, and having interesting conversations with your children about topics they dig.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The pot of gold is having a child who is confident, knowledgeable, a good writer, socially competent, intellectually curious, and who can get into the program that he/she wants to pursue in college (whatever that is).

After that, it's 100% on them -- but I hope that being around other motivated, creative kids in ES/MS/HS cements that mindset and those habits in my kids' minds.

Nicely put. I'm glad someone mentioned writing, too. My favorite parts of the AAP curriculum so far have been the increased opportunities for my child to organize and present answers and ideas in writing.