Reply to How important is it to take a foreign language in high school?

Forum Index » College and University Discussion

Reply to "How important is it to take a foreign language in high school?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]When my kids were in high school, we kept hearing that colleges liked to see four years of a language, but also liked four years of band. They liked to see them to take the most challenging courses (Ap sciences and multivariable calculus,) and also really liked to see students with the IB diploma.They wanted to see students doing more than just studying (drama club, sports, interesting extra curriculars, Olympic medal) and also wanted to see students who were kind and genuine, and leaders in their community. They wanted to see students who had done something spectacular (patent on a cure for cancer, Intel science fair). They wanted kids with a real passion for something. Meanwhile the state outlines for a diploma determined most of the courses they had to take.

It seemed to me that kids could not do all these things.[/quote]

+1  At our HS, the "most rigorous" courses would mean taking a full load of AP classes in 11th-12th grade, 6 or 7 classes each year.  Very few college students take 6-7 classes per semester so why should a HS student be taking that many "college level" classes.  It's ridiculous and if that's what my kid has to go to a "top school" then he's not going.  No wonder kids are suffering from so many mental health issues in HS and college.  I'll take a happy kid at a less prestigious school any day.[/quote]

If your kid has mental health issues then by all means lighten the load. But some kids do fine with a rigorous courseload. My kid wanted to take what she wanted to take and there was nothing I could do to change her mind. She did fine and even got enough sleep every night near as I could tell - in bed by 9 or 10 most nights. She was relaxed and happy. They are actually close to adulthood here you know, it’s time to start letting them choose the course of their lives.[/quote]

How many teen suicide stories start with, "but she/he seemed so happy"?   My concern is that the message kids are getting from school/parents/society is that they *must* to go a top college and to do that they *must* do all these things, which are really not possible for someone to do all at the same time.  So a lot of them think they are failing no matter what they do.  And, with the "top colleges" now having sub-10% acceptance rates, it's a crap shoot anyway, even if you somehow manage to do everything it's really very likely you won't get into your top-20 dream school.  My DS has already started detailing the classes he wants to take next year (Junior year) and I've insisted that he has to put in something "fun" and strongly consider doing a regular rather than AP for at least one class.   [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics