Chucking College

[acheronbeach]

Read the Chapter 6 sample. Her reason for not wanting to go to Vienna is that she could only get 2 other students to promise not to drink while there. She could only visit the sites with these 2 non-drinkers.

How controlling and insufferable. I wonder if she was disliked, and this "COLLEGE IS SODOM" nonsense is just a way to twist her social deficiencies into a story of persecution.

[DGayle]

And she sells reusable linen menstrual pads, too!

Mortification?

The mortification is how she thinks that buying pads should be embarrassing. It's so not embarrassing that my husband will buy them for me if I forget, and need some. It's really not comfortable realizing I'm out when I need one and having to do the toilet-paper roll-up to get to the store.

I haven't used linen pads but have used cotton, and they're great. I need to get some new ones. I really liked them, and a proper wash is sanitary.

[DGayle]

So I have decided, as a Christian and as her mother, to aim her to the top of the education ladder. My rational, logical thought is that she will be better served in life if she pursues being a doctor, as she thinks she might, than if we just leave it all up to God and hope He sends a super awesomely great husband who is going to provide for Daughter the rest of her life.

I don't get why so many people think that the best thing ever is to go "for the top" all the time, like the biggest paycheck means the most success. If you're working a job you hate, then life will be miserable, no matter how much you make. My husband was offered a new job in his company over the summer with higher pay, but turned it down because not only was it a job he'd be miserable doing, but it would take him away from us a lot. $20,000 more a year would be nice, but it's worth the family cost. I get the feeling some people here would see him as less of a success because his pay is less than it could be, but should the real measure of success be how much you make, instead of a balance between personal life, job that doesn't make you want to jump off a bridge, and ability to support?

[BrownieMomma]

In our case, your choices made at this public school for high school classes are far-reaching.

If I aim her to the top, she can take courses in high school for college credit and graduate high school with the first year of basic college courses completed plus those classes are weighted more and making A's in those courses puts her graduating higher, increasing her opportunities for scholarships.

If I don't, she will miss this opportunity... if she studies something that gives her some kind of certification that doesn't lead to what she thinks she might interested in... like the lowest rung of nursing certification instead of adv placement to get her going in college and eventually to med school.

Do you understand what I'm saying? She can spend her jr/sr year getting a certification that makes her immediately employable as a cosmetologist or certified nursing assistant but she will have to give up the classes that are dual college credit.

I would expect a lot of parents on the internet to be aiming their kids - to have goals, to push their children a certain way and generally to the top and up on the ladder, for no other reason than to have internet access generally means you have a certain amount of income to afford a computer and internet access, plus you have a certain level of intelligence or education to even be interested in posting on forums.

There are plenty of people out there doing nothing to move their kids along in life... that's one reason we have this ridiculous program imposed upon us. I don't like having to make this kind of decision regarding my 14yo, she has no real way to understand yet how to chose a career, her desire to be a doctor is based more being exactly the kind of woman people like the Duggars do not want their children to be.. but when their kid is near death, they aren't going to turn down the services of women doctors and nurses. Not to mention Michelle sees a female dr and wasn't jb's allergist an 80yo female? My daugther wants to serve women and children.

I never said I was pushing my daughter to be something she didn't want. This is all her idea. I'm the one who has to use my adult wisdom and experience to guide her through high school to minimize costly mistakes.

I don't care if you don't see any value in aiming your child to the top. It's a lot better place in life to aim for being a doctor and later on decide to be something that doesn't require such a demanding education than to let your kid do cosmetology and then when kid decides to be doctor, the kid has a lot harder row to hoe.

[chaotic life]

I am allergic to latex and can use tampons but have to use cloth pads. I much prefer fleece or velour or any fabric that wicks moisture away. I'm not at all convinced linen would function in that way at all.

As for embarrassment, get over yourself woman! You are female, that means your female body functions properly when it requires feminine hygiene products. My husband was embarrassed when we got married, byproduct of being raise with a brother and both his mother and grandmother being post-hysterectomy. I told him if he wanted to be married to a woman and have kids, he needed to deal with it. He did so marvelously and hasn't batted an eyelash in years, despite three daughters coming into the picture.

I also disagree that you should just discount college. I have one who may honestly not be well suited for a Bachelor's degree. His current plan is to attend community college and earn an Associate's in Criminal Justice. He wants to be a Juevenile Probation Officer, a Probation officer, or a corrections officer. His older brother, however, wants to be a doctor, not because he wants money but because this is a medical family and my kids have seen the impact medical professionals make given we have multiple medical needs children. That child is looking at universities where he is being recruited for athletics currently. Heck yeah, I'll encourage him to let coaches recruit him and to use his sports skills to finance his college education if possible. That's what my brother did as well. My sister nailed a rarely claimed Theater scholarship to a private liberal arts college. It's means she has to double major but that Theater major is something she has fun with and is paying for college along with her more practical major.

[SamE]

I actually have an acquaintance that says that learning and education are bad. It started by her calling every single religious person and every single denomination false prophets. THe bible is the only thing she needs.

I told her she might want to take a class on world religions at community college or she might want to read a couple of books about religion before she makes claims like that.

I explained that the bible is collection of stories written by men. I asked if she read Hebrew or Greek so that she could read the original stories.

Nope, her KJV is the only thing she needs. It wasn't written by men. It was written by G-d.

I asked about taking classes to learn more about the various religions. She said education is bad. SHe would have to go the school with green haired liberals that would force islam on her.

I asked about her celebrating CHristmas or Easter. When I said they were both man made holidays, she was horrified and said that I would be going to hell.

It was the absolutely craziest conversation I've ever had.

BTW, she said I was pretentious and liberal for suggesting she may want to learn about the history of religions.

[salex]

I recognize that not everyone needs college, but I believe nearly everyone needs post-HS training of some kind to find work that will give them a future. While it is possible to work your way up into management in retail, etc, it is more likely if you have some education. A friend's child has never really loved school, but is going to juco on a music scholarship to get an associate''s degree and cosmetology certification, in part because it is a portable skill and her husband has some professional aspirations that will require an advanced degree... so they have at least 2 moves in their future. I think she is clever to know her preferences and plan for a portable career.

Why yes, they married young! Because-- it is better to marry than to burn....