I'm a freshman in high school. My brother is a senior who has a 4.0 and is getting ready to go to college. I'm confident I could achieve a 3.9 minimum if i put all my effort into my assignments and projects, etc.

However, the public schooling system is inefficient and I grasp concepts way before we're done working on them. I'm on the verge of not doing the busy work that accounts for a large portion of my grades.

I'm beginning to decide whether to just barely pass my classes for the next four years, and learn more by printing off materials (using the schools ink and paper of course) and reading them to keep me busy while in school, then not doing homework and using that time to learn about using the internet (I like to learn if I can choose the topic).

However, I'm afraid of making such a big decision when I'm not sure of the consequences in the long run. Worst case scenario is that I'd not get into any college and be financially fucked...and have to work at a shitty job all my life (which is the hypocrisy of slacking in high school). Best case scenario is that I'll make enough money to get by and spend my leisure doing whatever.

I guess the reason i posted this thread is for some insight into the consequences. Maybe I can learn something from members of the temple. :confused:

What do you enjoy? What are your interests?

you should drop out and sell crack

However, I'm afraid of making such a big decision when I'm not sure of the consequences in the long run. Worst case scenario is that I'd not get into any college and be financially fucked...and have to work at a shitty job all my life (which is the hypocrisy of slacking in high school).

Yeah, this.

When I was in school, I used to think a lot of the things we learned were useless or the way we learned them was too slow, boring, etc. But I still did the work. Now I knew people who also thought this and chose not to do the work. Two years after graduation, (some of those people didn't even graduate) I am in a 4 year university and they are "working shitty jobs," maybe going to community college, but likely treating that the same way they did high school. It's a bad habit to get into. You have to remember that high school is socializing you to work in the real world where you'll have to do things you don't like, and you'll have to meet deadlines, work in groups, deal with idiot teachers/bosses and work in a structured environment. You can still read things off the internet and from books to increase your knowledge, but that should be in addition to all the other shit.

And yeah, even in college I find myself rolling my eyes at the general requirements I have to take that I will probably never encounter in the real world (and it's even more annoying when you have to pay for the bullshit class) but unfortunately that is the present system of education. Vocational education is an ok alternative, and maybe that's something you should look into, and maybe your school has a program where you could begin that in high school. But I would at least get your high school diploma and finish the maturing process.

well...i think that i'll just slack off in college.

4 moar years! ughhhh...:rolleyes:

well...i think that i'll just slack off in college.

why?

5char

are you starting high school (or whatever north americans call it).

if you are, then you must be only 13 or so.

here's some advice. everything you know is completely wrong. in five years (at the most) you will look back and be completely ashamed at the person you were (if you even remember). get over yourself and do the fucking work. don't let future you down.

Same thing here. Just do the work as fast as possible. I get a 3.6 without trying.

Fucking SAME. I'm a junior and I have slacked off sophomore and freshman year, because, frankly, the public school system has failed me. Read Punkerslut's writing on the follies of the American education system, it's somewhere here on totse.

This is my junior year and I've decided to try really hard this year. And, it's actually pretty easy. I don't know the way it works in your school, but in mine, junior and senior year, you have a lot of freedom to choose the courses you want. For example, freshman and sophomores are required to take a foreign language--something i hate. I'm not taking one this year and instead I filled the gap with an electricity class and food prep. Senior year, there is no requirement for math. I've been thinking about taking courses at my local community college my senior year and having them count for credits towards high school. You could go that way...

But I think you're fairly safe slacking off at least freshman year. If you're worried about college, then the years they look at are junior and senior. I would say pick it up a little sophomore year so you get into the flow of things, go all out junior year, and senior year, slow it down a bit but still keep reasonably ahead of the rest of the pack.

Public education sucks. I have learned so much more so much faster using the internet and the local library system than in any classroom i have ever been in. fucking standardized pricks.

as has been said do the work. just take comfort in the fact that high school ends eventually. and when it does life turns out to be just fine. also dont worry too much. you are only 14 at the oldest. you have a lot of life ahead. :p

I was a "speed understander" in school. I understood things as fast as the teacher could say them. A lot of the time, I would listen to the first few sentences and extrapolate the rest of the concept. I would finish the homework in class before everyone else had even learned how to do the homework. I was in the same predicament as the OP.

But I still thought high school kicked ass! I was fortunate enough to have a lot of brilliant teachers who helped me to expand my understanding past what I had already squeezed out of the lessons and the textbook. Here's a hint: what your teachers teach you is the tip of the iceberg of what they actually know. They "dumb it down" for you and your fellow students because you don't have the prerequisite knowledge that they do. If you ask them questions, they will give you answers.

The only way I got anything out of public education was by making an effort. Learning is a 50/50 effort between the teacher and the student. You can't just sit there and expect to learn. Kids who did that in my classes made me sick. They'd bitch about a "shitty teacher" even though they never asked questions or even paid attention half the time; made no effort to understand and then blamed it on the teacher or the system when they didn't.

Don't be a douchebag like those kids. Put some effort forward. Learn. If it's easy, suck it up and do it for practice and then learn more stuff.

Also, the guy who said you will hate who you were in four years: he is totally right. Fuck being in high school; you'll be a man later and will realize what a fuck you were. Everyone's an idiot in high school. Hell, I was the biggest idiot of them all. It's all right. High school is there for you to be an idiot.

you should drop out like the rest of us. i'm tired of school, man.

DO NOT DO THIS!!!
listen up neurotoxxxin, there may yet be hope for you:

As someone else pointed out, high school (unintentionally) is structured to condition you for the workforce - it teaches you how to deal with all sorts of people you hate, it makes you work in groups, it forces you to take classes that you will never need again, and it's a great time to socialize and meet people.

But here is one of the most important things: High School is how you get into a good college.

Now, I am perfectly aware that going to a big-name school doesn't necessarily mean you'll learn more than at a state school; however what a big name does is open many doors after you graduate. Assuming you do well at said school you will then have a leg up over many of your peers whether you go to law/med/grad school or industry. At this point you may be tempted to say something along the lines of "fuck the system!" but you know what? The only thing you being lazy is going to accomplish is (most likely) screwing you over the long run.

I know nothing about you or your school, but assuming you are as smart as you claim, you should be able to get A's without breaking a sweat. You may want to take the "honors" or AP/IB courses when given the option so you can have (slightly) more interesting classes and hopefully less annoying classmates. You should have plenty of free time after school and on the weekends, so take this time to do your self-learning thing, hang out with friends, and do some other activities that interest you.

Here's what colleges will tell you they're looking for: "Passion." Do you know what they really mean? Good grades (A's, maybe some advanced courses from a local college), good SAT/ACT scores, strong letters of recommendation, 2 or 3 extra-curricular activities that you're really committed to (you've been doing them for 2-3 years), some cool "achievement" (scientific research, building some cool device, starting your own company, winning athletic/academic competitions, etc), and not coming across as a douchebag in your applications.

I know you didn't ask for my rant on high school/college admissions, but one of the phrases I heard a lot my senior year was something along the lines of "man, I wish I knew how the system worked back then." Now you hopefully can avoid this and plan ahead a bit better.

tl;dr: do well next 4 years => go to good college => infinite possibilities

ace the act and fuck thhe busy work and you'll stll get in college.

Focus your extra energy on getting out of there ASAP. That's what I did and now I'm a junior in college at 17.

Here's a hint: what your teachers teach you is the tip of the iceberg of what they actually know. They "dumb it down" for you and your fellow students because you don't have the prerequisite knowledge that they do. If you ask them questions, they will give you answers.

Actually, I didn't find this to be true, while the teachers do know a lot there have been many times where I've asked questions in say physics and they just say 'you don't need to know that for the course' .. fucking annoying ..

Actually, I didn't find this to be true, while the teachers do know a lot there have been many times where I've asked questions in say physics and they just say 'you don't need to know that for the course' .. fucking annoying ..

Well, yeah... class time is for fulfilling course requirements.

If you have a question that doesn't pertain to the class, ask it outside of class. If they tell you that you don't need to know that for the course when you are not in class, tell them that you want to know anyway. If your teacher still won't tell you after that, he's a shitty teacher.

As someone else pointed out, high school (unintentionally) is structured to condition you for the workforce

* (unintentionally)


Unintentionally my flat white hairy ass.
Got shit to do now, was just surfin before eatin turkey will be back later to elaborate.

Believe, me, as a junior, I totally empathize. Here's something most no one else has brought up:

In the United States at least (maybe only Missouri), there's only two things college's really check for (so I've been told): class rank and act score. Every time you don't do your work, just keep in mind (if you are planning to go to college) that the class rank is what you're really counting on for scholarships and acceptance. If you don't do shit, don't except to get into any colleges easily, or at least with decent scholarships.

Also, try reading advanced material through independent study. This year, I've been doing a lot of precalculus in my algebra class to keep myself from doing violent to keep myself sane.

Fucking SAME. I'm a junior and I have slacked off sophomore and freshman year, because, frankly, the public school system has failed me. Read Punkerslut's writing on the follies of the American education system, it's somewhere here on totse.

Public education sucks. I have learned so much more so much faster using the internet and the local library system than in any classroom i have ever been in. fucking standardized pricks.

Ah, you read Punkerslut's writings too?

And your last paragraph applies to me perfectly.

I guess I got lucky this year though; my teachers grade mostly on tests/quizzes than the actual work.

I do some work in class, never do any homework, and always do great on the tests, so I'm passing with a C+ to a B+ in 3 of my classes.

are you starting high school (or whatever north americans call it).

if you are, then you must be only 13 or so.

here's some advice. everything you know is completely wrong. in five years (at the most) you will look back and be completely ashamed at the person you were (if you even remember). get over yourself and do the fucking work. don't let future you down.


I don't think it would be something assigned to North Americans, but us people in the U.S.A. call it High School. 13? You wouldn't be 13 and in high school unless you skipped a grade. You would be 14 when going into high school and get done around 17 or 18 (depending on if your birthday is in the middle of the school year or not).

DO NOT DO THIS!!!
listen up neurotoxxxin, there may yet be hope for you:

As someone else pointed out, high school (unintentionally) is structured to condition you for the workforce - it teaches you how to deal with all sorts of people you hate, it makes you work in groups, it forces you to take classes that you will never need again, and it's a great time to socialize and meet people.

But here is one of the most important things: High School is how you get into a good college.




Your first paragraph is wrong, High School prepares you for college, you can't get a very good job with only High School education, well I huess you could, but it's hard. Your second paragraph is true though.

I don't think it would be something assigned to North Americans, but us people in the U.S.A. call it High School. 13? You wouldn't be 13 and in high school unless you skipped a grade. You would be 14 when going into high school and get done around 17 or 18 (depending on if your birthday is in the middle of the school year or not).

Interesting, here we go into high school aged 11-12 and go through it all until at least 16, at which point we can leave, go to college etc, or continue all the way through to 17 or 18.

I'm a freshman in high school. My brother is a senior who has a 4.0 and is getting ready to go to college. I'm confident I could achieve a 3.9 minimum if i put all my effort into my assignments and projects, etc.

However, the public schooling system is inefficient and I grasp concepts way before we're done working on them. I'm on the verge of not doing the busy work that accounts for a large portion of my grades.

I'm beginning to decide whether to just barely pass my classes for the next four years, and learn more by printing off materials (using the schools ink and paper of course) and reading them to keep me busy while in school, then not doing homework and using that time to learn about using the internet (I like to learn if I can choose the topic).

However, I'm afraid of making such a big decision when I'm not sure of the consequences in the long run. Worst case scenario is that I'd not get into any college and be financially fucked...and have to work at a shitty job all my life (which is the hypocrisy of slacking in high school). Best case scenario is that I'll make enough money to get by and spend my leisure doing whatever.

I guess the reason i posted this thread is for some insight into the consequences. Maybe I can learn something from members of the temple. :confused:

Don't do that shit jackass. Pass your classes with the best of your ability, but learn on the side. Most schools have programs where you can actually go to college classes while going to school, and they'll pay for it. AP courses for college credit too! Also, take extra curriculars, it'd make a difference on a good scholarship.

I slacked off in high school and purposely got myself a 2.75 point gpa because I was bored. Now I'm in the military counting the days left.