The Official Adam Pascal Love Thread, part three- Page 447

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:49pm

I know that the program is rigorous and stuff, but I don't understand what the value is in making you do SIXTY pages. Wouldn't they rather a smaller amount of good pages than sixty slapped together just to get the right amount done? That makes me angry. I'm sorry. I feel like that totally goes against the idea that IB work should be quality work; you can't have both when the requirements are that ridiculous.

Do you have to make sixty pieces of artwork, or is it writing?

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 12:49 PM

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:50pm

Wait, woah! You have to write SIXTY pages?! About what? I think I would kill myself.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:51pm

Yea, I'm always so passive in situations like this. I need some balls or something.

Insomniak, what type of program are you in?

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:52pm

EXACTLY, Emcee. I haven't done anything worthwhile in those pages- I'm just rushing through them so I'll have something filled up. The whole program feels very empty and worthless- there is no WHY, it's just 'do this, do this, do this'. I spent three weeks on seven pages devoted to Sweeney Todd and I'm very proud of them, but then I realized that my teacher won't even read the things I wrote about its relation to my chosen topic, she'll just count the pages and tell me it's not enough. So what? So. What. Everything I do is just a waste. A big, F*CKing, waste.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:53pm

Let's go find some, Fantabulous. If I had a nickel for every time someone told me to get some balls -- or a backbone -- I'd pretty rich.

If the TV says one more thing about New Years', I think I'm going to put my head through a wall.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:54pm

Never mind, I saw that you're in the IB program. Eeek.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:55pm

That reminds me of that Polisci paper I failed, nia. I finally found out from someone I knew who DID finish the class what the deal was: this guy doesn't even read the papers, he just counts how many of the readings you've used. The papers are graded in two parts, and on one part she got an A and one she got a D, with a drastic difference in the number of sources used between the two -- she met the page requirement, though, on both. On the second paper, she wrote it about four pages shorter than the required length, but just slapped as many references as she could into it, and she got an A.

If they're going to make you do it, they should put the time in to read it. I hate teachers who don't care.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 12:55 PM

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:55pm

All in favor of mass suicide, say 'aye'.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:56pm

Ready... set... jump.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:58pm

*runs to try to block you from jumping*

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:58pm

It's only two floors; I'd probably just break a few bones.

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 12:59pm

I'm thisclose.

I slaved away for weeks on my huge spanish project over the summer, and then he graded it on COMPLETION. It was a F*CKing MASTERPIECE.

I've had it with diplomacy, I'm going straight to the IB coordinator and telling her that someone better F*CKing kick these teachers in the balls and tell them to get a grip on reaity, or else I'm dropping out completely. I'm one of her favorites; she'll listen to me.
Updated On: 12/30/05 at 12:59 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:01pm

I hope she listens.

I had a lot of fights like that with department heads in high school -- these teachers were pathetic and the classes were jokes; I wanted to learn, not talk about the color of the gum stuck to my history teacher's shoe (I'm not kidding, it was an exam question). I rarely got anywhere, because the administrators shamelessly stood behind the "credentials" of their beloved know-nothing teachers.

I had one teacher in an honors course who graded homework assignments on how pretty they looked.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 01:01 PM

[insomniak]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:03pm

Emcee, that's what my school is like.

Later, everyone. I think I'm going to pop in the Sweeney concert DVD and do some more quantitative art.

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:04pm

Try NYC public high schools. They stink, especially academically.

[ElphieDefiesGravity]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:09pm

Woah, I'm watching that DVD, too, Nia! Crazy.

Geez, you guys are scaring me. NO. SUICIDE. I guess I'm pretty lucky with my school. I mean, I've had a few problem teachers, but most of them are great, and I love my school.

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:14pm

Just popping it to say that I understand your woes with IB. Bleh. Most of the stuff we have to do is completely ridiculous.

We do get no homework weekends once a month though, which helps somewhat.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:18pm

Granted, that as I got older, the teachers became more competent, but I don't think I had one full year without a teacher I didn't get along with.

nia, I just now saw your e-mail. I replied, check.

Mandi, what is your avatar?

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 01:18 PM

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:27pm

It makes me sad to see all this anger and rage in this thread over the last few days (no, really). I can't pretend to know exactly what position you're in, nia, but I've taken my share of AP courses throughout high school that required an insane amount of work.

I stupidly took almost a full load this semester because I thought NYU would like to see that, but I also took a college class this summer in Virginia and attended debate camp (probably the worst experience of my life...), so like you, I haven't had a break since June. I'm sure the amount of work you have is insane compared to what I've done this year, but I do know how you're feeling. Are you taking the courses primarily so your high school transcript looks good (sorry, I'm not trying to assume anything, but that's why I took all the AP courses I did!)? If so, just remember that there IS a point to all of this work and you'll feel great once you get into the college of your choice. :)

[Fantabulous428]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:28pm

Alright, I'm off. I feel like I'm preparing for battle or something. Wish me luck.

[Mandi Moo]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:29pm

A bad screen cap of Anthony in Hedwig. I had to use it though, it's kinda hot.

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 1:29pm

Me too.

I honestly think that, for me anyway, it has something to do with throwing off the status-quo. As much as we complain, students are used to going to school, and having things be a certain way. Breaks are supposed to be relaxing, but they never are for me because things change so drastically -- in high school I had a ton of work, and now in college I have nothing. Now I'm in a new place, but even in high school, I was just at home *all the time*. I just start to go a little crazy after a while. If my surroundings change, I change; I hate being so sad all of the time, because there's no way for it not to be taken out on the people around me: I fight with friends, I bore my high school friends when I go out with them, I had a chip on my shoulder when I first came home because I dreaded it so badly, and that probably contributed to the fights I'm having with my family...

My high school isn't part of the IB program, but I took five AP courses my senior year. oy.

Updated On: 12/30/05 at 01:29 PM

[luvtheEmcee]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:17pm

It changed again! I like this one better.

I just showered and did my hair; the top layers are just way too short, and they just... poof. I guess I'll wear it up for a few weeks and just pretend this didn't happen. I'm not sure what I was thinking. I'm glad my hair grows fast.

I feel really weird; my hands are shaking. Probably because I haven't eaten. I'm afraid to go downstairs, because I know my mom's going to ask why I'm so unhappy.

[Atrias]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:19pm

Maybe it would be better if you just got that talk over with? Then, however it turned out, it wouldn't be hanging over you.

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 12/30/05 at 2:21pm

Good morning...I have major head and stomach cramps

Well, morning/early afternoon doesn't seem to be much better than last night. I know you're gone Fantab, but well if I was able to call out my friend, I would wait till after the Nutcracker to not interfere w/ my enjoyment of that, then call her out after. I too was never good at confrontations, but I'm getting better little by little. What I've found is that b/c it's something I rarely do and I'm scared of upsetting someone so instead of just yelling I just, very rationally get out my feelings, and that tends to be pretty effective, instead of me saying you suck or something I just I was really upset, etc.

I actually have a paper due when I get back for next semester...guess I shouldn't complain, my teacher wanted us to have more time to research and didn't want to make it due around finals and stuff...it is interesting so I guess I don't mind, not gonna get back to working on it till after New Year's though.

I think we've all had good and bad high school teachers. For me, the worst was always my math teachers. I just got math really easily so some of them didn't like that I could do so well w/o having to do a lot of work, some of them admitted they think I'm better than them(so not something a teacher should say), etc. But I think the worst was my 11th grade pre-calc teacher. He would walk in some days and say you know what I don't feel like teaching, take a free period. Sometimes he would put do nows on the board and I'd finish quickly and he'd come over to me and have me explain how I did it b/c he wasn't positive...ulgh, i hated that class.

When you're forced into certain idle situations though, you'd be surprised at how well you can handle them. I was home for like...more than 8 months w/o being in school and most of my friends were away, I thought it would be awful and i'd be bored out of my mind...but I got really good at entertaining myself...I found this, and i went to shows, and I got loads of videos at the library, and I just looked at all the positives, never before in my life was I never tired...b/c anytime I was, I could just nap. I was pretty upset when I had to go back to having commitments and stuff actually.

And just for everyone, remember your mental health is most important--much more important than getting every single piece of work done.