Young People are "The Entitlement Generation"...- Page 5

[Plum]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:35pm

To make a wild guess based on my limited knowledge of the European university system- kids choose their majors when they apply to the school and have to be accepted by their department(s). So there's a lot more specialization from the start.

Oh, and I think they have something called "Grandes Ecoles" (?), which are these extra-elite and selective schools for certain topics. Maybe that professor taught in one of those.

Of course, I could be totally wrong about that. :)
Updated On: 6/30/05 at 12:35 PM

[yodamarie78]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:41pm

His main issue was with the preoccupation with grades, instead of whether one actually learned anything.

[shira467]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:44pm

I can't wait to get back to school, as I've been off for a year. I'm not looking forward to tests and essays, but I really miss the thought process and analysis.

[Plum]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 12:45pm

Heh. We did our final Political Theory paper on that exact topic. It's clear, thanks to the existence of such programs as No Child Left Behind, that many Americans are convinced that learning can and should be easily quantified using a test. But it's funny a teacher with a European background should complain about it, when so many countries in Europe (as well as the rest of the world) absolutely require an entrance examination to get into college (and sometimes high school) in the first place. You think the SAT situation is bad here? Try applying to college in a country where you really are your score, and nothing else counts.

[Marlene]

Posted: 6/30/05 at 2:34pm

First and foremost, I must admit that I do have your “survival basics,” a phone, an ipod, clothes that I should honestly spend less money on, a computer with more functions than I know what to do with, and if I didn’t have high speed internet I think I’d kill myself, etc, etc. (No blackberry, because I personally find it pointless, paper works just as well) But I did have to work for them. Given that the phone for was “safety reasons” (though I’m well warned that if I go over, I would be paying for the added cost), my ipod was compiled birthday money, computers do last quite awhile, somehow I made dial-up more expensive then DSL, but my mother does and draws a line if I demand for overly extravagant things. I mean in retrospect, are these awful things to ask for? I mean I can think myriad of ways for me be truly “spoiled.”

I go to a NYC Public school, though a very sheltered one with a rigorous academic program. However, I have to say that the demographic of the school probably most resembles a typical HS out on LI. Quite a few people there can be associated with the demographic that you all complain about. I can at least admit that everyone accounted for is intelligent, and does well in school, which I guess does deserve a little credit given the NYC public HS statistics.

Manners. I honestly think that you’re parents really have a big influence in that department. I know that I’m polite and I do my part, but it’s honestly based a lot on upbringing. I had these rules and morals instilled in me as a young individual, so it becomes second nature for me to hold the door for someone, say thank you, etc.

It’s just unfortunate that a lot of parents are too busy, or some other sort of dilemma arises, and adolescents are showered with gifts instead of attention. I just remember a month ago, a friend of mine had a shopping spree at Coach thanks to her dad not being around for quite awhile.

Perhaps it was my mother’s strange lectures about how I am going to grow up miserable if I don’t get my act together as I was growing up. I got privileges taken away if I had poor conduct or grades. To be honest the whole “go to room” punishment doesn’t work anymore. It’s like, hey my room, great…that’s where all my great stuff is.

Corporal punishment, does that really work? Growing up, I can say it wasn’t used in my household, with very few exceptions where I think I totally made my mother lose it and she slapped me. So I won’t be advocating the use of it.

Even though you condone whatever generation I’m part of (x, y, z, whatever) you have to realize that are people my ago out there, who still do things for their communities, volunteer, etc. I do, and I often work with people my own age. It just has a lot to do with upbringing and personal choice. But since following the heard seems to work, people just do.

On the last bit about education, yes, I feel that grades are stressed way too much. In certain classes I must attest that frankly I don’t really learn anything. And I have one of those lovely mothers that think the teacher has a problem (so long as I have some legitimate evidence), not I.