How happy are you...

[_DeepBlue]

With your school results? do you feel you underachieved? any regrets? I feel that despite always getting good results I could have done better. I am in my last year of school, soon uni is coming.. and I don't know what to do: work as hard as i possibly can.. or enjoy my year and face regretting the results for years.. meh..

oh and sorry for the misleading title :D

EDIT: sry, the poll went mad oO

[MelDJ]

i have just finished schooling (waiting for national exams results)
i regret not studying hard enough and feel i could have done so much better in my studies if i had worked hard.
you can enjoy life later, i advise fully concentrating on studying as you will regret not doing so later

[RabbitWho]

Most of the first 18 years of my life were a waste of time, I wish I either had never gone to school, or school had not been crap, or someone had, at some point, told me what study meant instead of just telling me to do it and me thinking it meant sitting down and reading something over and over again untill you knew it.
I left school 5 years ago and it's like I'm 5 years old. That's how long I've been alive.

[Swagman]

Most of the first 18 years of my life were a waste of time, I wish I either had never gone to school, or school had not been crap, or someone had, at some point, told me what study meant instead of just telling me to do it and me thinking it meant sitting down and reading something over and over again untill you knew it.
I left school 5 years ago and it's like I'm 5 years old. That's how long I've been alive.

Wait till your daughter comes up to you and asks how to do Fractions (Maths)
Groan..... (Gotta be honest).

"Dad was never any good at fractions darling. I cant even remember the formulae"

"Teacher said it we worked it out like this" (Shows me)
So I do a test run the way she showed me... check answer (back of book) and got it right ?

"Huh.. Lucky fluke"
Do another and got it right.. and another.. and another...do em all
Got em all right

W T F

"Why didn't MY teacher show me that way" < ---Exasperation
All my life I thought I was a thicksh1t at math and it turns out I wasn't shown the correct method.

Perhaps I still am a thicksh1t and shoulda worked that method out myself.. whatever.

[_DeepBlue]

I'm 18, in my last year. I have my IB (baaaad idea doing IB) exams in about 3 months.. I've been given the "he's a clever boy, but he never does any work" a few times now.. if I really start working hard now, it could make the difference... I just cant make myself work, and know that no matter how hard I try, I will regret my results to some extent. Any advice?

[MelDJ]

I'm 18, in my last year. I have my IB (baaaad idea doing IB) exams in about 3 months.. I've been given the "he's a clever boy, but he never does any work" a few times now.. if I really start working hard now, it could make the difference... I just cant make myself work, and know that no matter how hard I try, I will regret my results to some extent. Any advice?

have motivation. make a goal for your life.
focus on fullfilling that goal and you wont regret anything.
i am 18 too, this year

[Techsnap]

I've always been pleased. But as I always say to people who are unhappy with them, you can always do them again :)

[Swagman]

I've always been pleased. But as I always say to people who are unhappy with them, you can always do them again :)

What's the point ?

Life is more about "Who you know, not What you know."

ie: You can have all the qualifications you want but if someones dad is buddies with the employer You aint gonna get the job.

And THAT happens nearly EVERYWHERE.

So... Try and get good grades but remember, they are not everything. Your Social Skills will get you far further. Yes that's wrong but it's the way of the world.

Play it to your advantage.

[Techsnap]

Absolutely, grades aren't everything that's for sure.

[cguy]

Well, guys, if you go to an Engineering oriented University you'll see how all of the math and physics bond together in real life and it's pretty interesting I have to say.

But if you're uninspired/mislead enough to go to a ****** college, as I was (It actually had a good -one of the best- reputation, lol :D), you'll grow freaking tired of it all before you find out all these.
I should have put way more effort in learning (I regret I didn't), but the way things were shown to me it was very hard to get the motivation.
And I'm not the exception in the crowd.

The only benefit after 16 years of schooling is that I found out about the existence of some things. I learned something, of course, but the majority of things I have to re-study independently.
What a waste of time! Home schooling would have been better than going to the University if there was someone to tell me "Did you know X existed? Here's where it's useful! Now find good books/websites to read about it!"

Do yourself a favor and choose the University wisely!!!!!!! (Can't stress this enough!)

[Bölvaður]

I feel that despite always getting good results I could have done better.


I've just started telling people I dont care about the grades on my later years in the university. It's just about finishing it now.

[Sharmani]

Always try to have positive motivation and make a goal for your life.

[JDShu]

Confession: I really admire people who can study hard because I just don't seem to be able to that. All throughout my school life until graduation from university, I've been pulling last minute crams and getting by. Every school term was the same - being all enthusiastic and studying diligently for the first two weeks, slacking off for much of the rest of the semester, and then cramming right before exams. The entry-level job would probably have been easier to get if my grades had been higher...

HOWEVER, its over now and regrets are no good. We should look forward and do our best for whats next! :D

[audiomick]

Hi.
I am 45. My last year of study was 1989.

Stick at it and do the best you can. I was an extremely slack student, and now regret having taken so long to realize what it was all about. I took about 7 years to get through a BA, studying part time a lot of the time, but also never really motivated to get finished. I only really got going in my last year, and that not all that well. I got through, but that is about all.

Having said that, I don't consider any of the time at Uni or school as having been wasted. Life at a University offers so much more than just the classes.

My degree has nothing to do with finding a job. A BA(Music) is perhaps one of the most financially useless degrees you could possibly choose. On the other hand, I think choosing a degree on the strength of the possible income afterwards is inadvisable.

To quote a cliche: I am continually surprised at how things I learned or was supposed to learn at school and Uni and never thought I would need turn out to be useful in unexpected ways.

As I said, stick at it, if only to know you gave it your best shot. You only live once...

[texaswriter]

For those planning to goto college [from highschool], I would recommend you seriously revise your study habits to accommodate the following: College is not highschool, college IS the big leagues, skipping class, cheating, copying notes WILL NOT WORK. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people actually do these things regularly at school.. They are people who drop classes regularly, flunk classes regularly, and otherwise just barely squeak by with the bare minimum to pass the class [aka C]. If you get a C on any class, I can tell you that you do not seriously know enough in that subject to apply elsewhere [as in another class let alone in real life].

So, don't fret if you don't have great study habits. Core classes are typically easy for somebody who a) goes to class b) puts forth the effort asked for by your teachers and c) tries to learn how best to study/learn. This is your time to prepare yourself for your major classes which will typically require a lot more commitment and studing, depending on ur major.

Good luck to anybody attempting to better their lives by going to college.

[audiomick]

and c) tries to learn how best to study/learn.
This, in my opinion, is the common element in all Uni degrees, and what Uni is actually about.

If you have a degree in any subject, you should then be able to go and effectively research, learn and write about any other subject.

One of my music lecturers was a Doctor of Chemistry. I don't think he actually had an official Music qualification. Despite this, he was one of the best lecturers we had.

[SuperSonic4]

Aww, school results thread :p

Now I feel old XD

[texaswriter]

Heh, whatever, I know people in school who are grannies and such... lol Ur never too old for school, so don't feel old

[sbrown1992]

I never let school interfere with my education

I was happy with my school results, managed to leave after my 4th year of High School to go to college to do Software Development.

However, I don't really feel like I learned much useful stuff in High School, and even much of what i'm learning in college doesn't seem applicable to the workplace.

[beastrace91]

I live in the states... I was homeschooled for a long while and then started college classes when I was 16, currently I am 19 and almost finished with my Jr year of schooling, if all works out come this time two years from now I will be a math teacher :)

So for now I'm marking "Yes"

~Jeff

[BETATEST]

College is not highschool, college IS the big leagues, skipping class, cheating, copying notes WILL NOT WORK.

Agreed. I found it funny that High School Teachers' Pets and even a lot of Home Schooled freshman who were used to either coasting along or constant 1 on 1 teaching ... came into College/University and flunked out their first quarter or semester.

Welcome to the real world folks! The Doc or Prof couldn't care less about whether you know the material or not (they already do and they're more interested in their upcoming sabbaticals to get away from you to pursue their own grant work); you may be in an auditorium with 300 other students and the professor is just a video taped lecture (done back in the 80s) for the entire semester because the prof is already off on their sabbatical; and the TA isn't going coddle you like your mother (he or she is busy working on their own doctorate and this is just a job for food and beer money).

I never understood the entire "skipping class" thing in College/University. I mean, you already PAID for that class. It's like buying the expensive-seat season tickets to your favorite sports team ... and never going. :confused:

[phrostbyte]

I did poorly in high school (I didn't really care for the school). But I still managed to get into a real university using fairly high SAT scores alone, did really good in undergraduate studies while at University. I never got less then an A in any computer course, and most math courses. :) So I'm pretty happy with my academic performance, though I'd love to get into a place like MIT or Stanford for graduate studies. I need some bad grades to balance out the undergraduate studies. :cool:

[phrostbyte]

For those planning to goto college [from highschool], I would recommend you seriously revise your study habits to accommodate the following: College is not highschool, college IS the big leagues, skipping class, cheating, copying notes WILL NOT WORK. Don't get me wrong, plenty of people actually do these things regularly at school.. They are people who drop classes regularly, flunk classes regularly, and otherwise just barely squeak by with the bare minimum to pass the class [aka C]. If you get a C on any class, I can tell you that you do not seriously know enough in that subject to apply elsewhere [as in another class let alone in real life].

So, don't fret if you don't have great study habits. Core classes are typically easy for somebody who a) goes to class b) puts forth the effort asked for by your teachers and c) tries to learn how best to study/learn. This is your time to prepare yourself for your major classes which will typically require a lot more commitment and studing, depending on ur major.

Good luck to anybody attempting to better their lives by going to college.

Yeah college is significantly more difficult, but I mean you get to study things you actually enjoy studying in university. And I think you really like a subject, like put your whole life effort to learning it, you will do good. You don't have that opportunity in HS. And since a typical state uni tend to be like order of magnitude bigger then HS, you can find people with your interests easier. Like my HS didn't have a Linux User Group, but my Uni did :P

[phrostbyte]

I'm 18, in my last year. I have my IB (baaaad idea doing IB) exams in about 3 months.. I've been given the "he's a clever boy, but he never does any work" a few times now.. if I really start working hard now, it could make the difference... I just cant make myself work, and know that no matter how hard I try, I will regret my results to some extent. Any advice?

If you genuinely smart, you'll do fine in college even if you don't like to work hard. Actually, most University is more geared towards the "smart" types then the "hard working" types. You might find that many (most?) classes do not grade homework. Sometimes 100% of a grade are two/three exams and that's all. This is especially true in senior/junior level coursework.

[lisati]

I remember my parents lamenting phrases like "could do better" appearing on my report cards.

Don't forget that the results you get at school (or any education you get later) are just a start: there's the journey of gaining experience in life, and being able to usefully apply whatever you manage to retain of what you learn on the way.

[texaswriter]

If you genuinely smart, you'll do fine in college even if you don't like to work hard. Actually, most University is more geared towards the "smart" types then the "hard working" types. You might find that many (most?) classes do not grade homework. Sometimes 100% of a grade are two/three exams and that's all. This is especially true in senior/junior level coursework.

Hrrm, curious statement... I would never put anything that generally...

1) show up to classes

2) be aware of what is expected of you by the class / teacher

3) pay attention to how you can adjust your learning/study habits...

Whether you are "genuinely smart" [whatever that means], doing these things will get you a good grade if you are able to understand the concepts being taught and apply them to your homework.

BTW, homework is usually what is on exams. I would put as much effort as you can in homework and you'd be surprised how well you do in exams.

[jrusso2]

I am not sure what this is about, I finished graduate school ten years ago and high school like thirty years ago.

[Jesus_Valdez]

I finished "High School" ten years ago, 8/10 if I recall correctly.

I never stop studying, I'm currently on a PhD, I'm happy with my results although I'm sure that with more hard work and less laziness life would have been much better.

[phrostbyte]

Hrrm, curious statement... I would never put anything that generally...

1) show up to classes

2) be aware of what is expected of you by the class / teacher

3) pay attention to how you can adjust your learning/study habits...

Whether you are "genuinely smart" [whatever that means], doing these things will get you a good grade if you are able to understand the concepts being taught and apply them to your homework.

BTW, homework is usually what is on exams. I would put as much effort as you can in homework and you'd be surprised how well you do in exams.

Yes, what I mean is in HS, you can know the material but if you don't turn in the homework, you can get a bad grade. I know in my school assignments/homework where often times bigger part of the grade then tests. I used to spectacular on the tests, but rarely turn in homework. Hence I could get As on all the tests, and still get a D in the class.

In college (at least in my experience), everything is more test oriented. In English classes there is a lot of papers though. But mostly you are graded on your test/quiz performance, and some assignments here and there. The assignments are usually far more challenging and interesting then HS assignments anyway, so you can feel more motivated to actually do them. But some classes where 100% test based.

What I mean by genuinely smart is you can read something once, NOT take notes, and then get a perfect grade on a test 4 months later. Or you can solve complicated math problems without any practice, just by understanding the axioms. If you can do stuff like that you'll get a good grade without much effort or even showing up to class. There is people like that. I am NOT like that! Although I rarely need to take notes. ;)

The main reason I did well is because I enjoyed what I was studying. It never really dawned on me that what I was doing was hard work. Seriously. I just really enjoyed studying theoretical computer science. Personally I just love academia in general. Besides the beer and parties, there is all kinds of things to do, all kinds of stuff being researched, state of the art technology, clubs for just about every interest. University is just an awesome place to be. :D

[texaswriter]

Yes, what I mean is in HS, you can know the material but if you don't turn in the homework, you can get a bad grade. I know in my school assignments/homework where often times bigger part of the grade then tests. I used to spectacular on the tests, but rarely turn in homework. Hence I could get As on all the tests, and still get a D in the class.

OK, that makes sense now... thought you were talking about college.



In college (at least in my experience), everything is more test oriented. In English classes there is a lot of papers though. But mostly you are graded on your test/quiz performance, and some assignments here and there. The assignments are usually far more challenging and interesting then HS assignments anyway, so you can feel more motivated to actually do them. But some classes where 100% test based.

Yeah, depends on class. Math classes, sometimes they rarely take up homework... So, definitely, the tests are important. My point about the homework is that it can help some people on the tests... But, I get what you are saying, totally.


What I mean by genuinely smart is you can read something once, NOT take notes, and then get a perfect grade on a test 4 months later. Or you can solve complicated math problems without any practice, just by understanding the axioms.

Heh, yup, I'm not that smart either.


If you can do stuff like that you'll get a good grade without much effort or even showing up to class. There is people like that. I am NOT like that! Although I rarely need to take notes. ;)

Yeah, notes are notes are more of a mental exercise with me, not so much for "remembering" or referring back to as I rarely EVER look back at my notes after I write them. When I write, I'm condensing the notes to my own thoughts... that's more important than the notes themselves. It's like my brain has its own "language" and you need to translate what you hear to your brain's "language". Technically, you could do this without writing... I prefer writing... Some people honestly do need something to refer back to...



The main reason I did well is because I enjoyed what I was studying. It never really dawned on me that what I was doing was hard work. Seriously. I just really enjoyed studying theoretical computer science. Personally I just love academia in general. Besides the beer and parties, there is all kinds of things to do, all kinds of stuff being researched, state of the art technology, clubs for just about every interest. University is just an awesome place to be. :D

And, yes, that helps tremendously when you truly like what you do. It's amazing how much energy and attention your mind can muster when you want to do something.