Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 4501

This topic is NOT about The Wraith...

Today, I finally found out what happened to the mentally retarded student who somehow slipped through various cracks and ended up not only in college, but as my student in remedial writing.

Quick background: he had already failed remedial writing once, and I soon found out why. He couldn't even spell his own name correctly. Reading a simple, three-page essay threw him for a loop.

His advisor, with the greater financial interests of the university in mind, kept enrolling him in very easy classes to keep his money with us as long as possible. She sent him to a community college to bypass retaking English 100, snuck him through 101, and suddenly, he's ended up in 102, with one of our department's toughest instructors. He will never make it through that class, much less the intermediate composition requirement for his major.

It seems that Disabled Student Services is helping him out quite a bit; a lot of the tutors, rather than help the students, do their work for them. It saves them time and frustration. This explains how he's gotten through some of the tougher courses.

My problems with this situation are as follows:

-this student lacks the emotional maturity to take care of himself. he often ends up drunk at a fraternity house, where they throw him down stairs, off balconies, dump him in the middle of town. He doesn't keep up with laundry or personal hygiene.
-he has no peer group, no friends. This is an entirely lonely existence.
-the university reaps the benefits of his money, at the expense of his person.
-he still requires editing to spell his name correctly.
-his parents don't want him, but refuse to look into a quality program that could actually deal with him.


Suddenly, the entire point of a college education seems to have reached a crisis point. I questioned all of these things when he was my student; every semester, I checked the enrollments to see if his advisor had tried to sneak him into 101 again. Now that I've finally tracked him down again, these things are coming to a head.

I went to college because I had a sincere desire to get involved in learning at that level. I pushed myself hard in my courses (once the silly first semester was over), spending hours in the library every day. Each semester, I set up a "project" for myself that was an independent study, independent of any courses I was taking or had the option to take. I attended every free lecture I could manage, immersed myself in the wonderful free music performances our university provided, questioned everything around me.

This was not unusual. This was the norm.

Now, I find myself at a very different university. These people exist, but in smaller numbers.

The administration really has very little dedication to an actual learning experience. Faculty and students alike fight for more technological funding, more faculty lines, smaller classes, more rigorous teaching and research standards.

I see a higher percentage of people now who come to college because mom and dad said they had to, because our university told them that "anyone can come to college! take out a loan!", because they don't know what else to do with their lives, because they aren't ready to deal with what they consider to be reality.

Honestly, three years in graduate school has proved to me that the smartest people have often not finished college, or not attended. I see people all around me who attend graduate school for the same reason that many undergraduates attend.

Education becomes a dumping ground for the socially-unfit, inept, and decrepit.

Where do I fit in here? I question that every day. Am I yet another useless misfit doomed to encourage other useless misfits to inundate a campus with their stupidity?

Now that my rant is done (for now), I suppose I'd like to know where others stand on the subject of education. Please, be frank.



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Deny closure. Honor ambiguity.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

Sorry, I thought it was a bluff.

Wraith? You there buddy?

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A closed mouth gathers no feet.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

Schools should be run by teachers, not administrators.

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Registered: Nov 2000
Location: Shillington PA USA
Posts: 269

I have very little faith in the higher education system in this country anymore. I personally went to college for four years, but didn't finish my degree, partly from an overwhelming lack of interest after that time and also from a lack of funds. When I left high school I was looking forward to the college experience, both the social and educational aspects of it. After about two years I started to become less and less interested in what I was doing, classes were huge, teachers I felt were lacking and did not make it interesting for the students (As an aside, it takes alot to hold my attention longer than a few minutes unless I find it interesting, then you have me 100%) I had very few professors that I could look at with respect, and with the feeling that they generally liked what they were doing.

I also have very little patiience with stupidity, and many of the people I was grouped with in these classes fell into that catagory. How on earth did some of these people make it into college in the first place, hell Ihad to work my ass off in High School just to be slightly above norm, here were people that couldn't do simple math striving for college degrees. So needless to say, I stuck with it as long as I could take it, mostly in the latter years for my parents sake, and not for mine.

After I left school I got a job doing what I wanted to be doing anyway, working with computers. Now I almost have eight years of experience under my belt and am probably able to get a job with most any computer company that I wanted too. I make 60k a year, car is payed off and am looking at buying a house. My gross income is more than what my parents make, and more than what my sister makes at her nursing position, though I'm sure she will catch up and surpass me one day. So do I see the benefits in college, no. But maybe I'm a rare case, who knows.

Hopefully that made sense

GS

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: WDM, IA
Posts: 2963

I disagree. After all, my name is in the subject line!

"Today, I finally found out what happened to the mentally retarded student who somehow slipped through various cracks and ended up not only in college, but as my student in remedial writing."
Those bastards! Don't they know only priveledged children should be educated? Damnit, where's my flock of ig'nat boys to plow the field? Ah, I'm just giving you shit, anyway.

"He doesn't keep up with laundry or personal hygiene."
Christ, I hope he's circumsized!

"he has no peer group, no friends. This is an entirely lonely existence."
Ah hell. We best just shoot him in the face and get it over, then. We can't have people with no friends walking around freely. What will the world come to?

"the university reaps the benefits of his money, at the expense of his person."
You realize you live in America, right?

"he still requires editing to spell his name correctly."
Tell him he's an idiot, do it publically. Maybe the embarassment will motivate him to educate his dumbass.

"his parents don't want him, but refuse to look into a quality program that could actually deal with him."
About $300 and some weed given to local gang members down in Kansas City can take care of this problem.

"I went to college because I had a sincere desire to get involved in learning at that level."
Yeah, smart chicks are frickin' great. I dig smart chicks.

"I attended every free lecture I could manage, immersed myself in the wonderful free music performances our university provided..."
I drank too much. Hard to train for the TKD Nationals when you're hung over all the time. It's how, when I say, I "earned" it...I REALLY earned it.

"I see a higher percentage of people now who come to college because mom and dad said they had to..."
Mom and dad say it because society says it. You won't get a decent career (note: I didn't say "job") without a college degree. It's society which forces everyone to go to college or face a life at McDonalds. (Hi -Anth3m-!)

"Honestly, three years in graduate school has proved to me that the smartest people have often not finished college, or not attended."
I have thought the same thing.

"Am I yet another useless misfit doomed to encourage other useless misfits to inundate a campus with their stupidity?"
Hell, who cares as long as you've got a nice rack, eh? I'm kidding, of course.

"I suppose I'd like to know where others stand on the subject of education. Please, be frank."

Hi Bunkum, my name is Frank.

The process of education, as in obtaining a college degree is more of a social requirement than an educational/knowledge requirement. It's just a peice of paper you MUST have to get in certain doors. It doesn't matter what it says on that paper, as long as you have it. My aunt had a degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Iowa. She never taught a day in her life. She went to work at IBM and in a about 7 years was WAY up the corporate ladder as some Senior VP of Technology.

Society bleeds money from people. College is just one aspect. You don't "NEED" a college degree to do 1/2 the things in the professional world. You need one to be a rocket scientist, etc. Does an office assistant who maintains the inventory need an accounting degree? Not hardly.

Anyway, I could rant on education for a VERY long time. I'll shut up now.

Regards,
Frank.



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"Breaker of UBB code, worldwide..."

-Anth3m- is my bitch. You can find more information about -Anth3m- by viewing my profile.

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location:
Posts: 3539

Some of the most worthless people I have known have been college educated.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
Posts: 2115

Bunkum, I see that at my college too. There are guys in the classes that are obviously just there to excel in sports and hopefully get a scholarship to a 4-Year University. Some of these guys can barely read, let alone write or do any type of difficult homework. It is disgusting.

I hope it works out for this guy, it wasn't fair for him. Problem is I'm sure those people have been telling him he can do it for so long, it might destroy him when he is finally told the truth.

That sucks.

CAL

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"The desert is my church, and hunting is my god."

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location:
Posts: 1606

Colleges are in the business to make money. Some can set standards for the quality of students they enroll. A lot have to take all that can afford to attend.
I would say that there is little difference between a car salesman convincing somebody that they need all the frivolous extras they always try to tack on to a car purchase and a college guidance counselor convincing a retard that they can absorb and apply an education.
I think, particularly at the college level, that it is the student’s role to learn. In college, students pick their classes and can pick their teachers.
I also think that your interest in your profession will carry you to a better school.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

Hard to train for the TKD Nationals

How did you do in the Nationals?

I assume you mean WTF?

Who was your coach?

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Registered: Jul 2000
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Wraith, good points. I can't help but get emotionally upset about that kid, since I saw him come in 3 times a week to class unwashed and covered in cuts and bruises from the "pranks." I don't believe that college is for the elite, but for those who want to go. The societal norm that states everyone has to go pisses me off. My father never went, and he's five times smarter than me (at least). I should have also pointed out that I drank quite a bit as well. Can't have all work and no play!

Gravestone, I completely see where you're coming from. Two students of mine were recruited during their freshman year to do computer work, starting at 40k. They were on the Uncle Sam plan (loans) and very stupidly refused to take the jobs. Both were disenchanted with college by week two, and still are. Now they'll owe shitloads of money. Hopefully, even better jobs will await them upon graduation.

Goatboy, can I suck you off now?

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: A New England
Posts: 9187

Better wait till later.

I've just had a wank.

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Registered: Jul 2000
Location: Beatrice, Nebraska
Posts: 19075

The only reason school's take in mentally challenged students, other than the fact they're require to unless it's a private school, is because they get more money per retarded student than per "normal" studnet.

One year, BPS got something like $10.00 for every retarded student, and less than a dollar for every "normal" student. Shouldn't we be taking them in to educate them and not boost our funding?

I really don't mind them so long as I don't have them in one of my classes. They tend to hinder the learning process because the teacher has to slow things down to a slug's pace just to keep from totally burying the poor bastard. Not that it really matters, since they can't fail the retarded students anyway. While we have to bust our asses, they get to sit in a corner and drool, and still pass.

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Have a good day, and if you feel like subjecting your genitals to high doses of x-ray radiation I'm sure the world will kindly thank you.

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Registered: Jan 2001
Location: Hamilton/Ontario/Canada
Posts: 35

In my highschool the retarded kids were 'encouraged' to become part of the janitorial staff. They would walk around during classes, emptying recycling bins and taking out trash. This was their career training. They had their own classes and their own little hallway where they could freak out and yell at each other in relative seclusion.
As for retarded kids being let into college, at least in highschool they wern't deluisioned into thinking they could be something they could not be. Rather, they are surrounded by people who resent them for being in post-secondary school, sucking up government funds while highly intelligent people who don't have the means necissary to attend college rot in a factory job.
I don't mean to be cruel, but as I see it highschool is as far as retarded kids need to go, especially when the high tech job market is making it so that independent people must achieve higher learning in order to have a high probability of attaining financial success.

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When they lose their sense of awe, people turn to religion.
When they no longer trust themselves, they turn to authority. - Lao Tzu

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: Myrtle Beach, SC
Posts: 15181

It annoys me that you have to go to college to do just about anything these days. It's a sad state of affairs, and most people here don't want to be here. As for what they teach you here, well... I seriously expected more. I know that if standards were where they should be, I would never be doing as well here, or at least not nearly as easily as I am. College is a joke, totally here for money, and I often wonder exactly why I'm doing this.

As for more intelligent people not going to college, I totally agree. My brother, for example, always did better in school, tested higher, and was just so much smarter than I was all through our childhoods. He dropped out of college because he just didn't like it. Can't really blame him.

Morgana always tells me I'm the smartest person she knows. She's wrong. My brother is, she just doesn't realize it.

The only real problem is simply that 90% of the time, you need that little piece of paper that universities give out saying that you paid them tons of money for 4 (or more) years to really get anywhere in life. Unless you're a business genius, of course. (Kinda makes you wonder when you consider that something like half of the ten richest men in the world dropped out of college). But for most people, you need it, not for what you learn, but because it's hard as hell to get hired without one.

During my first semester, my roommate wrote something on our door that remains appropriate: "It's not an education, it's a machine. Just let it process you and everything will be fine."

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I could never take any computer seriously that doesnt give me blue screens and illegal ops now and again. --Urbanjunkie
Graphic Cheeseworks.

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: atlanta
Posts: 6582

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Registered: Sep 2000
Location: atlanta
Posts: 6582

I think the one retarded kid at my school is going to be recruited for NASA. The motherfucker is smart as hell, but he keeps shouting dirty words and falling out of his wheelchair, and whatnot.

Sometimes, he pees in his pants.

Furthermore, i think the bastard that served me at Burger King the other day was retarded. I asked for a Big-Mac, and the dumb mentally retarded individual totally screwed up my order!

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Registered: Aug 2000
Location: VA
Posts: 423

Hmm, where to begin....
I consider myself, and the 2 other buddys that graduated with me to be some of the smartess people in my highschool...we did not go to college, we didnt score in the top 30 of our class, all the top 10 were reserved for all the backstabbers, home economics, presidents, cheaters of our class every single last one of them would sell thier mothers just for a shred of somthing to make thier GPA or group status pleasant to the eye for the college boards...
"our group" we took all the AP course readily available to us, dont get me wrong we didnt work hard in the classes as in ie. homework labs, but we all aced the finals, and i think that should count more than friggen anything,
back the the top 10 of the class though
#3 got a scholorship to MIT...
i saw him yesterday cashiering at kmart....

college is a dumping ground for alot of losers in life (sorry to say) but there is also alot of smart people there too, I cant say to much more on this topic or it will all be broken uncoherent thoughts.

PS sorry bout spelling and sentence structure :P

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