Clarification needed about US education system

by ballistic 29 Replies latest jw friends

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  Soledad

  If I'm not mistaken here in NY school is mandatory to age 16. That means if you decide to leave school at 16 you can do so but you will not have earned a HS diploma, unless you have already earned all the credits necessary to obtain one.

  I knew plenty of kids who graduated at 16 by taking all the credit courses and completing the graduation requirements. I also knew plenty who just dropped out and then went on to a business school or trade school and there completed a GED program (General Equivalence Diploma).

  Believe it or not, there was an elder in my congregation who was encouraging me to drop out at 16 and go to the business school that his wife went to. I went and met with the school's admissions director. He was appalled by that elder's idea and he strongly urged me to stay in HS and go on to college.

  Good thing I listened to the school director and not the elder!
• 

  ballistic

  and stick to it tiveness

  You're still shmaking up wordzies like the J dubs do.

  Anyway... I was a bit of a fool I guess. My older brothers and sisters went on to further education and they were a lot older than me. But My father died when I was 13 and I studied with an extremely dedicated pioneer who molded me to a certain extent. I followed his footsteps and pioneered from school at 16. It wasn't until my wife left me at age 22 and I lost all my faith that I picked myself up and went to college. I'm doing reasonably well now. I thought in those younger years I was doing "the right thing", but looking back I wonder to what extent I screwed up.
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  talesin

  The age for leaving school here is 16. We were encouraged to leave at that age, which for most meant no high school diploma. I was taken out of school at 14 by my parents, with the excuse that my mother was sick, and I was 'needed' at home. Before they did this, I argued for 3 years with them about university --- it was the only thing I wanted to do. Since they refused permission to go to uni (and I was graduating at 16, so they had the 'legal right' to keep me from it), I gave up and figured 'why finish high school anyway'. The only course I would have been permitted to take was a vocational business course. I cried many bitter tears at that age, and felt my life was over. In a way, it was.

  I'm struggling to think of any JW kids I knew who went on to a trade school or uni, but I can't think of even one. My brother was one of the few who finished high school, but he got no flack as he was planning to marry straight out of school, and it was felt that a HS education would be necessary for him to support his family.

  Funny how it's different in different places (thinking of Blondie's comments). We have 7 universities in my city, and it's the centre for eastern Canada, but almost all the JW kids went on to menial labour jobs, or founded their own cleaning/construction companies (those are the 'successful' ones, as they now employ others to do the menial work at minimum wage while they drive Cadillacs themselves).

  tal
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  talesin

  BTW, "stick-to-it-iveness" is a word I have heard many times here, it's more of a term that folks use ... not a JW term, nor made up by the poster. Just one they don't use in the UK.
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  ballistic

  You are right Tal, there's 19,200 results on google for stick-to-it-iveness. Anyway I wasn't trying to belittle Blondie in any way, I just thought it was funny.
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  talesin

  I didn't think you were, I was just teasing you back, thus the .

  t
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  ballistic
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  Euphemism

  Just to clarify one thing, since I'm not sure if it was said explicitly... here in the US, "college" is synonymous with "university". When Americans speak about "not going to college", they mean not attending university.
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  AnnOMaly

  What would you expect from a group of guys who think beards and jeans on women are wrong?

  Well I don't think there's any problem with jeans on women, jeeprube, but they shouldn't wear beards, imho - it's just not a good look for them
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  ballistic

  That wasn't lost on me... beards on women are not good... trust me on this.