Posts by Paul Miller8

Oof, you really left out one crucial detail before we dive in! 😢 Honestly, I’m getting so much unsolicited advice lately—people acting like they have all the answers, telling me, "Why bother complaining? You’ve got straight A's, you'll get in easily." But seriously, why should I even have to stress about whether I'll make the cut? If I've already proven my worth through hard work, shouldn't there be some kind of reward for that? And hey, since we're basically future colleagues here, where are you actually from? If we both play our cards right, we could be sitting in the same lecture hall in nine months. 🤷 Look, if you're feeling a bit private about where you live, no big deal—just tell me which high school you're planning to attend 😉 Are you heading to any other competitions soon? Physics, chemistry, maybe English lit?

I’m feeling a little more composed today, though I still have some serious gripes regarding this new system.
1. I won't be getting credit for placing fifth in the national handball tournament. Honestly, ladies and gentlemen—qualifying for the national championships is proof enough that I’ve successfully balanced athletics with my schoolwork. But apparently, if you aren't in the top three, that effort doesn't count. It’s as if they don't realize that placement in these kinds of tournaments is often down to pure luck. Did we spend half the night traveling? Was there a group of rowdy kids on the floor above us jumping around all night so nobody could sleep? Did one of our players get sidelined by an injury? Or was it just the specific group of opponents we drew? It’s a roll of the dice. I can't support this decision at all. Generally speaking, only awarding points to the top three at nationals is just silly. Anyone who makes it to the national stage has proven they are above average, and that deserves recognition.
2. There’s no credit given for Lidrano. Nothing at all. If we are rewarding talents like music, dance, or drawing, then why on earth aren't we rewarding young writers? And please, don't try to tell me that writers don't work on their craft the way kids do in dance or music school. As a writer myself, I am constantly working on the very talent they claim I "just have." I experiment with different styles, I spend hours analyzing my own drafts, and I obsess over what works and what doesn't. I don't necessarily need to win Lidrano to be practicing, but someone else out there will strive for it—and they won't get any credit either. It’s just nonsense, absolute nonsense. In my opinion, they've completely missed the mark with how they handle these competitions.

wanderinggardener12 said:I am genuinely stunned by the mindset of an eighth grader! Both your reasoning and your way of expressing yourself (not to mention your literacy) are remarkable.
I find myself wondering where children like you disappear to during their later schooling and how they eventually become entirely mediocre. I truly hope this educational system doesn't stifle you the way it has many others, and that by the time you are twenty-five or thirty, you can still articulate your thoughts clearly, precisely, and with substance.
I also wonder what today's politicians were thinking when they were fifteen, and if they were actually thinking at all.

Thank you so much for the kind words, 🙂 I’m in a phase right now where I’m being pretty open—I say what I think, though I do try my best not to be rude to the people around me. Honestly, I’m quite happy with our current system. It’s because of one simple reason: it needs to teach us how to adapt to changing systems and how to strive for excellence. See, if you are truly exceptional, any system will work for you. But when you have parents who condition their children to settle for mediocrity—you know the type, like "Oh, I got one B, but everyone else did too," or "That's fine, honey, it doesn't matter"—that's how you end up with a society that is just... average. In such a culture, people who actually strive for more are treated like weirdos, or—as I often encounter—people say things like, "She was just born smart, that's why her grades are so high." Well, yeah, she was born with potential, but she actually knows things. Most people don't push for better, so when someone does, they get judged for it—but really, it all goes back to how they were raised. Regardless, I hope I continue to grow as I get older. Personally, I always pictured our politicians as the kids who used to skip class in seventh or eighth grade—I don't know why 😁 (just my own little prejudices!). Anyway, thanks again for the compliments, 😉

Hi everyone! Since this decision hits home for me, I thought I’d weigh in with my perspective. Right now, I’m sitting at a straight-A average—from first grade all the way through. I tend to stand out, both in my classroom and among my entire grade level. My goal is to get into a top-tier STEM high school, and honestly, I fully expect to make the cut. In my view, students like me should have a distinct advantage over those who didn't maintain perfect marks in fifth or sixth grade; if they missed those marks, it simply means they haven't fully mastered the material yet. On top of academics, I’ve got points from playing handball at the state level, and I might even pick up some extra credit this year through science fairs or English competitions. I see a lot of heated arguments here regarding "equality." Forgive me if I'm being blunt, but a kid who is barely scraping by and I are technically under the same set of rules. If he chooses not to take advantage of certain opportunities, that’s his call, and it shouldn't be the government's problem to balance the budget because of it. What kind of reward would that actually be for me? To work my tail off for years, only to end up in the exact same position as someone who couldn't be bothered to try? To me, that isn't equality. As for the vocational students—two guys in my class are incredibly sharp. They’ve really got that spark, you know? Their report cards don't look like mine, but if they put their minds to it, I truly believe hitting a straight-A average is well within their reach. Both are heading toward technical schools; one plans on going to a university, the other doesn't. At no point have I looked down on them as a future honors student, nor do I consider them any less valuable. I believe even a student who is just passing is just as worthy of respect. However, I am going to prove my value in one arena, while he will prove his in another. That is exactly what I worked for—and it’s why others (or lack thereof) didn't succeed. We can become whatever we set our minds to, but it requires effort. And effort? That has nothing to do with equality. A truly great student will demonstrate that through almost any admissions system. At the end of the day, some sort of standardized entrance process has to exist.