Posts by Michael Lee75

stormymarlin22 said:College admissions look at your GPA down to two decimal places, but honestly, it doesn't weigh nearly as much as your SAT scores. I guess whether you have a 3.6 or a 3.7 isn't a huge deal, though everyone still stresses about getting that perfect 4.0

At the end of the day, I keep telling him that actually learning the material matters more, whether it's for the SAT or just for life down the road, though he's caught in that classic tug-of-war where he feels bad about slacking but is also just completely burnt out on school and all this constant pressure.

Kate Jackson4 said:Salammbo, that is an impressive average for a freshman in high school. If only mine could manage something similar next year 😉
...

Yeah, well, someone had to have those kinds of grades, and it certainly wasn't me—that was always just a pipe dream for my own high school years.🤣

mellowskipper said:I mean, what's the actual point of obsessing over your high school GPA? I’ve come to realize that everything really just boils down to the SATs—or maybe the ACTs, depending on who you ask, I guess. It all centers on those standardized tests anyway.

Look, I don't have all the answers, and nobody really knows what’s going to happen once college admissions season rolls around—how much they weigh specific grades or even what he’ll end up choosing to major in. But hey, this success is still a win, and if there’s actual substance behind the numbers, then it’s a massive plus. As for his GPA, he’s the one who lived it; nobody stepped in and snatched his grades away from him.

Jeffrey Edwards5 said:Better late than never, I guess. Checking in three days before everything wraps up, once the verdict is basically already in.

The situation is this: my kid is sitting at less than half the required points. They aren't even going to hit the threshold for the school we actually want them in.

I’ve talked to the homeroom teacher and the subject teachers. Honestly? They’re about as flexible as a brick wall.

So, help me out here. To all you educators out there—from someone like me, just a regular guy trying to make sense of things—what is it about being a professor that makes some people think they can just ignore the big picture and refuse to HELP a student? Is it just the power trip? The ego?

I don't get it. I genuinely want to know what makes someone tick like that.

Don't they worry about anything? Not just about God, but about an angry parent waiting in the parking lot after class? It feels like they're asking for trouble.

What kind of people are these? Seriously, explain it to me.

And just how many professors would we need to sit down with to bump up a grade? Just one, or a whole committee, when you say they "talked with the teachers"?

Anyway, my son is wrapping up his freshman year of high school, and he's sitting at a 3.6 GPA😁 He doesn't seem thrilled about it, but he tells me he'd never dream of begging anyone for a better grade because the whole idea just feels too humiliating for him.

rowdypanther12 said:Hey monstera, my colleague’s son is currently enrolling.
He scored a 4.8 in seventh grade and a 4.6 in eighth.
Could you please help him out and let me know which high schools in the area he might be able to get into?

What’s the total point cutoff look like?

Look, for the top-tier academy, the requirement was around 73.86 points. I’m guessing the local vocational high school probably sits somewhere in that same ballpark.

chiquita said:she’ll probably need to absolutely crush that math entrance exam too, just to rack up enough points.

so, if anyone can tell me how to actually stay sane for the next month and a half—please, someone help me out...

Don't take this the wrong way, but look, if she doesn't pass the entrance exam for some specific high school, it just means it isn't the right fit for her, and honestly, it's better that way because enrolling would just mean she'd be miserable the whole time.

My kid was applying to high schools last year and went for an entrance exam at a specialized prep academy—he's actually decent at math, though God knows why he even bothered applying there in the first place—and he didn't make the cut. In my view, that's a perfectly clear sign that the school wasn't meant for him, and I've seen plenty of cases where kids who were straight-A students signed up for these elite academies only to end up struggling through a nightmare of a curriculum.

As for the enrollment process itself, based on everything I read in the news, browsing various forums, and listening to people vent, I had prepared myself for this to be a massive, soul-crushing ordeal filled with disappointment, especially since my son was a top student in middle school, even if he wasn't quite at the very top of the class, so I expected getting into a prestigious prep school to be a total struggle, but in the end, things turned out to be completely fine.

He handled the whole thing himself, from filling out the applications and showing up for the exams to dealing with the final enrollment steps. I only really hopped onto the application portal after the results were being shuffled around just to see what the interface looked like. And don't even get me started on the fact that I certainly wasn't sitting there studying, writing papers, or prepping him during eighth grade, or any other year for that matter. I truly have no idea what parents who micromanage every single assignment for their kids during middle school think will happen when they hit high school. 🤷 You're all just going to burn out together.

When you're looking at high school options, I'd suggest considering some of those less intense, more standard public high schools; if a specific elite academy is the goal, I suspect any top-tier student will find a place somewhere, but you really have to remember that your kid needs a social life, they need time to themselves, and they need time to actually rest instead of just living in a constant state of academic burnout.

nimblelynx7 said:It’ll be interesting to see if even half of these people actually follow through on their resignation threats.

My take? In the end, there won't be any actual change—just a lot of collective whining before business continues as usual.

They should just take it to the streets, like the French do whenever they feel like causing a bit of chaos.

Has anyone here actually gone through the Goldman Sachs program at an elite prep school? Or maybe you know a kid or a parent who survived the whole thing? I’m looking for honest feedback—the good, the bad, and the ugly.

Here’s the situation: my son is currently navigating the high school application process, finishing up his final year of middle school, and he’s been fixated on nothing but this specific program. He’s convinced it’s his only path because he wants to study abroad, and honestly, he acts like any other local public high school wouldn't even be worth his time. He passed the entrance exams and made the cut, but now, suddenly, he’s having second thoughts.

The part that really sticks in my craw is one of the reasons he’s wavering. He mentioned that the kids in that program are all from these incredibly wealthy families—he saw a few of them during the registration and entrance process, and they were already talking about $300 sneakers and stuff like that. It just feels like a different world.

His other concern is more practical: apparently, you have to maintain a certain GPA by the end of sophomore year, and if you don't hit that mark, you're essentially kicked out of the program. That’s definitely enough to make anyone hesitate.
As for the school itself, I don't particularly care; I’ve been telling him all along that a solid, standard American high school might actually be the smarter move. I mostly said that to soften the blow in case he didn't get in, so he wouldn't view it as some life-altering tragedy, but the reality is you can still get into great universities from a regular school, and it’s a much more affordable option. Still, I don't want him to abandon his ambitions just because he's feeling intimidated or uncertain.

Maybe this is just one of those cases where what you think you want isn't actually what you need, and perhaps he doesn't truly need this specific program after all. There’s a massive gap between dreaming about something and actually living it. I’m not going to force his hand—he picked these schools himself and he’s setting his own priorities—but he has two days left to make a call, so I figured I should try to find some real-world examples of kids who actually completed the program.

So, if anyone has any actual wisdom to share, I'm all ears.

Being the smart one in the room is exhausting because everyone requires a different kind of persuasion. I was already experimenting with cigarettes back in elementary school, hiding my packs inside flower pots just to keep them out of sight. It was mostly just a reckless little phase. After that, I’d only smoke sporadically during those ridiculous stages of life where you aren't quite sure what you're trying to prove to yourself. Peer pressure never really worked on me; if I'm going to do something stupid, I tend to do it entirely on my own terms. My second brush with smoking happened sometime in my thirties—it lasted maybe two months, and then it was over.

The truth is, cigarettes are just awful for me. My fingers smell like ash, I feel terrible afterward, and I eventually realized there was absolutely no point to any of it. Vanity actually played a role here; I had no desire to let nicotine accelerate my aging process, so I quit. Maybe you could try a similar angle? Point out what smoking does to teeth, skin, and hair, or how much it contributes to wrinkles. When you talk to a healthy teenager about "health," they usually tune you out because they feel invincible, but girls that age are starting to care deeply about their appearance, so that might actually hit home.

As for whether parents who smoke influence their kids, I don't think there's a set rule for that. My mother used to smoke (she quit a few years ago), while my father never touched the stuff. I don't smoke, my husband smokes like a chimney—he's tried to quit a few times, but he hasn't stuck with it—and our son is currently in his teens, though he doesn't seem interested in cigarettes at all.

redridge13 said:Hey there,

Does anyone have a solid list of private music schools in NYC that actually follow a formal curriculum? I’m looking for places where the training is legit enough that you could actually transition into a public conservatory or state school after finishing a year or two.
I really want to avoid those hobbyist spots where some college kid is just teaching kids how to play chords for extra cash—I need actual professionals who know their stuff here.

I'm mostly looking at schools on the West Side.

Thanks!

The Juilliard School has approval from the Department of Labor, though honestly, I haven't the slightest clue if their curriculum matches the public schools exactly since I don't know what those state programs even look like.😁

But yeah, once a kid finishes a year and gets their certificate, they can move over to a public school without much trouble.

The only catch is it isn't on the West Side—it's located way up by Mount Rushmore.

cosmiclynx79 said:He knows exactly what's happening. He just keeps pushing because he’s convinced that once I have this degree, I'll land a high-paying job immediately.

Sent from my iPhone 12 using Reddit

But honestly, how are you even going to land a job if you can't make it through the practical coursework? 🤔

Was this major actually your first choice, or was it something you genuinely wanted to pursue?

If it really is what you want, then you’ve got to tackle things in order—you need to deal with that social anxiety first, maybe talk to a therapist or someone, and then worry about school.

Maybe you're just freezing up because you actually care too much, you want to be great at it, and the fear of failing is paralyzing you. I don't know, I'm just throwing ideas out there.

Is this the only thing weighing on you right now, or is there more to the story?

cosmiclynx79 said:Yesterday felt manageable, a decent introduction to nursing, but today was an absolute train wreck. I spiraled into a panic attack and nearly broke down in tears watching my classmates breeze through everything while I just stood there, paralyzed. I wanted to draw blood or insert a catheter, but I couldn't even bring myself to try. It was pathetic. One of the nurses actually asked me why I even bothered enrolling in the program. Honestly, I don't know what I was thinking. My dad won't let me switch majors, either. I'm definitely in the middle of a depressive episode—I've spent the entire day in bed, neglected my hygiene, and have zero energy for anything. I feel like I need to head back to the psychiatric clinic because I don't see anyone else who can help.

Sent from my iPhone 12 using Reddit

cosmiclynx79, man, I really feel for you, it sounds like such a massive grind.

Does your old man actually know about everything you're going through? And if he does, is he one of those types who thinks you're just blowing things out of proportion or making stuff up? I can't help but wonder why he's being so incredibly stubborn about you sticking with this specific degree.

rowdypanther12 said:They're only in first grade, so it's likely just after-school care.

Michael Lee75 said:

I haven't seen a single word from mahunarka lately, which honestly isn't surprising given how much everything seems to be falling apart around here, though I suppose I shouldn't expect much more than silence when everyone is too busy shouting into the void to actually engage with anything meaningful. kaže: Our kid isn't going out in this weather, no way. Not even a chance. Just hanging out in the library with my teacher for a bit, and once we're done with that, we'll be heading back home.

Yeah, I mean, sure, but even after that religion class wraps up, they just head straight back home.

I don't want people thinking I'm just nitpicking for the sake of being difficult, but I’m asking because I can't help but wonder if they'll pull some nonsense at the school like they did during the height of the pandemic. Remember when they wouldn't let anyone leave or enter unless everyone moved in one big, synchronized wave just to manage disinfection protocols? It was absurd. One of my kids has a first-period class, and it would be an absolute nightmare if they were forced to show up at the exact same time as the kids in religious studies just so the administration could run some mass sanitization drill on everyone at once. Honestly, you never know what kind of bureaucratic hoops they'll try to jump through next.

Chloe Moore5 said:Hey everyone, just wanted to share something that happened today—we showed up for the first day of first grade and already got tomorrow's schedule. Apparently, they have a two-hour block for religion class first thing! Is that even normal? Since when did we start doing these massive blocks?...

Our kid isn't even taking that class, so they'll just be hanging out with the teacher in the library for those two hours before we head home. It feels pretty silly to have such a huge gap compared to the rest of the week when the schedule is actually full. Plus, having religion classes at school feels weird, especially lately with how some first priests won't even let kids take their communion if they haven't been attending church services. On top of that, most of the school librarians this year aren't even letting kids hang out in the library, so I have no clue how this whole situation is actually going to work out. 🍿

I don't get it, why can't the kid just stay home while the rest of them are off at religion class?

Sophia Moore6 said:Let’s be honest: we would all be perfectly fine if every single retail shop and business operated on a strict schedule, closing their doors by 5:00 PM or maybe 6:00 PM at the absolute latest, regardless of whatever pandemic nonsense is going on. It really just comes down to habit, doesn't it?

So why is it that some people refuse to accept this simple reality?
If you're one of those lazy types who demands "flexibility" just because you've grown accustomed to having everything available at your whim, don't even bother replying with your endless list of excuses.
And please, spare me the nonsense about how limited hours will stifle consumer spending. That is a ridiculous argument.
People will always find a way to spend their money, whether the shops are open late or not. 😉

Besides, we’d manage just fine even if the clothing stores and shoe shops shut down entirely. We could close the parks too. We could shutter the movie theaters and the opera houses. You can close basically everything and we’ll still pull through. Even schools don't strictly need to be open anymore; look at how smoothly online learning has been running lately. You actually think that sounds like a good idea? 🙄

Karen Patel41 said:Isn't it the case that everyone was supposed to undergo two weeks of self-isolation, regardless of whether their tests came back negative?🤔

And honestly, you have to wonder if they’re actually going to stick to it, or if this is just another one of those empty promises designed to keep everyone quiet for a few months before they inevitably drift right back to their old ways.

Nicholas King said:What part of it isn't clear?

Haven't studies shown that people aren't just leaving solely because of the money—it might not even be the primary driver?

The real issue here, if you ask me, is a government that basically rolls out the red carpet for people to live, work, and pay their taxes abroad while still taking advantage of our domestic healthcare system. That kind of state negligence is something I will simply never understand.

A colleague of mine over in Ireland wrote yesterday, more or less saying, "I won't be coming back because I don't pay taxes in America." I can't say I've ever heard an example of such blatant integrity before. I'm not saying those people don't exist, obviously, but I certainly haven't heard them.

Yeah, you’re definitely not the only one scratching your head over this.

Zachary Bailey3 said:I’m pretty sure the subject is actually called American Language!🤔😁
People seriously need to learn how to write properly in it!🙂
Can even the eighth graders write a decent sentence, or is it just all talk?😠
And besides, what do you actually get out of reading those required books?
If someone genuinely loves reading, they'll pick up a book on their own, but there's absolutely no point in forcing it on them!☕

You wouldn't believe it, but I’ve come to realize that actually learning how to write in a language can happen just by reading, too. It’s one of those things people tend to overcomplicate, insisting on drills and tedious grammar exercises when, honestly, you can just soak up the rhythm of the prose if you spend enough time with it. 😲 It’s honestly a whole lot easier and far less painful than just trying to cram a bunch of rules into your head through rote memorization, which is really the whole point of reading literature in the first place, I suppose.

Money might not be the key to true happiness, but I’ve seen enough to know that being completely broke can make you feel absolutely miserable.

Douglas Rogers5 said:Hey everyone. So, I tried searching for a thread similar to this one, but honestly, it feels like nothing out there actually hits on what I’m trying to get off my chest.

The title itself is just a rhetorical question—though if you feel like answering it, be my guest. 😁

I’ve been hyper-ambitious since forever. Back in school, I was always grinding on projects; I knew exactly which college I wanted to attend before I even hit puberty; I was all about competitive sports; and recently, I launched my own business. I’m 21 right now, a college student, studying exactly what I love, and I have my entire future mapped out. I know precisely who I want to be in every single facet of life. I also consider myself pretty mature for my age.

I have a few real friends and maybe another 6 or 7 people I hang out with occasionally. I’m mentioning this because most people might assume I’m a complete loner, but that’s not the case. 🤣
It’s not like I struggle with social skills or anything. I swing between being an introvert and a total extrovert. I don't have any trouble speaking in front of a crowd, making a solid argument in front of authority figures I've never met, or being surrounded by people...

My day starts at 5 AM with a gym session, and by 7 AM, I’m already deep into work on various ideas and tasks. I’m pulling 12+ hour days between school and my business, and honestly? I’m not burnt out physically or mentally. I actually love this pace.
I am a massive perfectionist. For instance, I actually went to the gym on Christmas Day. 🙂
I couldn't care less what people think of me, but my "issue" is that everyone in my family—even the neighbors—won't stop pitying me. Now, you're probably going to say, "Oh, so you *do* care what people think," but that's not it at all. It's not about my hair, or my clothes, or some trivial stuff; it just absolutely infuriates me when people look at me with that pathetic sense of pity.

I’m not into partying, I don't blow money on traveling, and I'm not obsessed with the superficial things most people chase. To me, achieving something matters way more than having a memory of some random event.
For example, I spent my entire first paycheck on a crucial component for my business, and my second one went straight into prep for a certification course that’s vital for my career.

People pity me. They ask, "When are you going to find a boyfriend?" or "Once you start traveling with someone, you won't mind dropping a few thousand dollars, will you?" Or, "When you finally meet a crew and start going out, you'll change..." It's just constant "When are you doing this" and "Why aren't you doing that."
I’ve heard it all, and none of it interests me. It sounds silly, but my only goal is to be successful. Ever since I can remember, I've wanted to build a career. And the most important part is that I’m doing this strictly for myself, not to please anyone else.
My brother, whom I love dearly (he’s 9 years older), actually depressed me so much during lunch the other day that I couldn't even look at him.
He just spends the whole time looking down his nose at me, lecturing me on why I'm doing what I'm doing, telling me I should have gone to a technical institute, or predicting how I'll change once I meet people and start spending money on partying...
It feels like he’s projecting his own regret because he spent every single paycheck on booze, hanging out, summer trips, and nights on the town. Meanwhile, I *could* have all those things, but I DON'T WANT them, because I simply prefer working and staying in my own zone.

Everyone pities me because I'm a "solo player" and because I could spend the entire day shut in my room working on my projects. Today, for example, I spent the whole day doing what I love, yet I still felt that wave of pity from my parents with comments like, "You never go anywhere," or "Why wouldn't you celebrate this or that with someone else?" I could go out, but I usually only grab coffee once or twice a week because my time is better spent on my business.

So, what do you guys think of this whole situation? I'm not religious, but I do believe in energy, and it fascinates me. I feel such intense positive energy when I think about my life and my goals, yet on the flip side, I feel this heavy, negative black energy swirling around me from everyone else.

Am I losing my mind just because I don't fit the mold like everyone else? (just kidding 😵)

I wouldn't go so far as to say you're crazy, honestly; there's nothing wrong with having ambitions and actually enjoying the grind, but if there isn't a single thing outside of your job that brings you any spark of joy, then yeah, that strikes me as a bit off. We don't exactly know what your line of work is, so I can't tell you if your career has some grander purpose or if you're just spinning your wheels for the sake of it. If you were, say, working at Mayo Clinic trying to develop a life-saving vaccine 😁, then I could wrap my head around that singular focus, but just working a job that doesn't serve any larger goal seems like a hollow way to spend your time. It doesn't have to be a medical breakthrough; it could be anything meaningful that leads toward something useful, beautiful, or even just genuinely interesting to you or the people around you. Otherwise, it feels less like living and more like you're just hiding from the world.

Susan James said:If you want to take a second language, you have options—you can do a block period or switch things around; you could even enroll in a private language academy where you don't have to deal with the stress of GPA grades. Plus, you can often pick your own instructor or switch if you don't vibe with them, or even drop out mid-year if needed, which you definitely can't do with a standard elective.
Religion class is mandatory within the school curriculum. If you want those sacraments, you pretty much have to attend.

It sounds absurd, but that’s just how it works.
I know some kids who don't take a second language because it's scheduled during the afternoon shift and clashes with their music lessons or soccer practice. Instead, they just study it at home or at a specialized tutoring center where they can pick their own hours. Yet, those same kids still attend religion class because it's tucked into the standard morning schedule and they have to be at school anyway. If it were held in the afternoon, they wouldn't bother.

And honestly, I find this part so interesting: you can't just opt out of religion class at the start of the year if you realize they scheduled it for first period or if a few friends aren't in it. But the moment you get the schedule and see that German is the third period during the afternoon shift—right when your kid has soccer—you can just file a request and it actually gets approved.☕

Honestly, I’d feel like I was throwing money away if I passed up the chance to learn an extra language for free when the opportunity is right there, rather than shelling out cash for some private language school. My kid is already set on one anyway, though it’s a language that probably isn't even offered at any local academy, so this elective is really just a nice little bonus.