I need some Advise, I had a horrible Day....

[sara1998]

Originally Posted by jannieC

It could be worse- y'all could be FORTY and just finishing school.

But as for chrislit18 (sorry- I don't know your name)- hang in there. All the crap will move on and be replaced with new crap. As for the zit, I hope you turned your head a little, just enough to perhaps camouflage it? You're a sweet girl and reading your story makes me glad I'm not a teenager anymore.

Howz about 30 and just starting??

I'm not knocking you for complaining about one zit. I understand all too well. But, when I was your age, I had a face fulll of 'em. It was BAD. I mean, to the point where I'm scarred now. Hell, I'm 30 years old and get zits in my wrinkles.... there is no justice. My point? It could always be worse. Not that that stops any of us from complaining...

[Stew_Matthews]

Yesterday was a ****ty day everywhere but your post made me feel like I was about 48 rather than 28. I've seen your pic on here and you're pretty so don't worry about the guys, this time next year you'll be complaining that they wont leave you alone.

We have a different education system in Britain to you (well we actually GET an education). At your age I was pretty clear about what I wanted to do as a job and spent my time as a 17 & 18 year old working on my 'A' Levels (UK college exams). I worked flat out to get in the very best college I could and although it would have been fun spending more time with girls, I haven't ever regretted the time I spent on my studies. I went to a very good college and caught up on the partying there. As some of the others have said, things will get much better, but stick with the school work - thats the most important thing at your age....imo

[bretonbanquet]

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews

We have a different education system in Britain to you (well we actually GET an education).

You think? I had a good education, but I was extremely lucky. I would never educate my kids in the UK state system. I would like them to be able to read and write at a sensible age, and maybe get a degree which actually means something. My experience is that most other state education sytems, including the US one, are superior. Just my 2p worth.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

Just my 2p worth.

dammit even your thoughts are worth twice as much as ours are

[michelle2677]

Originally Posted by carrie721

dammit even your thoughts are worth twice as much as ours are

hmmmm...i wonder if a macaque steals 2 crisps here, if that would be equal to one crisp over there.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by michelle2677

hmmmm...i wonder if a macaque steals 2 crisps here, if that would be equal to one crisp over there.

and maybe if he encountered one macaque here, he would see two

[sara1998]

Originally Posted by carrie721

and maybe if he encountered one macaque here, he would see two

You two are horrible.

It's ****ing hilarious.

[bretonbanquet]

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews

I wasn’t sure what you meant about a ‘degree that actually means something’.

I broadly agree with most of what you said, other than I think the breadth and depth of subjects taught up to the age of 14/15 is probably too broad and not deep enough, leaving kids with a wide but shallow knowledge. As for degrees, my point is that they're too easy to obtain. Any kid can go through some form of higher education and wind up with a degree, even if they couldn't manage their A Levels. The result is that there are way too many graduates with degrees that effectively mean nothing because they still can't form an argument, or indeed in many cases, form a sentence. If half the kids in the country have what is supposed to be the best qualification you can get, what does that say about the standard of that qualification? Way too many degree courses are such that you can breeze through them with your eyes closed, and not be challenged. That said, I don't include degrees like yours in that. I suspect yours involved hard graft and late nights - others don't, yet they count for the same on paper. Graduates with degrees like that aren't prepared for the world of work.

Originally Posted by Stew_Matthews

So there you go………….you’ll be telling me that Leighton Orient are top of the League and Queens Park Rangers are at the bottom next…..

Yes! And I'll be telling you how to spell 'Leyton' and then I'll be telling you we knocked your sorry ass out of the Cup

Originally Posted by michelle2677

hmmmm...i wonder if a macaque steals 2 crisps here, if that would be equal to one crisp over there.

Originally Posted by carrie721

and maybe if he encountered one macaque here, he would see two

I used to like you two

[Stew_Matthews]

Originally Posted by bretonbanquet

You think? I had a good education, but I was extremely lucky. I would never educate my kids in the UK state system. I would like them to be able to read and write at a sensible age, and maybe get a degree which actually means something. My experience is that most other state education sytems, including the US one, are superior. Just my 2p worth.

The comment was light hearted but, as you ask – yes I do.

We both know that the education system is terrible in London. I was in the state sector until 16 and then moved to a private school in Hammersmith to do my A-levels. I agree that I wouldn’t want to send a child to a state school in most of the UK’s large cities but that is to do with a number of things – none of which relates to the national curriculum – which I think is excellent. I think the breadth and depth of the subjects studied up to 14/15 gives UK kids a really good set of basics and the option to work out what will best suit them in terms of further education and career. In addition the support provided in the UK to children with educational barriers whether those relate to poverty or ethnicity etc gets better year on year. Obviously we don’t agree but in my opinion the UK system is one to be proud of.

I wasn’t sure what you meant about a ‘degree that actually means something’. I like the idea of more vocational degree courses particularly in the arts. That’s a good thing. For me the benefit of being at University wasn’t so much what I know about Physics per se, but the skills I learnt – how to plan a project, define scope, undertake research, evidence conclusions, work on my own, communicate effectively etc all things that my job requires.

I read Physics and Engineering at St Johns, Cambridge and then did my Master’s of Engineering at University of California San Diego so I do feel qualified to judge the relative merits of the two university systems. The final year of my first degree was far more challenging on me as an individual than my Masters course – fact. Maybe it was the Master’s course I did, but there was far too much teaching than I thought was appropriate at that level. The faculty staff should have taken a more coaching/facilitating role I think.

So there you go………….you’ll be telling me that Leighton Orient are top of the League and Queens Park Rangers are at the bottom next…..