All this talk about the pressure students feel during college admissions process

Yes, we all do the best we can. But at some point I feel that most people recognize that our society is not anything at all like a meritocracy, and that we have to make personal choices as to what we put our time and energy into. Because many people do not make good choices, yuppies will often have intense mid-life crises.

Very good book, written by a Harvard Law School Professor, who Bill Clinton had wanted to place in charge of Civil Rights monitoring and enforcement, but then he backed down. But I think she is right.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/067401…

SJG

https://www.oysteryachts.com/yachts/flee…

TJ Street
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5488/96200…

Elementary Theosophy (Teachings of Madame Helena Blavatsky)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkWRlx4J…

even if you don't get accepted. always ask why and how you can improve your application to try again or try elsewhere.

I think what people are talking about is that we make people feel like failures if they don't shoot for the top or don't make it to the top. We kind of have a way of making everybody feel like they have to be rich instead of just do well enough to live comfortably.

^^^^^ Yes, and this pressure, in my opinion, is most intense on young adults. And we all need to learn to resist it.

SJG

That's true. I'm not advocating for "aim for the top" and you're less if you don't get in.

Honestly I maintained a 3.8 plus gpa first two yrs of undergrad (before it tanked when I was first diagnosed with bipolar..working on it tho) and that's cuz I picked the classes that I KNEW I would succeed in..they werent like basket weaving, but I won half of my undergrad because I was able to find an intersection between my academic strengths and classes offered. So as a mom I would encourage my kids to really just do what works for them but also work hard to do their very best...and I mean that seriously lol.

Thus, the point of me just now mentioning my stats and ultimately this post is to address false assumptions. For instance:

1) just because you didn't get in doesn't mean that you tried u best and failed.some,if not many ppl play victim by saying "the system is unfair" after failing to get xyz stats did not put in the work.
2) its a different story if you actually did put in the work but don't get into xyz. This happens many times. In that case, the person who did everything should never blame themselves or be sad
3) as a result, efforts should be assessed on a case by case basis. ..you did ur best but still got a C? That's fine ..you logically can't do more than ur very best


BUT BY GOD LOL, PLEASE DO NOT PUT IN 85% EFFORT(WAITing TILL THE WEEK BEFORE EXAM TO UNDERSTAND SHIT THAT U DONT LOL, etc ) ..get a B or C, and say that "the system is unfair"

do we say that basketball as a whole Is unfair just because the game of it may cater more to Steph curry's natural abilities than klay Thompson's? No.

The system is unfair in that it it gives the best jobs to ppl with the highest test scores , which isn't fair cuz those two don't correlate. However , too many ppl complain that the system is unfair because it measures performance and not learning . fuck that. You think the cavliers deserved the mba championship just because they "improved " more? No, it's cuz they peformed . the system measures performance ... You have to compete if you want something out of life .....sorry. And yes, by working hard it is possible cuz ive been proof of it during some point.

The best jobs shouldn't go to the kids who ernt to xyz school, but the ppl who can do well on the job, which arent always kids from xyz school. HOWEVER, "A" GRADES SHOULD STILL GO TO THE KIDS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING THEM.

When I said I want "them to b the competition " In the title, I didn't mean that to imply that they need to think they need to be at the top. Kids don't need to be at the top and make Xyz GRADES..what they need to do is work as hard as they are comfortable with and assess themselves accordingly. The only logical thing ji u can control aren't even u abilities, but rather ur efforts. As a result, we should teach our kifs to judge themselves by their efforts(i.g. did I study smart /hard ? Did I study as best as I possibly could which is the only thing that matters?) "Being the competition" means that you strive for the best , for yourself only , ANd that u judge your merits according to the efforts you put into your results.

I feel bad for some kids.

3.86 plus ****

^^^^^ !!!

and Lani Guinier's books are all good

https://www.amazon.com/Tyranny-Meritocra…

Also:
https://www.amazon.com/Excellent-Sheep-M…

SJG

Like i said lol:

The best jobs shouldn't go to the kids who ernt to xyz school, but the ppl who can do well on the job, which arent always kids from xyz school. HOWEVER, "A" GRADES SHOULD STILL GO TO THE KIDS WHO ARE CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING THEM.

When I said I want "them to b the competition " In the title, I didn't mean that to imply that they need to think they need to be at the top. Kids don't need to be at the top and make Xyz GRADES..what they need to do is work as hard as they are comfortable with and assess themselves accordingly. The only logical thing ji u can control aren't even u abilities, but rather ur efforts. As a result, we should teach our kifs to judge themselves by their efforts(i.g. did I study smart /hard ? Did I study as best as I possibly could which is the only thing that matters?) "Being the competition" means that you strive for the best , for yourself only , ANd that u judge your merits according to the efforts you put into your results.

The root of the issue is that they think they need to get A's . the moment they accept that, they feel the need to study for validation , rather than self growth.


Kids need to be inspired by school..not forced to perform for it. They need to be mentored how to embrace academic challenges

I.g youve already lost half the battle the moment you feel inadequate and therefore a need to prove yourself.

But that doesn't matter in the real world....

I mean , I would definitely advocate for a world that still gives out GRADES, assigns class rank, but doesn't give out jobs on the basis of them(unless its medicine and maybe law)

Grades don't even matter when you get a job as a doctor. Like with law, pass your board exam and you're in.

Grades is a gauge on how you compete with your peers. It matters in the sense of what institution you will start in life. The rest is up to you...

Nicole the lecturer will lecture us based on her life's experience which seems to be of the same level as my neighbor's cat. Anyone notice she never mentions ever having a j o b? She is brilliant yet spells like someone with an IQ of 46. We will self judge our effrots? I see people who do that every day...at the traffic signals begging.

Hey skibum if u wanna dispute ur personal opinions of me rather than the content of my msg maybe kindergarten is the place 4 u rather than this forum

Skibum acts like a lot of geriatric alcoholic lawyers do.... and guess what, they get a 50% success rate without even trying much coz the other side can't take them lmfao

Nicole, like I was telling a friend, here the children of the well off, they live under the whip.

And then of course there are people like this Amy Chua.

https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Hymn-Tiger…

And then the entire Neo-Liberal political project works by organizing society for people to strive to get ahead. It all sucks. And it is all very harmful.

And then there are people like Skibum, who must just suck on lemons all day long.

SJG

Joe Golem: Occult Detective Volume 2--The Outer Dark

https://www.amazon.com/Joe-Golem-Occult-…

Brian Eno ( quite good )
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggLTPyRX…

Is it possible to have computers generate such music on their own, and even in real time?

Pablo Sender - The Secret Doctrine: Part 1 - How to Study The Secret Doctrine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O2hdnG6…

Funny how I destroyed an airplane shitter yesterday!