is there any point in high school?

[nonsciencemajor]

---

Members don't see this ad.

what is the point of high school??..... college is soo different from high school... high school teachers care about you... college professors dont care about you... high school teachers give extra credit.. college professors have 3 exams a semester determining your grade... high school teachers have parent conferences... college professors don't care

and honestly i would rather have college than high school any day as I am a independent learner.... so my question is... what is the point of high school as med schools dont care whatsoever how one did in high school

an example.. many valedictorians i know are struggling to get into med school or have absolutely given up on it... and average or sometimes even below average high school students ace college and get into med schools...

it shows high school doesn't predict career success at all...

 

[bannie22]

i m valedicotrian. i am struggling but i have not given up!!! never say die!!!

 

[Quicky]

high school is to determine what undergrad you get into. once you're in undergrad, no one cares about your high school.

undergrad is to determine what med school you get into. once you're in med school, no one cares about your undergrad.

med school is to determine what residency you get into. once you're in residency, no one cares about your med school.

 

[JohnnyExtra]

high school is to determine what undergrad you get into. Once you're in undergrad, no one cares about your high school.

Undergrad is to determine what med school you get into. Once you're in med school, no one cares about your undergrad.

Med school is to determine what residency you get into. Once you're in residency, no one cares about your med school.

qft.

 

[nonsciencemajor]

high school is to determine what undergrad you get into. once you're in undergrad, no one cares about your high school.

undergrad is to determine what med school you get into. once you're in med school, no one cares about your undergrad.

med school is to determine what residency you get into. once you're in residency, no one cares about your med school.

yes, but the undergrad you go to plays a minimal role in med school admissions if you have an excellent GPA and MCAT

high school grading is very subjective (teachers favorites) but college grading is very objective (tests real academic ability)

what really bothers me is the emphasis to do well in high school by teachers and students blindly believe it, when in reality, how you do in high school plays no role career wise.

attendance was emphasized in high school and if a student misses class or (gasp: skips class) detention, parent conferences, etc...... in undergrad i have skipped soo many classes and i am on track to graduate with highest honors... high school just teaches the wrong things to students

 

[JediZero]

high school is to determine what undergrad you get into. once you're in undergrad, no one cares about your high school.

undergrad is to determine what med school you get into. once you're in med school, no one cares about your undergrad.

med school is to determine what residency you get into. once you're in residency, no one cares about your med school.

This is pretty much life. Succeed in one phase of your life, it puts you where you want to be for the next phase, and you move on.

*continues jumping through hoops*

PS- Sorry to hear your professors don't care about you... 🙁

 

[bannie22]

and soon undergrad will play no role in life when everybody has a bachelors.

 

[futureNCmed]

I was actually a high school drop out. When I got in to undergrad I was more focused and mature and did very well (3.9 GPA). Sometimes I just want to go back to my old high school teachers and be smug b/c they never thought I would amount to anything... guess I showed them 😀

 

[nonsciencemajor]

I was actually a high school drop out. When I got in to undergrad I was more focused and mature and did very well (3.9 GPA). Sometimes I just want to go back to my old high school teachers and be smug b/c they never thought I would amount to anything... guess I showed them 😀

wow thats awesome.... high school teachers dont do a very good job in seeing talented students 😀

 

[yowhatup]

I was always pressured to do well in high school, but honestly, I didn't really care. I knew I had to take bio, chem, orgo, physics in college, so why bother taking AP classes in these courses and working hard for no reason.... however, most people were angry at me for this reasoning..... especially those taking the AP classes, and then having to take it in college, and these hard working high school students struggling in college, seeing that students with barely any high school experience in these subjects doing better than them 😎

 

[trep14]

I was actually a high school drop out. When I got in to undergrad I was more focused and mature and did very well (3.9 GPA). Sometimes I just want to go back to my old high school teachers and be smug b/c they never thought I would amount to anything... guess I showed them 😀

Same here man. Well, I never dropped out, but I was not a good high school student. I ended up graduating like 60th in my class of 150 or so with a 3.0 gpa. At one point, I had a chemistry teacher tell me to my face that I couldn't handle the material and should be in a remedial science curriculum. I also had the athletic director call my mom and tell her I wasn't eligible to play sports because I was failing english. High school really does not matter one bit whatsoever, so long as you get into college. Then it is a clean slate.

 

[ziggyd0c]

to this day, i don't know what my high school GPA was.

 

[Wheee]

If that's your argument, what about middle school? Middle school just sucked, why can't we skip it? And what's the deal with kindergarten? I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have been ready (academically or socially or any other way) for college right after 8th grade.

Also, not all college professors are indifferent. Mine, as a group, are very involved, caring, and interested in seeing their students succeed. Maybe it's a smaller-school thing, but I think there are probably professors like that at big schools.

 

[anonymousername]

nvm

might as well contribute a useless picture

 

[ziggyd0c]

i think the most important part of early schooling is to learn how to interact with your peers so you're not a socially awkward weirdo when you get to the real world.

 

[redsquareblack]

The purpose of high school is to ensure that, at a minimum, the populace is prepared to accept the responsibility of remaining vigilant and virtuous, as it is in their hands that the awesome responsibility of preserving our nation rests. A well-informed and educated people is necessary, and that education is thought best to include the fundamentals of history, language, and science.

Not everyone goes on to college, so it were best that these fundamentals be covered, in so much as it is possible, in high school.

Of course, not all high schools are created equal.

 

[searun]

I would argue that high school does matter, at least it did in my personal experience. Based upon my performance in high school and on the SAT, I received a merit scholarship to a private college that awarded me about $125,000 over 4 years. I also was offered a presidential scholarship at my flagship state school which would have covered my tuition and most of my personal expenses, but I turned it down to attend the private college.

So there definitely was a huge financial payoff for me, as a result of excelling in high school. There is not as much money being doled out to slackers when they enter college.

I actually enjoyed high school. Played varsity soccer for 4 years, enjoyed my academic work, had great friends, what is not to like? I then went on to college which I also enjoyed. And now med school which I also like.

 

[minicow]

i hated high school
didnt care about my grades and didnt care about high ranking colleges...high school to me was like a 4 year vacation😛

i enjoy college a lot more👍

i remember how teachers in middle school would say how hard hs is...how the teachers wont be as nice...then i heard the same about college in hs...now im in college and this whole "you wont do well in college...youll struggle and fail if you dont do well now" load of crap theyve been trying to hand me all these years is really rediculous...

but you got to do SOMETHING before youre "adult" enough to go off to college...i guess hs was the best something they could come up with

i still wish i would have done some fast-track program and graduated in 2 years or something...

but i wasnt thinking that far ahead at the time🙁

 

[Narmerguy]

yes, but the undergrad you go to plays a minimal role in med school admissions if you have an excellent GPA and MCAT

high school grading is very subjective (teachers favorites) but college grading is very objective (tests real academic ability)

what really bothers me is the emphasis to do well in high school by teachers and students blindly believe it, when in reality, how you do in high school plays no role career wise.

attendance was emphasized in high school and if a student misses class or (gasp: skips class) detention, parent conferences, etc...... in undergrad i have skipped soo many classes and i am on track to graduate with highest honors... high school just teaches the wrong things to students

This isn't really true either. High school is where most students build their habits and are molded into the type of students they will be. Similarly, it affects what undergrad you can get into and thus indirectly affects the rest of your career path as well. I'm not saying it's major, but you can't say that it plays "no role".

med school is to determine what residency you get into. once you're in residency, no one cares about your med school.

I know this is touted a lot on SDN but this isn't really true. I'm not saying where you went for med school is a big deal to everyone, but it's not lost on the general public. What's being distorted here is the understanding of the medical process. Most of the general public believe you go to medical school and then you are an attending. As such, your medical school location is the highest level of training they expect from you. Sure, other doctors or medical researchers know better. But that's simply not true for the public.

wow thats awesome.... high school teachers dont do a very good job in seeing talented students 😀

So true. The same is true for the earlier levels too.

 

[DarknightX]

wow thats awesome.... high school teachers dont do a very good job in seeing talented students 😀

Probably because it doesn't take very much talent to be a high school teacher.

(and before the flaming starts, I taught high school for 3 years in between undergrad and medical school).

 

[coldweatherblue]

high-school:

figuring out all the crazy amazing stuff the world offers before you're 18.. it's all new and exciting. Trips to Europe where everything can be had even though you're a minor..

skipping class and chillin with your friends in your CARS. Seriously the months when me and my friends all started driving were unreal.

Lots of good opportunity for sports through the school..

having pointless summer jobs were all you do is wash dishes, cook food, and dream about all the great stuff you're gonna do with your life.

high-school girls.

and the GREATEST thing about high-school is having that feeling of invincibility and doing a bunch of crazy **** hopefully without getting hurt but having it not really matter cause you're young and can take it. You can "catch that feeling" of perfection with ease.. This feeling of "I can do anything, go anywhere, time is no hindrance" is golden, hold onto it as long as possible because eventually the world will beat it out of you and it'll be lost forever.

I never graduated HS either haha.

 

[Elpenor]

High school is a joke. The only important things to learn/take away from high school in my opinion are math and English skills

 

[psipsina]

I would argue that high school does matter, at least it did in my personal experience. Based upon my performance in high school and on the SAT, I received a merit scholarship to a private college that awarded me about $125,000 over 4 years. I also was offered a presidential scholarship at my flagship state school which would have covered my tuition and most of my personal expenses, but I turned it down to attend the private college.

So there definitely was a huge financial payoff for me, as a result of excelling in high school. There is not as much money being doled out to slackers when they enter college.

I actually enjoyed high school. Played varsity soccer for 4 years, enjoyed my academic work, had great friends, what is not to like? I then went on to college which I also enjoyed. And now med school which I also like.

I was a TOTAL slacker in high school and went to a great undergrad on a full ride. I did everything you're not supposed to do to succeed in life when I was a teen: I hung out with the wrong crowd, I skipped class, I didn't study (but remarkably still got great grades lol). I was sooooooooo bored with my classes, I didn't need to sit through them to get a good grade so why would I. I don't think all my choices at the time were great (smoking cigarettes, blech) but I hardly think that you can make the generalization that those who slack in high school are somehow going to suffer consequences way down the road for it. I'm thankful for the years where I could just be a bored kid in the suburbs and wasn't stressin my future all the time.

 

[trep14]

I know this is touted a lot on SDN but this isn't really true. I'm not saying where you went for med school is a big deal to everyone, but it's not lost on the general public. What's being distorted here is the understanding of the medical process. Most of the general public believe you go to medical school and then you are an attending. As such, your medical school location is the highest level of training they expect from you. Sure, other doctors or medical researchers know better. But that's simply not true for the public.

I disagree. How often are doctors asked where they went to medical school by their patients? I think you strongly overestimate how much the general public cares as long as they get health care. Some people don't know what a D.O. is despite the fact that a D.O. has been their primary care physician for years.

 

[J ROD]

high school is just another hurdle to jump over in life....then there is another one....and another......etc....then your die.....🙁

 

[rockymhs]

I think high school was useful in someways.

It helped me develop studying habit.

And I went back to AP Chem and AP Physics material to supplement my preparation for mcat and ended up getting a descent score in physical science.


It all depends on the person.

Everybody will have different opinions about high school.

 

[Narmerguy]

I disagree. How often are doctors asked where they went to medical school by their patients? I think you strongly overestimate how much the general public cares as long as they get health care. Some people don't know what a D.O. is despite the fact that a D.O. has been their primary care physician for years.

You only prove my point. The thing is that some people don't know know and some people don't care where their doctor went. But some do. And that means that it matters. People have the tendency to overstate my position on things. I didn't inflate how much the public cares, I merely stated that some members of the public do care. SDN would have you believe that it's all gravy and no one is interested in where you went to medical school which just isn't so.

 

[searun]

I was a TOTAL slacker in high school and went to a great undergrad on a full ride. I did everything you're not supposed to do to succeed in life when I was a teen: I hung out with the wrong crowd, I skipped class, I didn't study (but remarkably still got great grades lol). I was sooooooooo bored with my classes, I didn't need to sit through them to get a good grade so why would I. I don't think all my choices at the time were great (smoking cigarettes, blech) but I hardly think that you can make the generalization that those who slack in high school are somehow going to suffer consequences way down the road for it. I'm thankful for the years where I could just be a bored kid in the suburbs and wasn't stressin my future all the time.

There are exceptions to any generalization and you apparently are an exception to my general statement. But my statement is corrrect - slackers in high school are much less likely to get grants and scholarships to undergraduate colleges and universities. The kids who perform at the highest academic level in high school are usually the kids who are awarded scholarships. That is just reality.

Are there some brilliant and interesting kids who are slackers. Of course.

 

[biophysicianai]

I'm probably rehashing something that has been said already, as the number of posts between the initial and the latest was TL, so DR, and I feel impelled to respond.

what is the point of high school as med schools dont care whatsoever how one did in high school

The point of high school is to educate you. I tend to believe that things that don't help my medical school application are still important. My baby cousin, for example, is quite important, though she can't help me with orgo.

Please keep in mind that a lot of people have neither the means nor intention of going to medical school or college. Should these people not go to high school?

 

[anonymousername]

i went to a really bad high school: underpaid teachers, big class sizes, small rooms, not enough materials, bad funding, lots of underprivileged youth, bad advanced placement program, lower than average passing rate for the high school exit exam, blah blah blah

I actually did well in high school because I saw what my life could be like if I had the same attitudes and interests as my peers (that and being the one white kid at pretty much an all minority school made me all the more happy to hit the books).

I ended up going to CC for financial reasons but the study habits I learned in high school were extreemly valuable to how I learn material both after graduation and transfer into a top 20 school.

 

[trep14]

You only prove my point. The thing is that some people don't know know and some people don't care where their doctor went. But some do. And that means that it matters. People have the tendency to overstate my position on things. I didn't inflate how much the public cares, I merely stated that some members of the public do care. SDN would have you believe that it's all gravy and no one is interested in where you went to medical school which just isn't so.

I think you drastically overestimate the amount of the general public that cares where their physician went to medical school.

 

[calnation]

High School is mostly a right of passage that shows you are willing to take orders and be subservient. These qualities are necessary for social productivity. Employers need to know you can give up your whims and hold a job, even if you don't enjoy the labor.

High schools, at the same time, must also serve another function: getting a portion of its students into college. This complicates things and necessitates that the high schools make an assumption. It's that the more willing you are to give up other opportunities and obey orders, the more self disciplined and capable of higher learning you will be. This is represented in your grades. This assumption is not always valid and that is why colleges aren't necessarily filled with the brightest, most self disciplined people, but instead there is a mix. There are many brilliant and self disciplined people who cannot perform uninspiring, or unchallenging tasks out of principle or purely out of their nature.

I guess, if you think about it, in the grand scheme of things, overlooking these people is not a huge problem because they ought to be able to succeed anyways, eventually. But then again, there are those who fall through the cracks and get down on themselves, or society, and are never really able to rise from the ashes.

 

[unimaginative]

what is the point of high school as med schools dont care whatsoever how one did in high school

an example.. many valedictorians i know are struggling to get into med school or have absolutely given up on it... and average or sometimes even below average high school students ace college and get into med schools...

it shows high school doesn't predict career success at all...

Are you serious? A time with essentially no responsibilities and little to no consequences for really bad choices, sign me up. Add sex with Girls/Boys or both and experimenting with things the health teacher told you would kill you and you have a recipe for a really good time. Now I know for some of you it was an akward time and people weren't as kind as they should have been, sorry about that.

Seems to me if some of you folks spent less time worrying about becoming a doctor and more time having the entire thing would be easier. I got lots of crap grades in high school probably had a 2.8 GPA since I did little to no work and focused most of my efforts on trying to drink as much beer as possible. I got pretty good at it too, used to be able to funnel 5 beers at once. After high school I went to a middle of the road state U and dropped out sophmore year and then went to a very good state U a year later. Then ended up at a great med school. I've never been someone to follow the group and frankly that has been more fun and for whatever reason people seem to value that a great deal. The competition among the robots is very high cause while the labels might be different they are all esentially made in the same factory but be yourself and there ain't nobody else doing that.

-Un

 

[Algophiliac]

High school is highly important as a transition step into college, in my opinion. I learned some very invaluable studying and life skills in high school, and am learning many more right now in college. Not to mention that from an educational standpoint, high school helped solidify basic concepts in a nurturing environment. Not everyone is ready in 9th grade to just jump into the "real world" of college life, after all. Some of us actually liked and needed the hand-holding, at least at first. If you're starting to question the value of high school, you're probably just more mature and ready to move on into college...a good thing, but not everyone is or was in your position.

 

[Sammich117]

I agree that there are a lot of life lessons in high school. It definitely builds a good foundation for the things you learn in college too.

 

[Narmerguy]

I think you drastically overestimate the amount of the general public that cares where their physician went to medical school.

😕 Did you even read what I wrote?

 

[EMS5]

OP: I actually have 2 professors this semester alone that I am good friends with, and they are always willing to help. To boot, my biology and english professors give extra credit on a regular basis. For the most part though, I agree that they don't give two ****s and don't give extra credit.

 

[trep14]

😕 Did you even read what I wrote?

The tone of your posts make it sound like there are tons of people out there who will only see doctors that went to Harvard or Mayo or Duke. Sure, there are some elitist people out there, whatever. The reason people say that it doesn't matter where you go to medical school is that people who go to Generic Medical School U in the middle of nowhere will still have patients lining up to see them.

But because some people (probably less than 5% of the patient population) care it matters? Some people still think that the earth is flat.

 

[Narmerguy]

The tone of your posts make it sound like there are tons of people out there who will only see doctors that went to Harvard or Mayo or Duke. Sure, there are some elitist people out there, whatever. The reason people say that it doesn't matter where you go to medical school is that people who go to Generic Medical School U in the middle of nowhere will still have patients lining up to see them.

But because some people (probably less than 5% of the patient population) care it matters? Some people still think that the earth is flat.

That wasn't the tone of my post, don't make assumptions. 5%? You have absolutely no basis for that number and just pulled it from somewhere, probably your rectum. How patients feel about their doctors is up to them. If someone is interested in where there physician went to medical school, it's their money. I'm well aware of why people say it doesn't matter where you go to medical school. I've been using these forums for far longer than you.

Once again, so we're clear, my point is that you cannot say that where you went to medical school doesn't matter. It simply is not true. It may not be the biggest thing that matters and it may not matter to the people you care about, but it matters to some people. I don't particularly care if you can live with that, I'm done discussing it.

 

[Omni]

Does your college reteach you everything that you learned in high school? pre-calc, writing, history, etc.? high school is time for experimentation for you to learned between whats best and whats not without losing $20 grand/year or how much ever it is you pay for tuition.
And one thing you fail to see regarding parent teach conference and things like that is that high school students are minors...parent/guardians need to be made aware for stupid crap that they pull.

Lets all have future generation skip grades 9-12 and put them straight into college from grade 8...that sounds like a much better idea of allowing kids to realize their talents and learn on their own.

 

[siliso]

The last two years of high school are mostly a waste for bright and motivated students. Especially when they are taking tons of AP classes which they will then likely have to repeat. There are other options (early college, for one). No one cared that I didn't have a high school diploma when I applied to medical school - I had a bachelor's degree and that was plenty.

 

[c5212]

Pointless. IMO, it's just a stepping stone to college...

 

[anonymousername]

Pointless. IMO, it's just a stepping stone to college...

that would mean that there is a point to it

 

[vickpick]

yes, u think a all 14 year olds will be good enuf to go to college

 

[CoolWhipp]

I think of high school as a time to develop your social skills. Middle school is commonly known as the awkward stage but as students grow into their teens they begin to figure out their bodies, self, and etc.

I kind of think of it like recess in elementary school. The children aren't hitting the books much at that time, but they are learning invaluable lessons about their environment, self awareness, communicating with others and etc.

 

[searun]

Does your college reteach you everything that you learned in high school? pre-calc, writing, history, etc.? high school is time for experimentation for you to learned between whats best and whats not without losing $20 grand/year or how much ever it is you pay for tuition.
And one thing you fail to see regarding parent teach conference and things like that is that high school students are minors...parent/guardians need to be made aware for stupid crap that they pull.

Lets all have future generation skip grades 9-12 and put them straight into college from grade 8...that sounds like a much better idea of allowing kids to realize their talents and learn on their own.

Precisely. We really don't need a bunch of 15 year olds enrolling in college and living in the dorms. I was not ready for that when I was 15 but I sure was ready for it when I was 18. Sure, there is the occasional mathmatical genius but most 15 year or 16 year old kids, however bright, are not ready to move away from home and attend a residential college or university.

High school serves a purpose. I realize that there are some really crummy high schools, and I was fortunate to attend a private catholic high school that placed a high value on scholarship and learning - my high school had me totally prepared for college and I hit the ground running in college from day one. So I see the positives in the right kind of high school. I suppose that I probably would feel differently if I went to high school in some hell hole.

 

[BerlinDude]

Precisely. We really don't need a bunch of 15 year olds enrolling in college and living in the dorms. I was not ready for that when I was 15 but I sure was ready for it when I was 18. Sure, there is the occasional mathmatical genius but most 15 year or 16 year old kids, however bright, are not ready to move away from home and attend a residential college or university.

High school serves a purpose. I realize that there are some really crummy high schools, and I was fortunate to attend a private catholic high school that placed a high value on scholarship and learning - my high school had me totally prepared for college and I hit the ground running in college from day one. So I see the positives in the right kind of high school. I suppose that I probably would feel differently if I went to high school in some hell hole.

If they want to do that, what business is it of yours?

High school has a purpose for some people, but for most people who are going to college it is useless. The stuff people are talking about (developing social skills, maturing, etc) is learned by living - the high school curriculum has nothing to do with it. The stuff about high school being a transition for college makes no sense.

 

[searun]

If they want to do that, what business is it of yours?

High school has a purpose for some people, but for most people who are going to college it is useless. The stuff people are talking about (developing social skills, maturing, etc) is learned by living - the high school curriculum has nothing to do with it. The stuff about high school being a transition for college makes no sense.

I am simply expressing my personal opinion. People can live their lives and do what they choose. Now in my humble opinion, the optimum college experience is at a residential college or university. Very few 15 and 16 year olds are ready to live away from parental supervision.

And the last two years of high school are not useless at all, academically, unless you attend a crap high school. Personally, I had tremendous academic growth the last two years of high school. Apparently, you did not.