Do You Think High School Was/Is to Easy?

[spoiledangel860505]

Afteer reading the article below, Do you think that high school was/is too Easy? Do you think students are prepared for college?

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/16/education/16STUDENTS.html?ex=1279166400&en=38235abc122acecb&ei=5090&partner=rssuserland&emc=rss

I think that high school is too easy for students, and that students are not prepared for college. In high school, I never hardly had any homework, and never ever had to write a 12 page research paper. I think that there are three paths for high school students, College Prep classes/Advanced Placement, The graduation path that requires the general requirements for graduation and then there is the "barely squeak by path" for those that struggle so they are placed in RSP/Special Ed classes for those that have learning disabilties or are placed basic classes like basic english, math because they can't handle the reg general requirements.
I was in those RSP classes, and I barely made it, they did nothing to prepare me for college and I'm struggling now. Even the college prep classes at some schools are not even challenging, I had friends in those classes, and the work that I saw that they had to do was little and yet they still had straight A's on their report card.

I am just curious what others think about this, what their experience was like in high school.

[JohnnyV]

Hi,

As a college professor, I have to say that high schools in America run a wide range. Some high schools are awful, while others go overboard in their expectations. On the whole, the United States has high schools much worse than those that exist in other countries, BUT our colleges are the finest in the world.

If you are struggling in college, just accept it as a challenge and rise to it. If it feels harder and very different from high school, then the system is working, since college is supposed to be several cuts above high school. Good luck.

J

[bigirl_inwv]

I lived in Virginia until my sophomore year in high school. In Virginia, I brought home every single book, every single night. I studied my little butt off and I still made mostly B's. Then I moved to West Virginia. Talk about a drastic change. I never studied, rarely had homework, made straight A's, and graduated in the top 20 of my class without trying at all. And I was even taking Advanced Placement classes that counted for college credit! Needless to say, college was like a slap in the face. I was taking normal level classes and had no idea what was going on because we were not even taught the basics in high school. I ended up having to take the 90 courses just to catch up to where other people were.

Not saying all schools in WV or all schools in general are like this...just that mine sucked.

[NudeDen]

I agree that High school was too easy. At least it was for me. The only part i struggled in was english, but i'm just not that great in the class anyway. I too was in Sp Ed classes because of my ADD and LD. Though, i am intellegent enough for college prep. i wasn't able to keep up. I failed my first math class in college because i wasn't up to that level, i had to step down and take intermediate math to catch me up to the college Algrebra that i had to take. I have had to take one or 2 classes at a time because otherwise i would fail at least one. And even then i have faild some classes because they are a little over-whelming. And BTW, I HATE OUARTERS!!!

So, I don't think i was prepared enough to go to college. Smart enough, Yes.

[DiamondDog]

I took higher level classes in highschool and it was still easy.

I also found college to be a better environment, and it was easy except for all of the many exams/reports ALL due at the same time.

[12voltman59]

It has been many moons since I was in high school--but there was no doubt college was tougher but I actually was a better student in college than I was in high school--

As one person noted--there is a wide disparity across the country in the quality of high schools---it does make a difference which one a person attends---

[fortyniner1]

My high school experience, many many moons ago, did nothing for me to prepare for college, even the community college I went to. The biggest part of the problem was ME. I never knew how to study and indeed rise to the occasion and challenge of being in a more serious academic theatre. I felt very much an outcast in college and I never did finish. I accepted a job in the local paper mill as I felt extremely pressured by my folks to do so. That was the saving panacea to everything in life. As I have found out the hard way, I certainly could have used someone to guide me through the rough spots to actually understand that high school was more than a waiting station for the rest of life. High schools do run the gamut as far as what they demand of you. I hope that young people in the future can realize their full potential by having the support they desparately need. :2cents: