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Post by minx on Jul 21, 2024 12:35:57 GMT -5
I hate them! Hate them with a passion.
For starters, it's super hard to find places that let you volunteer after school or on weekends. So that limits the amount of places/activities available.
But in order to stay in good standing with the organization you belong to, you have to have xxx hours. This means kids get stuck in places they don't want to be at.
I know the idea is to expand your horizons and look at places/people that may be out of your normal experience. But it also places another burden on non-profits who have to train someone and supervise them, especially if they don't especially want to be there. And the organization also has to deal with their pushy parents.
Does volunteering at the food pantry really help your GPA for honor society? We have had several kids volunteer over the time I've been volunteering. The kids who want to be there are wonderful. They listen, pick up things quickly, ask questions and in many cases, go above and beyond. We had a guy last summer who packed cold bags (frozen and refrigerated food). He always had extra bags ready to go, and he'd bring them out and ask the clients if they wanted him to carry their box for them. (and because he was a big strapping young man, people who normally refused our services happily took him up on his offer).
This summer's kid totally does not want to be there. She was arriving late until her parents were read the riot act and told that if she showed after 2, we won't take her because we were too busy. Sits behind the table on her phone half the time, and always leaves early. She does do whatever you ask her to, but there's no real enthusiasm to it. Super clear that she's there to click a box on a form.
If these school organizations and clubs are going to require volunteer hours, why not do something to benefit the school itself or other schools that feed into it? I know that when my kids went to Stafford, one of the ways you could get hours was helping out at sports games. We had a whole group of loyal volunteers who worked in the concession stand - were runners for orders, made pretzels, restocked chips and drinks. They really had a great time, and loved that they were part of the crew. You only had to do 1/2 the game, so you also got into the game for free.
Okay, rant off.
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Jul 21, 2024 17:46:46 GMT -5
I have several thoughts and will probably wind up with another rant in response. The young lady you describe is almost emblematic of our last couple of generations, the current and previous one, to a tee. I certainly understand why people with important shit to do don't want them around. I know it's a worn out discussion but you know who I blame for this.
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Post by minx on Jul 22, 2024 7:25:39 GMT -5
Oh, it's 100% parenting in this case. Along with the stupid societal push that you'll NEVER get into a 'good' college unless you keep your grades up, participate in every extracurricular activity known to man, and of course volunteer your ass off. Makes for a LOT of stressed out and unhappy people.
I won't even go into the rat race that is trying to get financial aid that will carry you for all 4 years...
I do see some small swings back towards some sort of middle road. With student loan forgiveness, some people are starting to realize that unless you come from a very, very rich family you're not going to school without some sort of loan. And more people who graduated years ago are starting to question why the price of college has gotten so high and why the only way to afford it is loan after loan. What are those large endowments going for anyway?
Plus, there is a bigger push to promote the trades. I don't know how it is in HS though - when I went through, the only 'trades' were cosmetology if you were a girl. The cool shit like auto shop and construction were men only. And if you scored well on aptitude tests, and got good grades, well the vo-tech path was completely closed off to you.
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Jul 22, 2024 10:57:24 GMT -5
I always thought it was a total joke that you needed anything more than very good grades as a prerequisite to get into college. So I do agree with you about the farcical "well rounded individual" said to be so vital to college admissions at certain institutions. I doubt the athletics dept recruiters care a lick about any of that.
As far as getting loans to pay tuition it's just a reality of how things pretty much have to work now. Remember that not all that long ago parents would save so their kids could go to college, as they say. It was a huge sacrifice for a huge number of people and to me the lesson/s of such sacrifice with a clear purpose has almost been lost. On the other hand there are/were some that haven't anything resource-wise to pull from in order to financially make it possible for their kids to get a higher education. Somewhere in between are those that have the resources and squander them, and those that don't who would otherwise take full advantage of the opportunity.
No easy fixes.
As has been discussed many times, I think skills/trades should be a part of the public education system everywhere, as well as home economics and other every day skills that might be completely aside from academics. Once at the high school level they can be electives as the classes would be a bit more advanced and geared toward soon to be adults. In 2024 I would certainly expect that the idea of those skills and trades being gender restricted are dead and buried.
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Post by minx on Jul 22, 2024 13:01:20 GMT -5
We were in the 'responsible' crowd that saved, and even so both kids had to take out the full amount of federal student loans available. And this was with the eldest going to a state school and commuting from home!
Plus, back in the day the loans didn't have compound interest. Loan was at 9% interest and that was it. So it was standard to pay the thing off in 10 years and very doable.
Now all the loans are with compound interest. If you're lucky you get a subsidized loan, where no interest is charged until 6mo after graduation. Otherwise, that interest starts accruing the moment you sign on the dotted line. And just like a credit card, if you pay the minimum amount, you're never going to get ahead on the principal. That's why so many people are paying loans decades after graduation.
I disagree on saying that this is just how it is. The government gives a shit ton of money out to colleges each year in the forms of grants and loans that students use for tuition. So, they should make the colleges justify that tuition.
1) Start with salaries for all employees, and break out how many courses are taught by FT staff rather than an adjunct or TA.
2) How much of an endowment does the school have, and how much of that is used on services that directly affect students?
3) How much financial aid is given out by class rank (so freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors, grad students)?
4) How much is invested into sports? How much profit is returned and what is that profit used for?
5) What amenities are in dorms? Are dorms properly equipped for students (AC/reliable internet/security)? When was the last time dorms were fully renovated?
Because there is NO way that the tuition we paid at UMW gave us real value for the money.
Lots of classes taught by adjunct faculty (lower level of experience, much lower pay, and lots and lots of pressure to produce 'results' so they can get promoted to FT - no bad grades here!)
Very little financial aid
Not sure about sports - can't see them turning a profit, and I have no objections to campus sports whatsoever if they're not paying outrageous amounts for coaches and facilities.
Dorms were disgusting. Daughter's dorm looked like it had no major renovations since the 60s. No AC (and you weren't allowed to bring a window unit because it would overload the electrical load in the building), internet was spotty at best - made for fun times when you had to upload a paper. Building was filthy with little outside cleaning. And the dorm was condemned a year after she lived there.
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Jul 22, 2024 14:14:46 GMT -5
Not sure where volunteer requirements fits in to all of that but I'm going to go with compound interest is criminal and should be banned as a financial practice. It's essence is greed.
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Post by minx on Jul 22, 2024 14:53:12 GMT -5
It was under getting loans to pay for tuition and how we just have to accept that as the status quo.  |
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Post by Dave's Not Here Man on Jul 22, 2024 18:29:08 GMT -5
Are you saying volunteer credits are required on every application for student loans or just for certain grants?
I'm sure it could be, I suppose...... if so, it won't even be the second stupid thing I learned today.
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Post by minx on Jul 23, 2024 8:05:09 GMT -5
No volunteer credits for loans - probably some for scholarships or grants. As far as getting loans to pay tuition it's just a reality of how things pretty much have to work now. Remember that not all that long ago parents would save so their kids could go to college, as they say. It was a huge sacrifice for a huge number of people and to me the lesson/s of such sacrifice with a clear purpose has almost been lost. On the other hand there are/were some that haven't anything resource-wise to pull from in order to financially make it possible for their kids to get a higher education. Somewhere in between are those that have the resources and squander them, and those that don't who would otherwise take full advantage of the opportunity. No easy fixes. That's the comment I was answering. |
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