The "Freeola Customer Forum" forum, which includes Retro Game Reviews, has been archived and is now read-only. You cannot post here or create a new thread or review on this forum.
Why are people so naturally afraid of themselves?
It's a question I ask myself every time I have to do school work and coursework. It's all utterly pointless, but I'm not allowed to pack it in, "just in case".
Just in case of what? Just in case I've been wrong about having fun all these years? "No, that's not fun, you're wrong. You know you can't be happy without money."
But that's the key to it all. I want to work for logic, not for grades.
If to get to where I want to, I have to scrub floors, pull turds out of toliets and sandpaper people's feet, I will gladly. I'd rather know what it is to be human, than have to sit on a chair, read a book for a while, sit an exam, and then be labelled "above average".
No longer should we judge those on two poxy hours of their life. People aren't tins of soup, we're human, and we're as human as they get.
I want to never, ever apply for a job when the only credientials I have to pass are what my exam grades are. I promise you I will not be happy in that job.
A job isn't something you do so you can raise enough money to go out and drink yourself stupid so you can wipe away the bad memories of having that job... it's pathetic, and it's what's drummed into us from day one. The exam system is so utterly, utterly flawed... but the problem is?
Kids would say that anyway, so why listen to them?
Adults don't care. They're past that now.
There's nobody in between. Anybody who raises a voice is either an angry parent "just write a letter of apology for the mess up in the exams, and put in a few leaflets about how exams affect chances of getting a job"... or they're mad.
I'm mad, I know, but I'm right. Exams should not exist. The basic education system is great, but that's where it should stop. As long as people have a basic understanding of how to read, write, do math... anything that we can really apply to our life because of evolution... but then stop.
So much time is wasted on GCSE's, A-Levels, and now these stupid AS Levels as well... instead, why aren't we encouraged to find something that we enjoy, that we can look further into?
Hey? You like drawing? Let me see what I can find for you.
You like to write stories? Let's have a look at that then.
We're so discouraged as children, to be forced into such horrible methods of "education". All we're learning is the world is a terrible place, full of people that have jobs so they don't die, not so they can live life.
And we're becoming like our parents. Fearful in a world where the only answer to questions are "well, that's life". No it isn't, and no it shouldn't be. They'll easily accuse us of being naive and immature, and yet expect us to decide what job we want, and what we want to do with the rest of our lives.
It's pointless, and I'm fed up with it.
It's a question I ask myself every time I have to do school work and coursework. It's all utterly pointless, but I'm not allowed to pack it in, "just in case".
Just in case of what? Just in case I've been wrong about having fun all these years? "No, that's not fun, you're wrong. You know you can't be happy without money."
But that's the key to it all. I want to work for logic, not for grades.
If to get to where I want to, I have to scrub floors, pull turds out of toliets and sandpaper people's feet, I will gladly. I'd rather know what it is to be human, than have to sit on a chair, read a book for a while, sit an exam, and then be labelled "above average".
No longer should we judge those on two poxy hours of their life. People aren't tins of soup, we're human, and we're as human as they get.
I want to never, ever apply for a job when the only credientials I have to pass are what my exam grades are. I promise you I will not be happy in that job.
A job isn't something you do so you can raise enough money to go out and drink yourself stupid so you can wipe away the bad memories of having that job... it's pathetic, and it's what's drummed into us from day one. The exam system is so utterly, utterly flawed... but the problem is?
Kids would say that anyway, so why listen to them?
Adults don't care. They're past that now.
There's nobody in between. Anybody who raises a voice is either an angry parent "just write a letter of apology for the mess up in the exams, and put in a few leaflets about how exams affect chances of getting a job"... or they're mad.
I'm mad, I know, but I'm right. Exams should not exist. The basic education system is great, but that's where it should stop. As long as people have a basic understanding of how to read, write, do math... anything that we can really apply to our life because of evolution... but then stop.
So much time is wasted on GCSE's, A-Levels, and now these stupid AS Levels as well... instead, why aren't we encouraged to find something that we enjoy, that we can look further into?
Hey? You like drawing? Let me see what I can find for you.
You like to write stories? Let's have a look at that then.
We're so discouraged as children, to be forced into such horrible methods of "education". All we're learning is the world is a terrible place, full of people that have jobs so they don't die, not so they can live life.
And we're becoming like our parents. Fearful in a world where the only answer to questions are "well, that's life". No it isn't, and no it shouldn't be. They'll easily accuse us of being naive and immature, and yet expect us to decide what job we want, and what we want to do with the rest of our lives.
It's pointless, and I'm fed up with it.
Page:
Thanks man, I didn't take offense, don't worry, because I would have said exactly the same thing myself. :0D
It's something that drives me insane. People who make one mistake and then give up for the rest of their lives. People who won't follow their dreams because they become into this horrible thing that I only like to refer to as 'acceptance'.
But more on that later.
It's something that drives me insane. People who make one mistake and then give up for the rest of their lives. People who won't follow their dreams because they become into this horrible thing that I only like to refer to as 'acceptance'.
But more on that later.
Grix, I'd forgotten about this topic, sorry.
Glad to hear your doing what you want to do. I didn't mean to be rude and I probably could have phrased my last post a bit better, but I know so many people that are annoyed that they have a crap job, but they never do anything about it.
I'm glad to see you're not that type.
And good luck with the Rareware thing!
Glad to hear your doing what you want to do. I didn't mean to be rude and I probably could have phrased my last post a bit better, but I know so many people that are annoyed that they have a crap job, but they never do anything about it.
I'm glad to see you're not that type.
And good luck with the Rareware thing!
Now THAT was a powerfull start to a topic, Grix!
Write another one now!
Write another one now!
Whilst its a nice idea that kids should be able to do subjects they enjoy at school, I fear employers have no use for the many kids who would want to do GCSE's in drugs, joyriding, hanging out, Ali G impressions, wannabe gangster and shoplifting.
Exams and courses prove you know what you're talking about in that subject and that you can still know about it under pressure. If you can't stick a course then you probably won't give a toss about a job. I'm in Uni now, 2 years and post grad to go so I'm near the end. Exams are no hassle because I know about my subject !
Exams and courses prove you know what you're talking about in that subject and that you can still know about it under pressure. If you can't stick a course then you probably won't give a toss about a job. I'm in Uni now, 2 years and post grad to go so I'm near the end. Exams are no hassle because I know about my subject !
If I wasn't happy, I would do all I could to change it.
In some ways, you're right, Sodding Idiot.
Tommorrow, I will indeed get up, and go to school. I will pass the time by studying and doing coursework.
But, I'm passing the time for a reason. I have applied for a job, with Rareware. I have spent a lot of time researching what I need to do, I've spent the last year learning 3D Studio Max [Which in the end only showed me that I can't create professional models, but I now have an excellent skill for communication], and all I have do now is wait until Rareware's next reply.
Don't worry, I'm not the type that will talk about how life sucks and then walks along to the tune. If I'm not happy, then my life changes, that's all there is to it.
And Pb, don't worry. If I ever get to the point where I own my own company, I won't forget what I've said here.
Tommorrow, I will indeed get up, and go to school. I will pass the time by studying and doing coursework.
But, I'm passing the time for a reason. I have applied for a job, with Rareware. I have spent a lot of time researching what I need to do, I've spent the last year learning 3D Studio Max [Which in the end only showed me that I can't create professional models, but I now have an excellent skill for communication], and all I have do now is wait until Rareware's next reply.
Don't worry, I'm not the type that will talk about how life sucks and then walks along to the tune. If I'm not happy, then my life changes, that's all there is to it.
And Pb, don't worry. If I ever get to the point where I own my own company, I won't forget what I've said here.
I can't believe I wrote imploy either. Should type these things in Word first I guess....
Call it artistic licencing!
Call it artistic licencing!
Companies need to know that the people they imploy will be able to do the job well. An example is the job I am in at the moment, they look for people who have a degree, not in anything specific, just a degree. This, to them, says that the person they are looking at can study and will stick out a 3 or 4 year course to get the grades. They firmly believe this is the way.
Interestingly, about 50% of our workforce has left to go to another firm or another section of the business. Why? Because the work wasn't challenging enough for them or didn't suit them. They were TOO able to do the job.
With what you are suggesting, Grix, the problem is that businesses would have to employ anyone without prior knowledge of whether they could do the job or not. Imagine the scene:
"So, you want to be an air traffic controller?"
"Yep. Sounds like fun."
"Ok, so we'll give you all this training and you can start next month."
one month later...
"Why did you let those planes crash?"
"Um, well I kind of lost interest in the whole training thing...sorry."
Well, it's an extreme example, but it shows you that companies need a rough idea that their employees are able to think and act with a certain skill.
Are exams the way to do this? Well, no, I don't believe they are. That's why you'll be pleased to know that above GCSE level there are ways to escape most exams. BTEC National diplomas and some NVQ qualifications are 90% modular, with a tiny multiple choice exam counting for the rest of the grade. Above this, some University degrees don't ask you to do any final exam papers, just thesis, such as in many English Literature degrees. My teaching degree had a basic Maths and English test to make sure you could teach the kids, but that was at the beginning and I had no other exams for the whole 4 years.
Exams, as you rightly say, measure how good our memory is on a certain day. Remember that some offices want this skill though. What should happen is that some classes have exams for those who want to take them and know they are better at exams than modular work, where as those students who want their mark to be based soley on modular work will be able to choose that. Whatever happens, you WILL still need something to tell your future employer what it is that you are good at. Maybe it seems unfair to you at this stage, but to your future employer it means that they have a good idea you can do the job.
Don't be disheartened though, many people realise this is not the ideal solution. I got just 3 GCSE results at C when I left school, not even including English Lit, which is stupid. 2 years down the line, after working for two Accountancy jobs with no skill in accountancy whatsoever, I went and did a BTEC in computing, which was pretty easy as it was modular. We learnt Pascal and Cobol, 8-bit Assembly language and many other things. At the same time I had another stab at English Lit, this time finding that the college ran a self learn GCSE course which did NOT involve an exam and was purely coursework. I passed with flying colours, strangely enough.
Now 10 years on from that college course and I have a job that pays pretty well. I'm not saying I like it, but it pays the bills. I could go in to something else, I have the choice now that I have a degree, but I still haven't found what I really want to do, even at 29. I would like to write, of course, and I will be starting a book soon, but this is mainly to satisfy my own creative instincts, rather than make any money. If it works out, of course it could be the answer to my dreams, but for now I need to support a wife and pay a mortgage and any job I went in to now would involve training with a lower salary, so it would be a difficult decision to make and I would have to go without something in return.
Grix, with your writing ability you could easily pass a modular English course with the highest grade, an Access course in English will get you the equivelent of 2 A-levels with only a simple exam at the end (which is not even a proper exam, they let you bring the texts in and it's based on one particular book which has already been studied at length). The exam counts for just a small amount of the final mark too. You could get through the rest of life without having to do an exam, but you would still need something to prove that you were willing and able to learn a job and at least have the basic background knowledge for it. Otherwise you can just set up your own business and not worry about these grades anyway, just remember what you wrote in this topic as it gets bigger and you have to employ more staff.
Interestingly, about 50% of our workforce has left to go to another firm or another section of the business. Why? Because the work wasn't challenging enough for them or didn't suit them. They were TOO able to do the job.
With what you are suggesting, Grix, the problem is that businesses would have to employ anyone without prior knowledge of whether they could do the job or not. Imagine the scene:
"So, you want to be an air traffic controller?"
"Yep. Sounds like fun."
"Ok, so we'll give you all this training and you can start next month."
one month later...
"Why did you let those planes crash?"
"Um, well I kind of lost interest in the whole training thing...sorry."
Well, it's an extreme example, but it shows you that companies need a rough idea that their employees are able to think and act with a certain skill.
Are exams the way to do this? Well, no, I don't believe they are. That's why you'll be pleased to know that above GCSE level there are ways to escape most exams. BTEC National diplomas and some NVQ qualifications are 90% modular, with a tiny multiple choice exam counting for the rest of the grade. Above this, some University degrees don't ask you to do any final exam papers, just thesis, such as in many English Literature degrees. My teaching degree had a basic Maths and English test to make sure you could teach the kids, but that was at the beginning and I had no other exams for the whole 4 years.
Exams, as you rightly say, measure how good our memory is on a certain day. Remember that some offices want this skill though. What should happen is that some classes have exams for those who want to take them and know they are better at exams than modular work, where as those students who want their mark to be based soley on modular work will be able to choose that. Whatever happens, you WILL still need something to tell your future employer what it is that you are good at. Maybe it seems unfair to you at this stage, but to your future employer it means that they have a good idea you can do the job.
Don't be disheartened though, many people realise this is not the ideal solution. I got just 3 GCSE results at C when I left school, not even including English Lit, which is stupid. 2 years down the line, after working for two Accountancy jobs with no skill in accountancy whatsoever, I went and did a BTEC in computing, which was pretty easy as it was modular. We learnt Pascal and Cobol, 8-bit Assembly language and many other things. At the same time I had another stab at English Lit, this time finding that the college ran a self learn GCSE course which did NOT involve an exam and was purely coursework. I passed with flying colours, strangely enough.
Now 10 years on from that college course and I have a job that pays pretty well. I'm not saying I like it, but it pays the bills. I could go in to something else, I have the choice now that I have a degree, but I still haven't found what I really want to do, even at 29. I would like to write, of course, and I will be starting a book soon, but this is mainly to satisfy my own creative instincts, rather than make any money. If it works out, of course it could be the answer to my dreams, but for now I need to support a wife and pay a mortgage and any job I went in to now would involve training with a lower salary, so it would be a difficult decision to make and I would have to go without something in return.
Grix, with your writing ability you could easily pass a modular English course with the highest grade, an Access course in English will get you the equivelent of 2 A-levels with only a simple exam at the end (which is not even a proper exam, they let you bring the texts in and it's based on one particular book which has already been studied at length). The exam counts for just a small amount of the final mark too. You could get through the rest of life without having to do an exam, but you would still need something to prove that you were willing and able to learn a job and at least have the basic background knowledge for it. Otherwise you can just set up your own business and not worry about these grades anyway, just remember what you wrote in this topic as it gets bigger and you have to employ more staff.
Exams cause pain. Yes, as well as the strain of constant writing, there's also the headaches. But I'm not talking physical.
Sorry to be so blunt, but some people are born dumb. Yes if they work hard they can improve, but they're never going to live up to some people, maybe not even their parents 'standards'. Hopefully the parents understand though. But exams...these people will, due to no real fault of their own, fail most of them, or at least get really bad results. It must hurt so much to see everyone else doing better, some who don't even need to try. Fortunately for me, I'm nor especially clever but I'm able. Near the bottom of set 1 in maths, set 3 for Science and I feel I'm strong at English and History.
You're post has enlightened me Grix. Imagine if you could just learn...and then say what you want to do. You never know, maybe it would work better. Of course no one wants to be a roadsweeper or anything, but I expect they could still find some people.
Ah well, back to revising I guess.
Sorry to be so blunt, but some people are born dumb. Yes if they work hard they can improve, but they're never going to live up to some people, maybe not even their parents 'standards'. Hopefully the parents understand though. But exams...these people will, due to no real fault of their own, fail most of them, or at least get really bad results. It must hurt so much to see everyone else doing better, some who don't even need to try. Fortunately for me, I'm nor especially clever but I'm able. Near the bottom of set 1 in maths, set 3 for Science and I feel I'm strong at English and History.
You're post has enlightened me Grix. Imagine if you could just learn...and then say what you want to do. You never know, maybe it would work better. Of course no one wants to be a roadsweeper or anything, but I expect they could still find some people.
Ah well, back to revising I guess.
Page: