2019 Offseason Stream of Unconsciousness

[betarhoalphadelta]

Most 17 year olds in my experience have no idea what they "want to do", and it stressed them because they surmise they are unusual.  Everyone else is going to college, except for the real dummies, so they go to college also figuring they will figure it out in college, and it seems like fun, and you might meet the dream of your life.

I was pretty lucky. From the time I was a child, I had already decided something related to math or science was going to be my job. When I started getting into my teen years, I realized that was "engineer", and because I was into electronics and computers at the time, electrical engineering was pretty well a slam dunk.
I know a lot of people at 17 who had no idea what they wanted to do when they grow up. I still know people at 30+ who have no idea lol.
I'm happy with my choice. 

[bayareabadger]

I find it really interesting. You'd think that a sizable "donation" to a school like USC gets the admissions office to perhaps admit a kid who meets the minimum requirements, but is certainly below the averages for who gets admitted.
I wonder if it's one more step in PoA. It used to be that you donated to the school and then they'd admit your kid. But if they do that, then your kid *knows* that you basically bought their admission. Just think of what that will do to the poor kid's self-esteem? Much better that you do this illegally, behind their back, so that they think they earned it!
What is worst about Lori Loughlin and her husband is apparently their daughter is complete and total twit, who is a "vlogger" and doesn't even want to go or cares about going to college. So they may both end up in jail for a girl who didn't even what what they were bribing people to give her.

I kind of doubt it's that. Chances are, if your kid is enough of a problem with that much privilege, you've probably had a few screaming fights through the years.
It is weird to do because the kid at some point will be presented with evidence of their athletic background. 
A blogger I like pointed out, why send your spoiled rich child to a place that could throw them out. Send them to state school on the 7-year plan. 

[MichiFan87]

I didn't really know what I wanted to do when I was in school except I'd be best in an analytical role, since I was proficient with spreadsheets and databases. For all the adversity I've had in my career, I'm thankful I stumbled into the clean energy world. It's definitely helped me find purpose in my career and life as a whole, while I see so many other people who find little to know meaning in their careers, even if they're paid well. This is less the case in DC, naturally, but still moreso than you might expect.

[Cincydawg]

There certainly are 17 year olds who at least think they know what they want to do.  A fair number want to be doctors, until they hit freshman and sophomore chemistry.  Then they think they want to go into business.

The only thing I KNEW was I didn't want to gave to get a real job.  I delayed it as long as possible.

[Anonymous Coward]

I was pretty lucky. From the time I was a child, I had already decided something related to math or science was going to be my job. When I started getting into my teen years, I realized that was "engineer", and because I was into electronics and computers at the time, electrical engineering was pretty well a slam dunk.
I know a lot of people at 17 who had no idea what they wanted to do when they grow up. I still know people at 30+ who have no idea lol.
I'm happy with my choice.

Same here. I had a very specific idea of what I wanted to do from a young age. I mean, after 2nd grade at least, when I wanted to be an astronaut. From then on, I was all in for medicine/doctor/scientist. Luckily, it was a cool plan and pulling it off was just a matter of putting in the time and never quitting. And I've always had a knack for never quitting. The problem though is that now my story can only stay fully resolved if I pull off this Frankenstein career as a guy who sees patients, runs a research lab, and professor to undergrads/med students. If I never hold a position that simultaneously satisfies all of those, I'll be suuuuuuper bummed.

[CWSooner]

I suspect that one thing the admissions scandal is going to expose is that there isn't all that much elite educating being done at some of the elite educational institutions, that the academic competition ends with acceptance, rather than with graduation.

[MarqHusker]

I was idly looking at US metro areas by population and noted the largest one I've never visited is Providence, RI.  We're headed to Boston end of the month, and I figure I can check that one off, in addition to visiting the NE states I've never visited before, which would leave me with ND and AL as sole remaining, and we're going to Alaska in September.  I expect to leave ND on the shelf.

I've been stuck on 49 for years.   I've decided to go to Alaska with my kids in a couple years.   Largest market I've not been to in terms of MSA is Tampa, then Sacramento.     Don't leave ND on the shelf.  You can find a reason to go there, every place I've ever been has something worth seeing, doing.

[Anonymous Coward]

I suspect that one thing the admissions scandal is going to expose is that there isn't all that much elite educating being done at some of the elite educational institutions, that the academic competition ends with acceptance, rather than with graduation.

The "isn't all that much" in your first sentence is so wishy washy that it could mean anything. But I consider myself a highest end educator**. I definitely try hard. And was educated by several highest end educators who clearly cared a lot as well. And many of my students obviously take it as seriously if not moreso as I did at their stage. So again, I think I disagree with what you said, unless "isn't all that much" conveniently excludes many professors and many more students. My take is that the physical sciences courses at Big Ten universities (I've been at three now) are taken quite seriously by the 80+% of professors and students.
**(bragging is stupid but I think I have to explain: Teaching physiology, or sometimes anatomy, my student evaluations have been the best of all professors/instructors in a large medical sciences department for 7 semesters straight. Saying it must make me seem like I have a stick up my butt, but it's a point of pride and I guess it may have made me react too strongly to your post, which may have been meant innocuously)

[Anonymous Coward]

 Don't leave ND on the shelf.  You can find a reason to go there, every place I've ever been has something worth seeing, doing.

I love that perspective. I've found the same. There are no uninteresting places or even any lacking beauty. There are only bad attitudes about places. And that's always the fault of the mentality, not of the place.

[MarqHusker]

People live all over this country (or globe), not everyplace is a paradise for me or for you.  That doesn't mean these aren't places worth checking out.  Half the reason I love travel, is to be surprised.  It might be a restaurant, a natural site, its often the people.  The more I think about it, some of my favorite memories are places that no such person would rank as must visit place or site.  This country has a lot to see and experience, and that most certainly includes the more remote and unknown places.

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, there's something extraordinary about belonging to a country that extends from ocean to ocean. It means we have everything. Tundra. Prairies, plains. Canyons. Oceans, lakes, rivers. Mountains. Monoliths. Deserts of several kinds. Taiga. Volcanoes. Geysers and Grand prismatic pool. Islands in several climes. I could obviously go on.

As to your other point, there is also something special about people and their knack to make any kind of place a home. It isn't a rule of the universe that we have to be that way, but we are. It's good.

[847badgerfan]

I suspect that one thing the admissions scandal is going to expose is that there isn't all that much elite educating being done at some of the elite educational institutions, that the academic competition ends with acceptance, rather than with graduation.

Howdy pal. I think much of this depends on the major, much as AC posted above. You may be able to sleepwalk through some majors. This I do not doubt one bit.

[847badgerfan]

Taken from a different thread...

We need many more physicians too. That won't help us here but there is a unifying thread that in an increasingly complex and specialized world, it's a real bear to keep up with human talent.

Here, I'm not even putting engineers and scientists on a pedestal as holy special people. Moreso I'm treating them as normal people with very special information and I'm claiming that our problem is an exponentially exploding doubling time of human knowledge. So recruiting and training everyone in time to keep The Brain growing (and actually make practical use of it) is a serious dilemma.

It makes me wonder about the future of knowledge creation and use. Why can't A.I. satisfy many (all?) scientific and engineering needs better than people? That's not rhetorical. I'm not trying to be cute; I don't know either way. And if A.I. can't, how will it be that people can?

Extremely complex, this all is. And yep, our local hospital is constantly looking for staff, top to bottom. Those jobs, and the education required to do them, are hard.

[FearlessF]

    Don't leave ND on the shelf.  You can find a reason to go there, every place I've ever been has something worth seeing, doing.

try some ice fishing on Devil's Lake