Message Replied To ==========
Wow is that a loaded question . . .
The dark side would suggest that sharing what I'm about to should not be done. They are probably right.
I mean no offense to anyone that went to JC. But it was not my first choice yet I find myself extremely thankful that we did get it. You see Thomas while extremely bright is not a good student. He has all the failings that many teenage boys have.
I find myself torn to pieces. Did I not push him hard enough? etc. etc. . . . all that parent stuff that all of you know about. I'm disappointed in him. I'm disappointed in me. I don't mind so much being disappointed in him about forgetting to turn in homework, generally just not paying attention . . . which is why he is not a good student . . . he's the type of kid that will lapse for a few weeks drop his grade to a C/D/F, get in trouble with me (lose his all the things he likes, sports etc) and then make all As the rest of the semester and pull out a B/C. It makes me want to chew rebar. That pressure I don't mind applying to him. But, now to your loaded question, IB would have been far easier fiscally. I have bubblegummed and bailing wired this thing since those early days 10 years ago. The situation now becomes even more grave. Another bump in the economy or any minor setback and we're done.
So his slackoffedness is costing me real money, and perhaps puts the whole thing in jeopardy, when there is no doubt in my mind he could do it. Is that fair to him? No. I'm not sure I was any better a student and many kids have ups and downs.
The best laid plans . . . unraveled!
JC is a good school and many of their graduates go on to college. I'm sure in the end we will be fine if I live that long. But Thomas is the only kid from his class going to JC. Most are going to Altamont or Indian, 3 to IB, and a couple to boarding schools.
Nope this rat poop lab peon never felt at home among that group of parents . . . but Thomas did. He got a great education and a great experience at Highlands. I hope he can parlay that into something.
But as strange as it sounds . . . I'll probably fit in more with the Catholics. But my fitting in is a story for another day in the land of psychosis. And maybe when this board reaches 35 years I'll share the lack of generational capital psychosis story as well. Maybe by then I can inform you that Thomas and his sister are fixing that problem.
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eggzackly what I wanted to do and be when I grew up...
I just kinda coasted thru HS, I had good teachers and they did lay a good foundation in Math, Chemistry
and Physics....
I sounded a lot like Thomas in HS....
So don't give up !!!
Because I coasted and did not ever really study I thought I did not have the ability to take the Calculas, Physics
and everything else needed to be an engineer...
So I became a business major , graduated , got job and was miserable....
AUBIGJOE told me I should move back home for a year, save my $ and go back to AU and become an
engineer....
So I did....
All my business courses counted as electives for engineering, so I took 15-18 hrs of Calculas, Physics,
and then my CE courses....
I also made some really good friends and we studied together....
I learned how to study from them and though it was challenging, I passed everything...
I could not have made it without them..
Funny thing was my math, science and english teachers at Whootlawn were most older widows or spinsters....
They put up with no bull#badword# and were very good....
The stuff I took in HS all came back and it was a lack of confidence not ability that I had...
It took my 2.5 years to get my CE degree, and I was 26 years old when I got out..
 
