I hate college, but love all the parties

[youngblood]

Well, I may be the only person who can address this "college kid" thing being as I am one of the only people on here that is a full time student (Northwest Missouri State (Go Cats!)): A huge problem my generation has is the parenting sucked. I am not going to sit here and type away angrily at my parents (mostly because my parents did a fantastic job of raising me) but I think that it is important to point out that parenting has gone downhill. The majority of people I know have two sets of parents. That is two different couples of influence, daddy issues, mommy issues..... Plain and simple the victim of divorce is not the marraige but the kids. I am fortunate because my family is close knit and my parents have gotten through hard times and still go to bed together at night. Kids whose parents split are shown how to give up, like many Americans are doing today.

All that said, the biggest issue for college kids today? Simple. OBAMA WANTS TO KEEP PELL GRANTS. A few of my conservative friends are even saying they want to vote for Obama because he is going to help them now (but then go ahead and saw when they are older they will vote conservative because it will help them then).

Older folks may think that college students brain are mush mush but in truth in reality it is discouraged to not be swayed or be politically correct in all facets of life now. It is so frustrating to sit in a class where there is so much bias being thrown at students while the same professor sits on a high horse of tolerance and correctness. If a student disagrees with the professor, the student failed. This bias is obvious in the class i am in right now. The more liberal friend that I studied with got 15% better than I, and this class is the first he has ever beaten me. If my brain does not mush into the mold that has become what is politically correct I will be caste out of academia.

All of this and all I want to be is a high school Social Studies Teacher

Gerry, I agree with some of what you said about voting; it is ridiculous to think that an 18yo could make the wise choice in politics and a mistake with alchohol. Our country needs to completely overhaul the way in which we regulate alchohol consumption. The way I figure it, the best way to avoid binge drinking is to normalize drinking! I see it every weekend here in Maryville (one of the largest DII party schools and I am also a Resident Assistant), freshman going out, getting messed up and end up in the hospital because it is the first time they have ever drank hard.

If we dropped the drinking age to 19 and raised the penalty for drunk driving, I think that we as a nation would be skirting a large issue that has plagued the youth for a generation . IT SHOULD NOT BE 18. Too many kids would be drinking in high school too easily; if underage drinking is going to happen, at least make it hard to get it.
Make the penalty for drunk driving hard enough to stop it. First offense? Automatic 30 days in jail and hefty fine? Maybe more harsh? I do not understand why our nation holds underage drinking in a worse light than drunk driving.

Another thing I do not think has been addressed here: Marijuana. I personnaly do not smoke but I know many people who do and are passionate about it.They actually function well in society as well (surprise surprise?). Honestly, I see it as a potential gateway drug (my aunt is a 55yo methead who got started on marijuana) but also as something that is going to happen regardless of the 5 0. If it were legalized, petty crimes that destroy many kids' lives would be erased. Instead of jail, users could go to rehab. The tax burden that our nation has from jails would be lessened and the taxes gained from the sales would be incredible. It definately would not hurt.

What do you all think? Franco, I know RP held some interesting views about some of this stuff.....

[luvmylabs23139]

Interesting to see a young person post and state many of the same thoughts I had back in college in the early 80's. I went thru college in CT with an ever rising drinking age from 18 to 21 and was always legal and on top of that was brought up in a European household. I saw many people go nuts because suddenly they were legal while having a beer or a glass of wine was no big deal to me since it was never taboo. I was born in Scotland and while drinking was ok at 18 without your parents everyone knows not to dirve drunk or you are royally screwed. Even with 18 as the age back then I never got in trouble in high school simply because it was ok to ask Dad if a could have a beer and be told yes rather than it be some grand off limits thing.
I also agree with you about PELL GRANTS. They should be eliminated because a person should work for their education not be handed it on the taxpayers dime. A situation I know about. 2 people had college age kids attending the same school. One had a child that they told could live at home for free as long as they went to school and worked to help pay for school and their living expenses. The other, well their brat with lousy grades got a darn taxpayer funded pell grant to go to the same school. The one without the pell grant graduated early while the other screwed up so bad on our dime they transfered to an easy school,( I won't say what I want to) while being arrested several times.

[john fallon]

If we dropped the drinking age to 19 and raised the penalty for drunk driving, I think that we as a nation would be skirting a large issue that has plagued the youth for a generation . IT SHOULD NOT BE 18. Too many kids would be drinking in high school too easily; if underage drinking is going to happen, at least make it hard to get it.

In my estimation when you are old enough to lay down your life for your country in combat in the military, you should be able to legally drink alcohol if you chose to do so.


john

[Down East Labs 217]

In my estimation when you are old enough to lay down your life for your country in combat in the military, you should be able to legally drink alcohol if you chose to do so.


john

Best quote of the day. I felt this way from the time I was 18 and joined the Marine Corps. I could go oversea's when I was 19, and when I came home I could not have a cold beer in my home state of Pennsylvania. I had to go over the state lines to New York to buy and drink a cold beer.

Richard

[Socks]

As for the Pell Grants. BITE ME!!!!

Someone who was so poor that at one time he couldn't afford milk for his oatmeal that he had to eat for dinner. If you tell me to suck it up, you first Buddy.

[Socks]

In my estimation when you are old enough to lay down your life for your country in combat in the military, you should be able to legally drink alcohol if you chose to do so.


john

X2.........

[Socks]

Interesting to see a young person post and state many of the same thoughts I had back in college in the early 80's. I went thru college in CT with an ever rising drinking age from 18 to 21 and was always legal and on top of that was brought up in a European household. I saw many people go nuts because suddenly they were legal while having a beer or a glass of wine was no big deal to me since it was never taboo. I was born in Scotland and while drinking was ok at 18 without your parents everyone knows not to dirve drunk or you are royally screwed. Even with 18 as the age back then I never got in trouble in high school simply because it was ok to ask Dad if a could have a beer and be told yes rather than it be some grand off limits thing.
I also agree with you about PELL GRANTS. They should be eliminated because a person should work for their education not be handed it on the taxpayers dime. A situation I know about. 2 people had college age kids attending the same school. One had a child that they told could live at home for free as long as they went to school and worked to help pay for school and their living expenses. The other, well their brat with lousy grades got a darn taxpayer funded pell grant to go to the same school. The one without the pell grant graduated early while the other screwed up so bad on our dime they transfered to an easy school,( I won't say what I want to) while being arrested several times.

Nice to have that big blanket to throw around for your statement huh? How about the people that do work, that do struggle, and have make it on their own? Oh that's right, they're just the chaff that fall by the wayside towards a better future. Jeez. And no I'm not the only one. I know lots of people like me. Heck my wife was like me, my best friend was like me. Most of the people in college that spouted off crap like this were the ones that Mommy and Daddy supported. Oh, and I would have loved to have more help than what I did, but I took what little help I could get and paid every penny back. Taxes huh? I've been working since I was 16 and I started out in some crap kitchen jobs so yeah I've paid my friggin dues/taxes.

[huntinman]

Nice to have that big blanket to throw around for your statement huh? How about the people that do work, that do struggle, and have make it on their own? Oh that's right, they're just the chaff that fall by the wayside towards a better future. Jeez. And no I'm not the only one. I know lots of people like me. Heck my wife was like me, my best friend was like me. Most of the people in college that spouted off crap like this were the ones that Mommy and Daddy supported. Oh, and I would have loved to have more help than what I did, but I took what little help I could get and paid every penny back. Taxes huh? I've been working since I was 16 and I started out in some crap kitchen jobs so yeah I've paid my friggin dues/taxes.

So what's your point?

[Marvin S]

Well, I may be the only person who can address this "college kid" thing being as I am one of the only people on here that is a full time student (Northwest Missouri State (Go Cats!)):

You are not unique on this forum, just younger & less experienced

A huge problem my generation has is the parenting sucked. I am not going to sit here and type away angrily at my parents (mostly because my parents did a fantastic job of raising me) but I think that it is important to point out that parenting has gone downhill.

Don't blame it on the parents, folks from my generation had none also, but we managed to put it together, I can tell you that one from personal experience

The majority of people I know have two sets of parents. That is two different couples of influence, daddy issues, mommy issues..... Plain and simple the victim of divorce is not the marraige but the kids. I am fortunate because my family is close knit and my parents have gotten through hard times and still go to bed together at night. Kids whose parents split are shown how to give up, like many Americans are doing today.

It's the culture of permissiveness that breeds the quitters.

All of this and all I want to be is a high school Social Studies Teacher

Hopefully you are at the least a dumb jock because those slots are reserved for them

Gerry, I agree with some of what you said about voting; it is ridiculous to think that an 18yo could make the wise choice in politics and a mistake with alchohol. Our country needs to completely overhaul the way in which we regulate alchohol consumption.

Apparently you have been properly brainwashed - as someone who drank when I was first 9 YO under supervision of my GP, the government needs to get out of the way & let the parents handle it.

The way I figure it, the best way to avoid binge drinking is to normalize drinking! I see it every weekend here in Maryville (one of the largest DII party schools and I am also a Resident Assistant), freshman going out, getting messed up and end up in the hospital because it is the first time they have ever drank hard.

If we dropped the drinking age to 19 and raised the penalty for drunk driving,

If I'm driving impaired as I probably did many times & nothing happens why should I be penalized?

I think that we as a nation would be skirting a large issue that has plagued the youth for a generation . IT SHOULD NOT BE 18. Too many kids would be drinking in high school too easily; if underage drinking is going to happen, at least make it hard to get it. Make the penalty for drunk driving hard enough to stop it.

See above, if I walk down the street with a concealed weapon should I be subject to search & seizure while having committed no crime. Driving impaired is not the commission of a crime.

First offense? Automatic 30 days in jail and hefty fine? Maybe more harsh? I do not understand why our nation holds underage drinking in a worse light than drunk driving.

Another thing I do not think has been addressed here: Marijuana. I personnaly do not smoke but I know many people who do and are passionate about it.They actually function well in society as well (surprise surprise?). Honestly, I see it as a potential gateway drug (my aunt is a 55yo methead who got started on marijuana) but also as something that is going to happen regardless of the 5 0. If it were legalized, petty crimes that destroy many kids' lives would be erased. Instead of jail, users could go to rehab. The tax burden that our nation has from jails would be lessened and the taxes gained from the sales would be incredible. It definately would not hurt.

I worked for a very large company, they were very strict about drugs Including marijuana - if it was not a problem why would they do that?

[youngblood]

Hopefully you are at the least a dumb jock because those slots are reserved for them

Those who can't do, teach right? Actually no... I chose this PROFESSION (because it takes a degree... at my college the education majors must be head and shoulders above all other majors, even those amazingly hard business majors every Tom, Dick and Harry seem to be pushing themselves towards) because I see a progressive wussiness worsening in America today. I saw a few teachers who were passionate about your kids and made a difference. I also saw lazy POSs who did not care at all (like so many in other professions). I think that an individual can help make a difference in a student.... then a school... and ultimately a community.

Apparently you have been properly brainwashed - as someone who drank when I was first 9 YO under supervision of my GP, the government needs to get out of the way & let the parents handle it.

I totally agree and beginning to roll back the allowable age of drinking is a start... hence why I said we need a major overhaul

If I'm driving impaired as I probably did many times & nothing happens why should I be penalized?

Driving drunk is a crime... So yes, you should be penalized. Our countries constitution says that your rights should be protected as long it does not infringe on the rights of others. Putting others (who are using a public road to go home to thier families) in danger by driving impaired should be more penalized and the drinking age lowered.

Driving impaired is not the commission of a crime.

See above

marijuana - if it was not a problem why would they do that?

They would do that because it is illegal, same as if you were driving drunk in a company car.... and same as if I get a DUI when I am a teacher (which typically results in a loss of job, regardless if I am on or off the "clock". Honestly I do not understand why teachers are given such a terrible rap. They put up your kids all day for a salary that is below the hourly wage minimum.)