Counting to 1,000,000

[HellEye]

150,174

We have a similar division of schools here. And all the people who were walking around and yelling in middle school went for the work oriented school. And the rest to the go-to-uni-after school. Including me

[Cheza]

150,175


The teachers were always very strict with stuff like that.
If someone didn't behave, and wouldn't stop after being told to a few times, they were tossed out of the classroom and into a lot of trouble.


And, at least around here, people have the prejudice that "work-aimed schools are for people who are too stupid for the "proper" higher level of education, hence all the lazy troublemakers with bad grades will end up over there and the atmosphere in general will be awful and stressful for students and teachers alike"
Which is why noone could get why on earth I'd want to go to programming school "when my grades were good enough for me to get into virtually any school I'd want to"
Thing is that I used to think programming was for me, and while I did love the programming aspects, the education was also heavily focused on business economics and customer service.
Business economics and related things were also fine, but the customer service is what ended up killing it for me.


So now I hope to get into goldsmithing instead.
I really, really do...

[HellEye]

150,176

Same here. I got really discouraged by my parents and basically everyone else to not go for informatics in the work school, so I didn't. Still not sure how it'd look like if I did. But truth is, if people can't get into high school they will go to the work oriented school, and that makes kids there mostly the bad kind. I think school shouldn't be a requirement until 18 here. Only elementary should be mandatory, after that do whatever you want and don't be a nuisance to others who actually want to go to school.

[Cheza]

150,177


The first 9 years are mandatory here, anything after that is optional but highly encouraged.
And also essentially free. Which is only even more of a reason to continue studying.
Plus the fact that you're a lot more likely to find a job if you've got some form of higher education.
But that should go without saying.

[HellEye]

150,178

First 9 years of school I assume. If it starts at 7 like in here, that's basically what I wanted. That's elementary and middle in here. Or I guess just elementary now cuz our government is nuts, but that's besides the point.
But when I was going to school, 12 years were mandatory. So yea. Not the best. All the thugs and stuff like that went to high/work oriented school to be annoying for 3 more years.

[Cheza]

150,179


Yup, first nine years, starts at 6-7.


Most people actually tend to calm down during the second year of work school, because they mature and realize that being an annoying thug won't get them anywhere in life.
Sounds unbelievable, but I've seen it for myself.

[HellEye]

150,180

I wish it was like that in here after the elementary most kids here tend to blow up. You know, you're 14, growing up and you go to a new school. Everyone thinks they're better now, that they're adults and can do anything. So they do it. About 4 people in my class were heavily smoking at 15. Because they can. I hated them all.

[Brisky]

150,180

I opted for going to a nautical school, because that's what I thought I wanted to do as a kid. I was actually supported in that decision. But yeah, your country's prejudge seems to hold true...

The only diffirence, I suppose, is that in the nautical sector the Bad behaviour will be pretty much "beaten" out of anyone who has it. And for the people smart and / dedicated enough it offers massive growth oppertunities! With my uncle being a shiny example.

He started out on the same school as me, even with grades that were actually too bad to even apply for it. But he got his paper anyway. After working some years as helmsman and loadmaster for dockwise, he's now promoted to some higher-up role in the company itself, owning an appartement in Singapore, and making all sorts of business trips and such.

As for me... I just don't feel like thats the path, and future I want to have...

I don't really know what I want to do yet. I could easily go for something sciency. But, I dunno...

The only thing that has really gotten me excited is working for the police.

But my parents are completely un-supportive of that decision. Because here, the general view on the police is that they're huge nitpickers fining people for not having their dogs on a leesh, or not having lights on their bycicles, to make up for the goverment's lack of funding... My parents, specifically, even more, saying that the police are just a puppet of the goverment, and that they will force me, as a police officer, to do bad stuff like "take away unvaccinated children from their parents, and send them to jail" Wich they believe WILL happen in the future.

I kinda stepped away from that thought because I think that in some things they do absolutely have a point...

But yeah, there's always maritime customs. Wich sounds awesome, even though I know nothing about it...

In the Netherlands by the way, you're actually mandatory by law to follow school untill you're at least 18 years old and have completed a work aimed school... Soo that kinda sucks...

[HellEye]

150,182

Vaccines should be free and mandatory too but that's besides the point.

[Brisky]

150,183

Eeeeeh, I don't wanna be your average anti-vaccine idiot, But, summed up, they're both wrong...

Yes, vaccines, In theory, are a really good way to mend off dangerous diseases.

But yes, Many of the vaccines are totally unnececary, and completely crammed with toxic crap, that the pharmaseutical companies use to make money with...

The world needs to change...

[HellEye]

150,184

That's why I said they should be free. And well... There's toxic crap in tap water in some places so I wouldn't care about a bit in vaccines.

[Cheza]

150,185


Yeah, people here tend to go crazy at 13-14 as well, which is why their grades are usually awful when they hit 15-16 and are supposed to decide on where to study next, but their options are severely limited.
If they'd have thought about that sooner rather than second year of vocational school, maybe things would've looked different from them.


As  for me, I spent 14-18 living at an orphanage with ~10 others, their ages ranging between 12-17.
Only me and one other -didn't- smoke, drink or otherwise get into trouble. (And even tho it's technically illegal for people to smoke under the age of 18 here, the workers allowed them to for as long as they didn't see them doing it. But, for example me wanting to walk around barefoot indoors was apparently a huge and serious issue tho. Got scolded for that so many times it's almost funny. Except it's not.)
Was closer to a madhouse than anything else, so I'm kinda amazed I made it out of there without going crazy myself.
Or well, it taught me just how weak and insignificant "the little guy" is when the state decides to mess with them.
There was no real reason for me to go live there to begin with, yet there I was...
Meh, ramblings.




As for vaccines, I'd rather have them + the toxic crap than dangerous diseases suddenly becoming a serious issue again.

[HellEye]

150,186

Ouch. Yea walking barefoot is terrible for you, bad woof. Seriously though, there should be way more control about smoking and drinking by minors. That's a real issue, not a random dude going 10 over the limit when there's no-one in sight on a 4 wide road.
Same here. I get vaccines every year and I haven't been seriously sick more than once every 5 years. And none of that was flu anyway, so yay!

[Brisky]

150,187

I get no vaccines, ever, (since I was like... 13) And haven't been sick for about 5 years as well...

At the time when we had no vaccination, the reason people kept dying of disease was of serious hygeine problems, rather than the actual diseases themselves.

Even in the frame of the human race where we had virtually no technology at all, people didn't get sick to die from it.

I get that nowadays with actually important stuff such as ebola, zika, H.I.V, and whatever vaccines are an important part medical technology, But I'm getting to feel a bit despaired from how most of humanity is having vaccines handed to them as candy, without any research as to what's actually in them, and what potentially totally insignificant disease they're even suppose to protect you from, and also from the blind, almost regilious faith people put in these companies that obviously don't have any value for human life, other than their wallets...

I'm not pissing on any of you. But really... how vaccines work need to change...

[HellEye]

150,188

How companies work needs to change. And you might not get sick if lots of people around you are immune. There's no way for it to spread if it can only spread to 10% of the population. So as long as it's only 10% who don't like it I'm completely fine with it. I just think medicine needs more money from sources other than selling their products. Then they would maybe start being interested in what they're selling instead of how much they earn. But people will be people and money will be the most important thing to them.