Year 7-9 is a waste of time. Who agrees?

[zfan52827717]

hey guys who agrees with me that year 7-9 is a waste of time? i guess year 10 is somewhat important as you are starting a u1&2 subject.... but i really dont see the point of 7-9..... there was this friend in my school that did not come to school most of 7-9 and still got a 98.55 ATAR......

[pi]

I think there's more to school than just marks, so no, I don't agree that it's a waste of time. If you look back on that time and beleive it was, I don't think you tried hard enough to get out of it what you could have.

Would I agree for tougher academic content (especially for maths and science) for those years? Yes I would, but that's another issue.

[Joseph41]

Year 7-9 is a waste of time only if you waste your time in Year 7-9.

[heids]

hey guys who agrees with me that year 7-9 is a waste of time? i guess year 10 is somewhat important as you are starting a u1&2 subject.... but i really dont see the point of 7-9..... there was this friend in my school that did not come to school most of 7-9 and still got a 98.55 ATAR......

How about, VCE is a waste of time?  I wonder if, when you're a few years into your job/career, you'll think exactly that.

You're assuming that the ATAR is a be-all end-all - as in, you suggest that there's no point to something if it doesn't impact on the final ATAR.  But maybe an ATAR is actually no more important than a year 7's mid-year exam result - after all, in year 7, that's really important to a year 7, just like in year 12, your ATAR is really important to you.  In fact, isn't life a waste of time? LOL

There's a reason why we don't do VCE when we're 11-12yos - because we need a foundation to build on.  You don't expect a toddler who can't stand up yet to run across the room to you.

I will agree that I could have condensed all I learnt academically in 7-9 (and year 10, but I skipped that for this very reason) into one year, however other stuff I got out of those years (mainly social stuff) was well and truly worth it.

[slothpomba]

7-9 isn't important in the fact that it isn't linked to your ATAR. You could probably slack off for almost all of 7-10 (as many of us in crap schools did) and still be fairly fine for VCE (granted VCE was a different campus...).

It's immensely important for your general education and psychological development though. The only reason most kids know anything about say WW1, WW2 or skin cancer is because of what you learned in school. The model we're using here is to produce a well rounded individual who has at least some knowledge of the world out there in many aspects.

Any kind of education or novel material is good because it stimulates a developing brain. Sometimes, school is a bit of a fancy daycare but you might as well at least learn while you're there too right?

Personally, i think the curriculum should also morph to include some other "practical" skills or knowledge that will assist you in life in general (which i guess is taking "education" to its broadest). I know its boring but a lot of people have terrible financial literacy. They know very little about bank accounts or interest rates, even though you really need this in the world out there. I know plenty of young people who don't know how to fill out a ballot properly (or aren't even registered to vote).

[alwayshappi]

Looking at the academic side of things, I'd say most of it is pretty irrelevant. I honestly don't recall anything I studied in my junior years. Looking back, I'd have to say that I do regret how I was too obsessed with the academic side of things- I wish I actually embraced the junior years as a means of learning how to deal with others, build your resilience, etc etc. So I'd really encourage you not to focus on how useless the work is, because if you're looking at it that way you'll really get nothing out of your school-life. Look at it as a way to build your character :-) It is hugely important in shaping the person you become (like slothpanda said), although I don't think you really need to go to school to learn those traits, lol- but you may as well make the most of it hey?!

[Aaron]

Your argument is based on an ATAR... really. There's more to school than just marks, as slothpomba said. Even though you're in a supervised environment, being distanced from parents/guardians is still somewhat an advantage as it teaches you (I believe) social skills, a sense of community and relying on yourself/someone other than who you live with. You have the opportunity to explore and develop interests, try new things out (e.g. from interschool sports, camps, leisure activities) and so much more.. Marks are just a small component of school life.

[MrPeanutButter]

School assists you in discovering what you enjoy doing. For example, imagine if they gave you the option to select what subjects you would do in Year 7, with English being the only cumpulsory subject. How would you know what to choose without any experience in any subject before?

"Just as there's more to life than school, there's more to school than an ATAR"
-Moi

[Mieow]

Towards your ATAR I guess not but is that really all school is about?
I loved all my years in high school (probably bar Year 9) tbqh. Becoming a young adult and learning to do things for myself, discovering my hobbies/interests/passions, making memories with my closest friends etc.

[TheAspiringDoc]

I know this is a very blunt thing to say, buut to be honest, I feel that school is quite blunt at the moment..

It's just that if you really really know what you want to do, and you know what what you want to do needs you to do (lol), it alls seems so simple and easy. And then you look at a VCE exam and you're like "holy *********************, how do you learn that much in like two more years? why aren't I reparing for this now?".

I don't know.. it all just seems a bit dull.

Except for competitions like ICAS maths (tmrw), which I wreckon I study for more than school exams.

Forgive me for my closed-minded sins. 

[mahler004]

How about, VCE is a waste of time?  I wonder if, when you're a few years into your job/career, you'll think exactly that.

You're assuming that the ATAR is a be-all end-all - as in, you suggest that there's no point to something if it doesn't impact on the final ATAR.  But maybe an ATAR is actually no more important than a year 7's mid-year exam result - after all, in year 7, that's really important to a year 7, just like in year 12, your ATAR is really important to you.  In fact, isn't life a waste of time? LOL

People will literally forget about their ATAR within the first week of starting a university course (or finishing Year 12).

It's normal for people to always look to the next step in their life/education - but it's important to make the most of the stage you're at. School isn't just about learning things (although that's definitely important,) it's about learning social skills, how to deal with authority, how to communicate with other people. How to become a well-adjusted citizen.

Even if they don't remember it, a lot of the 'foundation' knowledge (both for the rest of your education and like, life) is built in the years immediately prior to year 11/12.

It's just that if you really really know what you want to do, and you know what what you want to do needs you to do (lol), it alls seems so simple and easy. And then you look at a VCE exam and you're like "holy *********************, how do you learn that much in like two more years? why aren't I reparing for this now?".

I don't know.. it all just seems a bit dull.

Related to the above - not everyone knows what they want to do (hell, some people retire without knowing what they want to do,) and people, and their goals, change before they reach/graduate university. Earlier years (prior to VCE) at least allow people to get a taste of everything before they have to specialise (even a little, in VCE).

Also - to put it in perspective, the content of the two year VCE chemistry course is largely covered in one semester at most universities. Some courses are covered in even less time.

All this said, I do agree with this:

Would I agree for tougher academic content (especially for maths and science) for those years? Yes I would, but that's another issue.

[pi]

And then you look at a VCE exam and you're like "holy *********************, how do you learn that much in like two more years? why aren't I reparing for this now?"

Buddy, wait until uni LOL we cover most of unit 3 bio (except the plants crap) in about one week. That begs the question, if uni is so intense, why wouldn't someone start reading up on anatomy earlier? or engineering concepts? or actuarial studies? or whatever they might be into?

Baby steps. There's a time and a place for everything. Two years of VCE is more than enough time to cover and do well in that content. Whilst it's great to think ahead, I personally feel many on this site may regret doing so in a few years time when they no longer have like 10 weeks of the year off for school holidays, or when they actually have responsibilities in the world. Enjoy life while you can, it's more than just marks.