What do you do for a living?

Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:55 am by Anonymous

I think this is a fun thing to talk about. If you are not working, what would you like to do "when you grow up"? (I used to love this question when I was a kid) If you're in school, what's your major, what's your profession going to be?

I'm a high school student, I'll start 4th year (the last one) in September. I'm going to study medicine after that. We don't have majors in Serbian schooling system, but we have two different groups in this kind of school I'm in: the mathematics and science course and languages and social sciences course. I'm in the former group. Just so you know, that doesn't mean that I don't have to learn languages and social sciences, it just means I learn much more mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology... :roll:

Okay, that's all I can think of, at the moment. Feel free to ask if you want to know more.

Your turn

*Sarai* · Tue Aug 12, 2008 2:06 pm by *Sarai*

Ooh fun question

I used to want to be a doctor, untill I found out what sort of grades I needed to get onto a medicine course.

Umm, well me, I've finished my third year of college (here in the UK we only usually do 2 but I failed last year) and I'm waiting for my exam results which come out on Thursday :shock:

. I took Geology, Geography and Biology. Hopefully, if all goes well I'll get into my chosen University *fingers crossed*. My major will be Geology and Environmental Hazards and when I'm done with that I want to be an Exploration Geologist or something along those lines; it involves looking for minerals and natural resources and stuff.
Or if I find out I've failed I'll be working for another year in the DIY store I'm currently employed with (which is sooo much fun :roll:

)

kazalene · Tue Aug 12, 2008 9:31 pm by kazalene

Ohh I didn't do the college thing. I went to Sixth Form.

But I took Geography, Biology, History, English Literature, and General Studies 'cause we had to.

Law at Southampton is where I hope to go. Then I'll go do something Lawyer-y after that. Maybe.

My current job has offered me a fast track into fashion merchandising which I could do once I come out of my degree. But I don't really wanna do that for the rest of my life. Dressing the nation isn't my idea of fun.

I want to be an Exploration Geologist or something along those lines; it involves looking for minerals and natural resources and stuff.

I love stuff like that - you could go into Vocanology as well!

Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:04 pm by Anonymous

You have no idea how much I envy you that you can choose some of your subjects... We can't do that. For example, in the first year of high school I had mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, computing, history, geography, Serbian, English, German (or French or Russian - depends on what you've learned in elementary school), Latin, music, art, P.E., and they are judging your behavior, as well. The only thing we could choose was if we wanted to take religion or civil education (and we don't get mark in that one). Not to mention that when you're entering University all the marks from all four years are counting, as well as the tests. Don't we have just the perfect schooling system? Of course, during the four years we have some new subjects and we lose some of the old ones, but the number of classes we have stays pretty much the same. Oh God... I didn't even know that I was so mad at my schooling system... :roll:

kazalene · Tue Aug 12, 2008 11:17 pm by kazalene

Lol, we can't choose until GCSE year which are exams everyone in the country has to do before we're legally allowed to leave school. But even then we're restricted. When I did it I had to do English Lit and Lang, Maths, Triple Science (some people did double), French, Religious Studies (due to political correctness), Computing, Food Technology, and then I got to pick another two subjects. I chose History and Geography.

Before GCSE's I had to take all of the above plus P.E, CDT, German, Spanish, Italian, Art, Drama and Music.

After GCSE's you can choose to go into Sixth Form or College. They're basically the same, 'cept College offers courses for all age groups and you can do vocational things and B-techs there. Sixth Form just offers A Levels and now the IB. Most people take 3 A Levels, since that's what universities require. Depending where you go, though, you can take up to 5 subjects.

After your first A Level year, you take what's called AS exams. These count towards your final year where you take your A2 exams. Between AS and A2 you apply to up to 6 universities and then once you receive offers (or rejections) you make your firm and insurance choice. Your firm is almost always a higher offer, and your insurance is lower. The idea is that if you miss your firm when you get your results, you have backup to go to instead.

Audrey2419 · Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:54 am by Audrey2419

Well, I have several jobs. My day job is as a Financial Manager at the University of Georgia. It pays my bills. I have a weekend job at a Veterinary Clinic which is my true love.

I was originally going to go to Vet School, but my two back surgeries ended that. (I only needed to finish eight classes to apply. UGA has a great Vet School.) I have a BA degree in Sociology, and I am thinking about getting a MA or a Psy.D. in Forensic Psychology. (My other graduate degree idea is a Master in Social Work so I can go work for the Federal Gov't.). :wink:

Allegedly I'm all grown up, but I think education is a life-long process. Besides you are only as old as you feel, but if that's true, today I am about 110 years old. :roll:

Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:25 am by Anonymous

kazalene wrote:Lol, we can't choose until GCSE year which are exams everyone in the country has to do before we're legally allowed to leave school. But even then we're restricted. When I did it I had to do English Lit and Lang, Maths, Triple Science (some people did double), French, Religious Studies (due to political correctness), Computing, Food Technology, and then I got to pick another two subjects. I chose History and Geography.

Before GCSE's I had to take all of the above plus P.E, CDT, German, Spanish, Italian, Art, Drama and Music.

After GCSE's you can choose to go into Sixth Form or College. They're basically the same, 'cept College offers courses for all age groups and you can do vocational things and B-techs there. Sixth Form just offers A Levels and now the IB. Most people take 3 A Levels, since that's what universities require. Depending where you go, though, you can take up to 5 subjects.

After your first A Level year, you take what's called AS exams. These count towards your final year where you take your A2 exams. Between AS and A2 you apply to up to 6 universities and then once you receive offers (or rejections) you make your firm and insurance choice. Your firm is almost always a higher offer, and your insurance is lower. The idea is that if you miss your firm when you get your results, you have backup to go to instead.

Oh... Your schooling system is way to complicated :shock:

We have elementary school (8 years). Then you do qualification exams (mathematics and Serbian; if you are national minority you can to your native language instead of Serbian) , you get your points, based on that you make a list of schools you want to go to and then you go to the one that accepts you. There are schools that does not require the qualification exams (they last for 3 years and after that you can't go to the University). There are two types of schools that last for 4 years. The one that doesn't give you any qualification (I'm in that one) so you have to go to University after that, and there are ones that give you some kind of qualification (like nurse, electro-technician...) And then you do an exam for University. The kind of exam depends on what you want to study (I wand medicine, so I'll have to pass chemistry and biology). University lasts between 3 and 6 years. When I think about this I realize that our schooling system is complicated, as well. :roll:

Audrey, I believe that education is life-long process, as well. You can never be to old to learn something new.

lostladyknight · Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:08 pm by lostladyknight

Welllll right now I'm in an Anthropology major which I'll adjust to Archeaology when I get into graduate school.

marymagdalen · Wed Aug 13, 2008 5:43 pm by marymagdalen

What really bugs me about our education system in this country is - two things. First, we expect our kids to decide at age 14 what they want to do for the rest of their lives. What 14 year old really knows that? Hell, I still don't know what I really want to do! :shock:

And second, we expect all our kids to be academically gifted - there are few opportunities for the practical, hands-on kids in our general education system. The non-academic kids end up getting frustrated, then excluded, then often end up unemployed and in trouble with the police. (My church has a project working with excluded kids, and they're GREAT to work with!

).

Anyway...

It's been a while... a LONG while... since I left school at 18 with 9 'O' levels (for you kids, that's what us oldies did before someone with nothing better to do invented GCSEs!!) and 3 'A' levels (no AS levels in my day either!). Then 3 years at college in Sheffield doing administration, business studies, secretarial studies, and languages.

I worked as a Community Development worker for 2 years whilst working reception at the local YMCA, then got married and brought up two kids, then went back to work 4 years ago. I work for a theological training institution back in Sheffield. My job description says "secretarial assistant", but I actually do loads of stuff - typing and editing books for publication, producing newsletters, I just set up a new database, and I'm working with the Trustees on a marketing programme.

Actually, I've been wondering about a career change lately. I think I'd like to be a lorry driver. :!:

Yes, I'm serious.

And finally - can someone tell me EVERYTHING there is to know about the education system in the US? I think it might come in to a fic at some point!

Leni

Wed Aug 13, 2008 6:13 pm by Anonymous

Yeah, you're right, you can't expect kids to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives at the age of 14. I knew at the age of 8, though... And being doctor is still the only thing I can imagine myself doing for the rest of my life. But, I'm lucky. Most of my friends don't know what they want and they have to decide till the end of this year.

kazalene · Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:34 pm by kazalene

marymagdalen wrote:What really bugs me about our education system in this country is - two things. First, we expect our kids to decide at age 14 what they want to do for the rest of their lives. What 14 year old really knows that? Hell, I still don't know what I really want to do! And second, we expect all our kids to be academically gifted - there are few opportunities for the practical, hands-on kids in our general education system. The non-academic kids end up getting frustrated, then excluded, then often end up unemployed and in trouble with the police. (My church has a project working with excluded kids, and they're GREAT to work with! ).

That wasn't the case for me. At fourteen I was still doing the usual subjects, only being able to choose two non compulsory ones. It wasn't until 16 when I had to pick A Level subjects that I had to think, but even then I didn't really. I took a mix of sciences and humanities. That way I wasn't restricted. At 17 I had to decide upon a course. But there is so much information and useful stuff out there that I didn't find the experience painful, at all. I have friends who didn't take A Levels, and went straight into jobs or took vocational courses - they're all fine with their decisions.

Besides, after 5 years of Secondary school (like American high schools) you pretty much know where your strengths lie.

The GCSE's you pick at fourteen are just a government test to see the standard of schools now. They don't really determine your future since you take such a wide mix. As for the practical, hands-on kids, I agree. But, I think it depends on what resources you have available to you. Where I live we have four Grammar schools and four Comprehensives, I went to one of the Grammars, but I have friends in the Comprehensives. They have better funding, newer buildings and better resources. The government hates us, and, yeah, perhaps it does create a class divide, but, at the same time, I think the system works. I had to do a major debate about it a few months ago in front of some MP's and LEA's and it got quite heated.

I really think it depends on the circumstances as to whether our education fails 'non-academic kids'. Many factors are involved.

Oooer I think I best get off my soap box now.

Audrey2419 · Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:19 am by Audrey2419

It's really silly to expect kids to know at 14 exactly what they want to do for the rest of their lives. I didn't have that problem. Sometimes I still don't know what I want to do. Luckily (or not it depends on how you look at it) I changed my mind several times before I got to college, and then I probably changed majors about 10 more times before I finally graduated from college. Of course the changing of the college major had a lot more to do with my back surgeries than any desire on my part to not go to vet school.

:roll:

*Sarai* · Thu Aug 14, 2008 12:22 am by *Sarai*

Where I live, there are 5 comprehensives, and each one has a different speciality; Science, IT, Maths, Sport and the one I went to was a Performing Arts specialist. In theory, you're supposed to be able to choose which one you want to go to depending on what you want to focus on, but in reality, it all end up being down to what postcode you live in as to where you go. So I was forced to take drama, dance and music for GCSE, things which I could have lived without, I'd rather have taken more Sciences to be honest.
There's one school in my area (the IT one) which has a really good vocational programme for the less acadmeic pupils. My brother was lucky enough to get into this school because we moved house, otherwise I think he would have not done as well as he has. But for the other kids who didnt get into that school who are more practically minded, they've been left with just GCSE's to choose from. I don't think it's fair that what you can study is based on where you live.
There's also no 6th form around here, so you're kinda forced to go to college for higher education (the college sucks, which probably explains why most young people around here have GCSE qulifications at most. It sucks, but alas, I don't have to worry about it anymore, unless I have kids :O hehe.

racefh853629 · Fri Aug 15, 2008 6:06 pm by racefh853629

I'm going into my final year of college. Upon graduation, I apply for my license as a nurse (scary thought for me)... I'm determined to have some fun this year while I still can... haha.

I'm from the US, so here's what I know of the US Education system for ya, Leni. I had 6 years of elementary school (you stayed in one room and did small bouts of everything basic), 2 years of junior high (which was kind of like high school except younger), and then high school.

Some high schools have technical paths you can go on (and I think some can specialize), but mine pretty much had a general path that everyone took and mostly it led to college. In fact, all levels at our schools pretty much now breed for college.

There were three levels at my school- Honors/AP classes, average classes, and below average classes. Based on test scores and abilities in elementary school, you were placed on one of those paths starting in junior high. And the paths were taylored to you, such that if you were really good in math but bad in English (for example), you could be in honors math and below average English. That make sense?

I don't know if this is how everywhere in the US does it, but it's how it's done in my neck of the woods.

marymagdalen · Fri Aug 15, 2008 7:09 pm by marymagdalen

Wow, thanks Race! It's a bit different to ours here,but then it changes from place to place here too, I think.

I'm sure I saw somewhere the other day that classes start at 7.30 and finish at 2.30 - is that right, or just in some places? Here it's 9 to 3.30.

Leni

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