Friday, January 15, 2010

11 Things kids will not learn in school


I was forwarded an email in regards to Bill Gates giving a speech at a High School about 11 things they did not and will not learn in school. He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept set them up for failure in the real world.

I don't know how true this is (if this actually came from Bill Gates), but I certainly agree with many of these statements. Suck it up, learn from your mistakes, take action, and reap your reward. But, don't have a high level of expectation when you have not put forth any or minimal effort. What do you think?

Rule 1: Life is not fair - get used to it! (this is my daily anthem)

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about yourself-esteem. The world will expect you to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school. You won't be a vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your Grandparents had a different word for burger flipping: they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now. They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how cool you thought you were. So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT. In some schools, they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer. This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters. You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF. Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you'll end up working for one.

The White House Fellowship Program

The White House Fellowship is one of the nation's most prestigious programs for leadership and public service. Each year, 11-19 exceptional young men and women are selected to spend a year in Washington, D.C. to gain first-hand experience in the process of governing the nation at the highest levels of the Federal government.

Candidates need to be promising young leaders who are excelling early in their careers and are committed to leadership and public service. Thus, this is not for students but rather for individuals already into their careers.

Learn more about the White House Fellowship http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows/

Download the application http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/fellows/apply1

Deadline is February 1, 2010