Subject: real life >For you parents (and grandparents): Charles Sykes is the author of >DUMBING >DOWN OUR KIDS. He volunteered high school and college graduates a list >of >eleven things they did not learn in school. In his book, he talks about >how >the feel good, politically-correct teachings created a generation of >kids >with no concept of reality and set them up for failure in the real >world. >You may want to share this list with them. > >Rule 1: >Life is not fair; get used to it. > >Rule 2: >The world won't care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you >to >accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself. > >Rule 3: >You will NOT make 40 thousand dollars 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. He doesn't > >have tenure. > >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 are. So before you save the rain forest >from >the parasites of your parents' 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; they'll give you as >many >times as you want to get the right answer. This, of course, 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. > Rip Pisacreta, Ph.D. Professor, Psychology, Ferris State University Big Rapids, MI 49307 email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________________________ Get Free Email and Do More On The Web. Visit http://www.msn.com
