As a child, everyone is told that they can be whatever they aspire to be, whatever they set their minds to. In reality, this not the case. With the ever rising prices of tuition, individuals are limited in what they can do based upon their families financial status. Someone may not be able to afford to get into a certain school therefor may not being able to get into a certain program. With limited education job opportunities are limited with lower salaries. It is a vicious circle leaving families in the same situation from generation to generation. Stuck in the same class with what seems to be no way out. In a society that seems to rely so heavily on financial status and classes, it’s a shame that money can effect one’s life at such a young age. —B-Ball Kid
This article appears in Mar 31 – Apr 6, 2011.
The struggles of the Proletariat in a Bourgeoisie stacked deck?
I know people who have gotten ahead by living at home with the folks, working to save tuition for a few years to afford their academic aspirations.
you’re bringing out the python in me chickie, with that kinda talk. the boy will not be in debt and has worked since his co-op program. he didn’t see much future here at this time
I’m sure I meant that education is not necessarily dependent upon a person’s family’s financial status, as stated by the OP, and that living at home while saving one’s tuition is a better option than of limiting yourself, a la the OP’s bitch, to whatever the folks can or cannot cough up.
I think a LOT of smart young Nova Scotians are seeing the better potential elswhere. Because of the rate of outmigration of young folk the government is seeking to fill those gaps with immigrants instead of providing incentives to keep our young people where we need them.
o.p., when i was small, my wish was to be dictator of the world. sadly, that didn’t happen as yet, but i get a bit closer every day, by who i choose as friends.
damn, i miss georgy bush, he had so much dictator in him. so now i have to hook up with herr harper, and hope that he gets his majority this time out. if he does, the path wil be even closer that it ever was. saddam can eat his heart out in hell.
You’ve just resolved yourself to be the dictator of Pussy planet huh LS?
How’s it going for yah?
😀
Saddam’s not in hell Lifer. The C.I.A. smuggled him out of Iraq and one of his doubles went to the gallows. He is now living in Dearborn, Michigan working as an on-air personality for WQUM – FM under the name Ghassey Ghassem and his oldies show is rated 7th for it’s time slot in the tri-state area. Also, Chemical Ali is his sound engineer.
Capitalism at its best, education and ultimately more money go to the highest bidder. Rich get richer………
Blahblahblah. I had no help from my parents and was broke when I started at Acadia, yet still managed to get enough money to afford to live in rez (I didn’t, but I could’ve).
And since then the loan funding limits have gone up, and tuition rates barely match what I was paying my first year (actually, at smu, it’s like 4800/yr for a NS student. I paid 5500 my first year at acadia).
I dunno, I don’t have much sympathy for students — I never did really, even when I was a student. There are lots of opportunities to study and lots of loan options. And they’re easy as shit to get. Plus, think of the tuition rates in the states — some people REALLY can’t study down there. And then there are people from poor countries who don’t get the opportunity to even go to basic school like primary/secondary school.
We have it frigging GOOD in Canada.
And hay, less people with degrees just make mine more valuable 😉
excellent post ocean chick.
This is a subject of much trepidation for me op. As such, I choose to keep my opinion to myself, but I’ll say do not get discouraged! It can be done with some determination!
The Progressivist Illusion
“As a child, everyone is told that they can be whatever they aspire to be, whatever they set their minds to. In reality, it’s not the case.”
That assertion is true, but not for the reasons that the OP claims. Simply put, a child CANNOT be whatever they aspire to be simply by “setting their minds to it.” That is THE “progressivist illusion.” Progressivism is the child-centered view of education that maintains that that the child, not the curriculum, is the measure of all things – in a word, that he can be “whatever he wants to be.” This is just false. Progressivist illusions end when they encounter the harsh reality of objective academic performance.
Three things are required: intelligence, ability, and hard work, things not normally associated with just “setting one’s mind to it.” If intelligence, ability and hard work result in superior scholastic achievement, finances for university will take care of themselves. If there is no intelligence, ability and hard work, then simply “setting one’s mind to it” will result in the reproduction and perpetuation of the class system (think of the Halifax Underclass).
In the meantime please stop confounding “education” with “training.” They are not the same thing. Only education properly conceived – an intellectual transformation of the individual himself – will break the vicious cycle of permanent class affiliation.
A pleasure as always.
Cheerio!
I was raised well below the poverty line in a poor town by my single mother who had no idea who my father was… Now I’m doing my MEd. I worked hard to get where I am with scholarships, students loans and working my ass off during the summers. Have realistic goals and dreams and you shall get somewhere in life. It’s up to the person to decide if they want to be in that vicious cycle. You can get out and it’s not that hard.
Well annie, I’m no stranger to “hard work”, and I know that I have the “intelligence and ability”, so if I had the desire and “set my mind to it”, I could have been a Doctor. What I don’t have, is the “aptitude” to be a medical professional.
If intelligence, ability, and hard work, are the end all and be all, why can’t you do a childs puzzle? Because, you lack the aptitude for rational thought.
m.m., when i am crowned dictator for life, i just have to have you as my propaganda agent. such silken words from gossimer lips. i take back a lot of what i said about you, and hereby acknoledge you as a worthy underling in my empire to be.
pussy planet zef donk? i thought this was a pussy planet already, where no one wants to stand up for themselves or their rights? but i regress, ah, come on 2012.
Peter Gibbons: Our high school guidance counselor used to ask us what you’d do if you had a million dollars and you didn’t have to work. And invariably what you’d say was supposed to be your career. So, if you wanted to fix old cars then you’re supposed to be an auto mechanic.
Samir: So what did you say?
Peter Gibbons: I never had an answer. I guess that’s why I’m working at Initech.
Michael Bolton: No, you’re working at Initech because that question is bullshit to begin with. If everyone listened to her, there’d be no janitors, because no one would clean shit up if they had a million dollars.
Samir: You know what I would do if I had a million dollars? I would invest half of it in low risk mutual funds and then take the other half over to my friend Asadulah who works in securities…
Michael Bolton: Samir, you’re missing the point. The point of the exercise is that you’re supposed to figure out what you would want to do if…
[printer starts beeping]
Michael Bolton: “PC Load Letter”? What the fuck does that mean?
I have yet to meet a printer I didn’t want to go all Office Space on. The things they tell you to do when there’s a jam…and the things they tell you to do don’t even make sense because I’m pretty sure most of the printers were made overseas and the translation didn’t come out too well. “Open Front Cover. Turn knob A counter clockwise. Open top of finishing tray and remove paper. [Meanwhile, there’s no paper]. Close upper finishing tray. Turn knob C counter-clockwise. Push down lever B. Pull out transfer unit and pick up gun. Place into mouth and pull trigger” FRIG.
ANYWAY. I’m sick of students saying how their parents and the government aren’t helping them enough with school. What ever happened to doing things yourself? I’m 20 and have yet to go to school for my career. Well one of the reasons is not just that I’m doing it on my own but I also have changed my mind about what I want to do like 293859 times. I think I may have it now and plan to go to school next year :)! But anyway, I never expected my parents to give me money and certainly didn’t expect tax payers (the government) to subsidize my education. Why is it that people think governments are supposed to pay your way through life? Have an unwanted pregnancy? That’s okay! We’ll give you money! Didn’t graduate high school? That’s okay! We’ll give you money for that too! Want to go to university but couldn’t be bothered to try to get scholarships or anything? That’s alright, we’ll give you tax breaks!! FFS people, deal with your own lives and leave everyone else out of it.
damn it, seb tugging at my funny bone…
🙂
blue sky hit it on the head…
if you’re truly determined, there are other facets if you’re willing to put the work in.
It just seems most people feel too entitled and that those opportunities should be handed out to them rather than having to work for it or seek them out.
I never understood why others didn’t put in for canadian millennium scholarships…
or bursaries provided by the university itself…
or perhaps your parents work somewhere that provides scholarships… they’re pretty commonplace if you take the time to look.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada_Millen…
–> yet another reason to blame harper.
You make a really good point about the scholarships and busaries. I actually got a bunch of those back in my first degree. I had one full year paid for from the millennium bursaries alone, and Acadia gave me a few grand each year as well just for applying.
Another good way to help with funding your education is to enroll in a program that has a co op option/requirement. I did that for my second degree and I made almost $12k tax free on each of my co ops. That meant $36K in my pocket, which I gratefully used for tuition and other school-related stuffs.
Thing *is* CSL and provincial loans are easy as shit to get. And if your parents make too much money, just wait four years and you’re an independent student and you don’t have to submit your parents’ income information. And there are tons of ways to work the system.
I don’t come from a wealthy family at all, and, in fact, when I started university my parents were in an odd financial place — very affluent now, but back then, not so much, and I still managed to complete three university programs.
I’m sure everyone has the option to live with their parents for free when they’re pushing 30 ^^^^^^^^^
hahahahahahaha