8filltheheart Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I am on a board break, but I wanted to share our exciting news b/c it really is the light at the end of the tunnel. ;) Our oldest ds that will be graduating with a degree in chemE from a "non-top-tier" state university in Dec has 2 firm job offers and 2 call backs for follow-up interviews w/absolutely excellent corporations. :party: This is not the same scenario that he sees amg his fellow srs. Many of his friends either haven't had any interviews or have received rejection letters. :( My heart goes out to them graduating in this economy. Anyway, I wanted to share b/c our experience is actually counter to many of the threads on this forum. My kids are not great standardized test takers. I really try hard to focus on critical thinking and we don't spend much time actual "test prep" type thinking other than going through a prep book before the test. I think I have shared this story before about this ds. We had friends whose ds scored a 36 on the ACT and was given a full-ride at the uni where ds attends. This young man is 3 yrs older than our ds and when his mother found out our ds was going to go this uni and planned on majoring in chemical engineering, she looked right at ds and told him that he needed to plan on an alternative major b/c her ds flunked out of their chemE program and that her ds was so incredibly intelligent b/c of his 36. Our ds scored MUCH lower on the ACT. Yet, he will be graduating with something like a 3.5-3.7 gpa (I don't know exactly.) But, the most important thing is that he knows how to think critically. I have often questioned whether it has been the correct decision to not worry about "testing" as a skill at the expense of critical thinking (b/c I just don't have time to do both) for my kids that aren't great standardized test takers. This has helped me squash the "teaching to the test" mentality for good. Standardized test taking is natural for some kids and not for others. It is not a long term indicator of ability or performance. I have always known that and have resisted that philosophy, but the nagging doubts have still been there in the background. Anyway, even though I have never really felt the need to be validated that our homeschooling and unique methodology is the correct one in order to reach the goals and objectives we set out to reach for our kids......I now feel like I have the validation and I admit, it does feel wonderful and freeing!!! :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mommyfaithe Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 (edited) CONGRATS!!!! It is so exciting when our first child moves into this next step in so positive a manner. I had very similar experience with my oldest experiment child....she moved with ease and grce into the professional world....when so many in her field are struggling to get any work.....she is graphic designer... I am so happy for you, for your son and your family. What absolutely wonderful news and a confirmation of your life's work. Way to go Mamma!!! Eta: My dd did great on the verbal part of the sat, but terrible on the math part...which brought her composite score to average. This had nothing to do with her performance at school...she graduated 7 th in her class with a 3.98 gpa. Dd #2 is in a very competitive nutrition program....she is in her 3rd year...and still pulling a 4.0. She BOMBED her SAT. But.....she is wonderful in the classroom...and a fantastic student. She did 2 years of cc....which earned her her place in her program of choice with a nice cushy scholarship. It is my opinion that testing is not the end all of everything. Admissions offices know this...thus the interview process. I refuse to teach to a test....I teach to learners....not tests. So far, I am convinced this is the way to go. While a nice sat score can open some doors, it is not the only entrance. Congrats again!! What wonderful, wonderful news. Made my day. Edited March 27, 2011 by Mommyfaithe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
elegantlion Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Congratulations to your son. Thank you for popping in, I needed to hear this type of good news today. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kfamily Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Congratulations to you, your son and your family!:001_smile: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MomsintheGarden Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 That's wonderful! Thanks for sharing your encouraging story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacy in NJ Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 I'm not sure about the testing issue, though. Could it be more about work ethic? Sometimes very bright people, who test well and have done well in high school, really struggle when things stop being easy - I'm wondering about your df's ds here. The single most important quality for success in any endeavor, more important than raw IQ, is work ethic. Perhaps your ds is just more disciplined. Just a thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
creekland Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Congratulations! You bring up a good point that state schools are OFTEN the best for engineering types of majors as they have the funds to have the equipment and such things. And they need not be top tier - but are often well-known for their major. Civil Engineering works this way too. ;) As for the test thingy? I still think it helps to "get in" and I know it helps for finances. Beyond that, it's totally up to the individual student and what they know and/or how they apply themselves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaffodilDreams Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Thank you for sharing your story. We're early on in our hs journey, but one of the reasons I'm doing this is because I don't want dd to be "taught to the test". People are cautioning me against this, telling me I'm short-changing her. I believe strongly in critical thinking ability versus short term recall, though, and I find your story encouraging. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kareni Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 What great news for your son! Congratulations to you both. So, may I ask how you went about making sure that your son was able to think critically? Any insights or tips that you'd care to share with others? Regards, Kareni Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
74Heaven Posted March 27, 2011 Share Posted March 27, 2011 Much congratulations. I enjoyed reading your post about testing/teaching too. 4 of my 5 children are naturally good test takers and so it kind of is tempting to teach to the test and watch them score so high. And of course, "critical thinking" is harder to teach so it makes it tempting to slide thru it! Lisa J Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 It's great to hear this because my older son (now also in college) has never been a great test taker but he is also holding his own in school. He just said today that even after a year at school he believes he can express himself so much better than in past (he has some auditory processing issues). I'm hopeful for him.... Congratulations to your son, how proud you all must be of him! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle in AL Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Could you share what made him more successful than his peers at landing a job? I think you said the other seniors weren't so lucky. Did he do internships at the places he's being interviewed for or did he go above and beyond his peers in some way? Just curious as I have an engineering major to be too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Marple Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 Yay!!!! This is so encouraging and also reflects a bit of what we've seen. My oldest son did fine on the ACT (28 or 29 composite - I don't remember exactly) but his school performance has been stellar (3.92 GPA as a junior). Scholarships pay for everything at this time. I've talked with you before about Ds#3 and you've been so encouraging! I'm so glad your son has been able to achieve his goal. Congratulations to you both. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted March 28, 2011 Share Posted March 28, 2011 So, what do you think accounts for the difference between your ds and his peers in regards to the number of job offers? Is it the high GPA? Extracurriculars? Work study or work with professors? :bigear: Thanks! And congratulations to you both! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.