Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with School

I'm in my mid 30's, have some money saved up, and thinking of going to art school. Yes? No?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 19:11:35 -0800

I'm in my mid 30's, have some money saved up, and thinking of going to art school. Yes? No? I guess what I'm really asking is, will I be able to afford it? I have close to $100 grand.. but by then it might be down to 50-60..? I know.. it's 20 something per semester (thousands) so it's like going to USC. But that's only assuming I can get in. I'm starting by continuing at the local community college art classes and hope to build the portfolio there. I'm hoping I've taken enough to meet most of the first year requirements.. so maybe I could finish in fewer years, if I do it full time.

I'm asking here instead of looking at the art schools and contacting them, because I'm not even sure I'll go through with this. It all depends on this upcoming year, whether this being 'fired' will motivate me or bring out some unseen drive I didn't know I had. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, I was fired. That's what's bringing this up... long story, but basically I'm at a point I have no job, I can't see myself going back to the fields I was in, I don't see anything out there I want/can do, and I'm not bad at art.. but I'm about as "not bad" at art as many many other people are. I'm not great.. but I could see myself still improving even now. Hey, I been playing bass 2 months and already playing Iron Maiden.. n u know Steve Harris is just insane.. so I'm a quick learner ;) (I might play at some gig too.. going from zero playing to up on stage in 2 months.. hmm.. just pattin myself on the back hehe) But it made me realize age means nothing. It helps that I looked like a kid my whole life too ;P

I feel good about my potential.. as in art skills, but it's the realistic element that worries me. Is this realistic?

Any words of wisdom? Success stories? Failure stories?

I'm really scared I'll lose the interest or passion, or just realize my skill only will plateau and never really reach that arteest level, or I'll be this washed up has been who's broke.

UK teacher ad: print or online?

crocomancer — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:53:33 -0800

You are a UK primary school teacher looking for a Head Teacher position. How are you searching for it? Specifically, I'm interested in any views on whether our school should invest more in a bigger print advert in the TES, or upgrade their online package beyond the basic level. Both options are costly, and doing one will affect our budget for the other. The school has a reasonable website of its own (thanks to previous MeFi advice) if it makes a difference.

Has the job-hunting culture gone online, or do people still rely primarily on print advertising before looking more deeply at particular posts? If they're using print, what makes an ad stand out from the pack? (anecdata welcome)

Worst reason ever for getting a PhD?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 10:16:43 -0800

I've been academically wronged on an epic (to me) scale. How to overcome? The details don't matter. Suffice it to say that, after years of work and sacrifice, a morally bankrupt academic department has screwed me over with regards to my Ph.D. program. Net result: The original reason for getting the degree has become virtually impossible to achieve and irrelevant. To keep going is going to involve years of extra work and sacrifice with no assurance that I'll ever get the degree. Or I could say "screw it" and walk away with a master's. Six months later I am still so far beyond pissed off that it's sometimes hard to function. My primary motivation at this point is the feeling that, by finishing the degree, I'll be exacting some sort of "You fuckers couldn't beat me" revenge as, on graduation day, I let them know (verbally) exactly how I feel.

At the same time, I recognize that this isn't a healthy mental state. I can lose my job if I seek psychological counseling so I was hoping the collective you might have some tips for getting past the anger so that, if I choose to continue towards the degree, it will be for more noble reasons.

Advice needed for an agnostic ESL teacher at a very very Christian school

MostHolyPorcine — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:05:03 -0800

Help me not get fired from a Seventh Day Adventist School... I've just signed a contract with a private Seventh Day Adventist middle school in Asia. The teachers seem great, the students are smart, the school is loaded, the pay is great....but....well, let's see, I was raised catholic, and now I'm a meat eating, drinking, chain smokin homo.

Now, they're well aware I'm not SDA, and many foreign English teachers who work there aren't. But it is still quite a conservative school, no doubt. I'm not allowed to smoke at school, or drink or do narcotics on campus (which...uhm, yea, the smoking thing I get, but is it really necessary to have a clause in my contract that says don't show up to work drunk?).

The honest truth is, I respect their beliefs. I've told them as much, and also made them aware that I am not going to convert but understand that I need to keep my beliefs to myself. But I'm still really worried about doing something horribly offensive.

Any advice from SDA members or former SDA school teachers would be greatly appreciated.

Risk of a bogus address for school registration?

Anonymous — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:44:10 -0800

What are the risks, if any, for someone (and the actual address-holder) to falsify their address to register their child in a NYC school? Moving to NYC in the Spring, but in order to get a jump on middle school applications, you need a NYC address for them to even talk to you. I know exactly what neighborhood I'll be moving to, and have a friend in that area who will say that I live there. I want to make sure that I'm not putting either of us in obvious risk.

I'd be changing my payroll data at work, and putting their electric bill in my name. Is there much risk in that to my friend?

Put them on the road to not Dislike Some Linguists

oflinkey — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:16:43 -0800

Good linguistics video or interactive links to show to high schoolers. Asking for DH and his foray into linguistics in his HS Anthro class.
I already have a good interactive IPA (Paul Meier's), so that the kids can hear the sounds that aren't used, or used so much, in Standard American English. This has a good British/American diph- and triphthong area, too.
However, my husband is on the lookout for clips he saw on an unnamed show that did some sort of demonstration of variations in phonemes, where they moved in increments from one phoneme (that a speaker of English would recognize) to another, but covered a number of variations in between. I am not really sure what he is talking about. I showed him a clip of the McGurk Effect-- not what he means.
...His main thing here is to show students that, yes, other languages recognize different phonemes that we would all lump together under /p/, for instance.

Any other suggestions for cool things to look at for high school students would be greatly appreciated. Anything at all.

Thanks in advance!

Screw Ivy League. What should i do?

freddymetz — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 18:42:27 -0800

Screw Ivy League. What should i do? Im currently spending a year doing social work in a developing country and the time has come to start applying to universities.

Ive been working on my ivy applications ever since i finished high school (in germany) half a year ago, but somehow I lost sight of my old goals and do not wish to study in these institutions anymore.

Ive also come to doubt the effectiveness of studying there whilst spending approximately 30000 dollars per year.

I also believe that i dont need to study at university to create and build up businesses, but i have enough common sense to at least have a plan B if it all goes wrong.

So where should i study?

Im looking for types of institution or names of instutions (country doesnt matter, it can be in mexico, usa or japan) i should be looking at if princeton, duke and co dont work out.
They shouldnt be too expensive either.

If anyone has been in a similar situation and has relevant advice to give, im all ears for that too!

thank you.

Dear Professor Flake...

zoomorphic — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 12:00:51 -0800

Grad school application crisis: one of my professors who agreed to write a recommendation is completely flaking out. I've tried my best to communicate my needs, but she seems either too busy or suddenly, inexplicably disinterested in cooperating. I don't want to alienate her but I don't want to get screwed over when one of my references went off the grid. I emailed three of my college professors back in August or September to see if they'd be willing to write recommendations on my behalf as I applied to grad school. They all sent back really nice, affirmative responses. Whew! One professor recommended that I use Interfolio, which is like a middle man for schools and professors providing references. Professors upload one copy of a recommendation, which is given its own email address. Instead of listing a professor's email in the online application, I list that email, sparing the professors the task of email five different universities with the same email.

Two of my professors uploaded recommendations right away, but the third (who was always a bit scatterbrained) has not. I've emailed her several times, the last email two ago, and she's replied that she will get to it. But she hasn't. My first application is due, recommendations and all, on Sunday. Interfolio seems to only work on business days, so essentially the last day is tomorrow. The university will not accept late or incomplete applications.

The thing is, I don't want to alienate the professor before she writes the application by sounding impatient and high-strung, especially since I have a far less intimate, friendly history with her than with my other two references. But obviously I don't want to get screwed over because she said she'd offer a rec and then didn't.

Clearly I'm overthinking this, but in my state of hair-tearing stress, I can't formulate an email that doesn't sound completely insane or accusatory. What should I say that sounds professional, understanding and urgent?

Help me choose a technical or trade college for IT administration.

loquacious — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 12:23:24 -0800

Help me research technical schools/colleges for IT, CS and systems administration. I'm looking for a technical school/college along the lines of ITT or similar schools that are affordable and offer financial aid application assistance.

I want to learn and brush up on computer/IT administration with a focus on systems/server administration. Specifically Windows Server 2008, Macintosh OS X as well as a side course in Vista and Windows 7.

I'm interested both AA and BA programs.

Please feel free to also name programs to avoid like the plague.

(For the record, I have about a decade of real world IT work and I am returning to school as an independent adult.)

Kids these days.

canadia — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 09:26:01 -0800

What are some fun classroom activities for middle school students (ages 12-14)? My program director has given me the job of coming up with some activities for our entire middle school class, but I'm drawing a blank as to what these kids might be into. For our elementary students, we're having a speech contest and a spelling bee. But I work at a very small school, and I have several 14 year-old boys who think they're too cool to participate in any classroom activities we've done thus far. To make matters worse, I teach a foreign language, so the activities can't be too complicated or else the students won't be able to play. I had several disasters during our school's Halloween party because some of the games I'd chosen needed a higher level of language comprehension than my students had.

Are there any fool-proof classroom games or activities that both teenage boys and girls are interested in?

Tips on understanding concepts on a deeper level?

amillionbillion — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 08:45:47 -0800

How can I better approach learning intro physics? I'm a post-bac premed and college-level (non-calculus) physics is kicking my ass. I know that physics isn't about mechanically plugging numbers into formulas, but how do I achieve a deeper conceptual understanding? I read the textbook thoroughly, chug through the homework, and I'll think I get the topic, but if faced with a problem that's twisted a bit differently (e.g. killer exam questions), I'm at a loss. I have no idea how to apply what I know to unfamiliar problems, which means I didn't really get it at all. I rarely have that "a-ha" moment of clarity. My professor is horrible, and tutors seem to focus on problem-solving instead of teaching me how to *think* about physics. (And this is only mechanics/kinematics right now; I predict if the trend continues, I'll be totally screwed in electromagnetism.)

The final is 2 weeks away and 45% of the final grade, so I still have one last chance...

I know what I'm looking for sounds a bit vague, but I'd appreciate any advice on how to learn something that's abstract, and thinking about concepts from different angles, as well as how to stay motivated and even psyched about learning. I'm kind of down on physics right now, and filled with this sense of dread/fervent wish I were Isaac Newton, which doesn't help.

Quick and easy time-fillers for middle-years students?

iftheaccidentwill — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 14:36:19 -0800

Quick and easy time-fillers for middle-years students? Oftentimes I will have 5 fre minutes as students are entering the classroom or in-between activities, and I want something relatively productive/educational/interesting to do with those who are already ready.

20-questions works great and I've used that successfully. Do you have any suggestions for other activities? Please keep them appropriate for middle-years students (grade 5-8).

Thanks!

Should we stay or should we go to The Great White North?

salsamander — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 09:30:26 -0800

Are my skills employable in Canada? My wife is considering a Ph.D. program in Toronto, and I don't know if my experience as a paralegal and journalist would allow me to find employment. Help! My wife is considering getting her doctorate at several schools. She's applied to several here in the US (where we're citizens) and is being encouraged to apply at a specific, and very attractive and exciting program, at the University of Toronto. We're worried that I won't be able to find employment in Canada to pay our bills! Owing to the current state of the economy, I've been laid off from my last two jobs and haven't found work in months. I've worked as a paralegal in various capacities (litigation, Federal court matters, collection, quasi-regulatory financial) and also have a background with web-based journalism. I can assemble and fix computers, so I've considered taking some sort of certification test.

I know Toronto will be expensive, and the stipend my wife would receive probably wouldn't cover our expenses. Should we play it safe and stay in the US? Or is it worth the risk to accept any offer from Toronto and hope I can find a job?

Tell me about careers involving psychological reserach please!

tweedle — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 11:52:30 -0800

If I'm interested in research psychology, what can I go into for a career? I posted a previous question about a week ago about going into marketing research. Feel free to talk about that if you have any insights, but I want to know what my other options are this time.

Basically, I have no experience, but I think I would enjoy psychological research. I enjoy seeing the results of studies and I think I would also enjoy conducting them. This is the most interesting aspect of psychology to me and I right now I am probably majoring in psychology and minoring in marketing and statistics.

I don't think I would enjoy teaching or being a professor, so I don't really see how I can make this into a career.

I think I am a very analytical person and I like seeing statistical data, at least of things I'm interested in (like psychology).

So, what can I do as a career? I'm a sophomore in college right now in the US. Are you interested in the same things? If so, what do you find enjoyable about your career? Any insight would be helpful.

How do I get through library school?

Anonymous — Mon, 30 Nov 2009 08:42:55 -0800

I think graduate school was a mistake. Drop out, seek new program, or persevere? I just started a library job and grad school a few months ago. Love the library. Hate library school.

I graduated from college 10 years ago. I’m now getting my MLS. This is my first semester as a grad student. I’m taking two classes (one is online). I also work 40 hours a week. I’m also planning my wedding (which doesn’t dominate my entire but is still somewhat time-consuming).

I’ve heard that graduate school is nothing like undergrad (which I liked for the most part and where I thrived); fine. But I’ve just been feeling totally disconnected. Most of the people in my class are full-time students, and work part-time if at all. They’re able to have study groups when I’m at work (including weekends). One of my classes is okay, if not especially interesting. My other class is unbearable; the content feels boring and impossible, taught by a man who just can’t communicate the material. Our coursework is literally the size of two large phonebooks. He wrote the textbook we use so there’s no relief or enlightenment there. I have an advisor I have yet to meet. I should have been more aggressive in getting a new one who might actually answer an email with more than one sentence or return a phone call, but here I am.

So many people say library school is a hoop you have to jump through. I’ve taken out financial aid for this (including a private loan that fortunately, I haven’t had to touch yet) and am just wondering if it’s worth it. I’m generally happy but school has diminished some of pleasure I take in things. I don’t have time to cook or write. My fiancé and I have less time together. My library is always busy so there’s no down time to study.

I love books, and reading, and the sense of community that a library gives. I pursued a degree because I live in a city where an MLS can lead to well-paying jobs (I may want to leave the public library system in a few years). However, there’s a part of me that wonders if I’m wasting my time. If it’s not going to get better until a year and a half from now, I’d almost rather cut my losses and be happy now instead of looking forward to some bliss moment that may not happen.
So I guess I’m asking, how did you make it through grad school? Or did you drop out and find something even better? I’ve also thought of taking just one course at a time (maybe more in the summer), to get a little of my sanity back. After trying out a couple of different careers, I think librarianship is something may actually be able to do happily and long-term. But I’m really resenting school right now.

Durable School Backpack

Srudolph — Sat, 28 Nov 2009 10:43:03 -0800

My son needs the most durable school backpack we can find. He is a sophomore and for reasons that pass my understanding, doesn't use a locker, but carries all his books and his laptop with him all the time. He needs a seriously heavy-duty backpack that will last longer than a couple of months.

He doesn't need any bells and whistles -- no extra pockets or straps or rings for hanging things or zippered compartments. It just needs to be killer strong and large enough for six classes' worth of textbooks. And a laptop.

Any suggestions? THANKS

How to set up a project for high school students...

degoao — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 09:03:42 -0800

I want my students to develop the habit of reading about current events (local to international). Instead of reading a required book over the summer, I would like them to select one to two articles a week from a list of sources I provide them and comment on the articles. (asking for a friend)

I'd like my students to create their own blogs and post their comments once or twice a week. There would be about 600 students for me to keep tabs on throughout the summer. This is for 13-17 year old high school students at a conservative Catholic school.

My questions are:

What publications should I use? I have developed a small list, but I'd like to hear your ideas. (Although the school is conservative, I'd like to get all perspectives)

How can I realistically keep tabs on the blogs of 600 students?

What kinds of exceptions can there be? (For example, what if the student goes to Jamaica for three weeks and has no internet access)

What should the consequences be if a student doesn't do some or all of the project?

Help me keep the shutterbugs happy!

man down under — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 17:27:21 -0800

What should I include in a 3 hour photography workshop aimed at 30 12-15 year olds? This is an activity designed to keep kids interested and busy at school for the final week of the year. The kids weren't picked because of their love of photography, but if they signed up for it we can assume they would rather do this than go bowling.

I'm planning to start off with a compostition workshop, looking at some basics and getting kids to think about what their pictures are of.

I then want them to split off in to groups to run around the school (supervised of course) taking pictures with a checklist / scavenger hunt list. The list will include things like "a photo following the rule of thirds", "a photo from a high angle/perspective", as well as some simpler things like "action", "portrait" etc...

We can round things off with a bit of a show and tell, with prizes for the shots of the day etc...

My questions:

What would you ensure was covered in the initial workshop?

What should be included on the checklist / scavenger hunt list?

Is there anything else I should add to this? (It doesn't feel like a three-hour 'shop to me yet)

Is there anything I haven't considered that will make this better?

Thanks for your help!

Ladder operators refer to some sort of blue-collared workers, right?

Hakaisha — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:40:50 -0800

Help me pass a subject I hate. I'm an undergrad in a chemistry program.

My grades are...mostly solid, if not spectacular; bombed my third year (failed two courses by like 2%, C'ed the rest) from burning out, but otherwise okay. Took a year off to work in my field, came back, much more centered.

Overall, I don't think my study habits are too bad. That being said, from a combination of misinformation by someone I used to trust/respect and just general inadequacy in the subject, I'm still struggling badly in my quantum mechanics course. It's really scaring me.

Mathematics really isn't my forte, and frankly, quantum makes my head spin. Still, I understand the principle of just buckling down and do the damn studying anyway, but my semester is extremely short on time. I have another course I'm taking at the same time (physical chem, which I also failed...but upon applying myself, I am breezing through the course, so it's not like I'm not trying this semester), as well as two labs. The regular one is time consuming but not so bad, but the other one is a directed studies that takes about 5x more time/effort than my ex-friend/ex-supervising-grad student told me it would. The exact details of the blowout isn't really relevant...the only part that is relevant is that due to said blowout, my project got switched halfway through the term, so I'm literally scrambling to make enough progress so I have something to do my oral defense + paper on. Hence, spending a rather ridiculous amount of time in the lab (I've slept at school, worked until half-past midnight, etc).

I don't have high aspirations for quantum; I just need to pass the course as it's required for my degree. I failed the midterm (but 54% of the class did, and the average was 49%, so I'm not alone...we're allowed the option of putting 100% of the grade on our final, but the professor won't scale), and I'm terrified for the final because I at least thought I understood the material for the midterm and still failed the exam, whereas the material being taught now can be Greek for all I'm understanding of it. P-chem is being ignored currently as I'm still solidly on track for that one, but between the two other labs and living rather far from school, by the end of the day when I get home all I want to do is sleep. Even if I do make myself stay up, writing lab reports is about the extent of my brain power; my eyes just glaze over trying to study quantum and I end up going "so what did I just spend 4 hours reading?"

I've asked the prof for tutors; he just said I should do more practice problems (I should) and see him in his office more (I also should). On principle, I know I can pass this course if I really just buckle down and practice the 279235479012389 recommended study questions...but time is a rare commodity and I don't have the 36 hours in one day I really, really need.

I don't study in groups well (we always just end up talking; I prefer to study on my own), and I can't really do the 'study in 10 minute chunks' thing either. If I work, I really need a quiet area and 3 solid hours to just plow through it. Coming back home at midnight after leaving the house at 9:30, and with eyes glazing over, however, is really not conductive to plowing through quantum mechanics.

I admit I can procrastinate, but no more than the average student (and nowadays, after I got my head straight after my year off, probably less...I came home on a Friday night, ate dinner, sat down and started working on a lab report straight until 6 am Saturday morning). Fear is a great motivator, since I'm not 'allowed' to retake a course more than once unless with special permission from the Dean. I just need more time...and I don't have more time. I make do on about 3-5 hours of sleep a night on average, sometimes broken up into powernaps (and then naps on my very long bus ride to/from school). I don't know what else to do.

So...how do I generate enough time out of the same 24 h/d to enable me to study this dreaded subject effectively? I feel like I'm trying to wring water from a stone here. This term is burning me out again, although I generally like my major (at least enough to want to finish the damn degree).

For what it's worth, I'm writing this in piecemeal while waiting for a reaction to finish, so it's not like I'm wasting potential study time here. Again, can't do the '10 minute bite-sized studying', although I wish I could.

(Given that it's about two weeks until end of term, and less than a full month until finals, I don't think dropping out is possible and/or will go over too well, even if I talk to an advisor.)

Marketing and Psychology or just Psychology?

tweedle — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 21:10:15 -0800

If I want to do marketing research should I double major in Psychology and Marketing? Alternately, if I enjoy research psychology and conducting studies, what are other possible careers I might be interested in? I am aware of this thread, I even posted in it! But I want personalized advice blah blah, and his question is different than mine.

I am a sophomore in college with about 50 credits under my belt after this semester. Currently, I am majoring in Psychology. After taking a marketing class this semester I figured out what I could do as a career: marketing research!!! Yeah!!!

I've always wanted to do something in experimental psychology, like researching and conducting studies. However, I've heard that most of these positions require one to become a professor, which I don't really want to do.

Marketing research is sorta like that... right? I like the idea of conducting surveys, focus groups, etc., to try to understand how people make decisions about what to buy. I mean, I'm not exactly passionate about this, as I might say I am about other psychological topics I could research, but I have a vague interest in it and I don't hate it, maybe I even like it.

So, should I double major? With 50 willy-nilly non-business credits, I would have to take about 20 more than 120 to graduate. And I wouldn't be able to take ANY classes outside of psychology or business, minus the gen ed classes I haven't taken yet. Does it even matter what I major in to future employers (in any field, what if I change my mind to something completely unrelated?) usually?

I feel like I should just major in Psychology and minor in marketing, as I care more about Psychology and marketing would just be a career. If I go into marketing and decide I don't like it at all I wouldn't want all my effort to be for naught.

On the flip side, I also don't want to be wasting my time and money in college getting a degree that will make me unemployable in anything I want to do. I would rather work hard now and stop messing around than have to come back in a few years. School is a good learning experience, but the end result (a job) is very important to me, simply because I don't want to have a dead-end job the rest of my life. I want a nice relaxing job that makes me enough money to get by.

I'm probably just going to go with Psychology, but I want to know what you think. Someone in the other thread pointed out an article in Advertising Age about how marketing firms actually prefer people with degrees in something other than marketing, but is this actually true in practice? One article isn't convincing enough, I would like ancedota from people in marketing telling me how true this is. Also, please, if you can, tell me what it's like doing marketing research.

Another question is, what else could I do for a career if I am interested in psychological research? Marketing research is the only practical thing I can think of, where I will actually have a job someday (maybe), but what else is there?

Thank you for your help!

How worthwhile is it, careerwise, to pursue a second Master's degree?

mirepoix — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:28:52 -0800

How worthwhile is it, careerwise, to pursue a second Master's degree? I have one professional Master's degree, but job openings are scarce in that field right now (urban planning, or stuff in the public policy/community-related nonprofit world in general). I'm considering going back to school, but wondering if that would help me or hurt me -- I understand some employers reject candidates with advanced degrees. I also worry that being a specialist rather than a generalist would put me in a box when looking for jobs outside that specialization.

That said, I might be interested in some kind of health policy degree, but it's very early in the game.

Middle School book club for adults!

koselig — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 17:46:32 -0800

Middle School book club for adults! A group of friends and I have recently started a book club featuring middle school literature. The first book we read was The Giver and the resulting discussion was amazing. I am looking for more books like this - young adult literature with larger themes. We have also considered Island of the Blue Dolphins and A Wrinkle in Time. What other books would you recommend?

What's the best way to teach 8th graders about soil salinity?

bigspoon — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:23:20 -0800

What is the best way to demonstrate to 8th graders the issue of soil salinity as well as showing ways to prevent or reclaim salinized soil? I'm attempting to come up with a lesson plan for 8th graders that would educate them about soil salinity and ideally get them to come up with a creative plan to combat it at least on a small scale. I've read mostly about ways to desalinize using irrigation but if anyone knows about plants which can be used or any other methods that would be even better. The school is located in Lakeview, New Orleans so resources that deal with salinity in humid areas would be helpful. Lesson plan/ educational style resources would be best but really any information on the subject would be appreciated.

Mocking School Lunch in the Movies

jacknose — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 09:09:04 -0800

When was the first time "school lunch" was ridiculed in a movie (most likely a teen flick) or a TV show? We're currently producing a documentary on school lunch, and we know that there was a cultural shift in how school lunch was perceived (great social achievement to grotesque laughingstock). If you can help us identify the first instance of this shift in popular culture, we'll give you a film credit.

Study method for the one who feels hopeless?

Taft — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 06:34:42 -0800

I'm uncomfortably depressed to the point of feeling completely hopeless...but I need to pass my classes. Can anyone recommend a good study/homework method that worked for you in hard times? When I get home I completely turn off inside, and it's drastically affecting my grades. I'm seeing a therapist for the depression, but I need a short-term plan for passing my classes.

I'm currently a junior in highschool, so dropping out for personal reasons won't work. Thanks in advance.