Tolerating boredom: I get bored/space/procrastinate sometimes, leading me to find creative ways to fix my boredom without it looking like I'm up to anything. Examples:
1. Counting the times my health teacher says "genitals" or "genitalia"**
2. Drafting blogs in my head. Such as this one.
3. Inner Monologue. I.e: "As I sat-- like countless other times-- in Algebra X doing nothing particularly interesting, I couldn't help but think that none of this would be beneficial in my future career as a/an _____, or in this subsequent memoir..."
4. Observing a random classmate, the less I know about them personally the more interesting it is. Stalking? Naw. I'm not infatuated with these people, from a distance everyone is mildly distracting. So it's more like characterization. Do they wear the same watch every day? Start every second sentence with "Um"? Possibly lead a secret life committing petty crimes? Yeah, that sort of thing... the more insane the more bored I am.
I like learning. I like knowing things. I like feeling like I could possibly be useful in practical situations without screaming like a girl at the sight of blood should it be involved. The last one is more a justification of why I do/should pay attention in Health; if someone suddenly suffers grievous bodily injuries where blood is involved and thus needs Proper Bandaging Techniques, I have the SKILL. w00t.
That being said, I could probably find my own ways to learn things in the Real World and such. This may not meet any kind of curriculum -- rather focusing on writing and taking field trips to Starbucks, (People-watching counts as an intensive study in sociology, of course. And the finer points of various iced coffee drinks...) and the occasional Renaissance Fair, rather lacking in math-related pursuits beyond basic computations that can be done mentally -- but I would certainly enjoy it.
That also being said, it's highly doubtful in this stage of my education that I'd just stop now.*** What's another 7 or so years? So, I'm glad that I'm in a school that offers courses that are somewhat interesting to me.**** Well, WILL offer courses that are interesting to me. Which is why I'm getting all the shitty requirements out of the way this year, (Intro to Business/Computer Concepts, "Practical Art": Child Life) so I can take Philosophy and Environmental Studies and Creative Writing/Intro to Theater senior year. (wherein the only requirements are PE *well crap* and English and a period for lunch.) I think I mentioned pretty much every other subject. And Spanish, because I really like Spanish. A blend of challenging, practical, interesting, and fun. I like words. Wait, my point in this is that as long as I *have* to be in school, I might as well be getting credit for things I enjoy.
As for the forced socialization thing, I've socialized more with people behind me in lines for the Harry Potter films. So, yes, it is. Forced, I mean. It's like nuclear fusion or something: stick enough people in a confined space doing the same thing for a few years and eventually some will stick together. Maybe they would have in the real world too. School was my only real prospective place for meeting people when I was younger, and did those people stick? Not particularly. I've met and had deeper friendships with people on the Internet and in the aforementioned line, because we share interests. Conversation about HP > Conversation about science homework.
Footnotes:
*Which I have neglected a bit, only watching when you post links on Twitter because I'm lazy. *shame*
**And laughing a little in my head. I'm a child, I know. Today we were talking about burns to said area. Over and over and over and over... teheheh.
***Its kind of weird I'd never think of switching, yet Alex seems to be (???) considering it, for fun and/or experience in the last few years. Even unschoolers see "normal" high school as a rite of passage-type-thing or something that should at least be tried once, but established un-unschoolers don't seek much of an alternative at this point. I'd like to try unschooling just once to say I have.
****Math aside, of course. Math is always aside.
1 comment:
Yeah, the thing about high school is that you're forced together by circumstance, not choice. Maybe that's why people say college is so much better; if nothing else, you all chose to go to the same school.
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