if your kid chooses to end up there then the boy's got problems.

"Hi, Dad. Uh, I got laid off. Can I borrow some money to hold me over until I find a new one?"

"Nope, sorry. If you would have studied harder in college, maybe you wouldn't have gotten laid off. I know you were working your ass off to pay for school since I wouldn't help you and you only got a 3.2, but you should have done better. Call me later and tell me how the food is at the Salvation Army..."

[This message has been edited by PSYLOCKE (edited 4/1/2004 11:59a).]

...ahhh would you feel bad?

Thank you for the sarcasm, Psylocke. I guess I was just an "over privilaged" farm boy. Mom and Dad paid for part of my college while I worked during the summers and part time at A&M. They did not kick me out of the house on my 18th birthday. B-1 83 son worked part time in High School, and now while saving money for school. I pay the fee slips - he pays the "fun" stuff out of his pocket. I assume AMGs55's offspring will have a hard time of it - those homeless shelters can be rough.

Typical. Focus one the negative, the homeless shelter, and ignore the affirmative, studying all night and the success it brings.

Have you no pride psylocke?

If you get laid off you figure something out: move, change fields, etc... Where did your inane sense of entitlement come from? Did you go to school in Austin?

[This message has been edited by AMGs55 (edited 4/1/2004 12:12p).]

[This message has been edited by AMGs55 (edited 4/1/2004 12:30p).]

Hmm. Interesting topic.
I paid for college myself, but most of my friends' parents had a policy that if you flunked out or continued to make less than acceptable grades you were on your own financially.

I've got plenty of pride. But sometimes things happen that are beyond your control and I'd rather help out my own flesh and blood than know that he/she is eating out of a dumpster. But that's my inane sense of family.

sorry to hear your family would CHOOSE to eat out of a dumpster rather than find sometype of work somewhere.

B183,

You sound pretty much like me. I absolutely refuse to have my three children be saddled with debt after college. I'll pay for it just as my parents did "because that's what parents do" is my philosophy as well. I do understand, however, that sometimes that's not possible due to a family's financial situation. If more parents, however, started to put money away immediately after the birth of the child, it wouldn't even be an issue, (but I digress...).

I spent 11 years in the military after A&M and without a doubt the soldiers in my unit that went in the military right after high school on the GI Bill stayed for three or four years and then got into college. Of the many letters I received from them, the majority said that the experience in the military allowed them to mature to the point where they were more focused and successful in college. Now, I'm not suggesting your son go into the military. But I am suggesting that some people need time after high school to grow up a little and understand how important a college degree is. Sometimes it's not a bad idea to have kiddos spend one or two years at a JC somewhere and then transfer in. After is's all said and done, he'll have the same degree from A&M that 4 year students do.

I have to ask AMG, do you have any kids?

AMG, you are not getting the point. There are times where you don't CHOOSE to have things happen to you.

[This message has been edited by PSYLOCKE (edited 4/1/2004 12:34p).]

psylocke


Man oh man. On one hand you "rant" about illegal aliens getting taking American jobs (at least as your post implies)but then justify -- as a grown man -- going home because "things happen". Well buddy things happen, people get laid off, but jobs exist! Now if you are comfortable going back to home to Daddy because the meenies laid you off rather than find some work -- even if it is what these illegals do, then I quit. Have some pride and work. Does an illegal have more pride than you?


Moreover, you show it is a choice between the shelter/street and survive if illegals seem to find work. Again, if you have to work hourly mowing lawns – especially if you are a college student you partied to much – think of the character that builds. The safety net makes people complacent….


[This message has been edited by AMGs55 (edited 4/1/2004 2:44p).]

Answer the question.

Psylocke's not a grown man. She's a grown whoa-man!

First, I'm not a guy.

Second, I'm not saying go live at home if you get laid off. I'm not saying stay out of work for years and live off of welfare. I agree, go find another job. But I haven't known many people who get laid off on a Friday and have a new job by Monday. All I'm saying is that I would never say to my child "No, I'm not going to help you, you can live in your car for all I care."

Is it that hard to understand?

Oh, and I have a job. But thanks for playing.

wrong.


illegeals don't live in there cars...

If you are going to be a smart ass, at least learn to spell "their"...

[This message has been edited by PSYLOCKE (edited 4/1/2004 2:49p).]

...or how about this

No son I won't help you because there are too many illegeals in this country....why don't you get one of those jobs?

Here's a serious answer.

I came to A&M in 1999. I joined the Corps and was a pre-med major. I came from a small highschool and thought I was a hot shot. Well I immediately began to flunk every test on my overloaded schedule. Pretty soon, I realized that my college career was in jeopardy. "It's harder to bring bad grades up." I heard from everyone. So I made the best choice of my life. I withdrew from the University and none of that sub1 gpa ever hit my permanent record.

I realize that your son did not do the same, but here's my advice. Everyone should go to junior college for atleast one year. Unless they are totally prepared, i.e. went to a good highschool, are very mature, etc. I suggest that he take all of the courses that are required of all majors. Things like english, political science, history. If he gets an A in everything, and I mean everything. He should be ok. He can apply for readmission, or do like I did and just apply for transfer admission as if you never were a student. I don't know if this helps any, but I was out about two years trying to get my act together. Now I am ready to graduate in December from the Best University in Texas, Texas A&M.

AMG-
I am curious what you may think of this.

My father's father, my grandad, worked hard so that his son, my father, could atleast start college. My father started college on his dad's nickel and then paid off the rest himself, working odd jobs and hitch hiking to and from College Station. Now he has saved up enough to pay for all of my schooling and my sister's. In return, I have promised to save up enough money to send my kids through school. And hopefully they will promise me to save enough money to put their kids through school. We are creating a cycle in which our children and our children's children will not have to worry about funding for their college education should they choose to go, no matter how many times they choose to go. The money is not "better used" in "retirement" or "investments" as you suggest. It is best used to insure that our offspring don't experience the hardships that my father and grandfather experienced. If they choose not to go to college, then, yes, they are on their own, but as long as my children are going to school, any shape or form, I will support them financially. God willing.

I understand where you are coming from and commend your intentions. People think all hardships should be avoided and I disagree. These hardships and stresses forge character. It's tough to do that to a child or someone you love, but the effect makes it worth it. Do you not think that struggle and hardship strengths character and other virtues? It is almost like working out. The workout itself is tough -- why would some one do that to themselves if they didn't have to? But it is healthy. Or even better, the corps. Why would one willing go through all that?

And to B-183,

as a "farm boy" do you not think working and struggling on the farm and in school was good for you? Do you think that the hardship helped develop some of your virtues?

I never offical got kicked out of A&M., I got kicked out a department. Found another department. Got my act together like around a 3.0 each semster. Graduating in May.

1.6 after 1 1/2 years at A&M in aerospace engineering.

Went to Blinn for a year with a 3.25.

Came back in spring of 2003.

Since returning my GPA is a 3.4 and I am much happier with my major. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.

Getting back in is not easy at all. You will get a lot of resistance and you may hear a few no's before you get that one yes.

Beerag

yeah, i heard a no or two. the associate dean for undergrads told me my grades were so bad i would never graduate from A&M.

AMG - Unfortuantely, my son has not had the farm opportunities that I had as a "farm boy". I have raised a couple of "town kids". It's a little hard raising ranch hands when the ranch is 200 miles away. Times have changed in the last 25 years. That $1100 fee slip now is more like $5000. The scholarships for upper middle class white kids (the Indian in him is now diluted out by his mom and can't be claimed!) are harder to get, and the minimum wage jobs make barely a dent in his fees and "discretionary" spending money for school. You still haven't answered the question - do you have kids?