<p>
[quote]
ENGLEWOOD, N.J. Ninth graders often have trouble selecting what clothes to wear to school each morning or what to have for lunch. But starting this fall, freshmen at Dwight Morrow High School here in Bergen County must declare a major that will determine what electives they take for four years and be noted on their diplomas.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>they have that at a lot of schools. it's no big deal...just electives and stuff.</p>
<p>What a stupid idea. Reminds me of the 1950's when kids had to choose College Bound, Secretarial, or Shop as a concentration.</p>
<p>A majority of college kids change majors at least once. How's a 9th grader supposed to know what they want to do for the rest of their life?</p>
<p>I still don't know how a 20-year-old can make that decision.</p>
<p>That would kill me, gives me the shivers just thinking about it, considering how indescisive I am. They've already got as doing all of this "Career Planning"... Eeek.</p>
<p>We have majors at my school...well it's actually complicated. You have to like engineering before coming into the school i guess and then you can choose between civil and mechanical or electrical and computer. If that counts at all.</p>
<p>Im glad I dont go to one of those retarded high schools who think they're supposed to do something more besides get kids into college</p>
<p>my public is simply realistic - no educational philosophy crap, just classes and tests</p>
<p>yeah there doing something like that at our school in a couple years</p>
<p>I think that's cool. Wish my old school had something like that. But then again, I've always known what I wanted to do, so it's not a problem for me.</p>
<p>
[quote]
Michael A. Polizzi, an assistant superintendent, said the district carefully researched future demand for jobs, examined college programs and surveyed students about their interests before settling on its first six majors: sports management, fine and performing arts, health sciences, international studies and global commerce, communications and new media and or liberal arts. In 2008, the school plans to add environmental studies and a “preteaching institute.”
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Wow, those are really... specific.</p>
<p>I go to a large public school (not magnet) we have a similar program, but its not mandatory.
We have a special science/engineering school with different grad reqs and a school for international studies (which I am in).
I take certain classes, am required to partcipate in seminars, have to write a senior thesis and do a physical project on my thesis
i like it a lot, but it's not for everyone. My school offers a tradtional education too. I think the mix is good</p>
<p>At my school you must choose a concentration as a freshman which determines what diploma you graduate with, college/university prep, Tech prep, Career prep, and another. It's outrageous and I was shocked when I transferred there as a sophomore. If a student chooses tech prep then wants to go to a university they wont have the requirements to attend a state univ. 14 year olds shouldn't have to make these decisions.</p>
<p>Most of these are privates right?</p>
<p>Public schools are so much better than Private high schools. Most public students are dumb so high class rank, and higher SAT scores in comparison, along with none of this complicated junk</p>
<p>I think the kids should at least be allowed to change their majors more easily. It's really hard to decide what you are really interested in when you're only 13 or 14 years old.</p>
<p>I agree that this is really dumb. I made the mistake of going to a high school that is kind of like it (which karen61990 mentioned before). We have to choose between Civil/Mechanical Engineering and Electrical/Computer Engineering halfway through our freshman years. Those are the only "majors" available. I chose Electrical/Computer. Unfortunately, it turns out I hate it (mostly because the teacher is an ***hole and we have the same teacher for ALL FOUR YEARS!!!) and that I really want to go into...BUSINESS, which is completely different. Forcing kids to choose so early is stupid and pointless.</p>
<p>rootbeer-i go to a public school</p>
<p>oh o_o</p>
<p>well im glad mine doesnt do it, the only way I could see this being helpful at all is by demonstrating interest in a subject that you then apply for in college.</p>
<p>My son's public school had everyone sit down and pick a career pathway and schedule classes for the full four years. Some classes he didn't get, some classes he didn't want and he switch them later. It didn't mean he couldn't change his mind along the way but it did give him and his guidence counselor an idea of what his goal was. I wasn't happy with it at first but it worked out nicely.</p>