<p>As she said in the lecture:</p>
<p>
[quote]
College is a match, not a trophy
[/quote]
</p>
<p>Pretty much sums up her advice.</p>
<p>This is the link to a conference going on this spring at Stanford.</p>
<p>Stressed Out Kids SOS</p>
<p><a href="http://sosconference.stanford.edu/%5B/url%5D">http://sosconference.stanford.edu/</a></p>
<p>Here's the Booklist</p>
<p>If you have an mp3 player, but no i-pod can you listen to i-tunes?</p>
<p>Texdad, you can download itunes onto your pc (windows) and then listen to the lectures for free on your pc.</p>
<p>Don't know about mp3 players. Too advanced for me. :)</p>
<p>"I'm just so happy to be able to watch these lectures, I've always belived you can learn [pretty much anything] on your own if you really want to.... without even attending college.... these lectures give a new meaning to this idea =-P"</p>
<p>That kind of talk isn't allowed on CC."</p>
<p>DS, me thinks for good reasons! </p>
<p>When it comes to individual research and DIY, I think that I push the envelope as far as I possibly can. However, that experience is dwarfed by the possibilities offered by a college. There is so much that can be learned and most goes well beyond lectures. The interactions with professors and your peers are extremely valuable to make you think about the many sides of every issue and not simply accept the ex cathedra teachings.</p>
<p>It can be pretty painful when they remove the cathedra. ;)</p>
<p>If anyone would rather read the book instead of listening to the lecture...</p>
<p>texdad, iTunes is just a general media player. You do not need to own an iPod to use iTunes. It can be used as your system media player just like Windows Media Player, Winamp, or Real Player</p>
<p>mini, you are more than a little in touch with your inner groucho !
I could visualize the fluttering cigar ash after that retort.</p>
<p>Look like him, too (on days my d. doesn't tell me I look like Einstein. ;))</p>
<p>I was surprised at how on target she was with many of the things she said. It's all true. </p>
<p>Also, it's amazing to have all of these lectures on iTunes!!! I feel like I've stumbled upon a pot of gold.</p>
<p>Since the lecture is free, there is no digital rights management built in. If you have to have it on an mp3 player, download it to iTunes, burn it to a disk as an mp3, then import in into any music management software you want. If your software handles mpeg4 (ACC), you can just copy it over.</p>
<p>Can't thank you enough for both this specific link to this lecture/discussion, but to the whole world of college lectures available via iTunes.</p>
<p>Back to Pope's lecture. It's quite wonderful to hear someone who's renowned discussing what you believe and what your own high school student believes. Just listening to this has helped underscore how wise my own daughter is at 16.</p>
<p>I'm passing this along to many - immediate family, daughter's school and others. Again, theonekid - many thanks!!</p>
<p>Thank you very much, theonekid, for all this information. I did listen to part of the Pope lecture last night, and will listen to the rest tonight. I found it quite interesting, as I've been worried about exactly the issues she discusses lately.</p>
<p>Pope is correct, the only way this will really change is if the consumer stops buying, that is massive drop in the number of applications to elite schools, or there is a change in what is required at these schools. Both are unlikely. Though there is some movement at Stanford and MIT to do this, it is unlikely to have much affect since students applying there also must apply elsewhere. It will take a concerted effort to change, including possibly getting rid of the USNWR and other undergraduate college rankings. </p>
<p>There is another issue as well. I know plenty of kids in elite schools that have done some pretty remarkable things and were, and are, not all stressed out. Perhaps those that work that hard to accomplish the goal of getting admitted might be pushing the boundaries of their capabilities, not really finding much reward in what they are doing, or responding more to parental pressure than to pressure from the actual activity. Kids who actually enjoy what they are doing and who find studying to come a little easier, may be less stressed out. I know many kids who have been admitted to top schools, including all the Ivy's, MIT, Chicago, Stanford, etc. who share few, if any, of the characteristics of Pope's students. Most are sweet easy going kids who have sweet easy going parents. Perhaps we need more to look in the mirror than to the admissions crew for change.</p>
<p>I would say that there are fewer non-stressed out kids on the fast track to the Ivys, than non-stressed. Perhaps there is a kid or two who really thrives on huge academic and activity overload, but they are the minority.</p>
<p>My HS student, who attends a very stressful, competitive high school, says kids only care about the grades and the name of the course, not the content. They are trying to pad their transcripts to look impressive and while they do work hard, there is no enjoyment in the process.</p>
<p>I have an Ivy education. I have now decided it simply isn't ALL THAT, and want my own kids to make choices that allow them to enjoy themselves in high school too. Life is more than Harvard.</p>
<p>I'm glad you guys have enjoyed the lecture(s)...</p>
<p>BTW: I agree that college is a great thing...don't get me wrong... but I'm certain you guys are aware that college is not for everyone and that to many the option is not available. This use of technology will defiantly not serve as a college substitute for many people but I am very sure it can be very useful as a complement to anyones education.
In fact, there are many articles out there about the MIT podcasts and one of them in particular talks about how helpful it has been to a Vietnamese student attending a community college in his homeland. Surprisingly some of the lectures offered by MIT have been more extensive than some of the classes he has taken.</p>
<p>Allmusic, My 7-th grade son says the same thing about some of his classmates - that they care only about grades, not about learning. When I asked him how he was able to read their minds, he replied that they were constantly asking, "Is this going to be on the test?" There are also kids who don't care about school and are disruptive. He's demoralized by the situation, and we're trying to figure out what to do about HS. </p>
<p>These online lectures are a "pot of gold". Even those fortunate enough to go to college are only there for 4 years. These kinds of resources (online courses, distance education, math problem solving sites, etc.) are a lifeline for intellectual kids without peers in their non-virtual lives, and those of us who are long past formal education can benefit, as well.</p>
<p>I love listening to Cal Tech lectures here:</p>
<p><a href="http://today.caltech.edu/theater/%5B/url%5D">http://today.caltech.edu/theater/</a></p>