Gotta love Asian parents

<p>"You simply have to instill in your child a love of learning and let that take its course. It worked for me."</p>

<p>There are several problems with that. If a child is surrounded by people who hate studying, then that child will most likely, hate studying. Its a simple matter of cultural conditioning. If the child is placed in the aforementioned situation, he will most likely need to be strictly forced to study. You can't instill a love for learning when the child is already inculturated to hate learning. Sure you can argue that one can instill this passion at a very early age. You can,not buy T.Vs, give the child books when they're young, read to them, teach him yourself. etc. But you still have to deal with the fact that a child can be very easily inculturated once they enter school. Children's minds are very adaptive, they tend to adsorb cultural values very quickly. They may lose their love of learning in order to fit in. If they don't, then they may very likely face isolation.</p>

<p>I'm not saying you don't guide them. But at the same time, there's a certain point where you can't force your kid to succeed. You just can't. It may work in the short term but there are so many problems caused in the long term it just isn't worth it.</p>

<p>It's interesting how you talk about children being "inculturated" (which, by the way, is not a word) to dislike learning or face social isolation. A love of learning doesn't mean being a geek or only studying; it's about genuinely caring about what you do. A child who's grown up loving books, or math--or even music or painting, which are both kinds of learning--won't easily let go of that passion. They may stray from it, but that's what kids do. If they do let go so easily, then you have a bigger problem on your hands than a kid who's may not go to the Ivys. They may need guidance to live up to their potential, but you can't force them to go beyond that and you don't want to do it at the expense of their long-term happiness.</p>

<p>I failed high school chem and high school physics. </p>

<p>What makes anyone think that I'm gonna pass MED SCHOOL chem and physics? Or even COLLEGE chem and physics? I took AP Enviro to avoid taking a real science senior year.</p>

<p>Given my track record in science, I'd say the probability I'll flunk out of med school or premed for that matter is close to 95%. Given my track record in the social sciences and English, the probability I'll flunk out of law school is close to 0.</p>

<p>Yes, my intelligences are heavily lopsided.</p>

<p>futurenyustudent,</p>

<p>I was terrible at math in high school, but I've done tons of it in grad and done pretty well. Age and maturity go a long way, y'know?</p>

<p>My dad failed chem, my mom failed bio and never took chem, my aunt failed chem, my uncle failed chem, my cousins both failed chem, I failed chem. It's genetic. :)</p>

<p>Besides, I have no interest in science anyway, hence the high probability I'll flunk out of med school or premed. Apparently I haven't matured since high school.....my mom's like NEVER EVER EVER take courses you don't want to take or that you feel will be too hard. NEVER. EVER. She's like I know you. If you don't like a class, you'll slack off in it, and then end up with a B or C or god knows what. Shes like I did it too. And frankly, I agree. Why would I, knowing full well that I'll probably fail, take chemistry or physics? Besides, in med, I'd never get past intro chem let alone organic. I sat in on a law school class, I can handle law school. I didn't even do the reading for the class and I understood some of what the professor was blabbing about. And no, I didn't even undergo the Socratic torture that law schools are so notorious for. :D</p>

<p>Oh, I'm not saying go to med school. I'm just saying that self-realized prophecies can be pretty awful.</p>

<p>Sounds like you know what you want, so go for it.</p>

<p>haha lol :)</p>

<p>It's not self-realized lol. There was a time during high school when I had so much faith in myself that I though I would be able to handle chem and physics. I realize now that that faith was bloated, and I actually can't handle chem or physics. I didn't fail them...I got Bs and B-s and the occasional C. But I was so miserable that I looked back and said, "NEVER AGAIN." The ROI on my effort simply wasn't worth it. So I stopped trying.</p>

<p>@futuremystudent. You can definately improve. I really used to be horrible at math. I was so bad that I was placed in remedial classes(euphemistically special ed). But eventually I decided that I wanted to get somewhere in life. So I opted for normal classes. When I first took algebra 1, I was hit hard. I was much slower in picking up the material than other people so I failed my first test. And this was after countless hours of studying. But you know what? Through hard work, not only was I able to get an A, I even jumped several levels to Calculus in about one year earning straight A's. Now, not only can I handle a math class successfully, I can pick up the information quickly. So even though you're slow at math, if you just try really hard( I mean as hard as you possibly can), then you'll not only find yourself to be improving in speed and accuracy, you'll improve in your "natural" aptitude.(whatever that means). This will make the courses you take in the future to be easy. I thought that multi-variable calculus was easier than algebra 1. Why? Because I was inexperienced in math back then. Now I'm not.</p>

<p>I tried for three years. It didn't work. I've resigned myself to that, and I'm moving on. I can't try and fail anymore. I have law school to worry about.</p>

<p>I like to forget my past failures, what's done is done. I suck at science, and that's that.</p>

<p>"I like to forget my past failures, what's done is done. I suck at science, and that's that."</p>

<p>Well, if you really feel like you can't handle science, you can go into law. But still, it better to be well rounded as that will lead you to many career options. plus, once you're in college, don't you have to take some math and science for general education?</p>

<p>I get out of math....AB Calc. As for science, I found a good professor....first thing he says the first day: "Why are you here? Oh yeah, they made you take the class." After this semester, I never have to take a science again.</p>

<p>As for career options, I figure I only need to be brilliant in one.</p>

<p>And you think your parents is tight? MY sister is forced to work 4 days a week on the end of year holiday, and she wants to go out to the beach for only one day in the summer holidays. But my parents don't let and yell at her and they don't talk for days, than my parents says to me "your sister is bad, don''t be like her" assss iff..</p>

<p>Shes in year 12 btw</p>

<p>This is such a deterministic thread.</p>

<p>No, it isn't. You would understand if you were Asian.</p>

<p>I am, thank you.</p>

<p>OK then I misinterpreted what you were saying. What did you mean?</p>

<p>This thread breeds statements in which people attribute events that occur to them to forces outside their control. Basically, they blame (or the positive equivalent) their parents.</p>

<p>So do you think there is any truth to the claim that a significant number of Asian parents (especially parents of children on CC) raise their children differently than most non-Asian parents?</p>

<p>I think most Asians would indeed agree that that's true. That's why I assumed you must not be Asian. Even if your Asian parents were nothing like the large number who raise their kids a certain way, you would at least know some of those parents from your community.</p>

<p>That claim is true, but a lot of people seem to be exaggerating the influences of the differences in parenting. And my parents are the stereotypical Asian parents, and they are a major influence on me, but their method of raising me will not determine everything major that occurs in my life.</p>

<p>haha...
i can relate, im half indian and only a freshman
my dad has already gotten me a huge sat study book and told me to study for the sats. ive told him hes crazy if he thinkis im gonna start now :P but have come to a compromise where i will start next year. its not something i can avoid haha.</p>