Erin Hoops

Tom Shields (the author) on the court one Sunday afternoon, naturally playing basketball, a sport he loves.

Why Stay In School?

A view from the other side of graduation.

by Tom Shields

(from an Advocate article, April 14, 2001

Vol. 123, No. 15, Page 14 - reprinted with full permissions)

High school kids may not read this paper( the Erin Advocate), but if they do I have something very important to tell them - high school is amazing!  High school provided me with some of the best times in my entire life.  To all those rushing to get out of school to join the work force, slow down.  I'm going to let you in on a little secret: work sucks.  I have yet to meet the person who doesn't wish they were still in school, because high school is freedom.

I remember when I'd be doing a typical school exercise I thought was trivial and I'd think, "man 1 can't wait to leave this dump."  I guarantee that no matter how pointless the school work may seem, it is nothing like the mindless repetitive crap you will probably have to do at a future place of employment.

The simple fact is that math questions are much more stimulation than bending bird cage wire for seven and a half-hours per day.  Not only that but you can't give your boss attitude like you can a teacher.  No matter how miserable and ignorant your boss is, you have to treat him as if he is the best thing since sliced bread, even if he walks funny and looks like a pirate.  (That description is purely hypothetical.)

Maybe you are ready to move on.  Maybe school isn't for you, but enjoy the lifestyle while you can because for most of us freedom like that only comes around once in a lifetime.  Don't wait out school, enjoy it.  While you're there you might consider applying yourself as an option because someone's gonna have to bend that birdcage wire for a ridiculously low salary, and it's not going to be the ones who go to college or university.  Think about it.