Rabid wrote:Commander 598 wrote:What I really think this guy needs is his high school guidance counselor
That's probably the very person who got him into this mess. :p
Everyone's going to college plans at my HS were handled by the Guidance Counselor, a white haired old woman (Who may have been pretty overworked), and though well meaning, probably knew fuck all about what she was signing all those kids up for and/or how useful it would be after they get out of college.
Sadly, I have to agree. I don't know if it's the same situation in the US, but here in France, from my personal experience, you'd better be guided by an 'Eight Ball' than by a Guidance Counselor. It's sad, but I think it's one of these occupation where they put those who were judged unfit to do anything else. I hope I'm wrong, but from what I've seen, it seems likely.
I would like to think that, when confronted with a student who struggles with arithmetic, a competent guidance counselor would not counsel their charges to go on to college-level computer programming. That one of them clearly did tells me that one of the assumptions I made in the previous sentence must be in error.
Anyway, back on topic. From my experience (I'm twenty and still in the educational system), I'm 95% confident this guy is of the "Man, chill out, I know what I'm doing. You'll see..."-type, and who then fail miserably and never understand why (or just refuse to honestly face the fact that they are doing it the wrong way).
At this point, there is almost no chance that he could change his way, or reconsider his objectives.
Maybe if your speech skill or your luck score is high enough...
I spoke with him again today, and while I didn't bring out the heavy artillery I did try to understand more about how he got to where he is at the moment. It's worth noting that his formative years were spent in Nigeria, and didn't come to Canada until he was about 13. He also said the the last math class he took was calculus, and he somehow managed to pass that without the ability to do arithmetic. Frankly I'm skeptical that that was completely on the up and up, but if I take it at face value, it tells me that he has the ability to pass something if it's important enough. When I described to him the folly of attempting to pass a new set of courses with the same work ethic I witnessed him demonstrate in his current set, he acknowledged that that model wouldn't work, and that he would keep his laptop closed except when called upon to use it. So at minimum he has at least appreciated the fact that his current level of effort is insufficient to the task of passing college-level courses. What still concerns me is his aptitude, even if his attitude is still somewhat suspect.
I estimate the possibility of notable positive change around 1 over 60. And the possibility of a radical positive change is about 1 over 800.
I can be pretty persuasive with this bunch. They seem to view me as the wise old man, especially since I can reason or debate them into the ground if I have to. But I'm under no illusions; I have nothing to offer but a bleak look at his future.
Myself, if I'd have to make him succeed, I'd choose chock treatment : Butt kicking an math-brainwashing, among other things. What a guy like this need isn't sympathy or understanding ; it's Rigor and Discipline.
These are character traits, rather than skills, and I think that it's probably too late to instill a work ethic in this kid. I don't think that his skillset and character traits are up to the path he wants to take, but ultimately it's not my problem, and it never was. As of January he won't be at my college anymore. I just hate the idea of someone wasting time and money on a fruitless quest. It offends me; folding my arms and watching someone go off to their doom just doesn't sit well. At the very least, I feel that I have to give him the benefit of my experience, and if he still chooses doom, well, I'll have done everything I could.
73% of all statistics are made up, including this one.
I'm waiting as fast as I can.
