low aspirations or what?

[nix-j-c]

theres a girl in my class whose predicted a*'s in every subjects and so far on all her tests and courseworks she's got a*s. but she only wants to be a primary school teacher.

don't you think that someone of that intelligence should aim higher in life?

i am predicted a s and a couple of bs and i want to be a marine biologist/oceanographer and my teachers say that theres nothing stopping me and that i could quite easily be one. so why has she got suchlow asperations for life?

[bednobs]

what really puzzles me is how you or anybody can think of teaching as a low aspiration, compared to a marine biologist. ok, so ive only done a quick search but apparently marine biologists start on 14 grand whereas teachers start on 20. headteachers can earn up to about 75 grand, whereas a really specialist marine biologist with a Phd can get 50 grand. so its not by pay
Also while teachers are shaping the minds f the future, "Marine biologists often work analysing, classifying and counting bacteria, plankton, algae and less glamorous creatures such as shrimps, worms and fish larvae" so its not by glamour.
so what are you basing your comparisons on? if its by job satisfaction, well you both want to do what you want to do so hopefully will be equally satisfied

[stonekicker]

personally, i could think of worse things to be than a primary school teacher, in a little village where i grew up, happily married, couple of kids running in the yard, chickens and a goat etc. come back in ten years and tell us if you are a marine biologist! i bet you won't be...you will be poor from uni fees, with a useless degree and having sold your soul to the devil (like a sales company or something) for a crappy graduate job instead of pursuing a dream (albeit a simple one) where you would be as happy as the other person you describe. good luck...you'll need it with an attitude like yours...

[nix-j-c]

I don't know where you've got your numbers from but the jobs at the centre near us go up to 85k a year.

Anyway its not just about counting bacteria and plankton ect. my uncle works there and says that many of the people get to go off on boats to all kinds of places doing research.

And by the way - sorry for the bad grammar and spelling last night because i was only half concerntrating on AB because i'm revising for my exams, one of which is in 12 days.

[nix-j-c]

I think that I forgot to mention that the CEFAS centre is one of . . . hangon think . . . no the biggest employer in the area. people in the village either work at the CEFAS centre, at the school, one of the few shops or pubs or comute to the city.

[mrs_overall]

Is it just me or am I getting the message that nix is saying "I'm better than she is?"

I think you are deluded about the life of a marine biologist, and by the way, marine biology and oceanography may sound similar but they are not. It's a bit like comparing biology and geography.
I feel qualified to comment on this because my degree is in marine biology (Leeds University). If you see yourself swanning about in a beautiful exotic location then you are in for a shock. When I was doing my degree I spent a lot of time on field trips freezing my butt off. Does surveying sea urchins in the Orkneys sound exotic? The first overseas field trip I did was to Malawi, which is still primitive. All of us who went contracted various illnessess - mine was paratyphoid salmonella.
It is a very competitive field, with lots of people chasing very few jobs. Please let me stress again, it is NOT the glamorous life you envisage.
I'm not trying to put you off, if this truly is your dream, but I think you are wearing rose tinted spectacles.

[TCL-MUMPING]

"I think that I forgot to mention that the CEFAS centre is one of . . . hangon think . . . no the biggest employer in the area. people in the village either work at the CEFAS centre, at the school, one of the few shops or pubs or comute to the city"

You also forgot to tell us what CEFAS is. It�s the Centre for Environment, Fisheries & Aquaculture Science (which is part of the civil service.)

Think of education in the terms of a building. If the foundations of that building are not properly laid, what will happen to? The construction will reach a certain level and no further or it will collapse.

With strong foundations that building can be anything, a wee house or the tallest building in the world.

By teaching wee ones, she is laying the foundations of an education and the potential to be whatever the wee ones want to be, whether it be a �wee house� or the �tallest building in the world.�

[nix-j-c]

if marine bilogy and oceanography are so different how come i've seen a number of people on the tele calling themselves both?

[nix-j-c]

If she's predicted straight a*s how can i be better than her?

i'm merely saying that someone of her calibre could become a genius making ground breaking discoveries or saving peoples' lives.

[albaqwerty]

what is marine bilogy?

[Schutzengel]

Why are you so concerned with what this young lady plans to do with her life. Wouldn't it be far better to concentrate on your own education and what you wish to do when you grow up. Discussing this matter at such great length with strangers does seem rather odd, and to an impartial observer it appears to be based on jealousy.

[nix-j-c]

why would i be jealous. yes she's probably going to get better grade than me but i want to be a ground breaking scientist.

i brought this up because i thought that it was that someone with so much potential wants to be so humble.

[nix-j-c]

i thought it was odd.

sorry my grammars going bad again. i'm revising some more!

[albaqwerty]

morning schutz :) how's frankie? x

[Schutzengel]

albaqwerty. Thanks Frankie is improving by leaps and bounds. Have posted update on the other thread. Schutz.

[jno]

the way you're thinking would lead to the teaching profession being populated by people with Cs and Ds (and worse). That's no good; imagine if classes of 7-year-olds were held back because their teachers were dim. They might never catch up.You really need the brightest teachers to enthuse them about education.

[sqad617]

LOl LOL LOL....you certainly have awakened the "sleeping giants" of AB and you have come out , in my opinion, with wit, sense and decorum........well done.

Nothing wrong with Marine Biology.
Nothing wrong with Primary school teaching, each to his/her own.

If my daughter had predictions of 3A's then yes, I would feel that she should opt for something more acadamic than a Primary School teacher, providing that we are comparing academic attainments.

So nix....it is just you and me.

[Schutzengel]

nix. I wish you the best of luck with your ambitions. However, don't you think it would be far better if you got on with your revision, because good results in your exams are what is important for you at the moment. Everybody, without exception has to make their own way in the world, and with high ambitions such as you have, that means knuckling down and getting on with the hard work, and not wasting time concerning yourself with what other people want to do with their lives. If your dreams are to be fulfilled you have a long hard road ahead of you, and I wish you every success. So get on with it. Schutz.

[sqad617]

LOL LOL Schultz.........surely he can have a break from "swatting" to view the real world through the eyes of ANSWERBANK..............this would also add to his education.

[legenddotcom]

This has to be one of the latest batch of windups from made up profiles.

Either that or an incredibly conceited nasty b1tchy teenager with very little between their ears.


I suspect someone is sitting laughing at the input from everyone believing they are pulling folks strings.


I sincerely hope this is a fake profile and not some nasty teenager about to go forth into the employment market.

[MWB]

"Imagination is more important than knowledge."

Albert Einstein.