Afternooning (even though it's evening here. Hell I just like that word, OK?)

[Joseph]

My name is Joseph McDonald. I am a 16-year-old college student from the pleasant town of Letchworth which is just north of London. I am half English half Cornish (not the same thing, I assure you ) living with my Mum and Dad, my Sister, and my elderly Cat.

I am studying English Literature, History, Sociology, and Psychology at college, and my absolute dream is to become a published writer. However realistically I don't know what job I will get when I'm older and at the moment, I'm just studying the subjects I'm interested in.

Favourite Books: The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins.
Favourite Authors: Suzanne Collins, J K Rowling, Robert Muchamore, Anthony Horowitz
Favourite Music: Usually whatever is playing on the radio although I have a preference for eighties music.
Favourite Movies/TV Shows: The Rise of Hitler, Downton Abbey, Pillars of the Earth (told you I was into history)

I am writing a story called The Hawkland Chronicles which is a historical/fantasy/romance/every/other/genre/you/can/think/of story. So yeah, it has a bit of everything. I've been writing this story since January 2011 although this past month I've been reorganising and reinventing the story. Formerly named Tenebridge, I launched the new story (or sequel since it is one really) today coincidentally, and a recap of Tenebridge is up on the blog.

And that is me...

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

You're 16 and you're in college? Ok I'm moving to England.

 

[Joseph]

I'm 17 next month and officially I've left school. I just decided to come back because there's, like, no jobs here.

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

Sorry I misunderstood you. Looked it up before realizing that college in the UK is not the same thing as college in the US. I feel very stupid.

 

[Joseph]

Don't worry about it. Easy mistake to make

 

[Hëradïn]

what we call college they call university, or uni for short. anyway welcome!

 

[Xavorn]

Hello,

I know this isn't the proper place to ask this, but could someone clear the U.S. school system for me? For example, junior high school is grades 7 to 9, after which you can go to (upper) high school?

For some weird reason it seems to me that "college" is translated as three different schools in Finnish, and to be honest I've never been taught this throughoutly.

Anyway, Joseph, I don't know how you feel it, but as I'm 17 and so pretty much in the same situation as you, I warmly welcome you to the forums. YAs are for some "way too young to start writing", but they're to be proven wrong, if already have not been.

It's nice to hear you're into history; even though I can't remember all lessons of history very well, I still find it interesting, especially the various events that occured at the World War II.

-Xavorn

 

[myrddin173]

I know this isn't the proper place to ask this, but could someone clear the U.S. school system for me? For example, junior high school is grades 7 to 9, after which you can go to (upper) high school?

That depends on where you are. Where I am there's elementary school K-5, middle school 6-8, and high school 9-12. Generally kids start Kindergarten around age 4/5 and graduate around 17/18. Then it is off to college/university which here are interchangeable terms.

Also welcome to the boards!

 

[Xavorn]

Hello,

That depends on where you are. Where I am there's elementary school K-5, middle school 6-8, and high school 9-12. Generally kids start Kindergarten around age 4/5 and graduate around 17/18. Then it is off to college/university which here are interchangeable terms.

Well, I wanted to get known to the school system in the States.

Also, are all those values ages or grades?

-Xavorn

 

[Joseph]

Thanks for the warm welcome, everyone

Xavorn People who say that YAs are too young to be writing are probably the same people who think YAs are responsible for pretty much every crime going on in the world. Best to ignore them.

I love history, especially WW2! I find modern history so much more interesting than medieval history (even though I'm writing a medieval story). There is so much going on at the time, for example, the holocaust, the war China was fighting with Japan before WW2 began, the rise of communism. Yeah I know pretty much everything there is to know about that time period lol.

Everyone I don't really know a whole lot about other country's schooling systems so I can't really be of any help in any way. However it is true that what the Americans call college, we call University (or uni).

Thanks again everyone

 

[myrddin173]

@Xavorn the first three are grades the others are ages.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

Pre School Ages 2-4
Kintergarden Ages 4-5

Grades:
1-4 (Grade School)
5-6 ( Middleschool)
7- 8 (Jr. High School)
9-12 (High School)

9 - Freshman
10 - Sophmore
11 - Jr.
12 - Senior

Welcome to the space


Jr High

 

[Xavorn]

Hello,

7- 8 (Jr. High School)
9-12 (High School)

Geez, next we get to argue about the senior year in high school. For sure it somehow varies when compared between the two.

-Xavorn

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

I guess it is different in different places within the states then... didn't know that. Everywhere I have ever been or known people from in the U.S. has this system:

Pre-school/Pre-K
K-5 elementary
6-8 Middle School
9-12 High School

Then people either attend a college or join the work force. Pretty much everyone I know will graduate from high school at 18. Then a normal college education is four years, more for some degrees, and then someone can attend a post-graduate university to get a higher degree.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

I atteneded a closed school system back home.
All our schools were on the same campus, the whole district was bused in, and they used what I posted...
Perhaps other places do it different.
The middle school and Early El buildings housed specific grades pre K and K had their own building 7-9 were in the "old Middle school" and the new HS housed 10-12 + the music department for all grades.
We had way back in the day 7 buildings on campus, I hear they have added quite a few more over the years.

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

I'm just curious where and when you went to school. Also, was it private or public? I'm in public now in Georgia.

 

[The Blue Lotus]

I went to school in rual Michigan dear.
It was a public/private system meaning that anyone in the district could attend for free but they had to meet a specific set of criteria.
IE live in the district, maintain specific grades etc.

Acctualy it was a decent school until the new super removed the criteria and allowed school of choice (with detroit) that is when all the riff raff started showing up and things went to heck in a hand basket. well that and the (Unneeded) budget cuts that forced crappy teachers into the classrooms.
I left the system at that time, once drugs and gang members started showing up I was done. I finished my education @ an alternitive school graduating with honors. Magna Cum Laude.

Now most of the people that went to school there that have kids won't send their kids there which is sad.

My kids all go to magnet schools which is pretty much the same concept. The only difference being that they have to "Apply" to attend.

 

[Elder the Dwarf]

That's very interesting, thanks for sharing. And congratulations that's quite an achievement!