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Eleven things students did not & will not learn in school

Although this speech by Bill Gates has been circulating for many years, it is a timeless piece that is worth sharing with every graduate year after year.

Bill Gates gave a speech at a high school about eleven things students did not and will not learn in school.  He talks about how feel-good, politically correct teachings created a generation of kids with no concept of reality and how this concept may set them up for failure in the real world.

"Rule 1: Life is not fair--get used to it!

Rule 2: The world doesn't care about your self-esteem.  The world will expect you to accomplish
something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.

Rule 3: You will NOT make $60,000 a year right out of high school  You won't be vice-president with a car phone until you earn both.

Rule 4: If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss.

Rule 5: Flipping burger is not beneath your dignity.  Your grandparents had a different word for burger flipper; they called it opportunity.

Rule 6: If you mess up, it's not your parents' fault, so don't whine about your mistakes, learn from them.

Rule 7: Before you were born, your parents weren't as boring as they are now.  They got that way from paying your bills, cleaning your clothes and listening to you talk about how coo you thought you were.  So before you save the rain forest from the parasites of your parent's generation, try delousing the closet in your own room.

Rule 8: Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life HAS NOT.  In some schools they have abolished failing grades and they'll give you as MANY TIMES as you want to get the right answer.  This doesn't bear the slightest resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.

Rule 9: Life is not divided into semesters.  You don't get summers off and very few employers are interested in helping you FIND YOURSELF.  Do that on your own time.

Rule 10: Television is NOT real life.  In real life people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.

Rule 11: Be nice to nerds.  Chances are you'll end up working for one."

Common-sense wisdom.

Renee Madison, MA, LPC, CSAT is a counselor in Colorado.  She can be reached for appointments at 303-257-7623 or 970-324-6928.

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