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Why adults still dream about school

theatlantic.com

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Re: Why adults still dream about school

#121

Post by lupire »

jaqalopes wrote: post #46
andirk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it related to the school and/or major? My major, Computer Science, was very difficult for me and I needed a lot of tutoring and couldn't miss anything. I saw some others not struggle at all through CS. Then I saw [redacted as to not be a jerk] majors and thought that was the easiest shit ever. The latter people shouldn't have any bad dreams of skating through Sociology. Whoops.

It may amuse you to know that, as a sociology major myself, I always envied my engineering school friends because they didn’t have to do nearly as much reading as me and it was possible for them to help one another on problem sets in a way that doesn’t make sense in writing-based liberal arts courses. The grass is always greener, I suppose!

Why can't you help your classmates with writing? You may have been doing it wrong.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#122

Post by flashgordon »

They do? I never actually was especially studious so had not much pressure to do well. Though I didn't party either and sat at the computer labs (in the physical library at high school) coding or learning new things to code. Quite enjoyed it actually. Lucked out that back down under engineering was a low demand course back in the day soon entry into college was easy (kids for some reason at the time dreamt of being accountants and actuaries!!)

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#123

Post by robertsdionne »

sharadov wrote: post #80
ryandrake wrote: post #61

I feel like this is because school, especially college, and particularly exams, is about as high-stakes as most people's lives ever get, so they look back at that time as peak-anxiety. Think about it: you're being evaluated and the result of that evaluation shapes the next step in the pipeline, and ultimately the trajectory of the rest of your life! Well, at least that's what the university officials, professors, you…

When am sufficiently stressed at work - a recurring dream I have is that I am in the exam room ready to take a test, but did not study or I have mixed up the dates and came prepared for the wrong subject. But overall school and college was a great experience - the tests and assignments sucked, but what I remember is the great friends that I made, the interesting people that I met and all the personal exploration that…

I have a recurring dream where the university revokes my diploma years after graduating because I actually somehow dropped out of all my classes and forgot to finish the final projects/exams.

That never happened, but I did drop a couple classes before the withdrawal deadline to fix the workload. It feels so real though.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#124

Post by lupire »

wwweston wrote: post #59
andirk wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it related to the school and/or major? My major, Computer Science, was very difficult for me and I needed a lot of tutoring and couldn't miss anything. I saw some others not struggle at all through CS. Then I saw [redacted as to not be a jerk] majors and thought that was the easiest shit ever. The latter people shouldn't have any bad dreams of skating through Sociology. Whoops.

Having dipped into the humanities and social sciences (but ultimately graduated with a Math degree), I'd say that the potential difficulties are different rather than absolute. You often have to do a TON of reading and synthesis in H or SS fields. Mind-boggling reading lists aren't uncommon. If you're lucky the prose is a friendly style. If not... well, you know that feeling of trying to take in a math text quickly?…

Humanities can be just as hard, but easier to bluff. In STEM wrong is obvious, and the only hope of skating by is if the teacher is forgiving with the expectations.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#125

Post by MonkeyMalarky »

curling_grad wrote: post #106
groffee wrote: post #9

Is this another American thing? I don't know anyone who ever dreams about school (non-US obviously)

S. Korean here. Dreamed about failing college entrance exam last night. Funnily enough, I thought this was a Korean thing...

I had a coworker from Vietnam tell me he still has nightmares about the university entrance exams. He has a PhD. Said it wasn't as stressful in comparison.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#126

Post by eru »

ryandrake wrote: post #61

I feel like this is because school, especially college, and particularly exams, is about as high-stakes as most people's lives ever get, so they look back at that time as peak-anxiety. Think about it: you're being evaluated and the result of that evaluation shapes the next step in the pipeline, and ultimately the trajectory of the rest of your life! Well, at least that's what the university officials, professors, you…

Eh, I still dream about school sometimes, and it was as low stakes as it can get for me.

I never studied for anything, never did any homework, and to enter university in Germany I just needed good enough grades to pass high school (Gymnasium). GPA was irrelevant.

Of course, I don't wake up with any cold sweat over it.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#127

Post by xen2xen1 »

progman32 wrote: post #55

My big problem with schools (and likely a contributor to my own nightmares) is how they treat themselves as arbiters of what is good and right, above parent's wishes, and especially above the people sitting in the classrooms. High schools should be treating their students as equals to their teachers at the very least. They're adults at this point, but the inhumane regimentation and arbitrary expectations continue. Th…

I have four teenage sons. "treating them as equals" is super, duper silly. Their brains are totally, completely not regulated enough to make good decisions still, and that only changes usually VERY close to graduation.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#128

Post by unsignedint »

yamtaddle wrote: post #30
norwalkbear wrote: post #2

Because modern American public schools are basically prisons and traumatized kids.

Bingo, it's the trauma. High school in particular was by far the most stressful sustained period of time in my life—I've had the odd day or week that might measure up, here and there, but never months in a row (at least you get Summers off). I've very quickly quit jobs that turned out to be a small fraction as stressful as high school was—they're vastly worse than a decent work environment, but still not as bad as hi…

And... the worst part is that you have to report to 5 ~ 6 "bosses" of whom, would assign homework as if they are student's only boss.

Re: Why adults still dream about school

#130

Post by xen2xen1 »

trasz wrote: post #33

Had the same problem, until one night I’ve realized - in my dream - that I’ve already graduated and I while I could still do all those things, like taking exams, their result won’t ever matter again. It happened once or twice again, with the same result, and it’s been gone ever since.

Sounds like directed dreaming, which is a possible cure for these dreams.
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