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When Should You Buy Your Kid A Laptop?
GuitarNeophyte writes "Marketwatch News reports that some people say that we should be buying our kids laptop computers well before they get into the higher education realm. Even as early as middle school. From the article: 'These days, it's almost unquestioned that college-bound students will tote laptops back to school. For parents of high school and middle school kids, the decision to invest in a laptop is far from given.'"
A notebook computer is a luxury; so is a computer for that matter. At a university, students are there because they want to be there; in middle school (and even high school), students are there because they are leagally required to be there. More important, teachers cannot assign homework that requires a computer more powerful than the school's computer labs, simply because it would put those students of a less wealthy background at a significant disadvantage.
The argument falls flat; computers are rarely shown to provide a better educational experience than books and paper; the only exception is computer programming... and those lower-education facilities that teach programming have the computers in the classroom.
Giving a notebook to a mid-school student is little more than a status symbol, a way for an affluent child of privilige to justify his arrogance and stroke his ego. It's also a good reason for a bully to assault (and possibly kill) someone to get the computer... or has it been so quickly forgotten that kids have been killed over athletic shoes and iPods already? I certainly know that would have been the case in my mid/high schools.
-- Sometimes you have to turn the lights off in order to see.
Let the little fucker buy it himself with a job. I bought my own fucking laptop the first time and i dont see why it should be different for the kids.
NO SIG
- I've been with my company for 5 years and you could fit all the hand written stuff I've done over the past 5 years on a single piece of paper.
How about personal notes, thank you notes, etc? A nicely handwritten note will do a lot more for your career than you ever thought possible.It takes time to WRITE a note and that gets noticed by the people to whom you write the notes. Make sure you're being sincere though, nothing worse than getting caught at false-flattery.
An while you're writing that note, iron your shirt. I was the king of "casual" and since I've stepped my wardrobe up a notch things have been going insanely well. I'm not talking about a 3-piece suit, try to dress at the same level of your senior management team and you'll start to get noticed quickly if you're in a business casual office and not already required to wear a shirt/tie/suit, etc. If you are, buy something a little nicer than the rank and file, quality really shows when it comes to clothes.
Seriously, buy some nice oxford shirts, take them to the cleaner to be pressed so you look nice and spiffy (i.e. professional) when you deliver your hand written note.
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