Monday Links from the Science Park vol. CXC

[NickFitz]

its not the Bolshoi, its a dance school. She has won the UK nationals & Internationals?

'Exceptional' not 'good'.

By that attitude, anybody who doesn't get a scholarship to Oxbridge should not bother with higher education and instead accept their lot as a street sweeper

[socialworker]

It would surprise me if the dance school didnt have arrangements for 16 to 18s to do a couple of A levels on the side.

[vetran]

By that attitude, anybody who doesn't get a scholarship to Oxbridge should not bother with higher education and instead accept their lot as a street sweeper

quite the reverse, if they are truly destined to become the world's best selling dancer making millions then they can be relaxed about University. If they are going to just scrape by or there is a risk I suspect life will be smoother with some backup qualifications.

What I said was if they were exceptional it might make sense to defer education. Good or mediocre not so much.

What she is saying is 'Hardship made me what I am, so its good enough for my Daughter'.

I'm saying 'Mediocrity and hard work made me what I am, for my Daughter I want her to fly and even if she finds out that she isn't that good at flying I want her to be able to cruise in comfort on top of decent qualifications!'

the reality is Good is not enough, in performing arts you need exceptional, too many 'wannabe', some of them are lucky as well.

[NickFitz]

quite the reverse, if they are truly destined to become the world's best selling dancer making millions then they can be relaxed about University. If they are going to just scrape by or there is a risk I suspect life will be smoother with some backup qualifications.

What I said was if they were exceptional it might make sense to defer education. Good or mediocre not so much.

What she is saying is 'Hardship made me what I am, so its good enough for my Daughter'.

I'm saying 'Mediocrity and hard work made me what I am, for my Daughter I want her to fly and even if she finds out that she isn't that good at flying I want her to be able to cruise in comfort on top of decent qualifications!'

the reality is Good is not enough, in performing arts you need exceptional, too many 'wannabe', some of them are lucky as well.

I think we need a :strawman: smiley. I'd need to deploy half-a-dozen or so to respond to that

Just to lighten the mood, here's a link I considered including: last week, Martin Manley killed himself on his 60th birthday, publishing his reasons for doing so along with his autobiography as a website the same day. Puts the allegedly-life-ruining career choices of a sixteen-year-old girl in perspective, doesn't it? Martin Manley Life and Death - Home

[EternalOptimist]

Regrets. It's all about regrets isn't it ?

Well, I know people who have followed the dream and wished they had gone for education, and people who went to uni and wished they hadn't.

Personally , I regret bitterly a couple of decisions I made. And I get down on my knees and thank the stars for a couple of others

[Bunk]

Regrets. It's all about regrets isn't it ?

Well, I know people who have followed the dream and wished they had gone for education, and people who went to uni and wished they hadn't.

Personally , I regret bitterly a couple of decisions I made. And I get down on my knees and thank the stars for a couple of others

Regrets, I've had a few
But then again, too few to mention

[Spacecadet]

To quote the infinitely quotable Frank Herbert:

Caution is the path to mediocrity. Gliding, passionless mediocrity is all that most people think they can achieve.

[Mich the Tester]

quite the reverse, if they are truly destined to become the world's best selling dancer making millions then they can be relaxed about University. If they are going to just scrape by or there is a risk I suspect life will be smoother with some backup qualifications.

What I said was if they were exceptional it might make sense to defer education. Good or mediocre not so much.

Trouble is, with dancing as in high level sport, you have to get into a club or company at a high level before you can find out whether you're;

- good, but not exceptional
- exceptional, but injury prone
- exceptional and you make it
- good, and able to make it on sheer blood and guts and some good luck along the way

At 16, athletes (and I include dancers) might look gifted but it'll take some time before you find out just how good you are, or are not. Happily there's still time to get qualifications to do something else once you're in your 20s. If you want to find out how good you are, you have to take the chance when it presents itself.

[EternalOptimist]

If you dont give it a shot, you'll never know how good you are



'I coulda bin a contender'

[eek]

If you dont give it a shot, you'll never know how good you are



'I coulda bin a contender'

Unless you try you'll never know.