All-Star Random Cheerleading Questions

[njallday]

Well, the bolded part makes sense given that the government pays for you to go to school. The Scottish government is obviously going to want a solid return on their investment (you), so they're not going to pay for anyone but the top students to go to school. It would be pointless to pay for zipperheads (for lack of a better term) to go to school only to have them fail/drop out.

There are schools that have basically zero requirements to get in--I know some community colleges don't require any form of the SAT or standardized tests. Honestly, I think it's too easy to go to college in the US--some students think they're cut out for it, they're not, and then they fail out with no job, no degree, and a ton of debt. I wish trade schools were emphasized more--plumbers and electricians cannot be outsourced, for instance.

i also think that because it is so easy to get into school it has devalued the bachelor degree. a bachelors used to put you ahead, now it is considered entry level. you need a masters to be able to hang in a lot of fields, which never used to be the norm. unless you're going ivy league, you can pretty much get into the school of your choice (within reason.) i was top 10% of my gigantic graduating class and got accepted to every school i applied to, but i was also realistic about my expectations.

speaking of debt... FAFSA just e-mailed me to let me know that i am accruing $6 a day in interest while in school. i calculated out, that with interest i'll be paying well over a million dollars once my loans are paid off. WHAT?! all for two letters after my name... $3000 a month for 30 years. haahahah i just want to cry at the thought, so instead i laugh.

 

[AndrewSky]

Do you think the number of people attending University in the US would be higher if it wasn't so expensive?
Can some people just not afford it?

As someone from the UK, I'm a little bitter all of my cousins are in school for free and my first two years have cost more than a standard British house.

 

[Dixie]

@Jennie My son is about to graduate from a Southern private university. We pay just under $100k a year. Tuition pays everything (again, private university, so no aid from the government): Professor salaries, building maintenance, grounds crews, electric bills, new technology for classrooms and library, repaving parking lots, salaries, taxes and insurance for anyone on the payroll, etc. Most recently we have been chipping in for the President George W Bush library and a huge new residential commons which just opened. He doesn't live on campus so that doesn't include room and board. Tuition is based on 18 hours. Any hours above that are 'free', so he takes 22 or 24 hours each semester and is graduating a year early!
There are about 8,000 students total freshman through grad student so fewer kids paying means higher bills. I was told at orientation that 8,000-10,000 incoming freshmen apply each year. 5,000 are admitted as freshmen. So many do not return due to grades, cost, whatever... The rest move up to become part of the 3,000 soph/jr/sr/grad students and 5,000 new freshmen enter the next year. If you survive the first year your class sizes are just a handful of students for each professor so you get a quality education and make lots of contacts for when you graduate.



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[rrhhiannon]

You guys have to pay 25k + for University?!!!?!!!??! What does that money cover?

Here in Scotland I go to University for free (Everybody does, the Government covers it all). I pay 3k per year for accommodation and roughly 1k a year on food + other expenses. You have all just made me feel very lucky and thankful for the government.

Do you need a roommate I'm on the way!

Just kidding, my school is only about 8000 + rent and groceries each year so it's not that bad, 50,000 is crazy!


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[Jennie]

Do you need a roommate I'm on the way!

Just kidding, my school is only about 8000 + rent and groceries each year so it's not that bad, 50,000 is crazy!


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Crazy thing is though that I forgot to say earlier - its only Scottish citizens that can get free college/university education in Scotland. It encourages a lot of Scottish people to stay in Scotland for their further education, but doesn't encourage foreigners/people from the rest of the uk much because they would still have to pay.

P.S I completely forgot reading this thread that there is a dollars to pounds exchange rate. So when you guys were saying 50k I was thinking of 50k in £ not $! £50k is $85k which is why I was so so shocked! :stupid:

 

[a_cheer_leaderxo]

You guys have to pay 25k + for University?!!!?!!!??! What does that money cover?

Here in Scotland I go to University for free (Everybody does, the Government covers it all). I pay 3k per year for accommodation and roughly 1k a year on food + other expenses. You have all just made me feel very lucky and thankful for the government.

I am so so so jealous of you guys in Scotland! I mean, I know £9000 (not inc expenses) a year is still nowhere near as much as most of the US colleges mentioned on here but it's still a lot and we don't really have huge scholarships like they do in the US. In fact, I read an article the other dauly which said more British students are opting for top American unis rather than Oxbridge/Russell Group unis because it was easier to get scholarships. Once upon a time you didn't have to pay for uni in England but those days are looong gone!

 

[xtremeteal4life]

i also think that because it is so easy to get into school it has devalued the bachelor degree. a bachelors used to put you ahead, now it is considered entry level. you need a masters to be able to hang in a lot of fields, which never used to be the norm. unless you're going ivy league, you can pretty much get into the school of your choice (within reason.) i was top 10% of my gigantic graduating class and got accepted to every school i applied to, but i was also realistic about my expectations.

speaking of debt... FAFSA just e-mailed me to let me know that i am accruing $6 a day in interest while in school. i calculated out, that with interest i'll be paying well over a million dollars once my loans are paid off. WHAT?! all for two letters after my name... $3000 a month for 30 years. haahahah i just want to cry at the thought, so instead i laugh.

Tbh I don't think getting into college easier is the main reason for the lack of value in earning a degree; I think it's bc college has become too easy and the standards for passing have been lowered. I say this bc I originally started at a university 17 years ago, but after my mom got sick I put it on hold to help take care of her, then resumed my studies only a few years ago- and the difference is astounding (and not in a good way).

 

[CheerBank]

Tbh I don't think getting into college easier is the main reason for the lack of value in earning a degree; I think it's bc college has become too easy and the standards for passing have been lowered. I say this bc I originally started at a university 17 years ago, but after my mom got sick I put it on hold to help take care of her, then resumed my studies only a few years ago- and the difference is astounding (and not in a good way).

The lack of value in a college degree also has to do with people choosing majors that give them specific skills for nothing, coupled with the ridiculously high amount owed in student loans that are almost impossible to repay with most entry level positions. Imho there is also an extreme sense of entitlement in that many college graduates feel many jobs are beneath them because they now have that piece of paper that states they are a college graduate (I saw that with several of my cousins when they were job hunting after graduating).

@Jennie @RobinSparkles How much taxes does one pay (what percentage of income or parent's income) that allows you to attend uni for very little? I believe it may be somewhere upwards of 40-50% compared to the US.

 

[Jessicaa]

Sweden also have free universities, the only thing we pay is school supplies (like books) and living expenses. But we pay 30% tax each salary :S

But i'm actually attending a community college in the us this fall :) a little price difference but so worth it


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[cheerKT]

States here have made strides to help tuition costs, but tuition has just skyrocketed at a rate the government assistance can't match. In SC we got a lottery in the late 90s/early 2000s. With it came an education assistance program that every student who qualified and went to an instate school was awarded $5000 a year to attend school. The requirements weren't crazy hard, majority of my friends had no problem getting it. (You had to meet 2 of the following 3 requirements - graduate with a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, 1100 or higher on the SAT or graduate top 30% of your class) Then keep a 3.0 or higher in college to keep in every year.

The issue is, when this was launched that money nearly covered all instate tuition. Now here we are in 2014 and that's not even a drop in the bucket. It didn't even cover half of my tuition every semester. But due to budget cuts/etc. they've never been able to up the awarded amount.

 

[omgitssydthekid]

My tuition is roughly $25,000 for the year at a small private university. But I have a $10,000 academic scholarship so we actually end up paying about $7,500 a semester. That's the rate for 12-18 credit hours, you have to get approved to take more than 18 credit hours because a good number of the classes at my school are accelerated courses. Room and board was $8000 I think, but I don't live on campus anymore. Our meal plan was $2000.


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[cheermomforever]

I think it does not matter if u pay $8000 or $100,000, u have to get a degree in what u want to do with your future and enjoy it. Also u have to want to go to school instead of going because "it is the thing to do." Sometimes it is better to go to a technical school for a career than spending gobs of $ at a college and have no job. My Cp will be attending Paul Mitchell school after she graduates next year because she loves hair and make up. My son is at Uconn and loves that! Everyone is different and should pick what is a good fit for them.


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[Jennie]

@Jennie @RobinSparkles How much taxes does one pay (what percentage of income or parent's income) that allows you to attend uni for very little? I believe it may be somewhere upwards of 40-50% compared to the US.

I believe its
£0-£31,865= 20%
£31,866-£150,000 = 40%
Over £150,000 = 45%.

This is for the whole of the UK though and England, Wales and NI all have to pay tuition fees, just Scottish citizens at Scottish Universities that don't.

Edit - and anyone in full time education doesn't pay taxes - I don't know whether that's the same World Wide.

 

[CaliChar]

What exactly are the sections of routines people refer to as "elites" and "partner stunts" and other names like that? I always hear people talking about teams when they have trouble with their elites or how a stunt in the "quantity" section did not go up, what does this mean? This is probably a dumb question but I've been in this sport for many years and I cannot for the life of me figure it out! :oops:

 

[luv2cheer92]

What exactly are the sections of routines people refer to as "elites" and "partner stunts" and other names like that? I always hear people talking about teams when they have trouble with their elites or how a stunt in the "quantity" section did not go up, what does this mean? This is probably a dumb question but I've been in this sport for many years and I cannot for the life of me figure it out! :oops:

Using a small team of 20 for example. The elite is the main stunt sequence in the routine. Typically this would be putting up 5 stunts and its the most difficult skills. Partner stunting is typically coed stunting or coed style because you do see girls basing it now. The quantity section is where you put up as many stunts as you can, so it would be 6 on a team of 20. This stunt usually isn't as difficult as the "elite" but there are more of them hence "quantity".


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