Offered job yesterday that pays less and feeling stumped…

For context, I’ve been unemployed since June this yr after being fired from the first job that I actually wanted to stay at. It was in financial aid, the role was very stressful but the company culture made it worth it. The company was based in UT and considering I’m in FL, pay was better. I started at $25 and the rate increased to $27 after the annual review. It was student-facing, and the role that was offered yesterday was a processor role, which is on the backend/ideal for an introvert like myself. The highest that could be offered was $22 (45k annually) based on my experience and that’s quite the difference annually compared to my last role. I talked to my mom and she suggested that I go through with it, considering the job market sucks terribly. I’m not trying to sound ungrateful but considering how I put the last company on a pedestal (even after they canned me) and how I’ll be making less…is just discouraging.

I’ve been living with my mom for the past few years, I’m saving up after selling my condo and looking to eventually upsize. I haven’t received unemployment yet, I’m waiting on the appeal process and it’s still pending. It can take up to 3 months to get an appeal date and I’m still waiting for it to be scheduled. I’ve been receiving food stamps to get some kind of assistance while I’ve been unemployed and have been living off my savings. I just got the offer letter and will go through with it, only because I’m scared about finding a job in the future and this would be my first role in higher education that’s not student facing/most interactions would just be with the staff. Worst case, I can quit if I don’t like it and keep looking like I’ve already been. But I can just hear my dad say “why would you accept a job offer that pays less?”. Thoughts?

Submitted October 2, 2026 at 05:40PM by Dsg1695 https://ift.tt/lBam6fw

Hot take: Most high schools should be eliminated

After completing 8 grades, students should pick one of 3 paths:

1) vocational school (for trades)

2) straight to College / University (which should be 1-2 years longer to include preparatory years, in which only those things that are required from high school would be taught)

3) straight to work (if someone is happy doing low skilled physical or office work)

Most of the stuff we learn in high school is unnecessary for University and we forget it anyway. And it lasts too long and can be quite hard... to the point that once you're ready for college, many students already had enough of studying.

So better to skip high school, go to college immediately from elementary school, and it should be transformed so that it can accomodate younger students.

Submitted October 1, 2026 at 07:45AM by hn-mc https://ift.tt/cmhVaFL

What Hot Take Do You Have About Education?

Submitted October 1, 2026 at 05:00AM by Initial_Catch1312 https://ift.tt/GdUkL3v

Any advice on universities and degrees for marine biology and mycology in Australia?

I am a year 11 student in NSW Australia (technically year 12 as of next term). I have been passionate about studying science my entire life, particularly marine biology. I've grown up at the beach, surfing and snorkelling. I'm really passionate about marine conservation and love to watch any documentaries and read books that are ocean related. However, every person I speak to who has studied marine biology, or knows someone who has, always tells me about how competitive the field is, and that most end up doing tour guides on boats. Fun as that sounds, would really love to be actually doing science and research projects. The Australian government website says that there are only 760 employed marine biologists in Australia.

In the past few years I have become really interested in mycology. I've been reading lots of books, watching documentaries, taken courses and seen Merlin Sheldrake speak. It seems like such an understudied field with a lot more jobs than marine biology seems to have. However, I'm not sure if I would have to permanently live away from the coast if I pursued this path.

I'm really torn and I feel like I have to make up my mind soon so I know what degrees to apply for. Does anyone have any advice for which Universities are best for each degree and/or if there are double degrees that might allow me to do both? I don't really understand the application process, I know you can apply for early entry in year 11 but my school hasn't told me anything about it. I just don't want to miss the window.

Extra info: I take year 12 maths advanced and Chemistry, and year 11 biology, physics, and advanced English. I am a high achiever, so getting the required ATAR for these degrees shouldn't be an issue. Scholarships would be great.

Submitted October 1, 2026 at 03:58AM by loser_loony https://ift.tt/oLYJaIU

How do I get a diploma as a 'drop out'?

I don't know what to do. I want to graduate with a normal diploma rather than a GED, but everything I search for is usually a GED. I'm only 19 right now, but I do turn 20 this year.

When I was a senior in high school, my mental health was doing horribly. I was having panic attacks, I couldn't be in the classrooms because I'd feel nauseous from the amount of people, I was beginning to self-harm, and I was just doing everything on auto-pilot. I had finished my first semester of senior year, and only needed the second one to graduate. But my Counselor was putting so much pressure on me that I just couldn't handle going to school without feeling sick.

I would've been able to graduate easily I feel if I had went to high school completely, but I wasn't able to. I had to skip sophomore year because my parents were fighting really badly. My mom went to rehab and my father was a truck driver, so he was never home for more than a day every week, meaning I had to take care of my two younger siblings (ages 6 and 8 at the time) and keep the house clean or else I'd get in trouble. They kept saying they'd enroll me, or that we'd move and I'd get enrolled a little late for 10th grade, but they never did and I just never got to go to 10th grade at all.

When I finally did get enrolled in school, I asked to redo 10th grade, but my Counselor said that I couldn't. She also told me if I didn't pass all of my classes with at least an A in every class, that I wouldn't be able to stay enrolled in that school anymore. I was still taking care of my siblings, still cooking and cleaning, and on top of that I had all of my classes to complete. I think I did pretty well for my Junior year with all of that pressure, but even then my social anxiety and depression were picking up terribly fast. My counselor and my parents were putting so much pressure on me that I almost tried to commit suicide.

My parents then took me out of school, even though I only had that last half of senior year to do. I don't remember how many credits I needed, I don't remember my SATs scores or anything, and I still haven't been able to get the therapy or medication I need. I haven't even been able to get properly diagnosed again after 6th grade. But I want to go back, I want to finish my diploma because I know I'm capable of doing it. I was always a 'gifted' child in school, so I know I'm not too dumb to do it.

I just don't know if I can. Is there some way I can get my diploma still, or do I really have to get my GED instead? Am I too late to try again?

I live in Indiana East Chicago if that helps at all. Is there maybe anything I can do here, a program or something to be able to get my diploma? Or is there really no way?

Submitted September 30, 2026 at 08:48PM by Vegetable_Drink8449 https://ift.tt/3DLmvte

Questions for k-12 administrators for graduate paper

Hi everyone! I’m a graduate student in an educational program working on a brief field assignment about school leadership and role expectations. I have to interview someone (doesn’t have to be in person. I can simply Dm you or email you the questions)

If any practicing K–12 public school administrator (Principal, Vice/Assistant Principal, or Special Ed Director) has 5 minutes to help out, I’d love to send you 3 short, simple questions.

Your name, school, and district will be kept strictly confidential in my paper.

Submitted September 30, 2026 at 01:56PM by OrangeJuicell https://ift.tt/VDY3W7c

Is homeschool/online school seen as lesser by colleges?

Hello! I'm a current sophomore who's a homeschooler/does online school. I have no concerns with the curriculum of the school itself- it's licensed by Cognia & the Middle States Association, and is owned by K12 and uses K12's curriculum. (Say what you want about k12 haha but their academic stuff is used across the nation) and I also supplement with other resources. (The school is The Keystone School).

I have good extracurriculars- the reason I do online school is because I am an athlete- as well as volunteering, etc. I'll be taking AP exams every year, and of course the SAT, and possibly the ACT. I'm also considering taking a few CLEP exams to show mastery of a subject to colleges, as a metric, because of the homeschooler thing. I'll also be doing dual enrollment in my junior/senior years and maybe taking a couple courses through my local public HS.

Basically my question is, will doing online school/being a homeschooler affect my chances of getting into colleges? Of course I will be applying for some very selective schools, but also a lot of major state schools, too. (Think UMass Amherst or UMD College Park).

Submitted September 30, 2026 at 06:02AM by angelsanddemons- https://ift.tt/OuYnqaW