Some Certificates in School are useless

Warning
This my opinion.
Don't bring your Societies of Women Engineers for god's sake
Also, if your school has certificates that actually are useful for something, please don't tell me I'm an idiot. I'm mainly talking about the schools I was in, thanks.

Ugh, I don't even know where to start with this, Certificates of Achievement in School is not a thing I appreciate or like too much. There are two types of those "certificates".

1- The one that is actually useful because it's used as a proof that you're smart enough to do a certain job. (Like doctors have those certificates to show that they finished a certain university and they're capable of doing their job.)

2- Stupid and useless ones in schools that only wants to make you feel proud about yourself.


You may like those "certificates" they give you in school every now and then to say that you did well in math and that's fine. Doesn't mean I should like the concept too. Lately I received one of those and it said "for excellence in geography". At first I was like "Yay! I got the certificate of achievement!" but literally two seconds later I realized I failed 2 tests in geography and that there were people that passed all of them 90%+. And some of them didn't even get this one.

I don't know if I'm just lucky to appear in a school that rewards you for something you didn't deserve but in my primary school the same thing happened. I was actually putting effort into my work in math and someone who SLEPT during math class has gotten "for efforts in math". Thanks a lot teacher, I appreciate that a lot. (He had like 80%+ in math)


But okay, sometimes you don't get a certificate you deserve... yeah. Not such a big deal, is it? Well, for me personally it isn't something terrible but some people do everything to make themselves and their families proud with this thing. They put effort and they sometimes don't get one. The person can have two reactions, 1) Rage and break everything around and still try to get one or 2) Be disappointed by the result and not trying to put any type of effort. And why would they? They put a lot of effort and they didn't get what they wanted to get. Not to mention that if they even get it, nothing will happen. :/

At the end of my primary school, I even asked what would happen if I burn the "Certificate of achievement" I got because it was the end of the year. The teacher was like 30 and didn't take things too seriously about this and said, "nothing will happen, you just keep it as your reward for ending school". You know, if even the teacher says this to you then probably it's useless. They encourage some people but they make others disappointed. But either way, this piece of carton paper doesn't mean anything, only means you got a good note on something. Why do you need a "certificate" to say you got a good note when you have a report card for it? I don't know, I find it stupid.

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So this is what I think of certificates in school. Do you like the concept of them or no? Why?
PS: If in your school where you live those certificates are actually something useful, please write it down. I'd appreciate it to know what role those certificates play in your school.

 

Idk, I could go either way on them. My school does certificates for the top ten or so, and the top student gets a medal.
Last year, I got three certificates(science, math, and language) and a language medal. An they misspelled my name on two of the certificates. Yeah. It's bullshit.

 

Nearly 100% of my teachers and peers get my last name wrong \o/
Even if I correct them.
>->


My school does this thing where if you get some certificates, you can trade them in for better ones, and continues on.
To get higher ones, you need to help the community in some way (like the school).
Eventually you can get a medal or something.

 

I know that feel. I've yet to meet someone who can 1) pronounce my last name and 2) spell it. Even though it is so EASY.

 

SAME. My last name is German, and I attend an American school. It's a long name, and everyone pronounces it wrong, many don't need to spell it. I get good grades in school, and whenever I get something for it, they always say my name wrong .-.

As for certificates, my school only gives them out for diplomas, attendance awards, etc.

 

I have a 10 year certificate for my English class for "Recognition".
Giving someone a peice of paper with the word 'recognition' not actually recognition of it dosent mean anything.

I am German also and that sucks.

 

I'm German too, but my name is from Poland. Even a kindergartener who sounds it out can say/spell it, but adults struggle badly. At my brother's graduation, they got EVERY LETTER WRONG.

 

Yea. It's easy to pronounce, but the spelling is different. It has 9 letters, so it's not THAT bad..

 

I love this thread.
I have like a full box of these "Pupil of the Week" certificates the headteacher would present to a good student for each year/grade back in primary school/elementary school. I don't see the point, they never did make me feel achieved at all and I'm not going to enter a job interview in the future and be like
Interviewer: Any achievements you got or awards?
Me: Ah, yes. *empties box of 100 purple sparkling certificates over the table*

 

Reminder: every one wins

I used to get these too, all As and AB honor roll, and still get them. In the end it only seems your GPA and transcript are all that matters

 

A lot of these certificates are usually overlooked by businesses, in reality. Lets say I'm becoming a sound engineer and a mixer manager in a recording studio. I have 4 years of experiemce from highschool, and (for example) 2 years from practice after school. They put me up, a 20 year old(following the example), who's been working with sound boards and concert production since he was 14, against a 21 yearold who has a certificate for sound engineering and 3 years of training in the field. Ofcourse I'll get the job, I have way more training and discipline in running a soundboard, not to mention my knowledge on microphones & microphone brands. I also have more practice on EQ and On-Board Effects.

In a situation like this, my experience and knowledge from that experience smashes my opponent's booksmarts, despite his certificate.

 

My school has certificates as well, but it's given to people who exceed my school's standards. It's given away at the end of each month during an assembly and it's usually two people from each grade who gets them. My reaction is simple, whether I receive it or not.

Meh.

I think the teachers give it to people who ACTUALLY deserve it, and I've gotten one for every grade I've gotten through. It's pretty exciting from kindergarten through second grade, but after that it's like, "What's the point?" It just stacks up in the living room after fourth grade. It's gotten to the point where I don't question how I get it, but when because I got it every year in the past. It kinda sucks for the rest of my classmates but they don't seem to care either.

Our teacher gave us a lecture before we headed out of school once telling us, "You know, I've teamed up with the rest of your teachers, and the people who are getting it this month are the same people in the past," like we ACTUALLY care.