No Limits Essay

1050 Words5 Pages
No Limits “I Just Wanna Be Average” by Mike Rose is a short story about his high school years at Our Lady of Mercy which is located in South Los Angeles. It refers to the difficulties of being placed in an academic level that is below average. The reason for him being placed in the lower percentile was due to the fact that there was another person who shared his sir name, Rose. This student also attended Our Lady of Mercy. The other Rose student did not achieve superior grades on the standardize tests. These tests were designed to show where each student stood academically resulting in proper placement during their academic career. The first of two placement options consisted of a vocational track which meant you would not attend college following your high school education. This required more hands on training rather than book work. The educational track is the second placement option. This is where you begin to prepare for your college career. You gain knowledge through your years of high school and then apply this knowledge to your college career. The track that is chosen for each student determines which type of learning atmosphere will suite them best. Following Mike Rose’s placement test, there was a colossal mix up of exams. Mike Rose’s placement test had been misplaced and instead of receiving the proper grades, he received the grades of the other Rose student. This oversight cost Mike Rose two years on a vocational track, when realistically he should have been placed on the educational track. The consequence of being placed in a vocational school was that Mike did not receive the proper education that was necessary for him to grow as a student. His intelligence was much greater than expected in his classes. As a result, Mike lost interest in the courses that he was enrolled in. I, as
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