my obsession

[rileygentner]

my name is riley, and i am addicted to everything to do with keeping aquariums. i am only new to this site but i am excited to begin helping others on there road to succes in the aquarium hobby.

i am only fifteen, and i have recently dropped out of school to pursue my dream in aquaculture. i currently boast 13 aquariums in my room alone, with an outdoor pond aswell. i already have a part time job that is soon to become full time; maintaining aquariums and selling fish in a pet store.

i keep everything from guppies and goldfish, to discus and black sharks aswell as corals. at the moment i am most interested in american cichlids; but my next setup is probably going to be shell dwelling african cichlids.

i hope to learn plenty from this site. riley.

 

[nirbhao]

Hi Riley! Welcome to the site.

I understand that high school can be miserable. However, a formal education is invaluable.

You will be better able to pursue your dream of aquaculture with a background in biology, ecology, or chemistry. That's the plain fact of the matter.

My guess is that this is exactly what you don't want to hear, and I imagine you think you'll have everything you need with the internet. The problem with using the internet (or even a library) as a research tool is that it can only answer the questions you ask. A formal education will teach you to ask the right questions.

I'm not telling you this as someone who feels that the primary school tradition is unassailable. I have an honorary high school diploma because I skipped my senior year to go to college. Still, I had panic dreams for years about being sent back to high school. One of my cousins, a phenomenal woman, wasn't able to finish high school because of-- the short version is a lack of advocacy-- and she has since earned a degree in fire safety and is a fire fighter.

Don't drop out of school to "pursue the dream." Doing so only limits your ability.

 

[Delapool]

Hello, welcome to the forum.

 

[rileygentner]

Hi Riley! Welcome to the site.

I understand that high school can be miserable. However, a formal education is invaluable.

You will be better able to pursue your dream of aquaculture with a background in biology, ecology, or chemistry. That's the plain fact of the matter.

My guess is that this is exactly what you don't want to hear, and I imagine you think you'll have everything you need with the internet. The problem with using the internet (or even a library) as a research tool is that it can only answer the questions you ask. A formal education will teach you to ask the right questions.

I'm not telling you this as someone who feels that the primary school tradition is unassailable. I have an honorary high school diploma because I skipped my senior year to go to college. Still, I had panic dreams for years about being sent back to high school. One of my cousins, a phenomenal woman, wasn't able to finish high school because of-- the short version is a lack of advocacy-- and she has since earned a degree in fire safety and is a fire fighter.

Don't drop out of school to "pursue the dream." Doing so only limits your ability.

i probably should have worded it differently, but i dropped out of school knowing exactly this. in fact i was already a A+ student in biology and chemistry, and i have already completed a formal certificate in aquarium management (which cost nearly a thousand dollars) and i have already begun my certificate in aquaculture. i already have very close contact with those in the industry, and im also completing a certificate III in retail. i thank you for worrying; as i do sound a lot like one of the kids who just have know idea about the real world. (i really dont have much idea about the real world still). but im way ahead of nost people. i work 60 hours a week at two jobs, and im loving it.

 

[nirbhao]

i probably should have worded it differently, but i dropped out of school knowing exactly this. in fact i was already a A+ student in biology and chemistry, and i have already completed a formal certificate in aquarium management (which cost nearly a thousand dollars) and i have already begun my certificate in aquaculture. i already have very close contact with those in the industry, and im also completing a certificate III in retail. i thank you for worrying; as i do sound a lot like one of the kids who just have know idea about the real world. (i really dont have much idea about the real world still). but im way ahead of nost people. i work 60 hours a week at two jobs, and im loving it.

So the "dropped out" is sardonic. ? You're not just pursuing your dream; you're also pursuing your education, non-traditional though it may be. That's really neat.