Haha wow, someone has been time traveling! I sometimes feel like this forum was my teenage self's digital journal that is free to read to anyone
Eye surgery... 7 years later it's still one of the best investments in my life. I have not had any issues with my eyes and they are still as strong as they were right after they got lazored! There seems to be some more info on my eye surgery in this topic:
http://www.gangoffive.net/index.php?topic=10970That's correct! The name stands for pre-university education. To explain the Dutch system you'd first have to realize that we basically combine junior high and high school and call that 'high school' (hence the confusion). The years that you would call junior high are formative and determine what 'level' you're on in terms of learning, as well as what direction you'd want to go into (alpha > languages, economics, geography, history, or beta > maths, sciences). So first lets explain levels (things might have changed since I graduated but this is roughly how I remember it):
- BB/KB > these are usually separate schools, meant for those who have trouble learning. They learn the most basic things, focus on practical education and continue learning a trade, usually. This takes 4 years total.
- VMBO/MAVO > this level is slightly more theoretic than practical, but is still intended for those who learn a bit more slowly. People who graduate on this level either learn a trade or can learn to be doctors assistants, business managers, etc. This also takes 4 years total and grants access to either finishing a HAVO diploma or continuing to MBO (which is where they would learn their trade/profession)
- HAVO > As mentioned before, this is one 'level' up from VMBO/MAVO. This is intended for kids who learn quicker but would not quite be suitable for a university education (writing papers is just not their thing). It's again more theoretical than the above level and is usually followed by either getting a VWO diploma to steam them ready for actual university, or they go to a HBO, translated as university of applied sciences. This is basically university, as you are able to get a bachelors and masters, but focuses less on the papers and more on the practical side of things with big internships and the like. HAVO takes 5 years total.
- VWO > This is the highest 'level' and there are several variants of it that are too much to share here. This is intended for those who want to attend university. You have to take final exams in 8 subjects minimum. VWO takes 6 years total. My personal journey took me 7 years to finish this.
Please note that while you might be intending to go to university, with a VWO diploma you actually have access to all levels of 'lower level' education. So a person who finishes VWO can go to university, a university of applied sciences, or even MBO if they wish to do so. I personally finished VWO but did not look forward to being all scientific, so I got a HBO (university of applied sciences) degree.
Thanks for explaining the American terms! Not sure if they'll stick
