I Quit High School For Skateboarding

[@ConnerCannonwhiteboy]

I am a High School Teacher. Didn't love or hate school growing up. But i love teaching. I think their are a lot of problems with the US education system. But when it all boils down, education in the US has a net positive on society. I teach to build relationships and inspire. And i get better at it every year.

[@henrythompson3709]

@@i-never-look-at-replies-lol starting a fight isnt my intention but this is just completely untrue. Teachers teach the criteria given to them by the district. They cant control much of what they teach

[@thespartan9156]

@@i-never-look-at-replies-lol bruh there are so many great teachers out there like Connor. There are a few and I mean a few teachers that are "bad" but that's honestly not the issue. Teacher and American educators are NOT the problem. It is instead Americas education system and society. Americas education system has all these standardized test to show academic "progression" or status which stresses students out. There system for grades is fine but its Americas society that kills students ability to learn had parents stress on there kids having perfect grades. Theres nothing wrong with stressing about good grades but most commonly, parents wanna see al A's. This is perfectly duable, but after a certain time, students get more and more prone to the temptation of cheating or finding a shortcut. Our system isn't gonna change but this is why our system is the worse, it is not at all the educators fault.

[@a-disaster5285]

@@i-never-look-at-replies-lol you done being rude? All educational facilities are given the same material every year with only minor tweaks in America. Wholesome teachers such as Connor actually go out of their way to make their lessons slightly less boring by spicing things up, it's not their fault schools sucks (usually); if you have a problem with it, take it up to the education board.

[@lyingyou5061]

@CS Experiments whenever you hear o see you people being used you know whatever comings next is always going to be controversial.

[@ConnerCannonwhiteboy]

Thanks for backing me up y'all lol. I have only come across a few bad teachers in my career. Most are actually quite good with great intentions and hearts for kids. The system itself only works for some/most kids. Though there are so many options these days and there is much less push to convince kids to go to college. Not all of them are fit for college. You wanna do trade school? Sick let's get it man. You want to pursue art? I have no idea about it but let's go. You want to do explore science and blue stuff up? There's my expertise, let's get after it.

[@AnthonyJ33]

John seems genuinely happy recently and I’m loving it...KEEP KILLING ITTT!!!!

[@Calamity8]

I agree and he is happier because he is pursuing of being an artist

[@patrickm7760]

Leaving a crap hole like NYC for Texas will do that to you. I am born and raised in NYC and moved to Texas so I know all too well how much happier I am in TX. Sucks though I really miss my hometown but never looked back

[@Giimmydaloot]

Education sucks when it's forced on you. It all becomes worth it when you're free to explore it on your own. Reason why a lot of people drop out.

[@thesupreme7815]

The problem is a lot of people who drop out don't bother to explore education elsewhere. Plus while some people do make it when they drop out it just ads one more hurdle they have to jump over

[@mxfam6700]

And 90% of the bs you get taught is fckin unless think of how many people would be more successful if we were taught about the stock market and business management.

[@amjroid5291]

I did community college, transferred to state university in CA, and got all the federal student grants and loans I could before graduating. Ended up with about $12k debt when I finished, found a decent job and paid it off in a year. Not all college routes will put you in an insane amount of debt 👌🏻

[@reesiealvar6042]

Curious bc I’m on the same path.... did you know what to major or did u find it otw? Also was it’s worth it?

[@SoapworthyProductions]

Paid off my debt in a year and half about $25,000 but still feel like I wasted $50,000 and 4 years of my life. Made more money before I graduated vs after

[@amjroid5291]

@@reesiealvar6042 I didn't know my major when I started, but I decided before transferring from community college. Like I said, I took the cheap route, so it was definitely worth it for me, but I honestly think private universities with $20k/year tuition or whatever it is now are a huge scam, unless you've got a scholarship or the government's giving you a free ride somehow.

[@momogoes3329]

I went to community college and transferred to university. I now have a master's degree and zero debt. Community College is the way to go. I learned way more there and the majority of professors seemed to care more.

[@Colbyw74]

not the case for many my dad makes about 400k give or take usd per year and is giving/gave nothing for college and she went to parsons on a 20,000 dollar scholarship per year which gives her about 200k in loans do to no financial aid bc of my dads income

[@austinmtb873]

when you see a video posted 6 seconds ago with 0 views, you feel special.

[@STGDigitzz]

This is basically saying "first" with more words

[@ifonlymarcosaidpolo7492]

Literally

[@miauzey3400]

keep posting. I really like the mix of listening to John's Life stories and skating!!! ^^

[@fhhu3167]

Same bro

[@nicoomycousin]

High school was a place for me to escape home and find my freedom to explore myself and my passions. My house wasn’t a safe space for me, and my parents weren’t good role models, so the friends I made and adults at school were my lifelines. At home, I wasn’t allowed to go outside and my schools from elementary to middle school didn’t have transportation for me to participate in after school programs. But in high school, I found ways to get involved on campus since they had resources available for students with limited transportation like me. I even got to learn more about my Filipino American heritage because I was privileged to attend a school where we had a very large Fil-Am club and a Filipino language program. We even had Filipino college students come to class to mentor students. High school wasn’t perfect; I was incredibly depressed and going through traumatic events with very little support from counselors at school. But for me, attending school was much better than dropping out and being trapped in an abusive household. I had to do everything by myself: study for AP tests, find ways to participate in extracurriculars, and figure out how to apply for college. Although I already spent most of my childhood raising myself, high school was my first real step towards adulthood and finding my independence.

[@mwaygp]

Awesome story, everyone has a different way or path in life, is what makes life interesting.

[@KeithSkates]

I know people who are "rich" and miserable. I know people who are "poor" and genuinely happy. I know people who are a mix all over the place. I'm going to do what makes me happy. Life is too short to waste time being unhappy.

[@goodcomrade2949]

That is motto to live by. I don't need to get rich a small house will do. I want an job where i have enough time to skate everyday.

[@neilhook5529]

I feel this dude, I’ve changed my major in college 3 times - still working on my degree, hoping to find something that will ultimately make me happy. Although I’ve come to compromise, I’ve learned that I’m not the kind of person that can find happiness the traditional way. I’m 25 now and in a massive amount of student loan debt and just genuinely unhappy, the only thing that has ever made me actually happy to this day has been skateboarding. Landing a new trick, learning something new, and becoming the best version of myself both on and off my board. I’m still working on my degree but have started posting skate videos here on KZbin to document my progression and because I honestly love it. So even though I know how much I’m in the hole financially, I’ve found my happiness by allowing myself to do what I love and show other people anything is possible with enough hard work and dedication. I’m not the best skater and I stopped for a while, but if you told me this time last year that I’d have landed the tricks I’ve come to land this year, I’d think you were messing with me. I hope everyone here reading this can also find what makes them happy, and show the world!

[@sajay8448]

you got me back into skating man, i cant thank you enough!!! its helping with my mental health so much just getting me out the house and getting a good sweat on. Keep the videos coming man i appreciate them so much

[@chives9998]

John I go to college in columbia and it is truly special to know that you grew up here and used to skate around the same spots I see. You are by far the best skater vlogger and your sense of humor and comfortability behind the camera makes it feel like were hanging out. Hope to see you down here one day. #1 fan

[@zacharywerner8641]

Wait... Columbia MD? I live there

[@broskii6956]

Dude I'm so nervous about going to college in a couple years. It's so overwhelming not knowing what degree I should go for. Also, I doubt you'll ever end up skating here, but If you're ever near the Winstead CT area, and you want to skate a terrible park, there's one by a dairy queen in town.

[@kameko.studio]

6:04 the edit with the sound and the pivot 🤌🏼✨

[@Neo-fm3yw]

John hill i look up to you bro you inspired me to skate

[@Dave3rdEyeArt]

You didn't quit, you graduated early

[@tswaff_14]

I like the way you think

[@Colbyw74]

which is actually crazier than graduating bc u did it faster

[@LaytonObserves]

This blend of skateboarding and "big brothery life advice" is great. Schools are weird, because they make you more than you were (+) but they also try to mould you into what _it_ thinks is useful (-). And that cookie-cut doesn't work for everyone. Especially creators, artists and mavericks.

[@winslow_j]

Always love the videos where you talk about personal and life stuff! My personal experience. I absolutely hated high school. But, it taught me what I didn’t want out of life, that’s for sure. I ended up going to a tech school for college with financial aid (thankfully) for graphic design where I ultimately learned that it showed me a side of life that I hadn’t experienced yet. I pushed myself to go to networking events, meet creative people, get involved, all that, and I really don’t think I would’ve otherwise gotten introduced into that world. But who knows, because now I have a 9-5 job as an animator that I’m grateful for, but find it hard to find time to work on passion creative projects on the side since I’m at a desk all day already. Always a really interesting topic to think about.

[@cmwky92]

Between bouncing from district to district, being told to do something then to not do said thing later, and adults/family filling you up with doubt really sucked even without the help of my personal life. There was always red tape wherever I went. "You can't take that class because of ---" and it was always some bs. Failing classes literally because of asinine rules and watching other students being passed up because they couldn't get the lesson in 5 minutes really fazed me. THEN finding out that there were options to graduate early or to take college/alternative education YEARS too late was just *chef's kiss*. Students are just a quota and US education feels so irrelevant when you don't get into advanced classes. Doubly so when you find out the only reason that it takes 4 years of high school is because they have to fill the time somehow. I don't even want to start with my "college" experience gd. If you can't be a good soldier, following a life plan, then I hope you get to some introspection to find yourself. It's something I wish more and more kids got a chance to do instead of getting shipped to college the moment they "become adults" with a high priced piece of paper to show for it. I wished I stayed on a skateboard back then gdi but whatever, I'll skate even harder now

[@KickaHippyPK]

My biggest takeaways from highschool now that I'm in my mid 20s with a degree and some years of experience is that: There's nothing wrong with my sleep schedule. I just can't stay awake sitting in a chair staring at a wall for 2 hours. You should speak up if you don't agree with something, even if that person is your teacher or boss. Just because they're your boss, or teacher, or supervisor doesn't make them right. No matter who is giving you a hard time, everyone has to answer to someone. Find that person. Remember that everything you do has value, and you should never underestimate that. Even if it's just your time. Oh, and I've never used trigonometry once in my adult life. I skipped every math class for a month while we were learning it, and I've turned out just fine. I've had quite a few little building projects in my day and it turns out trigonometry is actually just common sense.

[@VitalGlory]

Most people think Highschool is useless, until they meet someone who didn’t go to Highschool at all.

[@kilo393]

Nah highschool sucks. I know everyone has a different experience though.

[@VitalGlory]

@@kilo393 yeah I didn’t like Highschool all that much either. But it’s the subconscious lessons and skills you learn. Just like university, unless you’re going into nursing or accounting for example, 95% of the material taught is useless in the real world. However university teaches you to become more mature, handle pressure, and create stronger communication and organizational skills.

[@gonzalezgonzalez3175]

Hey John Hill I love your vidoes and you really motivate me to keep skating!!!

[@rantoulskater72]

Your the man love you working on yourself and breaking things down so inspiring and helps me move forward when it gets hard to continue working on myself. Your an inspiration and fun to watch thanks!!

[@AmyNaylorMusic]

As someone who grew up in the UK, the fact that you can just stroll up to any highschool as a grown man, skate it and not get into serious trouble is mind boggling to me. Even socially, it's just frowned upon 😝

[@christianburgos1014]

How can you give every single kid their own cryteria hmmm HOMESCHOOL!! also i dont really like highschool either so i feel you

[@psycsike27]

Hey John this video turned out to be one of the most inspiring. Build, maintain, sustain, and experience: excitement. Great success.

[@jayceelim467]

You inspire me to live life to the fullest. Keep killing it John 📶📈🔊

[@RealRyanMcLeod]

School has its place. If someone would have posed the idea of school to kids different growing up we might have more astronauts, scientists, geologists, pilots, more people working in STEM. I was told to go get a job "crushing rocks, and pumping gas" I was told you do school because I said so, not "hey if you become the best at a certain science you could go to the moon or further..." No one tells kids how to focus that academic energy into a focused stream to help achieve their goals. I wanted to look at the stars and go to space, but I never applied myself and was never told to believe in it. School isn't pointless and it obviously helped you decide what you really wanted out of life. You're awesome John and I love your entrepreneurial spirit. So cool to hear your journey.

[@ethanhaymore1835]

i feel so special rn ngl

[@jak3_294]

I’m about to graduate high school and honestly I feel you I’ve always chosen everything before school like skateboarding or hanging out with friends, family,and skateboarding has changed my life and it’s my passion amoung other things but I don’t wanna do the “traditional thing” but I don’t know where to start

[@Jack-cs4mo]

John love your content on here and progress daily! 23 and new to skating, and you and your guys really inspire me to keep getting better every single day!! On that note where and how can I get a progress daily hat like the one in this video?!

[@timk4861]

Very inspirational video. Especially the part about happiness and success is something I talk about a lot (I work as a coach for adults).

[@rytk06]

Thanks for telling me something that the people around me shouldve just told me a long time ago. Keep up the motivation and drive John

[@pauleugenio5914]

I never valued the grade school mentality -- A, B, C's, whatever. I'm super ADD, and hated high school. You know, sitting down and focusing for 1hr per class, 7hrs a day. Math class sucked, and I got a D in Algebra II. Long story short, I'm now a theoretical physicists and do math for a living. I'm skipping over a bunch of stuff here, but if there is a compact moral to be found, it's in recognizing that, whatever you do, it's up to you to love it and succeed in it. No doubt, some great element is luck. But whatever path you choose, an academic one or skating in the street, you can't just go with the flow and expect that everything will work out great. Gotta push hard and shape you into who you want to be. I often see young people treat university like a comfort blanket, something just to do next, where they will be wrapped up and led away into a happy future. The truth is, the university is a vampire. Go at it with your future in sight, and with real determination; otherwise, it will leave you wanting and in debt. I suspect becoming a theoretical physicists and becoming a professional skater are quite similar. That at its core, the best are those who aren't concerned so much about what they want to be, so much as what they want to do, and are doing. And they do it, do it, do it for the love of it until they die ☠️

[@pattyfly26]

I’m big fan of John because I love skateboarding! l love Anime

[@finlays-j248]

Currently watching John Hill at 1:10am. Life is good

[@miKiOBeats]

2:12 am :)

[@qlaty]

5:35 pm

[@valokmetz1152]

8:36pm

[@angeld4558]

john i love u so much

[@momogoes3329]

High school sucked but college really opened a lot of doors for me. I also fell in love with learning and exploring new things. I'm a completely different person because of the things I learned in college. School isn't for everyone but I would suggest to at least graduate high school. I think it's important for anyone going into an athletic job have a back up plan. You're body will give out eventually and there's always a possibility of injury.

[@AbelKleinblatt]

I'm working on my masters degree in Belgium. Which is very affordable, but indeed that's just Europe. I didn't feel like High School was a great value to me either, but am happy I did graduate as it gave me a purpose to go harder in the things I wanted to do outside of school. I have some videos on my channel about studying photography in college if you're interested. Thanks for the great video, John!

[@uffkeinplan7089]

10:10 a very Good summary why i like skating that much! Thanks for your Videos John, you inspired me and keep me motivated going out skating and just having fun. Greetings from Germany:)

[@jquinncooper6554]

Good to hear an opinion on this coming from someone who strayed from the path. John has the capacity to keep it real while also making the video fun

[@lokismangolassi4838]

Pleaseee appreciate the background matching with his clothing !!! So cool to see this !!! 🤟

[@harambe3363]

I agree with John. And the thing is I’m not stupid, to me High school was easy it was just dumb asf to me. I’d rather pursue my career endeavors now then waste time on stupid dates I still don’t remember from when I took AP US History. Everything was so boring except art class as that was and still is my interest. It put me at odds with my mom but the thing is the hours of homework and studying I didn’t do I used to actually learn skills. If I didn’t do that I wouldn’t be as good as I am at art at such a young age on an objective fundamental level. I applied to one school and it was an art school and it was the best one in my city and I got in that bitch and I had to technically drop out for some personal stuff but shit I’m so happy that shit happened and I dropped out before classes started because fro, how much I progressed on my own 2 years alone is insane and priceless. It would’ve been dumb asl for me to be in massive debt for no reason. I can get a art job, I can work in a studio. Did not need a degree. I couldn’t drop out but I did the bare minimum in the shit I didn’t care about but put my 100% into what I was truly into. And people still get on my ass about it but I wouldn’t redo anything even if I had the chance. I wouldn’t be as happy as I am today if I put all my actual dreams on the backseat to fulfill everyone else’s dreams for me in their head. At the end of the day it’s my life I have to live not theirs.

[@XvXMONSTERXvX]

I skipped high school and went skateboarding all the time then sat after school while the teacher had me redo exams with the exams answer key but i was flow for monster energy, velocity skateshop and got sponsored to go to camp wooodward very year for free until i got my left leg stomped in half at a gojira save the whales show at rams head live and lost my sponsors for being unable to film/ produce content If i could take everything back i would have gone to school everyday, done AP classes, learned more languages through language classes, learned how to play marching band tenors and snare so that way i could of really created the music i dreamed of as a kid and most importantly learned how to study and learn the right way Im in college right now to become a neuro surgeon and because of skipping school like a dumbass everything has been ten times harder , i had to teach myself how to learn ( finding the methods or practices that work for me to be able to memorize bones, processes, do math problems and the works), i had to learn how to study ( be able to properly go over past or present material and properly review the information so i could know it) and through all of this hardship for chasing my dream i had to develop dedication, patience and perseverance because seeing your class mates have an easy time while you struggle will really mess with you and lead you to dark places making you question if you really are good enough for your dreams Go to School! get your high school diploma and make the most of the time you have their in your classes, clubs and sports it doesn't last forever but if you spend your time right you can set your self up for early success in life by crushing classes that can count as college credits towards a degree or get a leg up in a job interview by having that second language you learned or even using that sports or band skill to get yourself a scholarship ride to college

[@Eric123456789shelton]

2:12 John says, “can you do da tricks? Can you make da videos?” And it’s so fucking funny 😂😂

[@christiansdrmamacita459]

love your vids john. keep it up. been learning to skate and soo close to kickflip

[@mathisk8life]

At the end of my junior year I chose to finish restoring a car and do a little traveling. I could have went to summer school for two classes and graduated early. I chose to go my senior year two classes first semester and one class second semester. Freshman and sophomore year really sucked in high school for me. Senior year was kick ass it was a blast but then, I was only there for less than an hour a day.

[@LiefRunsFar]

That was profound wisdom. It's so true that success is different and measured differently for each person. Everyone gets excited about something. Do you think we have a purpose? (How we improve eve world?)

[@Rogues91]

mannnn, wish i lived in your brain! i put way to much pressure on myself sometimes when i should really be living the moment and just literally progressing daily!

[@MombaTrout]

Many colleges have information on how much money their students are making on average within the first year out of college with a specific degree. Then they compare that to how much debt you take on obtaining the degree. It’s a great way to confirm whether or not “it’s worth it”. College isn’t for everyone and there are so many other ways to be successful in life. (Engineering student’s 2 cents)

[@EGAN111]

ya!

[@Codymfhoward]

6:04 🤯 that frontside revert was crazy! You’re insane John!!! Keep killing ITT!!!! Shameless plug I just started uploading weekly...

[@marshabyersmays6776]

John Hill grew up at one of my local parks(Poe Mill)

[@eisenhead]

I really enjoy the more personal discussion based videos you've been doing lately

[@DavidGamero]

your videos make me happy

[@fahadalvi9606]

Your videos and real talk is almost always awesome and entertaining

[@phildebhail]

Your definition of success changed my perspective, thank you!!

[@oskarheaven]

GET JOHN TO 1 MILL

[@MeditatedStateofMind]

i enjoyed lunch. best cold cut with fries and 2 drinks i ever had for $1.35

[@erikcaldwell4315]

I love that in the beginning your talking about your sponsor and it just shows you falling on the ground 😂

[@JuanMendoza-su5zi]

If u looking for a school with skate spots, u should check out Eastern hills high school in fort Worth.

[@gryphonpotter]

i never see his videos anymore idk why?

[@Randa16-Kota17]

Love this one John really hit home with me

[@SlayzSkates]

I don’t think this man will be suicidal 🤣🤣🤣 pretty much the video 👍 great tho

[@kiranlalani552]

"Is that a cow??" LMAOOO

[@Jesticles85]

i think the flaw in high school education is that analytical/critical thinking is not emphasized enough. Instead, when i think back on high school, it was more about memorizing and regurgitating the information in homework or on the tests and quizzes.

[@colerogers1795]

You should go back to the high school you went to and skate it!

[@jacobhousour1372]

Kinda sad that there’s not much on the progress daily website I wanted to get his grip tape for my first real board

[@azizalsayed2528]

I used to enjoy my time in high school. Not everyday though but i loved it. Now i am a nurse that skates 😅

[@lilsuburban3211]

John hill is a legend. keep it up

[@pauperkat2948]

This video was funny asf

[@bingbong1998]

You’re killing it man! Thanks for the inspiration to kill it too in my own way! :)

[@TechdicsHouseAudio]

20 seconds in, liked the vid because of your hair... best look for you John! def killin that!

[@ameerking3133]

Your version of happiness and success i agree with 100%

[@MRpena12341]

Just depends on the person. If you know exactly what you wanna go to school for and you have a plan than go for it. If you have no idea what you wanna go to school for and your just doing it cuz your parents are telling you to do it than just give it a year or two to figure out what you want.

[@gabrieldavidov8106]

"my sis and doing the thing" Ay yoo

[@christiansanchez146]

This is why I watch John hill

[@KRISS-kk5np]

🔥🔥🔥 video

[@00ryuk77]

This videos is beyond inspirational, thank you.

[@WilliamVosburg]

It’s nice to be this early

[@seaniem6521]

High school sucked, but college was vital and it isn't just about jobs; people often become way more critical and thoughtful thanks to college. Other experiences can get at that, but if folks can get a college education and not go into debt they absolutely should.

[@p0mfi]

Notifications of your vids always make me happy

[@damiantambourine9389]

Go to Grand Prairie high there’s hella spots

[@juliakers2493]

Not john hill telling me exactly what I need to hear again

[@Brothadonedid]

Thanks John, definitely speaks to me

[@bobschsk8]

Keep killing it!

[@DRESI__]

I literally bought the hill drip board it’s so good

[@mateorojas5844]

"thats the biggest turd"😂🤣

[@devonkelly6243]

hey i live in dallas and i would love to know what spots you are at! at 5:40 that spot looked mad fun

[@squishybigfoot4607]

Do you have progress daily skateboards? Pretty sure everyone would agree that it ABSOLUTELY needs to happen

[@jacobengland7285]

I guess I consider myself kind of lucky because I actually enjoy school(for the most part) and in high school I found out that I loved Chemistry, so now I'm majoring in Chemistry in college

[@BUCCIMAIN]

That deck looks sick

[@quackapatth]

rad topic for a vid more vids like this plz

[@datboidrew420x]

u should 100 percent be in the next battle of the berrics plz steve

[@FB3PLAYHOUSE]

I dropped out so I hear everything you're saying but at the same time I just had a friend a couple weeks ago that graduated with a degree in psychology and she is debt-free because of scholarships grants and financial aid so it is possible to do it it just takes a little bit more work people

[@SabadoDeSkate]

on 1:57 you truly nailed it lOL!!!

[@drugstoredylan]

I love your videos make me wanna jump off roofs with skateboard

[@Real.Sami1]

Day 2 Of me asking for you too go to Carpenter Skate Park in tx

[@jacobcotton6614]

Can you do a review on some Axion Shoes ? (Kareem Campbell's brand)

[@Luhajstayhigh]

I WENT TO THAT SCHOOL HE WAS AT THE BEGINNING ITS CALLED BELL MANOR

[@chef_cooks]

John I have very few friends, and especially none that skate. Any advice on how to obtain this unobtainable item?