Re:Why Science Majors Change Their Minds
by pnathan on Tuesday November 15, 2011 @08:38PM
(#3241287)
Thank you for your kind words.
Well, some people are lazy. There's no getting around that. Some people would rather take bong hits or play video games than turn in homework. I don't understand those people. Especially when (as some people have told me) they've done the homework.
I think usually in 'lazy' cases the laziness is because they don't care about the bad grade or the lack of learning. The canonical stereotype is the frat boy with his parents paying his way. Stereotype's priorities are not aligned with seeking a degree. They are aligned with parties or making sure parents are happy. So they have no 'skin in the game', and they are not 'in it to win it'.
I didn't run into very many really and truly lazy people. Most people who didn't turn stuff in (that I talked to - please note the qualifier) simply didn't have priorities aligned with getting the degree with decent grades. Priorities in these cases might be "getting drunk", "arguing with girlfriend", "got sick", "other class had test".
My personal opinion is that Universities in the US are both training and education. We set our sights on education - we the academy - but our clients are often asking for training. I heard a slew of griping by the engineers (EE, ME) in a more theory-based linear algebra course. "Give me numbers so I can stick them in my calculator and crunch them" was the usual desire. When people's priorities are not aligned with learning what you are teaching, you get some poor behavior. My priority was "take hard classes, learn what they teach, suck up the weaker grade". So I sucked it up. I also have a bent for wanting to understand principles, which fits in well in academia.
I think the academy needs to contemplate the idea of "white collar training" and take that as potentially realistic option. Something like a three-year bachelor's degree. I am not sure. I think some CS students could use another year past the four just for code-mashing.
One college I heard about has two options for incoming students. Four year BSCS, or five year MSCS. The extra year adds theory.
Well, some people are lazy. There's no getting around that. Some people would rather take bong hits or play video games than turn in homework. I don't understand those people. Especially when (as some people have told me) they've done the homework.
I think usually in 'lazy' cases the laziness is because they don't care about the bad grade or the lack of learning. The canonical stereotype is the frat boy with his parents paying his way. Stereotype's priorities are not aligned with seeking a degree. They are aligned with parties or making sure parents are happy. So they have no 'skin in the game', and they are not 'in it to win it'.
I didn't run into very many really and truly lazy people. Most people who didn't turn stuff in (that I talked to - please note the qualifier) simply didn't have priorities aligned with getting the degree with decent grades. Priorities in these cases might be "getting drunk", "arguing with girlfriend", "got sick", "other class had test".
My personal opinion is that Universities in the US are both training and education. We set our sights on education - we the academy - but our clients are often asking for training. I heard a slew of griping by the engineers (EE, ME) in a more theory-based linear algebra course. "Give me numbers so I can stick them in my calculator and crunch them" was the usual desire. When people's priorities are not aligned with learning what you are teaching, you get some poor behavior. My priority was "take hard classes, learn what they teach, suck up the weaker grade". So I sucked it up. I also have a bent for wanting to understand principles, which fits in well in academia.
I think the academy needs to contemplate the idea of "white collar training" and take that as potentially realistic option. Something like a three-year bachelor's degree. I am not sure. I think some CS students could use another year past the four just for code-mashing.
One college I heard about has two options for incoming students. Four year BSCS, or five year MSCS. The extra year adds theory.