My College Thread

Which university matters a lot for academe, I agree.

But - if you really want cachet in whatever areas you would end up studying in, if you DID study for those ends you'd, have to research for those areas.

Depending, also, whether you wanted to have the kind of degree that could give you entree internationally to the beginning rungs of academe.

(After you get started, it is the nature of your research, or other, publications that moves you along and gives you entrance to grander universities and grander jobs.)

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Re: My College Thread
Just found your thread, Craven. Here are my 2 cents.

Craven de Kere wrote:

It's a new book, so I can't unwrap it if I plan to return it, so I am wondering if anyone can tell me what math I need to know for 101 classes and I can "bone" on my own for free.

I would find out which professor will teach math 101 next semester, ask them about their textbook, and about any sample tests they might have. Many professors are quite happy to answer inquiries like these. Barring that,a Google search for Math 101 syllabusses (syllabi?) at any university should give you a reasonable set of useful textbooks, some of them affordable. Since syllabusses belong to course pages, you should find outlines of the topics nearby.

Craven de Kere wrote:

Does anyone know anything about this? Will taking all the honors classes I can help me?

I haven't spent any time in an American university, so I don't know. Based on my experience with reading resumés and recruiting students for internships at our company, I would expect that honors classes in disciplines close to your main field might tip the balance from almost making it to barely making it. Since your main field is computer science, I would skip honors classes in English, but might consider them in linguistics, math, sciences, and engineering -- any field reasonably close to computer science.

Craven de Kere wrote:

And here's another question, I hear that Berkley is not much better than UCSD, but UCSD doesn't have the name recognition. Since a diploma is just an investment in swaying others of my merits how much do you think it matters?

Not much -- certainly not until you have your B.A. As universities go, anything with a "UC" in front of it belongs to the Royal Family, with UC Berkeley being the queen. The rest are princes and princesses of varying prominence, but all of them are prominent and have excellent name recognition. I don't know you well enough to make your decisions. But if I was in your place, the upgrade to UC Berkeley from any other UC wouldn't be worth the uprooting and the interruption of my career. (Full disclosure: This poster's dad spent three semesters as a post-doc at UC Davis, and he found that it looked quite impressive on his resumé to his future employers, both academic and industrial.)

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Re: My College Thread

Lash wrote:

Here it is, on one page.

The preliminary course included items in the Beginning and Intermediate sections.

Thanks, this is useful. I will probably end up keeping the book anyway, just to motivate me to "bone up" more quickly.

Thomas wrote:

I haven't spent any time in an American university, so I don't know. Based on my experience with reading resumés and recruiting students for internships at our company, I would expect that honors classes in disciplines close to your main field might tip the balance from almost making it to barely making it.

I actually had transfer to the 4 year in mind, not really the employment. I don't think going to college is going to effect my career at this point, but do wish to keep as many 4-year college options open as possible.

Craven de Kere wrote:

But if I was in your place, the upgrade to UC Berkeley from any other UC wouldn't be worth the uprooting and the interruption of my career.

I'll probably reach the same conclusion when I am forced to choose. Thanks for the input.

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Asked E.G. about this yesterday. He said that where you choose to go as an undergrad just doesn't matter that much. The most important thing is to stand out wherever you are, to make yourself a hot commodity for graduate schools. Then, the grad school actually matters. (I was asking about academe/ computer science this time.) Kinds of standing-out include excellent research and excellent applications (like, ahem, A2K itself + your SEO mod).

He actually went on for quite a while on this, I don't remember all of it. He said you are welcome to contact him for more info. (I can PM you his email addresss.)

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Oh and he said the standing out in terms of being hot/ making yourself known is more important than honors classes, though he has nothing in particular against honors classes.

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I had my first class today (Psyc). Sitting through a 3 1/4 hour class was less tortuous than I expected.

It all came back to me, being frustrated at how the teacher elaborated on very basic things with multiple examples while at the same time realizing that it was part of what made him an engaging good teacher and having my mind wander around contemplating just how irritating run on sentences could be and....

Not much of substance to learn in the first class (it was on the level of "psycology is the study of human behavior and is a science") but it did make me think.

About the weird sub-culture of classrooms for example...

I forgot to buy a notebook and had to use a legal pad. I also need a bookbag because bringing the laptop was just added weight to lug around when I have to go the requisite 20 miles away to smoke.

I'm just thinking to myself here, having my name read on roll call made me start thinking "back to school" and I have to remember to buy school supplies and do homework. :-D

I also wish that education were more digital..... feckin' heavy book....

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Craven de Kere wrote:

I had my first class today (Psyc). Sitting through a 3 1/4 hour class was less tortuous than I expected.

It all came back to me, being frustrated at how the teacher elaborated on very basic things with multiple examples while at the same time realizing that it was part of what made him an engaging good teacher and having my mind wander around contemplating just how irritating run on sentences could be and....

Very droll......

I would love to know why on earth you are doing psych.

You have ROLL CALLS at UNIVERSITY?

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Because it's interesting, why?

It's one of my favorite subjects, and I was choosing between Sociology and Psyc out of a selection of classes that would fulfill my transfer requirements and the counselor recommended it strongly saying that it was the college's best teacher.

dlowan wrote:

You have ROLL CALLS at UNIVERSITY?

I didn't expect it, but it's not a university.... maybe it's a college thing?

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Cos you often sneer at it.

And - here, at least (it might be way different in the states) it is incredibly boring until post grad years.

I thought college was American for university?

Or are you being droll?

Edit: It wasn't ALL incredibly boring.....I loved ethology and perception.

There wouldn't be an online curriculum for your psychology course, would there?

It'd be interesting to compare....

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dlowan wrote:

Cos you often sneer at it.

I sneer at a lot of stuff. <shrugs>

I think it has more to do with my propensity to sneer than with psychology.

Anywho, most of my sneering has to do with the unfortunate fact that the science isn't empirical enough to prevent foolish use of its lore.

Quote:

And - here, at least (it might be way different in the states) it is incredibly boring until post grad years.

It's boring here too, basic to the point that it's syllabus should be able to have been absorbed in pop-culture alone. But they won't let me start anywhere other than 101.

Quote:

I thought college was American for university?

Or are you being droll?

No, it's a community-college, which I expect has different emphasis on attendance than University.

I don't know the American system too well but my impression was that it isn't a uni unless it provides quaternary education.

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So - is the syllabus online?

Now I am interested.

I hope you enjoy bits of it, nonetheless.

You'll prolly enjoy what piques your interest, and you study up to its cutting edge yourself.

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dlowan wrote:

There wouldn't be an online curriculum for your psychology course, would there?

It'd be interesting to compare....

I don't think so, but I'll post about it.

Today was "Nature of Psychology" (i.e. "psychology is the study of human behavior" + superficial once over of the roots) and "Psychology as a Science").

Ya know, I wouldn't pick on psyc so much if it didn't have such a chip on its shoulder...

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Lol - it DOES.

Ties itself to medicine's coat tails - and gets all precious about, and up itself in the uest to be seen as a REAL science.

That being said - some of my dearest friends are psychologists - and one of them has the Psych chip.

Nemmind.

All goddess' chillun got chips.

Edit: I think you might be interested in the neurology of trauma, meself - a truly moving field - and relevant to some of your interests.

Especially infant trauma - and the effect of CSA, and hyper-sexualised environments.

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dlowan wrote:

Ties itself to medicine's coat tails - and gets all precious about, and up itself in the uest to be seen as a REAL science.

I never thought its scientific qualifications were in question until I saw a prof spend an hour on it in Brazil.

Quote:

Edit: I think you might be interested in the neurology of trauma, meself - a truly moving field - and relevant to some of your interests.

Especially infant trauma - and the effect of CSA, and hyper-sexualised environments.

It may sound odd, but it's the more abstract theory that interests me most in psychology. The physiological stuff doesn't lend itself as well to philosophical meandering (which is what I really wish I could have taken).

It's 2:30, I must go off to bed (bloody classes add 6 hours + homework to my week).

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WHY can't you take philosophy? If that is what you mean?

Really - you have me head reeling with how different stuff is.....they do a bit of it in schools now...in some places here, even.

And - not that I am trying to push you - the neurology of trauma is utterly fascinating in terms of explaining things and deals with the true essences of humanness.

Well, mebbe I just think so cos trauma therapy is my area, and it explains so much.....wonderful watching brain knowledge expand, cos on brain rests "mind"

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Colleges and universities are the same thing, 'cept for community colleges which are two-year affairs.

But both Boston College and Boston University (for example) are four-year schools.

I've had attendance taken in some classes and not others. In an 800-person Chem. class, I think it was just taken on the first day to see if anyone wanted to drop the class. A ten-person Philosophy class didn't need attendance, either, once the Prof. knew who we were. 30-person and 50-person classes had regular role calls, usually. But (for undergrad) no one cared if you showed up or not.

Deb, perhaps CdK can't take Philo. 'cause it doesn't fit the schedule, or he needs a prerequisite, or the school might not offer it. Community colleges tend to not go too far in depth as they are only two-year schools. So they might have Intro to Philosophy if they cover it at all, but if you want a specialty class on, say, Heidegger, you need to go to a four-year school.

Enjoy class, CdK.

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God - damn USA is almost like a foreign country!

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dlowan wrote:

God - damn USA is almost like a foreign country!

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Get ready for lots of elaboration of tedious details for the next two years, Craven. Welcome to junior college (though it's much the same early on in the four year joints, now, too).

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Merriam Webster's online dictionary says -
university - "an institution of higher learning providing facilities for teaching and research and authorized to grant academic degrees; specifically : one made up of an undergraduate division which confers bachelor's degrees and a graduate division which comprises a graduate school and professional schools each of which may confer master's degrees and doctorates".

I went to a community college for one course one summer; a 4 year college for a year and that school offered no doctorates; a 4 year university for 4 years, and that big institution offered doctorates in all departments and had professional schools (law, med, dental).

Some places I think of as rather low in education esteem do call themselves universities. It may be the presence of some research activity associated with at least one possible doctoral degree that enables the university name.

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My College Thread

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