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allegro
12-05-2011, 11:46 PM
This is a continuation of the prior School thread, which primarily discussed and bitched about college but it can include discussions and bitching about all types of school.



My final essay in this China East Meets West class is due on Tuesday of next week. Then I'm completing dropping out of this Masters program. I hate it. Liberal Studies is like shitty Gen Eds on crack. Maybe I'll switch to the MA in Literature program at Northwestern University when I've recovered and have more time in my life (right now I'm juggling a million things in my personal life and the idea of sitting around reading fiction and taking a few gardening classes and maybe a French class sounds fantastic, I don't NEED another degree, fuck it).

aggroculture
12-06-2011, 12:56 AM
Taught my last class of the semester today, and will not be teaching next semester - by choice. It's going to be weird, as I've been teaching non-stop for two years now.

allegro
12-06-2011, 01:11 AM
Are you gonna get deported?!?!??!

(your My Little Pony avatar is freaking me out, dude)

Elke
12-06-2011, 07:57 AM
I'm going to start studying for my first exam in February as soon as this stupid cold clears (cause I can't think with a couple of pints of gross in my head), but I'm already freaking out. There is no way that I'm going to remember all that Hindu stuff: I can't spell half of those words, let alone pronounce them. Oh Basic Course in World Religions, who did I pick you first?

Pillfred
12-06-2011, 12:56 PM
So ready to be done. Missed english today for the 4th time which is a grade drop i think. Which such cause i was hoping to eek by with a C. Thinking ill just take an incomplete but ill probably turn in my shitty paper and portfolio and hope for the best. I'm probably gonna have to retake it anyhow as i feel bad that my paper will most likely not be that great, considering it should be done by now and don't even half of it written yet and about as much idea of where I'm going with it. That said once i finish my write up for my archeology class I'm effectively done whether or not i finish my english class. So after today i can start to relax a little.

WORST SEMESTER EVER (though i had some cool classes)

aggroculture
12-06-2011, 01:10 PM
Are you gonna get deported?!?!??!

(your My Little Pony avatar is freaking me out, dude)

Not yet, but I am still without a full-time job, or even job interview. With 3/400 applicants per job, the academic job market right now is pretty depressing. Colleges are getting much of their teaching done by adjuncts these days, who knows how they make ends meet.
When I get a job maybe I can pay for my old avatar ;)

Chris_CDN
12-06-2011, 03:46 PM
Started my degree at the age of 30 back in January. I've been doing all the work via distance education while working full time. If there's one positive thing I can take away from the whole experience it's that I'm really happy the people who both teach and administer at these institutions aren't polluting the work force. I think it's important to express to students at universities and colleges around the world that the quality of work being done at post-secondary institutions isn't nearly good enough for the real world. It's a shame you need a degree to get a good job these days... /rant

Pillfred
12-07-2011, 12:24 PM
^ I've been pretty lucky here with my teachers, I think that most of the ones i have had at least in the humanities department have been pretty good. I have ran into others at my last school and few here though that are less than stellar.

I have one class to go to tomorrow and I'm officially done for the semester. I can feel my brain shutting down as i type this, feels kind of nice.

Halo Infinity
12-09-2011, 12:06 PM
I just hope that I can make it for now. I just need to force myself to get shit done. (And I have, but sometimes I get something akin to "senioritis" during the last few weeks of each semester. I know that I have to cut that shit out, but at least I make sure to submit all of my assignments before all their deadlines.)

Chris_CDN
12-09-2011, 02:22 PM
So it turns out that the University of Manitoba, who claim to be experts in distance education, don't offer all of the courses you need to finish your degree on-line. So, in essence, I'm 90% done my degree but I can't finish it unless I move to Winnipeg for three months. Fuck.


Am I able to get a degree from the UM by taking Distance and Online Education courses?Yes. You can complete a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Geography, a Bachelor of Social Work, a Baccalaureate Program for Registered Nurses, or a Post-Baccalaureate Diploma in Education.You can also complete your University 1 requirements, or simply take an individual course in your program.

Bullshit!

Chris_CDN
12-18-2011, 08:23 PM
Final exam for the last course of my major tomorrow at 9 am. I'm far too complacent this late in the game to be writing exams. Wish me luck!

waffel
12-18-2011, 08:52 PM
Last exam tomorrow morning, the pressure is kinda off since no matter what I'll do I'll wind up with a D, but I'll definitely retake it when I don't have so many stupid classes.

allegro
12-20-2011, 10:47 PM
Did you ask for an Incomplete, instead, so you don't fuck up your GPA?

Chris_CDN
03-09-2012, 07:33 PM
Why the fuck am I paying tuition again?

http://i109.photobucket.com/albums/n63/chopper_stew/segue.jpg

aggroculture
03-11-2012, 09:00 PM
Saw a dude on a segue in the atm portion of a bank today. People really use those daft things?

halloween
04-26-2012, 08:19 PM
So close to graduation! I got Academic Honors award that will be showing on my diploma- wooo! lets hope the rest of my life will be this...successful...

redshoewearer
04-27-2012, 11:43 AM
So close to graduation! I got Academic Honors award that will be showing on my diploma- wooo! lets hope the rest of my life will be this...successful...

Congrats! One of the best feelings in the world.

halloween
05-11-2012, 11:18 PM
Congrats! One of the best feelings in the world.

Thank you!
My final review is tomorrow, i'm so not nervous, i feel so clear in what i have to say about my work for once- that i don't care if they don't like it.

aggroculture
10-05-2012, 11:35 AM
Student emails TA to apologize for falling asleep in class.
TA had not even noticed.

playwithfire
10-05-2012, 12:11 PM
Saw a dude on a segue in the atm portion of a bank today. People really use those daft things?

I do all the time, actually. I find it kind of eases moving between points in a conversation instead of just jumping from topic to topic. Not that I socialize at ATMs.

halloween
10-08-2012, 11:10 PM
Can I just say, that I'm STILL glad I'm done with school? If I were to "miss" anything about it, is the time I had to spend on art, but I still feel like I have a lifetime now to make art and it's exciting! I can't do it 24/7 but having a life in the real life has been a long time coming, in my opinion, and now my art work can have a basis on the reality that is this world. All that being said, I'm still jobless and am having a hell of a time figuring out my next move. Though I'm pretty sure I'm going to go through with my AmeriCorps FEMA program application for 2013. I'm not even going to bother worrying about what to do after that finishes. Life is so full of serendipity which I have really yet to experience, so who knows where my headspace will be if/after I work for AmeriCorps.

Fixer808
10-09-2012, 04:19 AM
Friend of mine is back in college taking some class or another, but she's been in and out of said school for years: "So, they're still making me pay for parking... THAT'S cool..."

Magtig
10-30-2012, 12:51 AM
I wanna drop out. I've gone from being a straight A student for the last 3.5 yrs to not being motivated enough to complete even simple homework assignments. I've also gone all the way from getting a photography degree and planning to get an MFA (and teach) to deciding that I could make just as much or more money with a simple electronic repair tech certificate (five classes). It's downright demoralizing to be stuck in community college at this point. Problem is, if I drop out I'm going to have to start paying back the loans from the other school, it's probably the only thing keeping me in school.

Fixer808
10-30-2012, 01:19 AM
A) What would you be most HAPPY doing?
B) Does it pay well?
3) Which one will let you pay off the loans faster?
*) Will they both let you pay off the loans quickly, but you like one better?
17) Can you do side business to alleviate the pressure of loans?

There's a shitload of factors here, published artist... ;)

Magtig
10-30-2012, 02:39 AM
A) What would make me happy is selling everything and moving to another country. Or at the very least becoming a nomad and painting derelict buildings all across this one. I'm craving adventure, and all I have is shitty Orange County. A friend told me I need to go somewhere with a "pulse." Seems like a vaguely sensical instinct.
B) I'm assuming no.
3) The electronics thing (which pretty much answers *) and 17)), but I'm becoming so lackadaisical about it I'm wondering if I could even get through the program.

As a side note: although I am a published artist and I continue to get decent recognition, I'm still so far below the poverty line I can't even buy enough gas to get around (this month's rent remains unpaid, for example). It's infuriating; everyone seems to like what I'm doing, but I still can't afford any of the equipment I need; I can't afford to move out of this fucking ghetto, or to stop going to school. I'm pursuing five different plans at once for more income, and I keep thinking one of them has to work out but they never seem to. I feel trapped by society, by my possessions and/or lack of money, by my personality, by my own art even. Who the fuck am I to be saying anything in the first place? I feel restless and fraudulent, and like I'm losing my mind. None of it makes logical sense of course, but logic also seems to be less satisfying with each passing day.

/venting

Fixer808
10-30-2012, 02:51 AM
This is pretty much the exact right answer to my questions, and keep in mind that I'm not being flippant or sarcastic in any possible way.

allegro
10-30-2012, 08:41 PM
Magtig, how many credits do you have left to go? It sounds like you have classic "Senioritis" that hits nearly everyone (I got it, too, totally hit bottom for a little while). Don't give up, you're so close. Taking a semester off may rejuvenate you, and get you out of burnout. Think outside the box in marketing your skills, find some creative career counseling or marketing advice wherever you can get it, pick the brains of some of our photogs here on ETS (via PM).

Magtig
10-31-2012, 08:41 PM
Magtig, how many credits do you have left to go? It sounds like you have classic "Senioritis" that hits nearly everyone (I got it, too, totally hit bottom for a little while). Don't give up, you're so close. Taking a semester off may rejuvenate you, and get you out of burnout. Think outside the box in marketing your skills, find some creative career counseling or marketing advice wherever you can get it, pick the brains of some of our photogs here on ETS (via PM).
I would have responded to this earlier, but it makes me tired to even explain the situation at this point (obviously not your fault). I have nearly ALL the credits left to go because I got a degree from a school that didn't get accreditation until I was nearly done. Now, they told me they were accredited, but basically all it meant was that they were accredited within their own school system. They also told me once they gained wider accreditation (the kind that state schools would accept), that my credits leading up to that accreditation would count. In other words, they lied to me, and I was too naive to know better. Regardless of whatever blame there is to be thrown around, I can't get into any state school programs except starting from square one at a community college, but without any help from Pell Grants because I already have a degree. I graduated with a 4.0 which has absolutely zero standing in the academic world. I'm trying to hang on, but I just don't want to anymore. I fought this thing for a year and a half (or more), wrote numerous appeals, talked to every person I could, and every time I have to explain my situation (which seems to be often) it re-opens the wounds.

If I take a semester off I'll have to start paying back my loans, unless that thing Obama passed has an exception for super low income people. It feels like there's no way out, or rather that the way out is only through more schooling. The only reason I'm even considering anything with electronics is because I've found myself in this situation. I would have been more than half way through a BFA program at this point.

allegro
10-31-2012, 09:55 PM
I would have responded to this earlier, but it makes me tired to even explain the situation at this point (obviously not your fault). I have nearly ALL the credits left to go because I got a degree from a school that didn't get accreditation until I was nearly done. Now, they told me they were accredited, but basically all it meant was that they were accredited within their own school system. They also told me once they gained wider accreditation (the kind that state schools would accept), that my credits leading up to that accreditation would count. In other words, they lied to me, and I was too naive to know better. Regardless of whatever blame there is to be thrown around, I can't get into any state school programs except starting from square one at a community college, but without any help from Pell Grants because I already have a degree. I graduated with a 4.0 which has absolutely zero standing in the academic world. I'm trying to hang on, but I just don't want to anymore. I fought this thing for a year and a half (or more), wrote numerous appeals, talked to every person I could, and every time I have to explain my situation (which seems to be often) it re-opens the wounds.

If I take a semester off I'll have to start paying back my loans, unless that thing Obama passed has an exception for super low income people. It feels like there's no way out, or rather that the way out is only through more schooling. The only reason I'm even considering anything with electronics is because I've found myself in this situation. I would have been more than half way through a BFA program at this point.

Oh.

Well, that all totally fucking sucks.

Schools like THAT should be SHUT DOWN, and the people running it should be ARRESTED.

Anyway, in that case. Fuck it. You learned all you need to learn about photography, and you have a degree. Lots of successful photographers out there don't have a degree.

Don't your loans qualify for income-based payback? I have that plan right now, my monthly payments are, like, $105.00. Sure, I'd pay for 400 years at that rate, but my interest rate is 4%, who cares?

And, I go to these art shows with (frankly far to much) photography and nobody is asking these artists for their CVs, the only thing that seems to matter is that their art is on display somewhere, and people spend a lot of money on their photographs.

Bottom line is whether or not you have TALENT. You can have 6 degrees and not one IOTA of talent, and unless you plan on being in academia the rest of your life (which, frankly, don't pay shit and NOBODY I know can get more than shitty adjunct jobs, that's why I gave up my English Prof plan), who cares?

My best friend has an MFA with 15 years of teaching experience and can't get a full time tenured position, she only has shitty adjunct jobs and no benefits. She made a shitload more money when she was in "Corporate America" with her chemistry degree. But now she's paying off a $50,000 loan for her MFA. And she makes $25,000 per year teaching lazy students who give nothing but excuses but don't want to do the work and they're a bunch of lying assholes. Oh, and my alma mater's art department just fired the entire photography staff, now it's all about photoshop.

DF118
10-31-2012, 10:11 PM
Magtig, I would sue the shit out of them, if I were you.

allegro
10-31-2012, 10:15 PM
Unfortunately, unless he finds a law firm that will do a class action suit (class action requiring a "class" which requires a lot of time and money on behalf of the law firm), suing costs a buttload of money. No attorney would take that on a contingency basis, unless it's class action.

Fucking LAW SCHOOLS lie about job prospects and employability, and law students graduate with more than $100,000 in debt and no jobs and end up working at Starbucks and the law schools KNOW this but lie.

He could do a LOT more damage by instituting a smear campaign.

The internet is a very very powerful thing. And it's free.

M1ke
11-22-2012, 10:44 AM
My marketing teacher had us create a survey and collect responses. Does anyone here feel like helping me out with responses and filling out a survey?

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2PY2VW7

allegro
11-22-2012, 11:43 AM
Somebody spelled marketing wrong in the first paragraph.

DF118
11-22-2012, 04:03 PM
I liked the bit where I realised you're talking about a teleporter.

ImTheWiseJanitor
11-26-2012, 10:46 PM
I'm not 100% sure I wanna stay in school for now. I dunno...It doesn't really make me happy right now. I don't feel like I'm accomplishing anything by learning things I don't wanna learn just to have an institution acknowledge me as "smart" or "accomplished." I feel like there are bigger things I could be doing than this.

I'm just not sure what those things are yet. Blah.

darktemplar007
11-27-2012, 12:52 PM
3 weeks and I'm done. Holy shit did college fly by.

REPLICA
12-03-2012, 08:57 AM
Finals week... Two exams done, three of them left. I should be home by next Wednesday.

Magtig
01-02-2013, 09:07 PM
So I've enrolled in no less than three electronics courses and lab time for next semester. I did it because I figured I could go get a repair or assembler job and it would make up for the gaps left by freelancing with photo/video, but every time I even think about taking the classes I'm filled with anxiety and dread. On paper it's the perfect solution, but it just doesn't feel right. I know I'm only going to be mediocre at best at electronics. Now I'm plagued with doubt about my decision.

It would be great to get a film degree and maybe do some editing/post work for a paycheck instead.

icklekitty
01-03-2013, 02:46 AM
You don't really need a degree for that either to be honest. I worked as an editor and I have a theoretical art degree. Practise and a few bits to show for it are more important. Have a look at job specs to see what programs they prefer these days.

Fixer808
01-03-2013, 03:16 AM
It would be great to get a film degree and maybe do some editing/post work for a paycheck instead.
Are you the one who's been editing your work to date? Because a degree may be good, but your work has been receiving a shitload of accolades, yeah? That looks good on a resume.

Magtig
01-03-2013, 11:44 AM
Are you the one who's been editing your work to date? Because a degree may be good, but your work has been receiving a shitload of accolades, yeah? That looks good on a resume.
Yeah, I'm the.. well, everything on the films I've made thus far. What I'm stressing about is finding a more steady income source(s). I thought electronics would be perfect because it requires so little schooling to get into, but like I said it fills me with dread for a number of reasons. I honestly wish it didn't; it really would be an elegant solution. Thanks for your input, Fixer and icklekitty. :)

the duder
01-22-2013, 11:45 AM
Gah.
So, I've got a grad assistant position that pays for 2/3 of my annual tuition. Last year, I had saved enough to pay for the last 1/3 for both semesters, however this year there are a couple of little "snafus" with the money going through. Now I've got a late charge and hold on my account and it's past due for me submit a FAFSA.

I totally should have seen this coming, so I called my aunt to co-sign a loan from my bank (PNC). She talked to my uncle, and called me back. Now I'm taking out a loan from them at 1/2 the interest rate (5% vs. 10%) and an 18 month term. Kind of anxious about it at first, but now I feel relieved that it's all going to be taken care of this week and I can be able to finally get things moving on all fronts.

REPLICA
01-23-2013, 12:04 PM
Spend money to... Hopefully make money.

Pre-paid an on campus housing fee $200 for NEXT year... And I still have to buy another text book after I have shelled out $450 for the current ones I already have.

razzletiger
01-27-2013, 05:16 PM
Spend money to... Hopefully make money.

Pre-paid an on campus housing fee $200 for NEXT year... And I still have to buy another text book after I have shelled out $450 for the current ones I already have.

Have you checked Amazon? I finally started buying textbooks from them the last few years of my academic career and they were way cheaper than my on-campus bookstore. And you can also sell them back to them, though you only get paid in the form of Amazon credit, which, if you're like me and buy a lot of stuff on Amazon, is an okay thing.

REPLICA
01-27-2013, 06:30 PM
Have you checked Amazon? I finally started buying textbooks from them the last few years of my academic career and they were way cheaper than my on-campus bookstore. And you can also sell them back to them, though you only get paid in the form of Amazon credit, which, if you're like me and buy a lot of stuff on Amazon, is an okay thing.

Yeah, I'm going to buy my last book from Amazon. I saw it listed for around $5 and the listing at the campus store is (when they have it in stock) $15.

icklekitty
01-28-2013, 04:08 AM
The last time I ordered course books from Amazon, they arrived a week after the reading was due. Might just be here though.

Halo Infinity
03-14-2013, 12:36 PM
I thought of quickly asking this question because I'm aware that some of you are professors. It's a simple question, but I was amazed how debatable it sometimes was whenever I discussed it with other people in real life, but whether they were college graduates or not, none of them were teachers at all though. Now as for the actual questions.

1. As a teacher do you find a B- to be a bad grade?

2. And as a teacher are all Cs a bad grade even if they're above a C-?

Some people I've discussed this in real life tell me that all Cs and B-s are bad, while some make leeway for all Cs above a C minus, and I was just wondering what some actual teachers thought of this. As for me, I thought that a B and higher was always good enough, but then there are actually some people that get upset whenever they get B+ or a B. (Not that there's anything wrong with having the desire and motivation to strive for As and A+s, but I'm not too sure of being far too hard on yourself though.)

REPLICA
03-27-2013, 09:36 PM
This morning my advisor told me that since the curriculum under my major has changed, It could take me 3 or 4 years to get done with a 4 year degree… AFTER I ALREADY PUT IN 2 and 1/2 YEARS! WTF?

aggroculture
03-27-2013, 10:04 PM
1. As a teacher do you find a B- to be a bad grade?

2. And as a teacher are all Cs a bad grade even if they're above a C-?

To me anything less than a B+ is pretty bad work. If I give you a B for your paper, your paper is not very good. If you get a B for the course, you weren't a good student in my course.
That's how they do it in my school. I get students harass me about B+s. They want an A. I think B+ is a good grade: it's a decent grade. It means you are good but not great.

the duder
03-28-2013, 07:12 AM
This morning my advisor told me that since the curriculum under my major has changed, It could take me 3 or 4 years to get done with a 4 year degree… AFTER I ALREADY PUT IN 2 and 1/2 YEARS! WTF?This sounds eerily familiar. When I was in undergrad, The state of Pennsylvania had a GPA requirement for all education majors of a 2.75. After my first two years of college, I changed my major/focus from physics education to biology education after 2 years to alleviate the workload that I had and to boost my grades to get to 2.75. It might extend my tenure at school an extra semester, but at least I'd get done. And I'd have a minor in physics. Once NCLB went through, that changed the requirements from 2.75 to 3.0. I figured, that since the requirement was 2.75 when I entered, I should be OK. Wow was I wrong.I met with my advisor, ready to apply for block + student teaching and to finish a year late. She informed me of the GPA change, and she thought that I needed to have a 3.0. I was puzzled, and said that I thought I was "grandfathered in" - or that the requirements that I came in under would still be relevant to ME and the new requirements would apply to those who came in AFTER me. She wasn't sure, so I set up a meeting with the dean of the college of education. Basically, I showed her that my GPA in my degree area - secondary biology education - was a 3.2. Furthermore, if the old GPA requirements held, I should be set to graduate, only a year late, after aceing block and student teaching (which is typically what happens, barring you do something stupid like hit a kid). She denied this, and suggested I re-take calculus II DURING block, as it was the lone "D" on my degree audit and was dragging my GPA into the pits. I scoffed at this, and she then suggested re-taking calc I during block, then calc II during student teaching. Again, I scoffed. Block and student teaching require absurd amounts of work, and those two courses would not have fit into my schedule. I repeated my stance; that the GPA requirements when I entered should still hold valid for ME. She said that this was not the case. After much frustration and a failed meeting, I spent the next year re-taking gen ed courses that had NOTHING to do with biology or education that I had earned C's in to boost my GPA to a 3.0. This pushed my graduation another year and a half down the road and cost me substantial amounts of money. Now in graduate school, I looked back at my undergrad transcripts and was reminded of how absurd this whole thing was. Out of curiosity, I searched the internet to see if my advisor and the dean were correct in their analysis. What I found was that, I was right. PDE had ruled that my GPA requirements when I entered still held for me, and that the 3.0 was for anyone accepted after 2002 (or 2003; I can't quite remember). My advice: fight this tooth and nail. Go up as high on the ladder as you can and raise hell.

allegro
03-28-2013, 07:48 AM
To me anything less than a B+ is pretty bad work. If I give you a B for your paper, your paper is not very good. If you get a B for the course, you weren't a good student in my course.
That's how they do it in my school. I get students harass me about B+s. They want an A. I think B+ is a good grade: it's a decent grade. It means you are good but not great.
So A is not great, either, since there's no stretch between A and B. A being "great" and B being "not great" leaves everything at the high end.

That is the problem I had with college: too-high grading. "A" should be unachievable (or at least very rare) because nobody is that great. But everybody wants an A or they throw a shitfit. We're talking UNDERGRADS, here. Unless you're a prodigy, NO undergrad is that great. I know 4.0 GPAs who are really fucking stupid. I double-majored and did a minor in 3.5 yrs with a 3.83 GPA without killing myself and that doesn't make me Einstein.

And, of course, it depends on the school and your major. My school wasn't known to dumb down like a lot of other schools, but that ain't saying much in this country. I added a second major (English Lit) because I swear I could be half-conscious and still get As in my Communications major. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

My best friend is an art professor. She complains to me all the time about LAZY students who don't do the work, but then bitch "I DIDN'T GET AN A!!!!"

Space Suicide
03-28-2013, 09:13 AM
This morning my advisor told me that since the curriculum under my major has changed, It could take me 3 or 4 years to get done with a 4 year degree… AFTER I ALREADY PUT IN 2 and 1/2 YEARS! WTF?

You at UNCG?

I have one project to tweak and one small website to recode and then I am officially done with my semester's work and my portfolio. Graduation on the horizon....Associate's Degree in Applied Science aka Graphic Design.

So excited to be done with thisssssssss.

REPLICA
03-28-2013, 09:21 AM
You at UNCG?

I have one project to tweak and one small website to recode and then I am officially done with my semester's work and my portfolio. Graduation on the horizon....Associate's Degree in Applied Science aka Graphic Design.

So excited to be done with thisssssssss.

Yeah, I am. I'm under the Sustainable Tourism Management.

Congrats on your upcoming graduation.

Space Suicide
03-28-2013, 09:32 AM
Yeah, I am. I'm under the Sustainable Tourism Management.

Congrats on your upcoming graduation.

Cool, I have some friends that attend there.

Thanks, I'm just graduating from CVCC, a community college in Hickory. Surprisingly their Graphic Design program is ranked 4th best in the state, even over a school like ECU.

Mantra
03-29-2013, 09:11 PM
They should invent a new grade, one that's even higher than an A+. That'll fix the whole grade inflation thing.

allegro
03-29-2013, 09:14 PM
you mean, like, 11 ?

Mantra
03-29-2013, 09:53 PM
Exactly.

When I was in kindergarten we didn't have grades, we had colored smiley-face stickers. Red, yellow, green and blue, red being the worst and blue being the best. Maybe if the whole letter grade thing doesn't work out, higher-ed could give that system a shot. Worked for us.

ImTheWiseJanitor
03-29-2013, 09:59 PM
Slacked off on doing a paper all through spring break. Turns out our teacher pushed the due date up from this previous Wednesday to next Friday.

In rushing to prepare for a retake exam for another class (which I think I aced this time), I forgot to do the assigned homework. The teacher forgot to collect it until the end of class, and told everyone to just keep it until Monday.

Fuck yeah, school!

aggroculture
04-06-2013, 07:32 AM
So A is not great, either, since there's no stretch between A and B. A being "great" and B being "not great" leaves everything at the high end.

That is the problem I had with college: too-high grading. "A" should be unachievable (or at least very rare) because nobody is that great. But everybody wants an A or they throw a shitfit. We're talking UNDERGRADS, here. Unless you're a prodigy, NO undergrad is that great. I know 4.0 GPAs who are really fucking stupid. I double-majored and did a minor in 3.5 yrs with a 3.83 GPA without killing myself and that doesn't make me Einstein.

I agree with you. I would like more of a range of grades and less pressure from everyone (school and students alike) to give such high grades. But even in other systems I have experienced I have found that only three or so grades are used: excellent, good, OK, not so good. In UK university it was 1, 2:1, 2:2, and 3. In Italian high school they grade out of 10, but 6, 7, and 8 are the more commonly assigned grades.
Students know the difference between a B+ and an A-, and that's where I have the majority of complainers: B+ students who want an "A" and can sometimes move up to an A- with enough work or assholery. I really think bullying often works in getting the grade raised.
Sometimes I get A- students who fuss for an A: I really tend to despise people who make that request. A students are not students who ask for an A, but students who deserve an A without asking. Asking for an A kind of disqualifies you from getting one.

Mantra
04-07-2013, 12:48 AM
^Yeah, but complaining about asshole students pressuring you for a higher grade is kinda losing sight of the larger issue. Grade-grubbing and academic inflation are just the natural consequences of linking academic success with economic security. From the time we're in elementary school we got it hammered into our heads: "Go to college and get good grades or you'll be stuck with a shitty job." When you dangle that carrot, it's inevitable that people are gonna get aggressive and fight for it.

REPLICA
05-02-2013, 09:17 AM
I have a Greek Civilization exam at noon today and I'm pretty scared. I have beens studying my ass off for the past two days and I am just afraid I'll do bad. I have a C in the class so I'm hoping to at least keep it there. I know after the exam is over, i'm going out for a beer (or two) and maybe a Long Island Iced Tea.

Pillfred
06-25-2013, 05:20 PM
Looks like i will be able to get back into school this fall again ... . I should be able to run my appeal through and get my aid ban lifted since i've been going to counseling and can get, " a letter from a professional". Though even taking and passing one class with work also. So im taking a bio lab and try that as well. They never said how many credits it had to be. In any event once i get my monies sorted, fines, bills etc. i should be good to go full time and bang out my last year or so and get on with it. After almost 15 years of restaurant work im ready to see if i can/am able to assimilate into the broader work force at large.

REPLICA
06-28-2013, 11:05 AM
I found out that my next roommate is going to be 19 years old, that's going to be a little weird (I'm 24). I guess this is what happens when I choose to stay in campus housing while trying to get back into the swing of things. Oh well, hopefully he won't wake me up in the wee hours of the morning.

Pillfred
06-28-2013, 02:01 PM
Thaned
Been there with the not knowing business. Taking some time off may not be a bad idea but don't get caught up while doing so. Initially when i had done so it was due to needing to pick a major which i finally did but even now im thinking i may add to it after i get it knocked out. If you plan to transfer just make sure your credits will as i first went to a community college which ran on quarters not semesters which is why i now have extra credits to fill while being mostly done with my anth reqs. If you do plan on changing it up perhaps some of the credits you already took will cross over. Good Luck, and thanks.

REPLICA
08-14-2013, 08:03 PM
OHHH MAN… Tomorrow I move back to Greensboro and class starts on the 19th… It's been a good summer I suppose.

Halo Infinity
02-11-2014, 12:39 PM
There is another ETS on the Internet, and I'm sure that it would definitely belong in this thread. This ETS stands for Educational Testing Service. It seems to have only come out this year, and it's also a .org site.

http://www.ets.org/

millionmilesaway
12-10-2014, 06:47 PM
Resurrecting an old thread instead of going to the things that piss you off thread,

Just got my exam results for my second round of tests and I failed miserably. I don't know how to react to this, I felt so good coming out of the test and was much more confident that I had done well compared to my last test (which I passed by 0.3 points.)School has never been hard for me and it feels like I am getting the stuff I'm learning but obviously there's an issue somewhere. I'm starting to feel really discouraged and like I don't belong here. Everyone else seems to be so much smarter than me and living with a Sheldon cooper level brainaic isn't helping. My study habits are admittedly awful and I know there are tutors and people here to help but I hate asking.

Going back to school was supposed to be the thing that got me out of the terrible depressive rut my life was in. Now I just have even more issues to deal with on top the looming burden of student debt that is there whether I make it through the program or not.

Charmingly Miserable
06-15-2015, 10:40 PM
I'm in my third week of my Master's program in Accountancy. I love numbers.

slave2thewage
06-19-2015, 08:30 AM
Just got my place confirmed for September! I'm going back to do a diploma in music technology.

halloween
10-30-2015, 04:52 PM
I'm officially enrolled in a two-year technical program in cinema! Wooo! I can't fucking wait to start. It's going to give me hands on experience in all aspects of a production with a focus in directing. I remember as a freshmen in college, going for photography, thinking " I want to be a director of photography in movies!" Looks like that may actually happen. Weee!!