If you're in college or university..

Is it not possible to get your Ph.D as an RA (research assistant) and not a TA (teaching assistant).

Also, you could get a PhD and work in the private sector...

It used to be possible at least, it's not very common anymore. As far as I know you HAVE to alternate between teaching and researching. I don't have much experience in the private sector, it could be redeeming - I don't know.

Anyway, my biggest gripe is not with what you do once you finish your doctorate. It's more about what you go through to get there :)

anything worth achieving is gonna take some struggle. :)

That girl in the video really pissed me off. "I have no interest in anything." "other students were doodling to become great artists" lol "making music and writing verses..." because they see making music as an easy way to make some money and get famous.

This video might be relevant if you're doing a crappy 'new' degree just for the sake of doing a degree, as opposed to obtaining a qualification relevant to a career you want to develop.

yeah id like to see you become a surgeon by reading books.

I found university hard but I don't think I could have learned my subject any other way. For parts of it I had to just force my way through, other parts I learned gladly for the pleasure of learning. I think it's important to do that because the degree is designed to give you a framework to build on, which is needed to get to the actual 'meat' of the subject, and also to give you a taste of the sub-disciplines of the subject. I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with the system of passing exams to prove what you've learned, but it is usually implemented in a very administrative way. I also think that one of the most important things you can prove with that piece of paper they give you is that you saw something challenging through to the end.

  On 8/17/2010 at 11:57 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

I found university hard but I don't think I could have learned my subject any other way. For parts of it I had to just force my way through, other parts I learned gladly for the pleasure of learning. I think it's important to do that because the degree is designed to give you a framework to build on, which is needed to get to the actual 'meat' of the subject, and also to give you a taste of the sub-disciplines of the subject. I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with the system of passing exams to prove what you've learned, but it is usually implemented in a very administrative way. I also think that one of the most important things you can prove with that piece of paper they give you is that you saw something challenging through to the end.

Agreed. Plus there are plenty of degrees that incorporate practical work-based assessment which can be at least as tough as an exam.

also the scope of libraries in there are astounding compared to a normal library.

  On 8/17/2010 at 11:57 PM, Coalbucket PI said:

I found university hard but I don't think I could have learned my subject any other way. For parts of it I had to just force my way through, other parts I learned gladly for the pleasure of learning. I think it's important to do that because the degree is designed to give you a framework to build on, which is needed to get to the actual 'meat' of the subject, and also to give you a taste of the sub-disciplines of the subject. I don't think there is anything intrinsically wrong with the system of passing exams to prove what you've learned, but it is usually implemented in a very administrative way. I also think that one of the most important things you can prove with that piece of paper they give you is that you saw something challenging through to the end.

excellent post. thanks.

  On 8/17/2010 at 11:54 PM, chenGOD said:

anything worth achieving is gonna take some struggle. :)

 

That girl in the video really pissed me off. "I have no interest in anything." "other students were doodling to become great artists" lol "making music and writing verses..." because they see making music as an easy way to make some money and get famous.

She's only young and she means well, it took guts for her to make that speech yeah. I do wonder what discipline she was studying though. Probably the humanities, given her nod to the pointlessness of the instruction and testing system.

  On 8/17/2010 at 8:56 PM, Bread said:

good comments - what are your solutions to a worthless education system?

First thing id do is post a youtube video about it

No but really i'd just like to see more funding for the education system and an overhaul on benchmarking and curriculum restrictions. I'd also like to see the school year go year-round, have schooldays shortened 3 or 4 hours, and be 4 instead of 5 days a week. High school should also be more like uni in its broad curriculum and specialized colleges so kids can actually try studying subjects of interest before going on to secondary school.

Here's the thing: i think the current education system scrapes by in succeeding to educate the general populous on your basic shit (no that does not mean idiots dont exist) and creating qualified professionals. As i mentioned earlier, at any time, you are welcome to study independently or leave or both.

edit: coalbucket makes a very good point with that last sentence.

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:17 AM, delet... said:

  On 8/17/2010 at 11:54 PM, chenGOD said:

anything worth achieving is gonna take some struggle. :)

 

That girl in the video really pissed me off. "I have no interest in anything." "other students were doodling to become great artists" lol "making music and writing verses..." because they see making music as an easy way to make some money and get famous.

 

She's only young and she means well, it took guts for her to make that speech yeah. I do wonder what discipline she was studying though. Probably the humanities, given her nod to the pointlessness of the instruction and testing system.

She's graduating high school.

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:23 AM, 24ourange said:

edit: coalbucket makes a very good point with that last sentence.

pretty much, you then train on the job.

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:29 AM, chenGOD said:

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:17 AM, delet... said:

  On 8/17/2010 at 11:54 PM, chenGOD said:

anything worth achieving is gonna take some struggle. :)

 

That girl in the video really pissed me off. "I have no interest in anything." "other students were doodling to become great artists" lol "making music and writing verses..." because they see making music as an easy way to make some money and get famous.

 

She's only young and she means well, it took guts for her to make that speech yeah. I do wonder what discipline she was studying though. Probably the humanities, given her nod to the pointlessness of the instruction and testing system.

 

 

She's graduating high school.

lol sorry !! i am big stupidhead.

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:30 AM, delet... said:

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:23 AM, 24ourange said:

edit: coalbucket makes a very good point with that last sentence.

 

pretty much, you then train on the job.

 

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:29 AM, chenGOD said:

  On 8/18/2010 at 12:17 AM, delet... said:

  On 8/17/2010 at 11:54 PM, chenGOD said:

anything worth achieving is gonna take some struggle. :)

 

That girl in the video really pissed me off. "I have no interest in anything." "other students were doodling to become great artists" lol "making music and writing verses..." because they see making music as an easy way to make some money and get famous.

 

She's only young and she means well, it took guts for her to make that speech yeah. I do wonder what discipline she was studying though. Probably the humanities, given her nod to the pointlessness of the instruction and testing system.

 

 

She's graduating high school.

 

lol sorry !! i am big stupidhead.

if only you'd paid more attention in school mwah hah hah hah hah hah

We don't have that graduation bS, for high school here. Or those naming conventions. But still, i should have been culturally indoctrinated enough to realise.

I clean peoples houses for a living. Why? Cause I didn't finish college. A degree opens doors and gives you options in life. I quit college cause of the reasons stated here. Its a primer for dead lines in the work place. but not finishing has fucked me royally.

my practically step-son who just turned 5 attends this school called the Natural Learning School.

its a school set up with a comparably vast amount of resources, tangible and otherwise.

the kids who go there are guided by an ever-evolving curriculum.

the teachers present a general concept, or sometimes a focus on one thing in particular in the world

and through group discussion and hands-on activities, the focus expands, only limited by what questions or thoughts develop through the experience of the focus.

there are no 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. grades, only different levels of focus.

the kids also range in age, where the older kids are encouraged to help the younger kids.

from what i've seen, the result not only teaches the children that they are not limited by what is being told to them, but it also empowers each one of those kids in very unique ways.

he fucking LOVES it there and is actually excited to get up at 7 every morning of the school week and go there.

research Reggio Emilia...

a similar way of schooling, Montessori, is seemingly as expansive a way to teach but a bit more structured.

he went to a Montessori school for a bit, but they were more about money and less focused on the children, resulting in many difficult mornings. who knows, maybe there are better ones out there.

anyway, this realm of schooling seems to make the most sense to me. the children are encouraged to move around and find what they like. the teachers at his school love what they do, because they know what they are doing is what should be done to make our children WANT to learn about the world. on top of everything, an exponential amount of people have introduced their kids to this program compared to last year, including kids who were going to public schools, and they have expanded their facilities by probably 300%

this makes me hopeful for future of the world man.

That sounds brilliant soma, I wish I went to a school like that as a child.

god you and me both, maybe i wouldnt be laid off as much!

  On 8/18/2010 at 9:45 AM, soma said:

my practically step-son who just turned 5 attends this school called the Natural Learning School.

its a school set up with a comparably vast amount of resources, tangible and otherwise.

the kids who go there are guided by an ever-evolving curriculum.

the teachers present a general concept, or sometimes a focus on one thing in particular in the world

and through group discussion and hands-on activities, the focus expands, only limited by what questions or thoughts develop through the experience of the focus.

there are no 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc. grades, only different levels of focus.

the kids also range in age, where the older kids are encouraged to help the younger kids.

from what i've seen, the result not only teaches the children that they are not limited by what is being told to them, but it also empowers each one of those kids in very unique ways.

he fucking LOVES it there and is actually excited to get up at 7 every morning of the school week and go there.

 

research Reggio Emilia...

a similar way of schooling, Montessori, is seemingly as expansive a way to teach but a bit more structured.

he went to a Montessori school for a bit, but they were more about money and less focused on the children, resulting in many difficult mornings. who knows, maybe there are better ones out there.

 

anyway, this realm of schooling seems to make the most sense to me. the children are encouraged to move around and find what they like. the teachers at his school love what they do, because they know what they are doing is what should be done to make our children WANT to learn about the world. on top of everything, an exponential amount of people have introduced their kids to this program compared to last year, including kids who were going to public schools, and they have expanded their facilities by probably 300%

 

this makes me hopeful for future of the world man.

Yeah i went to Montessori when I was a kid (long time ago now), and I think it was the best school I've been to until university, which has revitalized my desire to learn.

does this bitch ever shut the fuck up?

wth? with a phd you can get to teach 6 hours a week and get paid pretty fucking good. also teaching doesn't necesarilly mean repeating the same shit you've learnt over time. at that point you can choose to teach stuff you don't know about and learn it in the process.

there's is also a difference between an academic and technical appraoch to education.

and depending on your area, phd are also sought out in the private sector. specialized knowledge is getting to be very valuable. consulting, for instance.

  On 8/18/2010 at 2:09 PM, keltoi said:

does this bitch ever shut the fuck up?

patience dearest mugwump

I don't understand why people are talking about teaching and PhDs? A PhD is a research degree, what does it have to do with teaching?

it has to do with class and status, so people shut out what a true subject is within a conversation to make it out to be how much better they think they are than anyone else....