Teacup Cafe XXV

[The last sane person]

*grabs Sis for a kiss and with the free arm grabs some of her pastries and a coffee* heheheh, not too bad, its coming along.

[shesabrandybuck]

Oh yeah, I took a geometry quiz earlier, I think I got an A!!! Maybe I will pass the test on Thursday after all...

[Mari]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

yeah, maybe. At least half the time I found professors preferred you to know only as little as they provided you with. Any knowledge over that tended to get one in trouble.

Really!? *is amazed* Here it is normal to read 150 pages before every class on a subject, so the teacher can go into more depth, or challenge your view, or whatever. The favourite method here is to throw at least 4 different views at a student on a subject and then make the student tell which view has the most good/logical points or even construct a whole new view on the matter. >_<
Sometimes I wish they'd just give me some nice straight facts instead of having us find out a possible fact for ourselves... @_@

[The last sane person]

Well, over here, they like creating nothing more than paper tigers. God forbid you actually learn anything or DARE to think!

[Mari]

Very nice She! Geometry, DNA... it's all way over my head, so I'm impressed by everyone who can make chocolate out of it
(forgive the Dutch saying )

[shesabrandybuck]

Originally Posted by Mari

Very nice She! Geometry, DNA... it's all way over my head, so I'm impressed by everyone who can make chocolate out of it
(forgive the Dutch saying )

Thank you, bio is 23479290347 times easier than geom

[shesabrandybuck]

I have to go to english in a few minutes, wont be able to get on until later in the afternoon. Thanks entmoot, from saving me from falling asleep in bio!!

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Mari and I will now do an interpretive dance of the double helix.

[Mari]

I wouldn't know, those courses disappeared from my curriculum in my 4th year
Not surprising: I did the culture and society programme (which includes languages and Math 1a) and did a few extra courses from the economics and society programme.
I wasn't allowed to take the science course though, without also taking the physics course. Too bad, I liked science.

Do you have these sort of programmes too, or is everyone supposed to take the same classes?

[Mari]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

Mari and I will now do an interpretive dance of the double helix.

Did you somehow read over my shoulder when I changed my status of MSN to "wants to dance" a few minutes ago?
Sometimes you really scare me...

[The last sane person]

She's good at that, I've noticed.

AW CRAP. One of my sources is missing and its a gawdawefullargebook....wheredidiputit?

[Mari]

Are you perhaps sitting on it? Or did you put it under your monitor?
Don't give me that look! It happened to me... Perhaps I should shut up now...

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

Originally Posted by Mari

I wouldn't know, those courses disappeared from my curriculum in my 4th year
Not surprising: I did the culture and society programme (which includes languages and Math 1a) and did a few extra courses from the economics and society programme.
I wasn't allowed to take the science course though, without also taking the physics course. Too bad, I liked science.

Do you have these sort of programmes too, or is everyone supposed to take the same classes?

Generally speaking, most colleges require some general studies requirements before any specialization. Varies by college, however. And if you wanted to study science there would be pre-requisites for the classes, but no actual barrier to taking them, as a non-major. Again, it might slow up your progress, and it would depend on the school. When you pay for classes, they have no real incentive to rush you through. It's all money.

[Mari]

Ah, thanks.
The programmes apply to secundary school though. In secundary school you choose one of four programmes. Every programme gives access to certain areas of study in the tertiary education. Because I basically did 2 prgrammes, I have access to almost everything in the language, social and economical sector.
However I can't study to be a doctor or rocket scientist, because I have the wrong programmes. I think that is the same then.
For tertiary education you choose only 1 thing and get courses that match that. For example Italian, Japanese, Language Acquisition, Medics, Biology. I got the idea that in America you can more or less compile your own major? At least, that's the system in Japan. Everyone can choose from all courses available and it's up to you to make up a sensible curriculum.

So how about that dance you promised me?

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

No, in secondary school...high school? Everyone must study everything, at some level. You're not supposed to know, at 15, whether you want to be a doctor, or not.

In college you study what you want to, until you finally do enough of what they want you to that they kick you upstairs. Ever play baseball? College is like a baseball game on a golf course. You can run where-ever you want. You can touch base on any hole. But until you touch the bases they've identified, you aren't done.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

*starts music for dance*

*whacks rule*

[Mari]

*bows and asks for Sis' hand*

[Mari]

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

No, in secondary school...high school? Everyone must study everything, at some level. You're not supposed to know, at 15, whether you want to be a doctor, or not.

True, that's the critique the system is getting. Though you do have to undergo extensive testing (personality tests etc. It told me I should either be a priest or teacher, so I didn't take them too seriously) before making your final choice.

Originally Posted by sisterandcousinandaunt

In college you study what you want to, until you finally do enough of what they want you to that they kick you upstairs. Ever play baseball? College is like a baseball game on a golf course. You can run where-ever you want. You can touch base on any hole. But until you touch the bases they've identified, you aren't done.

Woah! Pretty different then! Here it's all set by the university and approved by the board of eductation.
I chose Japanese, so my curriculum revolves around Japan. I was glad that when I was in Japan I could study something else.
Don't get me wrong, I love studying Japan, especially the history and economics etc. but after 2 years of only Japan-related social subjects with a lot of overlap (I had at least 3 courses with WWII as the focus ) I really liked being able to study other things.

[sisterandcousinandaunt]

*while dancing*
A lot of colleges pride themselves on never teaching anything useful. That's prestige. It's 'a liberal arts education' and it befits you to run things, apparently.

[Mari]

*ponders Sis' statement and because of that nearly falls out of rythm*
So if you haven't been taught anything useful and get to run things, imagine what you'd get to do if you had actually been taught something! Now that would be something...

*nearly steps on Sis' toes, but recovers at the last moment*
You're a better dancer then me