25 years old and deep in debt

[Ideologue]

Yes, but they were shitty degrees.  Like Classical Languages.  Believe me, I know.

Something that really grates at me is talking to people that majored in a foreign language, but never developed a real ability to speak it. How can you spend four years studying a language and not develop proficiency, or on the other side, how can a college give a degrees to those people?

It really isn't a language thing, it is more a failure of the university system. I'm not deluding myself into thinking that the history or biology major learned more than the spanish major that can't speak spanish.

FWIW, I think universities used to require some degree of proficiency with Greek and/or Latin for admission.

I definitely learned how to read history books and analyze primary sources and that kind of shit (the finding was more difficult than the analyzing).  Big fucking deal.  It's been exactly as useful as if I hadn't.

[alfred russel]

Yes, but they were shitty degrees.  Like Classical Languages.  Believe me, I know.

Something that really grates at me is talking to people that majored in a foreign language, but never developed a real ability to speak it. How can you spend four years studying a language and not develop proficiency, or on the other side, how can a college give a degrees to those people?

It really isn't a language thing, it is more a failure of the university system. I'm not deluding myself into thinking that the history or biology major learned more than the spanish major that can't speak spanish.

FWIW, I think universities used to require some degree of proficiency with Greek and/or Latin for admission.

I definitely learned how to read history books and analyze primary sources and that kind of shit (the finding was more difficult than the analyzing).  Big fucking deal.  It's been exactly as useful as if I hadn't.

You missed what I was getting at. It isn't that no one learns in college--using the language example, I am sure lots of people learn languages in college. It is that people who don't learn much still get a degree.

[Ideologue]

Yes, but they were shitty degrees.  Like Classical Languages.  Believe me, I know.

Something that really grates at me is talking to people that majored in a foreign language, but never developed a real ability to speak it. How can you spend four years studying a language and not develop proficiency, or on the other side, how can a college give a degrees to those people?

It really isn't a language thing, it is more a failure of the university system. I'm not deluding myself into thinking that the history or biology major learned more than the spanish major that can't speak spanish.

FWIW, I think universities used to require some degree of proficiency with Greek and/or Latin for admission.

I definitely learned how to read history books and analyze primary sources and that kind of shit (the finding was more difficult than the analyzing).  Big fucking deal.  It's been exactly as useful as if I hadn't.

You missed what I was getting at. It isn't that no one learns in college--using the language example, I am sure lots of people learn languages in college. It is that people who don't learn much still get a degree.

"Why learn if it doesn't matter?" is mine; and its corollary, "Why teach if it doesn't matter?"

I dunno.  I'm in a bad mood tonight.

[garbon]

LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME I WENT TO STANFORD I WENT TO STANFORD LOOK LOOK LOOOOOOOOK

Is it even possible for you to knock this shit off for, like, ten minutes?

Actually that wasn't my point. My point was actually that this might be more alarming if they weren't taking over UC Davis Accounting.

Woot, I now get to live my life like DGuller!

[Razgovory]

Yes, but they were shitty degrees.  Like Classical Languages.  Believe me, I know.

Something that really grates at me is talking to people that majored in a foreign language, but never developed a real ability to speak it. How can you spend four years studying a language and not develop proficiency, or on the other side, how can a college give a degrees to those people?

It really isn't a language thing, it is more a failure of the university system. I'm not deluding myself into thinking that the history or biology major learned more than the spanish major that can't speak spanish.

FWIW, I think universities used to require some degree of proficiency with Greek and/or Latin for admission.

There is nobody to speak Latin or Ancient Greek with.

[CountDeMoney]

Those are good schools on that list.  Just not necessarily known for Finance.  Wake me when U of Chicago, Penn and Northwestern get buried with the Yerrow Peril.

Besides, they're all applying to Case Western Reserve as a cover to snatch all the biomechanical engineering and genetic research goodies anyway.

[alfred russel]

Yes, but they were shitty degrees.  Like Classical Languages.  Believe me, I know.

Something that really grates at me is talking to people that majored in a foreign language, but never developed a real ability to speak it. How can you spend four years studying a language and not develop proficiency, or on the other side, how can a college give a degrees to those people?

It really isn't a language thing, it is more a failure of the university system. I'm not deluding myself into thinking that the history or biology major learned more than the spanish major that can't speak spanish.

FWIW, I think universities used to require some degree of proficiency with Greek and/or Latin for admission.

There is nobody to speak Latin or Ancient Greek with.

Sure there is--but more importantly can you read (and write) it proficiently?

[Jacob]

Those are good schools on that list.  Just not necessarily known for Finance.  Wake me when U of Chicago, Penn and Northwestern get buried with the Yerrow Peril.

Besides, they're all applying to Case Western Reserve as a cover to snatch all the biomechanical engineering and genetic research goodies anyway.

Nah... that's just a few of them most likely. Most of them are there because they didn't get into a prestigious (or any) university back home, but their parents are rich enough that they can afford to pay their way into an American university.

[Razgovory]

How far does an American diploma get you in China?

[DGuller]

LOOK AT ME LOOK AT ME I WENT TO STANFORD I WENT TO STANFORD LOOK LOOK LOOOOOOOOK

Is it even possible for you to knock this shit off for, like, ten minutes?

Actually that wasn't my point. My point was actually that this might be more alarming if they weren't taking over UC Davis Accounting.

Woot, I now get to live my life like DGuller!

They can buy all the blueberries they want?

[Jacob]

How far does an American diploma get you in China?

A masters degree from an American university is much better than no masters degree, that's for sure. English skills help too. And I'd you have the wherewithal to go to the US for a post-graduate degree you probably have the guangxi to do pretty well, all things considered.

[Eddie Teach]

I took four years of high school Spanish which puts my skills roughly in line with a four year old.

[Phillip V]

I took four years of high school Spanish which puts my skills roughly in line with a four year old.

Company Immediately Calls Job Applicant Upon Seeing 'B.A. In Communications' On Résumé

"Calling his résumé "exceptional" and "like nothing we've ever seen," the human resources department at local public relations firm Brink & Tiller called 22-year-old job applicant Corey Wilhelm immediately after noticing he had a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications, sources confirmed Wednesday.
...
Impressed and admittedly intimidated company sources went on to confirm that Wilhelm had also completed four years of high school Spanish."

http://www.theonion.com/articles/company-immediately-calls-job-applicant-upon-seein,31669/

[Phillip V]

Computers Grading Essays at College Level

'Software developed by a joint venture of Harvard and M.I.T. uses artificial intelligence to grade student essays and short written answers, freeing professors for other tasks.'

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/05/science/new-test-for-computers-grading-essays-at-college-level.html

[Ideologue]

Hahahahahahahahahaha. Ha.