You spent 10-15 seconds trying to figure out that title, didn't you? On the way home from work, I heard a radio commercial for a local technical college that attacked traditional colleges by arguing "you don't learn how to repair a computer by reading Shakespeare". This reminded me of all of the worthless classes I had to take to graduate with a business degree (IAH anyone?) The university would argue such curriculum is required to provide a well balanced education. Two and a half years removed and I hardly remember how to balance a ledger let alone anything from my astronomy class. While I feel like I learned a great deal from college (calculating profit margins, navigating through financial statements, marketing and sales tactics, why mixing gatorade and vodka is a bad idea). The system is rigid and outdated due to deeply engrained traditions and philosophies of academia. (I learned how to write an argument like that in High School, not college).
As a business major, I wasn't allowed to touch a non-economics business class until I was halfway done with college. How was I supposed to know a marketing degree was right for me if I was stuck taking life science, spanish, and IAH? If I decided after a year that it wasn't what I wanted, I'd be changing majors at the beginning of my senior year. On top of that, many economic principles are difficult business concepts to understand - how am I supposed to really comprehend them without any business background?? Luckily, I ended up enjoying marketing and was quite successful, minus one bad econ class.
In my opinion, anyone beginning a marketing degree should take Marketing 101 on day one so they know what they're getting themselves into. Same goes for any other major (do they have Teaching 101 Mike?) Since I will never ever deal with any science outside of the animals at the zoos that Stacey and I visit, I shouldn't have been required to take any. In addition, IAH is a complete joke and should be eliminated effective immediately. Anyone who had to sit through it should be reimbursed or at least receive a coupon to the Dairy Store (mmm... revenge ice cream!) Instead of taking rediculous prerequisites, I should have been allowed more time to take electives instead of the 3-4 I was allowed to take to complete my 120 credits. I learned of a Entrepreneur class my senior year that would have been a great learning experience in independence and creativity. Sadly, it wasn't even offered to business majors. Having the ability to better tailor your education to your own needs is critical.
Since we're on the subject of college, I want to discuss some college football since I can't go without talking about sports. I would love to see West Virginia take on OSU if Mizzo loses. Pat White and Steve Slaton are like Juice Williams and Mendenhall from Illinois... except a lot better. They will destroy OSU. I am so hopeful that we get to see Illinois vs. Florida in the Citrus Bowl. It would be a very exciting game to watch and I would love to see Ron Zook stick it to Florida.
3 comments:
It's funny, all through your lower level schooling years (K-12), they tell you when you get to college you get to choose what you want to take. Until then, it's your core classes: math, english, science, history.
Except that's not the case, and you are completely right. You are still stuck taking "core" classes your first two years, and there is no way around it.
I came in to State with 22 credits from AP and dual enrollement classes. Essentially, I was a semester and a half ahead of the game. Because I actually wanted to try some classes (accounting and the such) to see if I'd like a certain field, I ended up taking the full four years to finish my degree. That shouldn't happen. (And by the way, TE 149 was the beginning teacher course and anyone could take it.)
It bothers me to this day the bullshit classes I had to take. An IAH class that dealt with operas, composers, and plays? Seriously? That's what I was forced to take my senior year. Good stuff to know, but not what I wanted to be taking while I focused on my career in elementary ed.
So every month now, as I cut my checks to pay for my student loans, I think about what all this money went towards, and I realize that about half of it should have gone elsewhere.
Is it sad that I got the title right away?
But I agree with your point wholeheartedly. I spent three years and WAY too much money learning that lesson.
Of course, the counter-arguement would be that nobody forced you to take any classes that you considered to be bullshit. You came to MSU out of your own free will, even paid for the privilege. If you didn't want to take "core" classes such as IAH you could have transferred to a college like the one you heard on the radio.
(For the record, I once wrote a paper in freshman IAH defending pre-civil war slave owners as victims of the prevailing ideology. I got a c+.
Time well spent my friend, time well spent...)
The problem is that EVERY school forces you into a similar system - unless it is a technical college. And if there is, the degree isn't as respectable as a 4 year school.
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