Another rant about general education requirements

[Rageaholic]

because I hate them that fucking much! :mad:

I was a good sport about it through the first few years when I had no idea what I wanted to major into. It was like a new world for me where *I* was responsible for what happened to me and I didn't have to worry about detention or any of that bull shit. I thought I learned quite a bit and loved being able to learn new and exciting things. It felt great, and after a couple of years, I thought I was done with the GE stuff. And while I didn't mind the GE stuff, I was glad to be able to have more say in what I was taking.

Oh wait a minute, I wasn't. I was done with the community colleges GE requirements, but they didn't fill all the ones of the university I was transfering to. After months of talking with counsulors from both colleges, I find out that I have to take the dreaded biology course (even though I already took geology, thinking I wouldn't have to disect anything), and two more anthropology, never minding all the psychology, sociology, and humanities courses I've taken. I'm still not well rounded enough for these fuckwads.

You know what? Everyone has their strengths, everyone has their weaknesses. I know a lot of people who are very talented in the arts. I'm not, and after 22 years I know that I am not. I am good with math and would probably be good in computers if given the chance, but noooooooo! They insist on force feeding me stuff I don't give a shit about! Instead of learning to do things that would be useful for me, I have to keep learning what I consider to be mere facts.

DAMN IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I should be grateful. Education is great, my parents are paying for it, and I have it well off at home, blah blah blah. I'm grateful for my parents and if you would have asked me about college two years ago, I would have been enthusiastic about it. What I am NOT grateful for is still being stuck reading boring ass textbooks on anchient religions most people have never heard of, trying to force myself to remember facts and concepts that I don't give a shit about, and doing these STUPID group presentations and other half assed ice breaker assignments. After years of this, I just. can't. take it anymore!

Luckly, I only have one more month of this stuff, so that thought has comforted me, but it's still annoying and frustrating knowing I have to waste anymore time with this shit. It's holding me back from doing things that I'd not only be interested in, but would help me make some money now. But I guess wanting to do things you're interested in and would know you're good at is too much to ask for.

[Greenday]

Hm, useful gen. eds. I've taken:

Public Speaking
The American Experience (American History)


Pointless gen. eds. I've taken just so I could be "well-rounded':

Effective Writing
Critical Writing (writing essays on my opinions about malls, comic books, and monsters is critical writing?)
Intro to Soc.
Politics of Diversity (I think I've learned more on Fratching than I ever did in that class on that subject)
Humans & The Environment
Intro to Film
Intro to Philosophy

Then I took Love & Marriage for fun and Tai Chi Chaun for fun. Learned more in those two classes than all those other pointless gen. eds. I listed. I wasted 21 credits on pointless Gen. Eds. I could have graduated awhile ago and saved money but my school says I have to be well-rounded. Good call. I thought that was the point of high school. College is for specialization.

[Plaidman]

I know it seems useless to you. However its a test of life. Its proof that you will do work, even if its boring and useless to you, simply because its part of your job. Do you think I enjoyed learning about Galen, Dioscorides, or any of the other thirty or so famous inventers and teachers of healings? Not really. I don't see why I need to know that it was a roman, (Who's name ironically escapes me right now :( ) wrote the first Veterinarian book in 500AD, and there wasn't another one for a thousand years. Or that animals were considered to be God's presents to us, and therfor didn't feel pain and so were put through basically hell and torture in attempts to heal them until recently. (Global scale, not like, ten years ago recently).

But they want you to do that, to show that you do work. Period. Even if its horrible. It shows that you are COMMITTED to learning and doing what you want to do in life.


Doesn't mean it doesn't suck, and I feel for you man. Sorry its happening.

[Greenday]

I know it seems useless to you. However its a test of life. Its proof that you will do work, even if its boring and useless to you, simply because its part of your job. Do you think I enjoyed learning about Galen, Dioscorides, or any of the other thirty or so famous inventers and teachers of healings? Not really. I don't see why I need to know that it was a roman, (Who's name ironically escapes me right now :( ) wrote the first Veterinarian book in 500AD, and there wasn't another one for a thousand years. Or that animals were considered to be God's presents to us, and therfor didn't feel pain and so were put through basically hell and torture in attempts to heal them until recently. (Global scale, not like, ten years ago recently).

But they want you to do that, to show that you do work. Period. Even if its horrible. It shows that you are COMMITTED to learning and doing what you want to do in life.


Doesn't mean it doesn't suck, and I feel for you man. Sorry its happening.

So 3-3.5 years of relevant classes and loans pwnage isn't enough? Another 0.5-1 year of BS classes changes everything and proves I'm committed to what I want to do? Nah uh. Colleges are businesses now and by continuing to add pointless gen. eds., we are stuck here longer and owe them even more money.

[Plaidman]

Well Duh bro. That went without saying ;). But it does show to employeers, that you are committed. Or, perfect slave material.

[Hobbs]

What's your major? All of my classes pretty much make sense for a History major (butt-loads of history, American Studies, an Anthro class, Economics, Geography, Poli-Sci, Math, English etc...).

[Plaidman]

What's your major? All of my classes pretty much make sense for a History major (butt-loads of history, American Studies, an Anthro class, Economics, Geography, Poli-Sci, Math, English etc...).

What exactly is policital science about? I mean, I never understood policitics. Its like, Republician, Democrat, all follow one way or another. I don't get it. At all.

[Rageaholic]

Well Duh bro. That went without saying ;). But it does show to employeers, that you are committed. Or, perfect slave material.

And the scary thing is, you're right. Employers and our education system are all about making you jump through hoops just to show you're commited, which is an entirely different rant on it's own, but all the more reason for me to be a libertarian.

[McDreidel09]

It is bullshit. Utter bullshit.

Look, I am here to be training to be a Secondary School English Teacher. NOT MATH. NOT PHILOSOPHY (shoot me in the head with this one!). ENGLISH.

I have to take a third semester of math courses because to them, not learning Trig means you had no prior math education and therefore need to be put in Elementary Algebra. Basically, I shouldn't have had math at all in high school, since I am re-learning EVERYTHING.

Then I almost had to take Spanish for my Education major, but because I had four years of it in high school, I didn't have to take it. Then I found out that for my Education major, I will most likely have to take Biology. WTF? I am not in the Elementary Education where you have to learn everything! I am specializing in ENGLISH. INGLES.

Oh and I am taking Intro to American Government this semester because my adviser said I should. Guess what? I basically took this class in High School. It's all the same shit. :mad:

And I'm sorry Rage, but that is a reason I decided not to go to CC. Well, one of them. I was so afraid that some credits wouldn't transfer and I would have to retake those classes.

[smileyeagle1021]

At least most of the gen ed classes I have to take make sense. I'm a business major (even though I'm going into accounting, accounting isn't offered as a major at the the CC... even though they have an assload of accounting classes, go figure) so I can see use for a lot of the gen ed classed.
Writing- yup need that.
Public speaking- most definitely need that
Microsoft office- already know that, but I can see why it is needed.
Diversity in film/Diversity in Literature- yeah, doing two classes is a bit of overkill, but being able to analyze diversity issues I can understand being important for people in the business world.
Ethics- Enron, need I say more.
Sociology- understanding your clients is a good trait.
Statistics- understanding your market
Algebra- OK, so somewhat of a weedout course, but at least math is used in accounting.

The only gen ed I've had to take that I don't agree with being at least peripherally related to my major is Phys Ed (which I'm taking Tai Chai to meet the requirement)... that said, being the fat guy that I am, being forced to exercise is NOT going to hurt me.

[Greenday]

See, yea, I need to know how to write, but that's all we do in labs. Every time we finish a lab, we have to write lab reports. We've had to do speeches to present data in multiple classes. I have to write a grant proposal. Maybe if any of my writing classes or gen. eds. had anything to do with how to do those I'd consider them useful but I didn't get one damn thing out of them.

[linguist]

It is bullshit. Utter bullshit.

Look, I am here to be training to be a Secondary School English Teacher. NOT MATH. NOT PHILOSOPHY (shoot me in the head with this one!). ENGLISH.


i studied philosophy and philosophers in my middle and high school english classes.

[McDreidel09]

i studied philosophy and philosophers in my middle and high school english classes.

We never touched them in my classes. Yeah, we heard about John Locke, but that was in Gov't class.

I hate philosophy with a passion.

[HYHYBT]

I'm a business major (even though I'm going into accounting, accounting isn't offered as a major at the the CC... Hey! I'm studying accounting as well! Y'all may want to bail out of reading the rest of this, because I'm going off on a tangential rant.... actually, I'd better make that its own thread.

[Rageaholic]

Hey! I'm studying accounting as well! Y'all may want to bail out of reading the rest of this, because I'm going off on a tangential rant.... actually, I'd better make that its own thread.

That's what I'm majoring into as well and why I started this thread! I guess that makes three. :D

[Rageaholic]

Then I almost had to take Spanish for my Education major, but because I had four years of it in high school, I didn't have to take it. Then I found out that for my Education major, I will most likely have to take Biology. WTF? I am not in the Elementary Education where you have to learn everything! I am specializing in ENGLISH. INGLES.


And I'm sorry Rage, but that is a reason I decided not to go to CC. Well, one of them. I was so afraid that some credits wouldn't transfer and I would have to retake those classes.

Do not get me started on biology. Luckly, I can handle the mathamatical parts of it. What I cannot handle is having to disect shit. I am very squemish about that stuff so this it not going to be easy. You should not have to disect something in an intro to biology course! There was a lot of other stuff I didn't do so hot on so I know I'm not going to get the best grade, but at this point, I don't even care, as long as I pass, I should be good.

What I really despise though, are these specific courses that they want you to take. One of them being a world religion course which bores me to tears. If I expressed how I really feel about most religion, I would probably fail the class. And you're right about CCs being picky about which transfers where. Like I said, I had one hell of a time trying to get the counsulors to explain which courses I needed because of a lack of communication between the two. I just hope I have it right and won't have to retake any courses because of a lack of communication.

[guywithashovel]

I graduated from college, and I took a lot of gen ed courses that didn't relate to what I ended up majoring in. However, as I have progressed, I have developed a little bit of appreciation for them. Throughout my work life (which admittedly hasn't been as long as some other people's has), I've realized that despite the fact that you've chosen a career field to go into, you really don't know for sure exactly what you will end up doing at the job(s) you get.

For example, I just earned a master's degree in library and information science, the degree that is usually required for employment as a librarian. There have been people who have graduated from my school's program and gotten jobs as youth services librarians where they have provided instruction in literature and folklore. Some of them learned that stuff in their gen ed English classes in college, and at the time thought they were useless, but ended up using it in their later careers.

Now, I know that not everyone will fall into that boat. A lot of business majors will take Intro to Philosophy and then go on to do various business things in their careers and only use what they learned in philosophy when playing Trivial Pursuit (if even that much). However, I think it's good to keep this in mind.

[Plaidman]

You need a masters degree to work at a libary? I thought all they did was put away books and checked stuff out. Didn't think any major degrees were needed.


So far I've enjoyed my general studies. I've learned quite a bit. I'm not so bitter about life, nor so depressed since taking them. I'm alot smarter then I ever gave myself credit for.

[Hobbs]

You need a masters degree to work at a libary? I thought all they did was put away books and checked stuff out. Didn't think any major degrees were needed.


So far I've enjoyed my general studies. I've learned quite a bit. I'm not so bitter about life, nor so depressed since taking them. I'm alot smarter then I ever gave myself credit for.
Wow, just wow. Yes, you need a Masters Degree. The one librarian I knew had one in Library Studies (or some such thing) and knew quite a lot. It's not a Blockbuster.

[Hobbs]

What exactly is policital science about? I mean, I never understood policitics. Its like, Republician, Democrat, all follow one way or another. I don't get it. At all.
Ehe, not exactly. Those are political actors. Politics is more like
Political development: how nations and states evolve; nations; the evolution of institutions
Modernization: the transformation of agrarian societies in industrial nations
Political regimes: the system of rules and institutions for the exercise of political power: “rules of the game.” Regime types (not Cold-War divisions into “three worlds”)
Regime change: revolution, democratization.
Political actors, civil society Organized activity outside government), political parties, interest groups

[Plaidman]

Wow, just wow. Yes, you need a Masters Degree. The one librarian I knew had one in Library Studies (or some such thing) and knew quite a lot. It's not a Blockbuster.

Why the sarcasm? My friend works at a library. He never even finished High School, yet he works there. Thus my confusion.

[elsporko]

Theres a difference between shelving at a small town library and working at a big library or running one.


Frankly I don't see the big problem with gen ed classes. If you don't go to a liberal arts school you don't have many anyways, but if you do then just pick classes you are interested in or help you for what you want to do in the future. Thats what I did and I only ended up taking a couple I didn't like.

[guywithashovel]

You don't need a master's degree to work in a library. However, in order to be a librarian, you almost always need a master's degree in library and information science or a related degree (there are a few similar master's degrees out there that are almost always accepted).

Not everyone who works in a library is a librarian. Most of the people you see putting up books and checking people out are either library assistants or pages, though librarians sometimes do these things as well. Library assistants and pages don't need to have master's degrees to do what they do. Librarians are the ones who manage the library and take care of all the "higher up" stuff. For example, I am the librarian at a technical college. I am responsible for the budget, for developing and managing the collection, planning and organizing activities in the library, delivering library instruction, and other various things that involve keeping the library running. Most other librarians do similar things. I also administer placement tests to new students, though that is not a typical librarian duty.

[AdminAssistant]

And at a university, most librarians are specially trained to assist students and faculty members with research. Helping to search databases, finding that one really hard to find book, arranging for interlibrary loans, etc. Most of the ones here are trained especially for certain fields (arts, music, women's studies, history, poli sci, hard science, etc.)

[KellyHabersham]

You don't need a master's degree to work in a library. However, in order to be a librarian, you almost always need a master's degree in library and information science or a related degree (there are a few similar master's degrees out there that are almost always accepted).


That's about how it is in the library system I work in - the only people whose job title actually is "Librarian" are those who have a Master's Degree in Library Science, and anyone who works at the reference desk is required to have a Bacheler's Degree (although that can be in any subject).