School Rants Thread!

[esm]

Thanks, but I wasn't expressing some serious self-esteem issue or anything. Just being realistic.

[TotallyUncool]

I caught that from your first post, but I think it is realistic to think in terms of abilities and thought-processes when doing that kind of comparison, rather than undergraduate schools attended, if you're concerned with whether you could be admitted to particular kinds of graduate program, or do the coursework, for that matter. Actual mental ability does carry a whole lot of weight.

I think that UM should be sufficient for admission to most (should really be just about all) graduate programs; graduate work at MIT or Harvard, of course, may be another matter. As far as actual preparation for graduate coursework goes, in a lot of ways, undergraduate work is for general background, and graduate school is where you do the heavy lifting. MIT is the top of the line in science, of course, and Harvard has a lot of prestige (and they both look better than just about anything else on a resume), but I dont think that undergraduate work at those schools provides that much of an advantage in terms of actual preparation for graduate work compared to UM.

(I got my undergraduate degree in English from a genuine cow college, and it was more than adequate preparation for undergraduate work.)

[Bakajo Nono]

Do the classes you've taken count for any major (I mean, several classes counting towards one major)? Cuz if it were me, I'd just finish off that one major, if it's something I'm pretty interested in, and then use the spaces available in my schedule for a minor or to explore other interests.

If you plan on going to grad school, it's not necessarily advantageous to focus on just one field (unless you're sure that's what you want to study, and I guess it also depends on the field). Well, I'm not in grad school yet, but when I browse through programs, there are many (depending on the school/department) that don't even care what you majored in as long as you can demonstrate genuine interest in the subject. Like maybe you took 1-2 classes, read a ton on your own, and/or did some independent study/research on it.

Sometimes I also browse through CVs and profiles of professors at my school to see what they studied in college and grad school, especially in interdisciplinary fields, where I want to see if it's feasible to jump from subject 1 to subject 2 through post-secondary education. Like I saw how a professor did a Biology BS (with a philosophy minor), then got two masters in philosophy and biology, then did his PhD in history & philosophy of science, so I'd be like, hmm maybe I could try something like that. I also look at the years they graduate to see how old they were, about how long they took in the grad program, etc. But then a lot of these professors went to schools like MIT and Harvard for undergrad so I can't compare myself to them.

School rant: Stressed about senior project + grad school shit, but what's new? >.>

Oh wow, that's really interesting advice. Thanks!

And not really @ the classes counting towards a major. I've basically filled all my gen-ed requirements, taken 2/3 of the classes in the the College of Communications core (still need to take that one last core class and four additional Communications courses), and taken one class (out of 7) in Journalism. So I'm not very far into it at all. I really loathe Journalism as a major, though, so I would like to change it, but I guess I can just change it to whatever seems interesting after taking a couple classes. Or I suppose I could try to finish it... but... well xD I think it's early enough for me to switch out of my major/college. I haven't completed enough to warrant finishing it.

Then again... I can get a couple of internships at places looking for PR interns (which is not exactly my bag, but I can ~do~ it) with a Journalism major. I don't have to be a journalist.

That's the other thing. I was hoping to maybe get some internships this year because I think they'd have the most sway in pushing me towards a major.

[TotallyUncool]

If you loathe journalism, that's something you need to pay serious attention to. I mean, if you've got a serious dislike on a fundamental level for what it involves, you'll probably find that most jobs/internships that are connected with it aren't what you want at all, either.
if you're just ambivalent or even discouraged about a major, that's a different situation, since a few good classes or a change in circumstances might make it look more appealing (I became very cynical about my major in English, but it was generally kind of fun and I was good at it, so i didn't mind the cynicism), but if you loathe it, I think that's a sign of a serious clash of goals and values.

[Bakajo Nono]

I can't see myself as a journalist, I don't like the media, I don't /believe/ the media, cable news is a joke, etc. etc. The classes are mediocre. I'm good at it, but I don't enjoy it really. So yeah, I do loathe it xD I guess that's a good sign as any to get out.

[Moh]

I've been looking around at art schools, but have decided it's probably better to go to a normal college that has an art program.
The cheapest art school I've found is Nossi, even then, they want $30,000 for an associates degree in graphic design.
I actually know where Nossi is (awesome looking facility), but I can't afford 30k, yo.

[Bakajo Nono]

I'm worried about school starting. I hope I don't get overwhelmed with work and all that. It's only like NINE HOURS a week, but it's crammed before and after classes and I need to go to the gym, so I'll be at school from 6am - 8pm on some days. Yikes.

As for major stuff, I'm really interested in a major called Peace, Justice, and Social Conflict. I've taken a class in it and it was really awesome. Hmmm...

[esm]

I want school to start. Just a few more days. I need my dose of intellectual conversations and nerdy talks.

[Bakajo Nono]

I start on Wednesday. So excited. Also very nervous.

Ahh... xD;

[Bakajo Nono]

I already mentioned this in the Random thread, but yeah. I got into this class I really wanted to take, but it's a performance class. I figure, I've done class skits in high school, what's so difference about doing the same thing in college... with slightly more experienced people...?

I just need to be confident.