How could anybody pass up the chance to comment on this? It must be the idols of the university turning them to pillars of salt ..(or however that goes..)
-- Heather Gatimu, October 18, 1997
You seemed to have lived on both sides of the academic line for quite a while. If you were in charge, what would you change to make the transition from student to have-to-make-a-living-employee (or the transition back to grad school) easier? After I got my B.A. I wanted to go out into the real world as soon as possible. I've found that my friends who are still in school just don't know what the real world is like, and aren't prepared for it (I know I wasn't four years ago!).What scares me even more is that employers today are looking for very specific skills, and could care less about overall knowledge. "We aren't interested with you abilities to plan, design, and implement data structures, we're looking for someone with five years experience programing in this brand of that language for an OS that's only been around since last October, because that's what I read in a magazine." --You'd think that someone would know that in 1997 no one has five years of experience with any product with a 95 in it's name.
Which do you think is scarier, the institutions that educate our future, or the institutions that hire and plan, and build that future?
-- Geoffrey S. Kane, December 8, 1997
Geoffrey's question is an interesting one -- so interesting that I think that it bears examining rather than answering.Personally, I think that the entire concept of dividing your life into alternating stretches of 'learning' and 'doing' is both unnatural and unproductive. One of the more well-balanced people I work with just finished a master's degree after 5 years of study -- by taking classes that were interesting and relevant while working, then putting them all together when the time was right.
Admittedly, I'm fortunate in that I work in the computer industry, where degrees are fairly optional. Still, I think that most people would be well served by working and learning at the same time. Advanced study used to be an end instead of a way -- what happened to change that?
-- Richard Stanford, March 27, 1999
I agree with the learn while you do perspective. I am not in upper level college completely but have been taking classes for the B.S. degree for a few years now around kids and work.Suprisingly, to me, that right out of High School I earned my A.A. but did "ok" with nothing but school in my life. Now that I am a bit older and have a goal and an interest in school beyond just a job, I made the Dean's list. No biggie but I am definitely more interested in school taking what I want, regardless of how long it takes to earn the degree.
-- Deborah Von Cannon, June 19, 1999
I think the overall importance to people perspectives of others in this world shouldn't be what school, or what job. I believe I was a happier being when I graduated highschool early with a spring semester off to enjoy my life rather than killing myself to say I make the best grades, or this amount of money at this new job to smear in my colleeges faces. The beauty of the proffesion I am going into (Psych) is I am more than happy to talk to and help others in distress for as long as my life moves forward. And personally I shouldn't be caring whether or not anyone else cares what I am doing isn't the best providing or intellegent career. I just do what makes me smile,... and thats important for me to exceed in this ever changing world of lower class and upper class.
-- Kelley Roper, October 15, 2004
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