Are You Getting an Arts Degree?

[metro.]

@ Kid who called my University dumb, I don't remember you name.

I was in a second year Psych class because I took Psych AP when I was in Grade 11, thus granting me the first two semesters of Psychology. Also, yes Arts courses are easier, I know people that get good grades, and don't study. And if it was just one guy, I would agree with you, maybe he's just a super genius. But, it's not. It's my entire floor, and the one below me. Sorry, because you guys love my details, it is the majority of the two floors that are getting Arts degrees, and the majority of that subset are getting good grades, and the majority of that subset don't do nearly as much as the majority of people in Science. Regardless or marks.

Maybe smart people gravitate towards Arts degrees? I find that hard to believe but hey, that's just me.

Also, I have totally made myself clear that University is a stepping stone,or how was it put by someone I talked to.. A Key, University is a key that opens the door to the rest of your life. Sure, I'm all for having a good time while I'm here, both socially and academically. I love consuming knowledge, but that's not just done at school for me. Maybe that's just the way I was raised.

Instead of comics I would read the news paper or business magazines growing up because that's what was around. That's just an example, I have a feeling people are going to attack that...

If you work hard and have passion for the material, whatever it may be, you'll find yourself doing something you love.

I think we're making the same point here, but just in different ways. I work hard, and I have a passion for it, thus I'm going to get a job in a related field?

I don't love all of it, all the time. But that's an impossible expectation. I would be so pleased if I loved 50% of what I did working, and the other half was to get to that rewarding point. Rewarding in this way meaning intrinsically of course.

If by all means your passion is...History for example, let's go with Art History because it's been brought up before. You love Art History, that's amazing for you, but in only a limited number of opportunities in the work force will give you a chance to use that knowledge you hold so near and dear to your heart. That is my point.

[Nikkoru]

If you work hard and have passion for the material, whatever it may be, you'll find yourself doing something you love.

I think we're making the same point here, but just in different ways. I work hard, and I have a passion for it, thus I'm going to get a job in a related field?

I don't love all of it, all the time. But that's an impossible expectation. I would be so pleased if I loved 50% of what I did working, and the other half was to get to that rewarding point. Rewarding in this way meaning intrinsically of course.

If by all means your passion is...History for example, let's go with Art History because it's been brought up before. You love Art History, that's amazing for you, but in only a limited number of opportunities in the work force will give you a chance to use that knowledge you hold so near and dear to your heart. That is my point.

Really? It does seem more like you're arguing that your path through life is the only one with merit. Not everyone needs a long range employment plan to be successful or happy, and many people come to University/College to discover their interests. There are career paths available, suffice it to say, they're just not ones which interest you. Which is fine.

I could not and would not gauge your passion, but if you're complaining about the workload and others lack thereof it is somewhat telling. It's only gong to get harder and you already seem tense.

Arts courses are easier in the 1000 and 2000 level than many Science courses of the same level in my experience, though I've done advanced theories on literary criticism, cultural theory and philosophy that can turn your head inside out and make you wonder where the off switch is. Psychology can be as a time-burdening as any math course I've taken. particularly if you're into research methods. In the third or fourth year of an Arts degree you start to encounter the difference between the mediocre minds and the truly gifted, and find it is considerable - I suspect most of your dorm mates are 1st years.

Science is mechanical and repetitive by its nature, a lot of work and a lot of memorization must be required. Though I've done economics courses before and didn't find them all that stressing relatively - it's equivalent to mathematics in workload, I just find the discourse mind-numbingly boring. The same goes for political theory after the 1000 stuff.

[metro.]

We've reached a point where I can't make my point any clearer, and it's still not getting across.

Which isn't surprising I suppose, which is okay. We're just talking in circles at this point.

[Saras]

@metro
i don't know about your uni, but in mine you've got to have taken at least to 1st year psych papers to do any 2nd year psych course, so either you're bullshitting or your uni has much lower standards then mine. this would also explain why you'd be able to get a decent grade, other than the fact that the majority of students in second year course have settled in and are happy with average grades, not looking to prove themselves better than others like someone coming into the course for the first time and working a lot to get a better grade than them. there is a reason why the majority of grades are average, not high, because most people in all degrees are happy with average grades. the population of average achievers by far outweighs high achievers across entire nations, not just arts degrees in university. also, where you said you study hard and often is the difference between and arts degree and a 'harder' degree is wrong, that's for all people. you study hard and often in any degree you'll do well, if you don't study and just bum around you'll fail in all degrees, even arts. that's pretty obvious.

In our faculty, the average grade for Biochem students is ~86% and the average grade for Nanochem students is ~83%, simply because the requirements for joining are stupendous. Idiots and underachievers simply can't get into them. Chemists on the other hand range from rock bottom to the heavens.

[abc cuz]

We've reached a point where I can't make my point any clearer, and it's still not getting across.

Which isn't surprising I suppose, which is okay. We're just talking in circles at this point.

oh, your point is clear enough. You said 'my degree could be equally shit as yours', but then go on to say how much harder and how much more work it takes, but that it will lead into jobs. So, your saying your degree is good. Then you say Arts degree is shit, that its a waste of time and wont amount to anything. You're saying your degrees better than arts. I thought that was pretty clear, which is why we get this whole argument.

About the people in your halls, do you know what they're doing every minute of the day? Maybe they study when you don't see them, but instead of spending their free time cooped up in their room ranting on bakabt they go out and party, which is why you think they're more active. Who knows? And yes, maybe smart people do go into arts, because they actually know its worth and aren't going to go into other degrees and talk shit about something they don't know much about because they're jealous. Or maybe, you're just incredibly dumb and have to study a lot to make up for it in your degree, which is why you think theres so much more work. I guess only you know that one.

[metro.]

Sigh, now you're just spouting rage at me. Which I understand. I seem to have that affect on a lot of people.

[abc cuz]

well i'm obviously not going to be nice when you're insulting the next four years of my life. you had it coming

[metro.]

That was not my goal, but at this point irreparable damage has been done.

There is a difference between a discussion, which holds an opinion, and a personal attack...
I guess I wasn't clear which one I meant, oh well.

[SirSkyRider]

Good. You're getting somewhere.

[Saras]

To be honest, I kind of rage at art students for a fairly similar reason as a metro. Most of them can afford getting drunk in the middle of the day, I can't.

As we speak, I have a 3000 Kelvin reactor in front of me, tanks of liquid nitrogen to my right, a roentgen machine in the room behind me. And loads and loads of dangerous chemicals to my left.

[metro.]

To be honest, I kind of rage at art students for a fairly similar reason as a metro. Most of them can afford getting drunk in the middle of the day, I can't.

As we speak, I have a 3000 Kelvin reactor in front of me, tanks of liquid nitrogen to my right, a roentgen machine in the room behind me. And loads and loads of dangerous chemicals to my left.

That's all eatable right?

[Saras]

Generally yes, I love cooling my lunch in nitrogen.

But I suppose there is a slight danger that it could blow up in my face.

[Nikkoru]

That was not my goal, but at this point irreparable damage has been done.

There is a difference between a discussion, which holds an opinion, and a personal attack...
I guess I wasn't clear which one I meant, oh well.

I think the tone of the opening post was more appropriate for the "Piss me off" thread because it seemed you were going out of your way to broadly characterize people as dimwitted unambitious party-goers for simply having a different major and career path than your own. It does rankle when you imply people's lives and interests are waste of effort as opposed to your own, even if it wasn't your intention I think you can probably see how others got that impression.


Mostly I just find people who think only of degrees as meal tickets to be existentially troubling, like those who only see friendships as mere implements of networking, collect art only as an investment without seeing the beauty, or value land for the oil and minerals underneath it. There is some implication of that when you criticize the Arts as unproductive, you see?

[abc cuz]

To be honest, I kind of rage at art students for a fairly similar reason as a metro. Most of them can afford getting drunk in the middle of the day, I can't.

As we speak, I have a 3000 Kelvin reactor in front of me, tanks of liquid nitrogen to my right, a roentgen machine in the room behind me. And loads and loads of dangerous chemicals to my left.

the safety of the people in the degree is pretty irrelevant in this topic, if you're so worried about it try something else, or harden up. i can't say arts is dangerous at all, but its your choice to do a dangerous degree and career path so don't complain about it.

metro, your opening sentence to this discussion called my degree a joke. that's an insult.

[metro.]

Perhaps I just don't understand how people believe in emotions.

I can appreciate beauty, but never understand it.
It's the human urge, to light up the dark corners for answers in other people. But at the end of the day there aren't any answers, just more lies as sad and singular as our own.

metro, your opening sentence to this discussion called my degree a joke. that's an insult.

Chin up champ, you'll run into more insulting things then that in your time.
My faculty and me personally have been insulted numerous times in this thread,just as a product of the discussion.

[abc cuz]

Chin up champ, you'll run into more insulting things then that in your time.

i'm not saying i'm sad that my degree's being insulted, i'm just arguing because i disagree with your point of view of my degree, and because it's fun. "theres plenty of time for silence in the grave, so argue as much as possible in life."

[SirSkyRider]

I've never seen anyone of my fellows drunk during the day. Intriguing.

[Saras]

Philosophy majors tend to go to seminars while high down here.

"If you want a good grade, you need to speak, a lot. Being slightly intoxicated or high helps with that", that's basically the reasoning I got.

[Nikkoru]

Perhaps I just don't understand how people believe in emotions.

I can appreciate beauty, but never understand it.
It's the human urge, to light up the dark corners for answers in other people. But at the end of the day there aren't any answers, just more lies as sad and singular as our own.

Haven't you ever stayed awake at night pondering what you've learned? Felt a bursting desire to know more and share the new insights, thoughts, arguments, and questions in your head with others? Test the limits of your comprehension and see how these ideas shape reality?

If you have then you can understand what I feel pretty easily.

[abc cuz]

Philosophy majors tend to go to seminars while high down here.

that's another stereotype thats extremely annoying, which is based entirely on the culture, environment, and individual people, not the paper. I love philosophy and i've never smoked anything or done drugs in my life.