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[NT] Degree = intelligence?

OrangeAppled

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A degree doesn't tell me anything more than you have endurance.

I agree with You here. However, after to getting to know someone, it's not hard to tell if they truly earned the degree or not. If they did, then I will admire the endurance & dedication used to obtain it.

Another point, too, is how well they did in college; did they just eek by or did they excel? What have they done since? Even if they did not use their degree specifically for what it's intended, do they show signs of their education in intelligent ways (not simply parroting stuff to sound smart)? I don't believe the only value of a education is practical career options, so I don't look down on those who get a degree in something "useless". If that person finds it enriched their life and mind, then it has value to them and I can appreciate that. People spend money on far more frivolous things.

After all, I have a degree, and while I will not say it was hard for me to do, it certainly took time, effort, and commitment, and I am better off in many ways for doing it. School comes pretty easy to me actually, and I'm no overachiever. I'm one of those people who is book smart, but not street smart, and I wouldn't want to have my kind of intelligence & skills devalued, so I don't do it to others. Not everyone is the bookish type or learns well in a classroom setting. I've known people who I'd even classify as "intellectual" due to their interests and ability to discuss certain topics, but who were not academics types.
 

Dr Mobius

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How about if you came across someone who gave up their dreams for an education? Would the same line of thinking apply?

Clarification: I'm not insinuating anything of your responses, just asking a question spurred on by them.

Hah good question, hmm I think it is entirely dependent on the person, how to explain it.....

Okay say there was this guy eighteen years of age; two paths diverged in front of him, on one was a road, a road taken by his parents, and grandparents a legacy of sorts, a calling, that calling was accounting. On the other hand he was mechanically minded and a slight adrenaline junky, which led quite naturally, to bungee jumping and developing new and interesting ways to plunge to his death. His options were to either to go to university to study accounting and work in the family firm or to take a twelve month bungee course of which there was no guarantee that he would have a job afterward. In the end he bowed to pressure and studied accounting, promising himself that he could use the money gained from his job to fund his hobby.

Five years later, he’s a charted accountant, no time for thrills

Ten years later, he’s married and in charge at the firm, no time for spills

Twenty years later, he’s divorced, kids, employees, customers can’t stand his bitterness, all the time in the world for pills.

Now that was a completely ludicrous example, true but the point was that even though he did go to university, he wasn’t able to see the scope of how it would affect everything he did in a mainly negative way. So really I think it would depend on whether they saw a new viable future that they could then incorporate in some small (but meaningful to them) way said dream into there life.
 

BAJ

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I believe a lot can be said about a person from degrees. After this, I judge based on talking to the person. Looking at it in terms of a "grade" out of 100 points, a person with a degree probably starts out as 80 to 95, depending on the nature of the degree. Then points are added or subtracted according to what the person does, their interests, and how they talk. Likewise, a person without a degree probably starts between 60 and 75, and then points are added or subtracted. Observations and communications typically start before you know the nature of someone's CV. I want to know if they read something.
 

tinkerbell

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I found the perfect example of the education intelligence thing.

A TV series in the UK is part reality TV part not... called Made In Chelsea (I believe it will show in the US at some point). Set in the most affluent area of London with a group of 20-ish year olds from the area. These folks have had the best education that money can buy, from the best schools etc. The ones who have intelligence clearly benefited from money well spent, but the less intelligent are really not that bright at all, and their ignorance is tangible and often very funny. Hence money and good schooling can't make people brighter (but can improve what god gave ya).

The TV programme is dire but fascinatingly awful.
:)
 

murkrow

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K I'm not reading any of this right now, I'm sure someone has made the same point as me but it's 6:34 am and I'm watching DBZ.

Universities are largely bullshit.

There are three reasons to go that come to mind:

1. Social Status: Getting a degree is a way faster way to convince morons than actually sharing information.
2. You can't motivate yourself but hate it when people say bad things about you: Because if writing an A+ paper makes you feel better than actually mastering material to your own satisfaction you're a tool.
3. You are reliant on the resources of a university to apply your knowledge: You're studying engineering or some other applied science.

But if you're getting an "Arts" degree (philosophy, psychology, anthropology, etc.) then you're not there to learn you're just there to get certified as a genuine lap dog. Congratulations, fucko.
 

Zangetshumody

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Only very specific routes within a BA do I respect. History, Classics, Philosophy and I guess English are some of the very few subjects that require or cultivate the mind rather than just impart interesting knowledge.

Classics for example gives one large insight into our culture, because your given a window into the birth of all the special aspects of our culture. To truly think beyond something, or to question it, one is greatly aided by understanding why that something was instituted in the first place. Classics is like history of the western soul.
 

shoshana

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Only very specific routes within a BA do I respect. History, Classics, Philosophy and I guess English are some of the very few subjects that require or cultivate the mind rather than just impart interesting knowledge.

lolz, really? i think all of the aforementioned subjects can easily be learned on your own with enough compulsive reading.
 

tinkerbell

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Only very specific routes within a BA do I respect. History, Classics, Philosophy and I guess English are some of the very few subjects that require or cultivate the mind rather than just impart interesting knowledge.

Classics for example gives one large insight into our culture, because your given a window into the birth of all the special aspects of our culture. To truly think beyond something, or to question it, one is greatly aided by understanding why that something was instituted in the first place. Classics is like history of the western soul.

I'd kind of agree, but I think high performers of any degree cultivate the mind, including art and artistic subjects which cultivate abstract use of the mind. There are however lower performance in degrees are often parrot fashion regurgitated learning rather than build actual ability to think dexterously.
 

Zangetshumody

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lolz, really? i think all of the aforementioned subjects can easily be learned on your own with enough compulsive reading.

Well with classics, you really won't know what to read, how to structure your reading to underline key themes. Lecturers can answer questions (something I definitely take advantage of, generally at least once in a lecture), but mostly having access to someone with a thorough understanding can bring you up to date with the different schools of thought on the issues regarding the matter your studying. Reading combined with a lecturer really allows you to study critically. You lose so many aspects when you just peruse the material un-aided.
 

shoshana

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Well with classics, you really won't know what to read, how to structure your reading to underline key themes. Lecturers can answer questions (something I definitely take advantage of, generally at least once in a lecture), but mostly having access to someone with a thorough understanding can bring you up to date with the different schools of thought on the issues regarding the matter your studying. Reading combined with a lecturer really allows you to study critically. You lose so many aspects when you just peruse the material un-aided.

i took one classics class as a joke because it took the place of western studies. the professor was great, but i was given the impression that there are also tons of books that have the sole purpose of interpreting classics. the authors being well known 'experts' might be better than lecturers depending on what you're picking up and if you more of an oral learner. however, i'd imagine that if you are a classics, english, philosophy... etc major than you should be pretty adept at analyzing vast amounts of text.

but ::shrugs:: i'm sure you have a point. i'm not well versed in these areas of studies, this is just my impression.
 

rav3n

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Getting degrees is playing the game. It's a way for employers to easily gauge prospective employees by their internal metrics of worthiness, without going to a lot of effort.

A degree or degrees don't necessarily equate to intelligence and intelligence doesn't necessarily equate to solid relationships.

That said, it can't be easy making a reasonable living or excelling without a degree, since many doors are closed without one. This doesn't mean that a degree guarantees skillset or any other positive quality. It's that doors remained closed since the current employment market is an employers' market. This will shift when the economy starts booming again. Typical business cycle downturn response, although it's a pretty deep trench right now.

And quite frankly, I'm not interested in supporting anyone beyond my son.
 
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