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I Don't Feel Like I Am Getting Much out of University Academically

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Glycerine

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Is there is more to it than regurgitating info, learning how to play the game, and coming up with original ideas, after getting a degree (of course), I really don't think I have learned much after 5 semesters.
 
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Phantonym

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I feel the same. It's been a whole lot more for me than 5 semesters, but I think I lost all the illusions I had about the University somewhere during the second semester of my first attempt at the Uni. It still beats getting a job, though, so that's why I do it. Only I'd get paid to feel trapped and miserable instead of paying for all that myself. :thinking:

Ok, let's cast the negative attitude aside for a sec. It might be a good idea to take some time to really think about what your expectations are regarding academic life. What could you do to change things and get more out of your experience?
 
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Glycerine

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I guess I was thinking more of a challenge and more engaging but oh well. The upper level courses are about as easy as intro courses.
 

Thalassa

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I decided after 3 1/2 years (and two summers) that while I had learned in college - I'm not going to say I didn't learn anything, because that would be a lie - some of the classes seemed unnecessary and repetitious and I also began to wonder exactly what it was they wanted to instill into me. I also began to resent that I was being forced to study literature (sometimes THE SAME WORKS OF LITERATURE FROM DIFFERENT ANGLES IN DIFFERENT CLASSES) that I was not interested in, and was so consumed with jumping through hoops to make As, plus work a part-time job, that I had no desire left to read books that I actually wanted to read, nor to learn about other things.

I am a very self-motivated learner, and it started to really bother me to be neglecting subjects I wanted to learn on my own. I also became annoyed that it was being drilled into me to write academically rather than creatively, and I began to notice things about academia that I most certainly found deplorable.

On the other hand, I am still glad that I went to college.
 

Scott N Denver

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I guess I was thinking more of a challenge and more engaging but oh well. The upper level courses are about as easy as intro courses.

What do you study where the advanced classes are as easy as the intro ones???
 

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If I could do it all over again, I would major in Philosophy.
 

Snuggletron

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I hear college/uni is what you make of it. But so is pretty much....every life experience.
 

skylights

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have you considered transferring schools? i had some easy classes, but i had some which challenged me a lot. i feel like i've learned to think better in college.
 

Amethyst

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I felt the same way my last semester of college, but I was also taking general ed. classes...which sucked.

And those majors sound boring (Plus, I hate Engrish). No offense. Would it be too late to consider switching your major to something that would challenge you more, but you would still get a lot out of it?
 

Patches

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I was always frustrated by the sheer volume of non-Major related courses I had to take. All those dumb Fine Arts credits, International credits. Sociology and Psych courses. Even all the English courses I had to take... English Comp 1 and 2, Public Speaking class, an extra Writing course, another "Writing Enhanced" course.

Sorry, but Im a Biology major... I want to take science courses. I would rather take 8 semesters of nothing but science than waste my time with an Art History course. And half of those low level humanities/social science courses are designed to be an easy A because the professors know it's just a bunch of people who don't give a shit about that subject. They were all laughably easy and a waste of my time.


I love Grad school because of that.... None of those fluff courses.
 

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Sorry, but I'm a Biology major... I want to take science courses.

No fluff is how we do it in Australia. Our 4th year involves advanced courses and a research thesis. A decent mark in 4th year and you can be admitted to do a 3 year PhD (typically no coursework required).
 
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Glycerine

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Well, I will be taking 6 nonmajor and two major courses for my senior year next semester. I do not have time to switch my major. Oh well
 

Snuggletron

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forced public speaking class... I've always liked how they had to get around explaining that shit.

some classes just wouldn't get any love if it weren't for them being forced fillers.
 

FDG

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No fluff is how we do it in Australia. Our 4th year involves advanced courses and a research thesis. A decent mark in 4th year and you can be admitted to do a 3 year PhD (typically no coursework required).

Nice. Here it's no fluff too (there is no such a thing as electives and-or courses unrelated to your major), yet you can never be admitted to a PhD with just a bachelor's, you always need a master's (and you still have to go through coursework, which is pretty stupid imho) :( I know some australians around my age that are almost finished with their PhD, damn.
 

Patches

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No fluff is how we do it in Australia. Our 4th year involves advanced courses and a research thesis. A decent mark in 4th year and you can be admitted to do a 3 year PhD (typically no coursework required).

Nice. Here it's no fluff too (there is no such a thing as electives and-or courses unrelated to your major), yet you can never be admitted to a PhD with just a bachelor's, you always need a master's (and you still have to go through coursework, which is pretty stupid imho) :( I know some australians around my age that are almost finished with their PhD, damn.

I'm very jealous of this. Why the fuck is America the only country that has to take so many bullshit classes? Given that I went on to do a Master's degree anyway.... I want to rewind and move to Australia. I graduated with a perfect 4.0 (Which is all A's here, 92-100%). Would that have made me eligible to go on to a 3 year PHD? Fuck this country! Why am I not Australian?!
 

Octarine

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Would that have made me eligible to go on to a 3 year PHD? Fuck this country! Why am I not Australian?!

You would still needed to have done a research thesis. If you only do a 3 year degree, then you need a masters degree to qualify for a PhD programme. 3 years is actually too little for many students though, and they have to get a 1/2 year scholarship extension or support themselves with TA appointments if they take 4-5 years.
 

GZA

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I get the sense that right now, the majority of undergrad students feel the same way, and for very good reasons. Perhaps that was true of previous generations, too :shrug:
 
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I'm very jealous of this. Why the fuck is America the only country that has to take so many bullshit classes? Given that I went on to do a Master's degree anyway.... I want to rewind and move to Australia. I graduated with a perfect 4.0 (Which is all A's here, 92-100%). Would that have made me eligible to go on to a 3 year PHD? Fuck this country! Why am I not Australian?!

... that (and the fact that I really couldn't be bothered to study for graduate admissions tests) is the exact reason why I decided to do my PhD in Australia instead of the US. By the way, I did all science classes through my undergraduate years, none of that stupid "elective" crap.

*ahem* Then after I graduated my university (led by our eminent vice-chancellor who will not be named) decided to shift towards a US-system of general undergrad degree, complete with electives, everything else (medicine, dentistry, etc.) postgrad study - and shut many of the small arts departments. I'm not mentioning my university, but it would be obvious enough because it's the only one in Australia which did this. Now we have unbelievably huge pre-med classes and not enough students going on to higher study (and honours) in the more difficult upper-level science classes. It's ridiculous.

Note of warning for those who want to do the same thing and come to Aus though - govt is cutting the budget for medical research by 20% so we're expecting lots of labs and institutes to close. We're protesting it but insider sources have told us more or less that it's a "done deal".
 

Giggly

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If my goal in attending University is to simply increase my knowledge, then independent study seems to be the better option, imho.

If my goal is to get a career working for somebody else after University, then I have no choice but to play the game.

University does provide a unique social environment that I think those who enjoy that sort of thing should take advantage of, as it's totally different after college.
 
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