Degree firsts

Discussion in 'Just Talk' started by Harry Stottle, Jul 21, 2017.

  1. Harry Stottle

    Harry Stottle Screwfix Select

    The higher education system at universities is in disrepute. The truth is it's a numbers game now, a sacrifice of quality for quantity. Every decent sized town has a university, some teaching subjects that are of no use whatsoever. Employers are aware of a general dumbing down of decrees.
    Reluctantly I have to partially agree with Jeremy Corbyn about tuition fees, although he only said that to attract votes, what I'd like to see happen is the abolition of tuition fees financed by closing universities that offer useless courses and all surviving universities be made to conduct stringent entrance interviews to weed out those who are not of degree standard or not sufficiently motivated to study hard.
     
  2. You just hate anyone who's brighter than yo.

    You chust hate everyone.
     
  3. KIAB

    KIAB Super Member


    upload_2017-7-21_10-7-34.gif upload_2017-7-21_10-7-36.gif
     
  4. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    I went to Leicester Poly (now De Montfort University, showing my age), worked hard to get a 2:1 in Electronic and Electrical Engineering. Out of a class of 50-60 I think only a small number got firsts; it was quite a rarity and you had to be blo**dy bright and work hard to get one. Those were the days when most degrees were proper degrees and meant something. Sadly I think standards have dropped and degrees vary enormously in quality plus you get lumbered with a large debt or more to the point, a 9% tax on your earnings for 30 years.
     
    Working On It likes this.
  5. Harry Stottle

    Harry Stottle Screwfix Select

    Thanks DA, you've explained why I happen to like most people.
     
  6. Harry Stottle

    Harry Stottle Screwfix Select

    Absolutely right Doctor, I too obtained a 2.1 but in Mechanical Engineering at Liverpool University. My studies were funded by my dear Mum and Dad, by a means tested maintenance grant from the Local Authority and by me working very hard in the holidays. The entrance exam was hard and two interviews were very searching, applicants had to be very well motivated and quite bright to be offered one of the limited number of places. The drop out rate was very low, I only remember one engineer not making it to the end.

    The Indians, Chinese and other countries too, are really educating their youngsters properly, with no frothy nonsense whilst we mess about changing systems every few years and demoralising the bright students by dumbing down curricula, reducing standards and softening attainment objectives.

    When I retired from industry I did some part time lecturing, but the educational standards of the students were so poor that I was having to teach them about things they should have learned at A level. As I mentioned earlier, standards have dropped in the pursuit of quantity.

    As regards graduates' salaries, gone are the days when a degree ensured a good salary, some degrees are so worthless nowadays that potential employers don't attach significant weight to a graduate's CV with even a first class degree.

    Harry
     
  7. The irony of that statement I shall leave to others to enjoy.
     
  8. longboat

    longboat Screwfix Select

    Ah, the time old separation of 'wheat and chaff', unfortunately, such discrimination may induce tears from those who should rightly be labeled as not quite cutting the mustard. That might hurt their feelings and we can't have that, now can we?

    The armed forces are slithering down the same slippery slope of equality too.
    Such a shame!
     
  9. Dr Bodgit

    Dr Bodgit Super Member

    Equality is fine...equality of opportunity. But its equity that gets me riled I.e. equality of outcome.
     
    Deleted member 33931 likes this.
  10. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    I'm currently studying for a degree in Coronation St.. My thesis is all about Minnie Cauldwell's cat and it's impact on 20th century pet ownership amongst viewers. What sort of food it would have had? Did it catch mice? Were the mice in Weatherfield impoverished because of the economic climate at the time? Did Minnie Cauldwell actually look after her cat , or were the producers of the Street responsible? What effect did it have on the cat when Stan Ogden bought a motorbike? And was the cat traumatised when the steam train crashed off the viaduct into Coronation St ? Did Albert Tatlock really hate the cat that much , he fed it senna and brown ale so it would **** all over the set? :p:p:p:p:p:p:p:p
     
    Last edited: Jul 21, 2017
    facilities likes this.

  11. Fairly innaccurate on some of the comments Harry. But glad to see you expressing your thoughts.

    Want to think about those who are not sufficiently motivated to study for example ?

    Have you noticed that there are fewer and fewer normal jobs out there for non qualified people to go into? Even the media jobs and music based jobs need qualifications to get in. The unis are responding to this need, a caplitalist move if ever there was 1.

    So, is the fault of so many degree courses, the education system, or the market place?

    Want to think about it ?
     
  12. facilities

    facilities Guest

    That's interesting John, are you studying via open university distance learning or are you attending perhaps Oxford/Cambridge? Bin thinking of doing a Star Trek degree, my thesis would mostly concern the treatment meted out to the Klingons and could it be considered racist? Also gender inequality and the bullying of new recruits, if memory serves me correctly the landing party always consisted of 1 new person and always a man this poor new recruit always was the one to get hit by a large polystyrene rock and never made it back alive.

    I have been heartened by Jezzas plan to make these courses free for everyone if Labour should ever come to power, I believe that Diane Abbot may become minister in charge of universities (a new post with a few hundred staff beneath her) and worthless degrees.

    A word of caution John whatever degree you attain hopefully a first class don't be tempted to put it to good use in the workplace, I would recommend persuing a different degree course lest you become a taxpayer and would then be in the unfortunate position of paying for all the other students whilst they obtain their worthless degree.
     
  13. There does seem to be a lot of bitter people about.

    No doubt had a tough lot in life and dont want to see others getting on and doing better for themselves too.

    Seems to be developing into the predictable sides again too
     
  14. longboat

    longboat Screwfix Select

    Absolutely, Jack.
    The idealists on one side and the realists on the other.
     

  15. Yes, I agree.

    Ideally it would be great to be an independant sole trading nation etc.

    Realistically we need EU, or now Usa, or failing them possibly China, and if not them, India, Brazil or Australia, etc.

    See the problem yet ?
     
  16. fillyboy

    fillyboy Screwfix Select

    What problem is that Jack and what do you mean by 'independent sole trading nation'? are you suggesting we follow some sort of North Korean model?

    Of course we need the EU, the USA the Brics countries and our old Commonwealth friends, it's called International Trade, at the moment we are unable to sign
    FTA's with most of world because we're shackled to the EU and totally dependant on EU trade agreements (or the very few that they've been able to conclude).
     
  17. longboat

    longboat Screwfix Select

    You're not going all 'pj-esque' on us now, are you? :eek:
     
  18. P J Thompson

    P J Thompson Active Member

  19. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    Cheers facilities. I did consider the Star Trek degree and had I chose this one, my thesis would undoubtedly have been about the unlucky red shirts worn by the feckless crew on away missions. Is red going to be considered an unlucky colour in the 23rd century? Does colour choice really affect life expectancy? and of course the social aspect of living in a truly universal multi lifetype society. ;);)
     
  20. joinerjohn1

    joinerjohn1 Screwfix Select

    Yep, I'd just point out that these universities will not be,, I repeat, will not be offering degrees in Mathematics or Accountancy. :p:p:p:p
     

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