The Naive College Student

[Catman]

many colleges are in small towns

and many are in major cities.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

Second highest qualification possible...no effort atall

yeah....QFT

Uh huh, and depending on the University, the courses you took, and tons of other factors this could very well mean nothing.

One's college career can be mapped out strategically so that the outcome does not necessarily reflect effort or even ability. And, honestly, the school itself makes a difference as well.

 

[Manic]

What the hell is a GPA...I'm from UK

Around these parts, that stands for "Grad Point Average." Basically, how were your marks/grades?



On another note, I'm currently attending a business school. It's one of those fast-track schools that'll get you an associates degree in x amount of months, plus they have transfer agreements made with certain nearby state schools and universities. Even if I stop at my AA (which I doubt I will, but you never know), my school is setup so that you must have an internship by your final quarter, and they even offer classes on career-seeking. So here's hoping I don't screw up too much.

 

[Sarge 2.0]

I see a few types of naive college students.

There are the obvious ones. College is a party, not something to prepare you for life. They don't get the idea that partying for 4+ years gets you working your ass off for 40+ years, whereas working your ass off for 4+ years , means you get to party for 40+ (you get what I mean).


Then there are those who get the purely academic degrees. Now, they might not really be naive at all. If they actually do love English Lit, or philosophy, or whatever it is, and they plan to teach it or write or research...then good for them. They can make a career of it. But many students who get that type of degree just because they love the subject would be better served by just getting a minor in it (or double major), and majoring in something more marketable so they can actually eat.


Then there are the not obvious ones. They actually do take school work and the college experience seriously. As a stepping stone to prepare for the real world. But they neglect to get work experience related to their field in somewhere. And while not always necessary to do so. They also don't start looking for jobs at least 6 months before graduation to try and get something lined up, nor do they try to tailor their classes to a career as early as possible. They just assume that a degree = job once they graduate.

I was semi-naive in this last case because I didn't start looking until my last semester. Luckily everything worked out well job-wise.

College doesn't prepare you for real life in any way, shape or form.

Real life is where you get real life experience.

 

[Sentinel X]

If you can the second highest qualification possible at a top listed university without giving ANY effort at all, then congrats...you're a genius! .....OR a lot of dumb people go to your school.

 

[Manic]

If you can the second highest qualification possible at a top listed university without giving ANY effort at all, then congrats...you're a genius! .....OR a lot of dumb people go to your school.

 

[wiegeabo]

College doesn't prepare you for real life in any way, shape or form.

Real life is where you get real life experience.

College is where you also get real life experience.

Living away from home.

Managing your own finances.

Taking responsibility for your assignments (instead of mom and dad making you do them)

A helping of partying (hopefully after taking responsibility for your assignments )

Meeting new people

Learning to work with new people

etc...

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

Well I attended a top listed university. Also I'm currently completing my Masters in Environmental engineering which I got onto based on the results of my honours degree along with some other factors.

Money and influence.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

That'd be the only other ways I can see you getting into a Masters program after a four year of no effort.

Unless like stated otherwise, the standards for completing the previous program were just dismally low. =/

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

The program didn't ask for teacher recommendations or their notes on your classwork?

 

[wiegeabo]

It could be that Masters program in the UK and US mean different things, and have different requirements.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

It could be that Masters program in the UK and US mean different things, and have different requirements.

Probably, I know when I entered my masters, it had to be written reference, and notes and assignments from three of them within my last two years.

But it was in France, we may hold different standards.

Whenever I get the green to hire someone, I always ask that of them. :P

 

[chaseter]

Actually, my school does have a pre-med major. And for those with a biology degree who don't end up in med school, well they can always get a research position in the mean time and apply for med school the following year...

There are pre-med programs and curricula but you have to declare your major before a certain number of hours. No one graduates with a degree in pre-medicine. There is no Bachelor's Degree in Pre-Medicine. If there is, it certainly isn't like that here in Texas. I don't know why anybody would be dumb enough to be a pre-med major and then risk not getting into med school. Here, you can do a collegiate pre-med program and finish in 2 years. If you get accepted to med school, you leave college without a degree and go right into med school. If you don't get into med school, you are screwed.

You can go to college and only take pre-medicine classes and try to get into medical school, but that isn't your major. If you don't get into medical school after getting all your pre-reqs, 2 years, then you won't graduate college unless you declare a major and futher your education in that field. There are 2 year programs yes, but you don't graduate college.

 

[Prison Mike]

There are pre-med programs and curricula but you have to declare your major before a certain number of hours. No one graduates with a degree in pre-medicine. There is no Bachelor's Degree in Pre-Medicine.

You can go to college and only take pre-medicine classes and try to get into medical school, but that isn't your major. If you don't get into medical school after getting all your pre-reqs, 2 years, then you won't graduate college unless you declare a major and futher your education in that field. There are 2 year programs yes, but you don't graduate college.

my school has an actual pre-medicine major where you get a degree in it. It's not just a track, it's an actual degree.

 

[Speedball]

Not everyone can get a job or internship in this climate.

While it is good experience to do one or both of those in school its not naive to not want to do them. Only naive thing is thinking you'll get a big jop right out the gate. Just like its naive thinking you'll get a job thinking you got straight As, internered, and had a job while in school. In fact I think thats more naive. Thinking you did all that and will get a job over anyone else.

As someone who just graduated from college, I'll agree it's very hard to get a job right now.

I've done two field schools and I work at the archaeology lab on campus, and right now that's about the only job I can find right now.
I'm fully qualified to be out there working, but no one is looking.

But Road Warrior is right, it is Naive to only focus on school work and expect a job to just land on your lap. You need to go out there and make connections with people, which I did, but it doesn't always help.

 

[chaseter]

my school has an actual pre-medicine major where you get a degree in it. It's not just a track, it's an actual degree.

What is the school's name if you don't mind. It's not that I don't believe, I have just never heard of it because it seems pointless. It's like living with no insurance. Sure, you can...but if something goes wrong then you are ****ed. If you are paying for a 4 year degree...why not get an actual degree that you can use if you change your mind or something doesn't pan out At least you are smart and didn't do it I guess that is more naive college kids. You can get into medical school with a history degree. All you have to do is the pre-reqs and do good on the MCAT...which you can do in 2 years.

 

[wiegeabo]

But Road Warrior is right, it is Naive to only focus on school work and expect a job to just land on your lap. You need to go out there and make connections with people, which I did, but it doesn't always help.

If you're not spending at least your last year going to job fairs, putting out applications, getting to know people, and working with professors to try and get experience of some type, you're significantly hurting your chances. I should know.

And it's even better to start once you decide on a major. The extra time to find work experience helps a lot, and you may find out that major isn't for you while there's still plenty of time to change.

 

[wiegeabo]

Very well might, in the UK, a Masters program is a further year of study after your graduate degree. Basically known as a post grad. You are required to have a good grade at under grad to get in. How about in the US?

For a Masters in Business, I had to have a high enough GPA, a letter of recommendation, fulfill all the undergraduate requirements (I had a non-business major, so I had to take some extra classes. Thankfully I had a business minor.), and pass the GMAT exam (basically an entrance exam to prove basic math and verbal skills, where a high score can offset a low GPA and vice versa).

 

[Matt]

The only truly naive college student I've met is the one who thinks they can study with as little effort in college as they did in high school. RUDE AWAKENING...

I went through college without ever buying a book. I could just listen to the lecture, absorb everything I needed to know, and then use common sense to figure out the rest. Graduated with a 3.6. College is a breeze if you know how to play it.

 

[Anita18]

I went through college without ever buying a book. I could just listen to the lecture, absorb everything I needed to know, and then use common sense to figure out the rest. Graduated with a 3.6. College is a breeze if you know how to play it.

You make people like me look stupid.

But then again I went to school with geniuses, and my subpar GPA at my school was actually not that bad once I got out into the real world.

 

[LouFerignoDemon]

I went through college without ever buying a book. I could just listen to the lecture, absorb everything I needed to know, and then use common sense to figure out the rest. Graduated with a 3.6. College is a breeze if you know how to play it.

I find books to be a hinderance and a crutch myself.

You make people like me look stupid.

But then again I went to school with geniuses, and my subpar GPA at my school was actually not that bad once I got out into the real world.

If it makes you feel any better, I just developed notes without paying attention to lectures, and graduated with an equivalent above 4.0. =(

However, I did study course material.

 

[Prison Mike]

What is the school's name if you don't mind. It's not that I don't believe, I have just never heard of it because it seems pointless. It's like living with no insurance. Sure, you can...but if something goes wrong then you are ****ed. If you are paying for a 4 year degree...why not get an actual degree that you can use if you change your mind or something doesn't pan out At least you are smart and didn't do it I guess that is more naive college kids. You can get into medical school with a history degree. All you have to do is the pre-reqs and do good on the MCAT...which you can do in 2 years.

I go to Penn State. I found it useless as well which is why I didn't do that major. I do know a few people with that major, however. I always wondered why kids would put themselves through all those science courses when really, med school only requires 1 year of biology, 1 year of physics, 1 year of inorganic and organic chemistry and the labs. It's not that much compared to the courses you would have to take for a pre-med or biology degree.

 

[Speedball]

If you're not spending at least your last year going to job fairs, putting out applications, getting to know people, and working with professors to try and get experience of some type, you're significantly hurting your chances. I should know.

And it's even better to start once you decide on a major. The extra time to find work experience helps a lot, and you may find out that major isn't for you while there's still plenty of time to change.

I made pretty good friends with one of my professors, who happened to be in charge of the field school I attended this summer. I asked him for a job, and he pretty much said yes.
I'm basically using this job as experience for later, because I'm not quite ready to go on to get my masters, and I'm working on my second major right now.
After I get my second BS, I'm thinking of taking a year off and earning some money so I can go on to get my masters or PH.D.

 

[chaseter]

I went through college without ever buying a book. I could just listen to the lecture, absorb everything I needed to know, and then use common sense to figure out the rest. Graduated with a 3.6. College is a breeze if you know how to play it.

Not when the professor makes you read certain chapters before lecture because you have a quiz at the beginning of class. Not when the professor gives tests that concern their lecture material as well as assigned reading material.

What classes did you have where you never had to read a book I have had classes where the professor said you really didn't need the book, only that it would aid his lecture material. But, most of my classes required text books because they made you read and do work outside of class.

 

[wiegeabo]

I had a couple of classes where there was no book. But I figure 90%+ of my classes had a book. In about 90%+ of those, the book was essential to some degree.


I do remember one class which pissed everyone taking it off. We had to buy two or three books for it. About halfway through the semester, one of the other students asked the professor if we'll be using them soon.

She said no.

We didn't crack those books the whole semester, but we wanted to crack her skull for wasting our money.