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Not really, most of them would just wash out and shift to an easier major.
The major is deliberately made difficult, precisely so the majority do wash out. Its why freshman courses are called WEED out courses, as they WEED out the majority of people.
I don't agree that the major is deliberately made difficult so "the majority wash out". Making the majority wash out is not the purpose for the the curriculum being challenging.
The major is difficult because the profession is difficult. They are just teaching the content that will be used upon graduation and entering the workforce.
Actually with regards to science and engineering, the curricula is very straightforward and little has changed in the core subjects over the decades. You still have to take college calculus, thermodynamics, soils & hydrology, gen chemistry, physics etc. Lab content may be different but that is a function of technological advances.
I don't care about schools insisting how they rank of there are more creative ways to teach the subject matter outside the box. Bottomline is that almost wherever you study, these majors will always be challenging and those who can't measure up to the demands can choose to study sports management.
Completely missing the point.
But more is being written about this and you will encounter the ideas.
I don't agree that the major is deliberately made difficult so "the majority wash out". Making the majority wash out is not the purpose for the the curriculum being challenging.
The major is difficult because the profession is difficult. They are just teaching the content that will be used upon graduation and entering the workforce.
No, deliberately people are needed to wash out of the major. The AMA sets high standard for medical schools, and even tells the medical schools how many applicants to let in. Why? To limit the numbers of doctors, which keeps the money doctors earn high as there are fewer competitors. Obviously a lot of biology majors apply to medical school.
The majors are deliberately kept hard, and they are graded on a curve basis. At times, nearly everyone "fails" but those on the top end of failing get As. Those on the bottom end of failing get Fs. Those somewhere in the middle get grades in the middle. But to proceed in the field, you need to get As and Bs, and preferrably As or its a no go.
So the system by its nature screens out the majority, who either wash out, or who won't do well enough to get into med school or grad school.
Completely missing the point.
But more is being written about this and you will encounter the ideas.
No HR. You are missing the point. Go back to my post that you quoted. Acedemic standards have not become less challenging - plain and simple. Challenging coursework is there for those who are qualified and want to pursue it. Those who deny this are ignoring the obvious.
This on the other hand misses the point and is a red herring comment -
Quote:
Originally Posted by Harlem resident
One of the most pressing, and "breaking," one might say, issue with such majors - getting them to think in ways outside their little boxes. Both majors require that they understand the import of their future professions, histories, philosophies, and so on, at the same time that those students are always the worst at that. Interestingly, this aspect is increasingly the privilege of the more elite schools - whose graduates will occupy the top positions.
Even assuming it were true, it does not mean that standards have become less challenging (again, past compared with present). You may think there are better ways to teach the subject but it does not mean standards have deteriorated.
No, deliberately people are needed to wash out of the major. The AMA sets high standard for medical schools, and even tells the medical schools how many applicants to let in. Why? To limit the numbers of doctors, which keeps the money doctors earn high as there are fewer competitors. Obviously a lot of biology majors apply to medical school.
The majors are deliberately kept hard, and they are graded on a curve basis. At times, nearly everyone "fails" but those on the top end of failing get As. Those on the bottom end of failing get Fs. Those somewhere in the middle get grades in the middle. But to proceed in the field, you need to get As and Bs, and preferrably As or its a no go.
So the system by its nature screens out the majority, who either wash out, or who won't do well enough to get into med school or grad school.
I am not talking about medical schools. I was talking about science and engineering programs, if you followed. I have not seen any evidence to prove that universities make engineering coursework difficult to limit the supply of graduates. Can you somehow share this if you have it or are you just making a hasty analogy?
On the other hand if you look at the course syllabus of various engineering departments, you will see that the content is constructed to teach what is needed to do the job after graduation. This is easily proven. Can't imagine a mechanical engineer not studying thermodynamics or an industrial engineer not studying linear programming.
But maybe you have some evidence to suggest otherwise.
No HR. You are missing the point. Go back to my post that you quoted. Acedemic standards have not become less challenging - plain and simple. Challenging coursework is there for those who are qualified and want to pursue it. Those who deny this are ignoring the obvious.
No offense - keep in mind, being IN the system provides a certain perspective.
You would need to understand the spectrum of things, simply impossible if this is not your profession.
I may indeed leave academia because unless you are at a select group of schools - again, not necessarily the ones people may think, although I would count Columbia there - you are under pressure to pass and to graduate people who should do neither. Nor is this pressure subtle.
I may indeed leave academia because unless you are at a select group of schools - again, not necessarily the ones people may think, although I would count Columbia there - you are under pressure to pass and to graduate people who should do neither. Nor is this pressure subtle.
This is a plausible statement - but not yet something I have seen in most schools science and engineering departments even in the so called 2nd tier universities.
This is a plausible statement - but not yet something I have seen in most schools science and engineering departments even in the so called 2nd tier universities.
People no longer develop the ability for understanding history, the import of their decisions and professions, the implications of anything at all. What a coincidence that these things are direly needed right now.
Otherwise stated - engineering degrees require more than engineering courses. These may, indeed, have retained a certain rigor, but without everything else ...
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