Humanities vs sciences

submitted by HelloMomo from self.LGBDropTheT

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[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 8 insightful - 3 fun8 insightful - 2 fun9 insightful - 3 fun -  (7 children)

I'm guessing you're in North America, since my university experience didn't (and conceivably never could) involve taking classes in such disparate fields as Spanish, engineering, welding, and costuming. Always found that 'mix and match' aspect of the NA higher education systems really interesting.

My undergraduate study was completed before the cult of Wokery had really infiltrated campuses - over here at any rate, we're always a little behind the United States - and I didn't study anything particularly concerned with social justice anyway, so managed to escape the worst excesses of the nonsense.

It's interesting to note that the sciences don't set much store by this gender nonsense, but then I suppose that's not entirely surprising. Scientists by the very nature wouldn't have a great deal of time for things that cannot be measured, or do not conform to objective, verifiable reality.

[–]Three_oneFourWanted for thought crimes in countless ideologies 4 insightful - 3 fun4 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 3 fun -  (5 children)

I'm in college in the US right now, and I've been forced to take a few classes that are far removed from my degree. In total over 4 years for a bachelors, I need a lower level humanities, an upper level humanities or history class, and another credit that can be whatever psychology, humanities, history, or economics class I want. To avoid confusion, that or in the middle means that there is a single credit that must either be humanities or history and the other two mentioned credits are required in addition for a total of 3 classes unrelated to my degree.

I was able to get a transfered credit from high school for the lower level humanities and am taking economics next semester for the variable degree, but IDK what I'll do for history or humanities.

I would much rather take more economics classes or something else that might relate to my career field, but themes in the humanities it is, apparently

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 4 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 0 fun5 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

It's so odd to me that you have all these random requirements. As a friend of mine memorably put it:

I'm doing an English degree, not building a house. Why do I need to take algebra?

Here you have to decide on a course of study at about the age of 15, which brings its own slew of problems, certainly, because you have to choose what to study in the final two years of high school. Not all subjects are compulsory in our equivalent of grades 12 and 13, so if you want to study chemistry or music at university you have to study chemistry and music during those two years.

So when you apply to universities you apply to the chemistry / music programmes at those universities, who then do the whole admissions thang and let you in or reject you, usually based on your predicted grades in those subjects. So, if you don't get the grades, no university for you.

(I realise you didn't ask about any of this but I'm here now...)

Once you actually get to university all of your classes will be related to chemistry or music. You might have space for 'elective' modules in your first year where you can study something unrelated to your degree, but even those are limited and will have their own separate entry requirements - it's not a free for all.

If, as some do, you realise 'oh, shit, I don't actually feel as passionately about covalent bonds as I thought I do, I'd like to do music instead' you'd have a very hard time moving from a chemistry degree to a music degree, you'd have to drop out and start the whole process over again.

[–]Three_oneFourWanted for thought crimes in countless ideologies 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Well, in America (where we actually don't have a grade 13, "free and appropriate education" ends at grade 12 where students should be around 18 years old), a lot of the universities seem to be a bit more flexible on your high school roster. While it can help to have taken relevant classes in your sophomore and senior year, especially those which allow transfered credits, colleges seem ready to fill gaps so long as they aren't too large. If you, say, wanted to study to be a mathematician, you don't need to have already taken a year or two of calculus, but you should have been taking a math class all 4 years of high school.

[–]just_lesbian_things 5 insightful - 2 fun5 insightful - 1 fun6 insightful - 2 fun -  (2 children)

I'm doing an English degree, not building a house. Why do I need to take algebra?

Presumably because he might still want to buy a house at some point? Lol this is such a dumb argument. Understanding basic algebra is not a huge ask. Mortgages, taxes, bills, budgeting, understanding news statistics like the spread of a pandemic, the rate of climate change and whether, or not someone has committed voter fraud; these are all things that a basic, voting citizen needs to know. I want to build houses and I still needed to take English because there's more to life than building houses.

[–]ArthnoldManacatsaman🇬🇧🌳🟦 3 insightful - 2 fun3 insightful - 1 fun4 insightful - 2 fun -  (1 child)

Well your snotty tone was unnecessary. We do 'basic algebra' in high school, we don't need to take classes at university level.

[–]just_lesbian_things 5 insightful - 3 fun5 insightful - 2 fun6 insightful - 3 fun -  (0 children)

I strive to be as memorable as your stupid friends. People go to university with a variety of educational and career backgrounds, if it's review for you, enjoy it as the GPA booster that it is. That's how I viewed my mandatory English credits.

[–]HelloMomo[S] 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

My classes are eclectic because it's a community college, and I'm just doing it on the side, not working toward any degree. So I literally just picked whatever looked interesting to me. Also, with online classes because covid, I can be in the costuming class that's actually from a college 2 towns away.