(no subject)

[cherry]

My paid account ran out the other day, and, seriously: Oh my goodness people, since when were there adds all over LiveJournal?

I'm taking a religious studies class this term to fill in a humanities electives requirement. I thought it would be a neat way to get my thoughts out of the scientific box. There was a Buddhism class I was really interested in taking, but it conflicted with one of my math classes, so I ended up in Taoism.

WORST IDEA EVER. There's a lot of really neat information in the course, a window looking out over the world view of a different culture, but the way it's taught drives me up the wall. There's no structure, we have no idea how we're going to be evaluated or what we'll be tested on, we were told flat out that the average would be 70, and our marks are going to have nothing to do with how well, objectively, we know the material.

Right now, I am working on a presentation for the class. Through a series of events which don't need reviewing at this juncture, I have ended up doing both a presentation and a paper on how Taoism is like physics.

Taoism? Is not like physics.

If physics was like religion, I would not be taking this as a complimentary studies elective.

taoism ≠ physics, people.

Comments

[http://users.livejournal.com/_bounce_/]

Forgive me, but. *snickers*

That sounds like almost every arts class I've taken over my degree. The exceptions were the languages, and even then, I am sure that I'd have failed Virgil if it wasn't for the essay component.

I'm used to not getting essay topics till three or four weeks before they're due and having all the class stuck onto a bell curve.

our marks are going to have nothing to do with how well, objectively, we know the material.

Of course not. It all depends on how well you write the essay. You can know very, very little about a given topic, as long as you write a damn good, well researched essay that carefully skirts around the areas you're shakey on. I know this as most of my essays do that.

Also, isn't seventy the usual average for a class? I know that at Melbourne uni, in arts, you're very, very good if you get 80 and exceptional beyond all levels of exceptional if you get anything above an 85, ever.

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

I am not used to this! It's just so... arbitrary. You'd do better as a poor student in a class of dumb kids that you would as a good student in a class of smart ones, and that doesn't seem fair at all.

I have this burning desire to start screaming. This is no way to run a class, yo. You should be marked on how well you know your stuff, and how able you are to present it, and not, you know, on ANYONE ELSE'S.

Also, isn't seventy the usual average for a class?
Apparently, the college of Arts and Sciences has a policy that actually says class averages MUST be between 56 and 75.

Dean's List in Engineering is 77% -- I think it's 80 or 85 in A&S.

[sprat.livejournal.com]

Heeeee. But dude, Taoism is totally like physics! Also it is like Miracle Whip, my uncle Dave, my cat, the letter Q and this comment box I'm typing in. See, your friend Bounce is right -- you just need to learn the grand art of bullshitting.

(Once, for instance, I woke up in a still-mostly-drunk panic at 5 am the morning my senior seminar in feminist practicum was due and put together a presentation on making protest fliers using potato stamps. I got an A, man. I'm not even joking. \o/)

Which is not to say the humanities are not worthwhile. Just, it's a hell of a lot easier to fake your way through, if you want to. *g*

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

I see now! I see the error of my ways! Religion is clearly just like physics.

My brother and sister freaked out on me for saying that some programs have lighter workloads than others. I still believe they're worthwhile, I just don't believe that they have an equivalent workload to what I'm working with.

[dreagoddess.livejournal.com]

That's why I have a permanent account. No ads for me! :)

[cherryice.livejournal.com]

They are so bloody annoying. Blah.