Things I Learned in School

[B&NGoddess]

while in a history of the english language class, the prof asked what important human event happened 70,000 years ago. someone shouted "the continents broke apart!" there was dead silence for a second and then a couple people laughed. the prof said no, that was way earlier. soon after, someone else shouted "the agricultural revolution!" and the prof said no, that was way later.

c'mon you guys, this a 400 level college class. the answer was "spoken language", by the way.

in an urban studies class, while discussing segregation and cultural differences in the cities, the prof asked why rap music was so popular in the urban environment. someone shouted "cuz its about gettin' crunk!"

:cry:

[BookstoreEscapee]

You're taking HEL? Fun stuff! I still have my notes around somewhere...:)

[blas]

Some people should have really been held back......or sent back to elementary school.

[Spiffy McMoron]

I've been in a couple of those classes, the ones where people shout out random answers. In my experience, it's because

1) The question is so open-ended that the answer could be anything

OR

2) The class is so damned boring that the students have plenty of time to come up with goofy responces to questions.

Sadly, no examples are coming to me. :(

[Greenday]

In my General Biology I class...I learned that male frogs are picked by the female frogs. So the male frogs with higher pitched croaks don't get picked. What they have to do is just hide in the water, then, as a female swims by, pounce on them. That's the ONLY thing I learned in that class.

In my General Microbiology class I'm currently taking...I learned that bacteria have "gender" and "sex", and during sex, sometimes the male loses his male organ and becomes a female.

In Organic Chemistry I & II, we learn about the backside attack.

In Politics of Diversity, we compared The Constitution to California trying to legalize weed.

In Organic Chem I Lab, I learned the art of distillation.

In Calc II, I learned why people in their 80s shouldn't be teaching anymore.

In Writing 200, I learned about malls, reality tv, comic books, and monster/horror movies. This is going to help in the long run when I'm working in my crime lab...

[ArenaBoy]

I have learned that any anime nerd who takes Japanese with the idea that it is easy is going to be in for a big surprise.

That it is possible for a professional journalist to fly to Vegas and then return at 5 AM to teach a 8 AM class.

That some professors drink too much coffee for an 8 AM class and therefore are too hyper in the wee hours.

Professors get a kick out of causing awkward moments, especially if it includes massive tragedies that they have ties to.

That a professor in his 60s could possibly be a track star.

That professors will stop in mid lecture and cancel a class because there's a sporting event going on, be it university or pro.

Or professors will be discussing Beowulf and the next thing we know we're learning about hills and a theory as to why people already knew that the world wasn't flat before Columbus. Or why he hates the school mascot.

[B&NGoddess]

I have learned that any anime nerd who takes Japanese with the idea that it is easy is going to be in for a big surprise.


:o sort of guilty. anime nerd who took japanese. i was under no illusions that it was going to be easy, though.

ive also learned that one of my english profs hasnt had a haircut in months because he likes to rub it in to all his bald fellow authors.

[gunsage]

What I loved was I didn't bother trying to test out of anything when I went to college because I figured even though I'd graduate sooner, it's a better idea to take a bunch of easy classes so I can keep my GPA high. As a result, my first trimester in college, I had to take college algebra. Now, this is a bit of a disclaimer/background about me. I'm good at math. No, scratch that...I'm a GENIUS when it comes to math.

I never took calculus or physics, but pretty much anything else and any opportunities I got I would take in concerns to math. I don't know what it is about it, but I just REALLY enjoy math. Probably because I enjoy various formulas and that has also assisted me in programming. In any case, I'd often get a chuckle when people were complaining in my college algebra course that they needed to implement a curve or something for the tests.

WHAT. A curve...for college algebra tests...when you're going into programming?! Gee, that's about as bad as not being able to type but...oh wait, NEVERMIND. (http://www.customerssuck.com/board/showthread.php?t=23047) :p Yeah...not only did I get an A in that class, I didn't bother doing any homework until a week before the final, at which point I sat down and did EVERY SINGLE ASSIGNMENT in 3 hours. Fun, easy, quick. :p Unfortunately, I was never accepted as a TA for the course because I couldn't keep my GPA above a 3.0, but that's another story entirely.

[Chanlin]

People in the generation just after mine (I graduated from HS in 2000) Really are very disrespectful. And whats worse is many of them don't realize it.

The number of people who don't take College seriously is just appalling. Seriously, if you're going to blow your classes off, easy or not, why are you here?

It really is funny to see a professor get royally cheesed off over the last prof leaving the room a mess.

It is really sad to see a professor who is unable to work an overhead projector. I mean its not like these are new technology or are very hard to figure out.

Its really sad to encounter graduate students teaching my class that are my age and I know more about the subject than they do. (This was in my Educational Multimedia class, IE how to apply computers and things like power point into a lesson plan, I got the only A in the course that was not curved)

Its very sad to see how many of my peers struggle to read simple texts. I mean we are in college after all. Granted reading or lack thereof is not automatically indicative of intelligence but it really is alarming to see so many fellow students who do not read well. Whats worse are the ones who read and don't comprehend, or accept I don't know how to do this as an answer and expect to be catered to by the professor.

And last but not least, I learned that SC's (maybe SS's) are everywhere. This could almost be a thread in and of itself, but this stems from a student who was coming to class (College Algebra) without the texts and had the nerve to mouth off when the prof chewed them out for it when week 5 rolled around and they hadn't done any of the course work yet.

[ArenaBoy]

Its very sad to see how many of my peers struggle to read simple texts. I mean we are in college after all. Granted reading or lack thereof is not automatically indicative of intelligence but it really is alarming to see so many fellow students who do not read well. Whats worse are the ones who read and don't comprehend, or accept I don't know how to do this as an answer and expect to be catered to by the professor.


This. Big. Time. It boggles my mind that in high school and college I was finishing the assigned reading and not having a problem with it but in high school I somehow get rejected for the Advanced English class when the dolt they give it too would possibly struggle reading Green Eggs and Ham.

[blas]

Although I am not in school, it bothers me that at the tender age of 21, I have a better grasp on the English language and can write/type/say a coherent sentence, whereas people who are much older than me, in higher up positions, can't differenciate between there, their, and they're.

[Irving Patrick Freleigh]

In community college, one of my lab partners in my Human Environmental Biology class asked me to look over one of his exercises, because he had been getting poor grades on them.

It didn't take me long to figure out why. His paper was riddled with spelling errors. He couldn't arrange words into complete sentences expressing coherent thoughts. He evidently thought punctuation marks were optional. The professor expected complete answers--like maybe a paragraph or so long--and he was answering in one or two "sentences". And he was turning in a paper ripped out of a spiral notebook with the ragged edges still attached when the professor specifically said the edges had to be clean.

It was a teeming, writhing mass of bad spelling, bad grammar and incomplete thoughts, turned in without the effort of using a sheet of paper without ragged edges. I know it was just community college, but grammar and punctuation are things you should have down by high school.

[Chanlin]

Although I am not in school, it bothers me that at the tender age of 21, I have a better grasp on the English language and can write/type/say a coherent sentence, whereas people who are much older than me, in higher up positions, can't differenciate between there, their, and they're.

I know it was just community college, but grammar and punctuation are things you should have down by high school.

Amen on both counts. It really does bother me how many people are ok with accepting the fact that they can't read or write very well. Its so Ghetto of them. (And before anyone flames that remark, I'm quoting Cora Daniels)

On that note Ghettonation by Cora Daniels is a really good read that focuses on cultural studies. The quote in question is this, "There is nothing more basic to ghetto than not questioning the choices we are given." The whole book argues that Ghetto is a state of being or a mind set as opposed to a run down place where poor people live.

[needleninja]

while in a history of the english language class, the prof asked what important human event happened 70,000 years ago. someone shouted "the continents broke apart!" there was dead silence for a second and then a couple people laughed.

roflmao. hillariuos

[GyroKat]

in an urban studies class, while discussing segregation and cultural differences in the cities, the prof asked why rap music was so popular in the urban environment. someone shouted "cuz its about gettin' crunk!"
:cry:

I took Latin... The teachers asked for the name of what they were wearing back then, and apparently I was the ONLY person in class who knew the word "toga"!!! (This is Denmark btw so we don't have toga parties, but still! Did no one ever read Asterix at least?)

Then the teacher asked what they were made of... A girl slowly raised her hand, then said "Polyester?"

Uh no, linen... seriously, if she had said "cotton" she might have been forgiven, but a synthetic fabric? It's mind boggling. Again, I was the only one who knew.

[ImadeYouACookie]

GyroKat: LOL! Polyester? hahaahha.. what school did you go to?

I hated my Latin course. Never learned much from that..

[Greenday]

Today in Microbiology I learned that besides human tissue, the only other place chlamydia can be replicated in the lab is in the testicles of male white rabbits.

[gunsage]

In project management, I learned that if you work hard, study hard, and know your material, the teacher will still mock you after your presentation because you directly contradicted what another team doing the SAME PROJECT said.

On my senior project, I learned that if your project manager lives up in Bellefountain, the campus is in Columbus, you live in Obetz, and everyone else lives about 30 minutes away from the school or greater, there's a good chance the girls in the group will be Chatty Cathys, the other IT guy will be more than willing to help out because he has no idea WTF, the project manager will be useless, and you will be completely relied upon to the point that you are appointed as new project manager IN THE 8TH WEEK OF THE TRIMESTER WITH ABSOLUTELY NOTHING DONE. :eek: (Still got an A)

In my first bout with professional writing, I learned that if you don't have reliable transportation, your teammates aren't willing to schedule a time when you can ALL meet, and you make special accomodations to show up anyway (paid for a taxi), they'll screw around in the meeting and get nothing done, but then later send you nasty e-mails when you don't show up anymore and get the teacher to drop you. :pissed:

I learned from my financial aid office that when you deliberately work with your private loan companies so that you may extra cash for living expenses, your typical response from an advisor is "10 business days," which apparently is some mystical number that equates to "I don't know what universe your money is in, GTFO."

I learned that if you get hit by a car, tough it out and go to class anyway, later decide that it kinda hurts now and you ought to go to the hospital, and relay all of this to your Java teacher, expect his eyes to go wider than Larry the Cable Guy and the Country Buffet. :lol:

[Jester]

What I learned in school:

The less I attended my economics class and relied strictly on the book, the better grades I got.

That with the right professor, any class, even political statistics, can be a blast. Likewise, with the wrong professor, any class, even psychology, can be boring as all hell.

That there are screwballs everywhere, including on the faculty of major universities.

That university administrations can be just as hypocritical as governments at various times, such as when they, oh, I dunno, open a "university club" for faculty that serves alcoholic drinks....on a campus that is dry for all students.

That you actually CAN open a major term paper with quotes from both the Communications Act of 1934 AND comedian George Carlin and nail an A.

That your professors have a lot about them that you don't know, and some of them have led really interesting lives. This point was nailed home to me when, just from my broadcast writing prof calling him and asking, our class did an impromptu "news conference" with none other than Senator Barry Goldwater.

The only thing I remember from my biology 101 course is what causes the physiological symptoms of a hangover (dehydration causing swelling of the brain against the skull).

That it is possible to do a road trip with three other drunken students to L.A. to see the Rolling Stones in concert, drink the entire time, and get back just in time to take an exam and ace it.

That it is also possible to wake up at 12:58 for a 12:40 biology exam that you were up all night cramming for, in a class that does not allow makeup tests, to be awake and dressed and hauling ass on your bicycle towards class by 12:59, to get to the class by 1:05, to take the entire test and finish it by 1:25, before others that had been there since 12:40, and to nail said test.

That it is also possible to take a philosophy class, learn absolutely nothing, figure out that you have pretty much no chance of getting a grade higher than a C, and take both the midterm and the final with no clue what you are doing, but using "intuition," the idea of doing what "feels right" which you studied in class, you can actually somehow get a B in the class.

That I suck at Spanish. After three attempts to get through Spanish 101, I finally had to go take it at a community college. Didn't do much better there.

That if you know how to type but, more important, know how to write, you can make a good amount of beer money writing up small papers for dormmates.

That if you are of legal drinking age in a mostly freshman dorm, you are royalty, and will probably get many free six packs as the price of buying your underage dormmates their alcohol. (I was never that guy, but I witnessed it enough times.)

How to do a keg stand. Not to mention a slew of drinking games, most of which I still remember far more than I do anything from my philosophy, psychology, spanish, Jazz in America, or college algebra classes.

That sometimes it really is faster to take the stairs than the elevator.

That it's a bad idea to aim a borrowed car at several frat boys, as they will then get really pissed off at the owner of the car, who will in turn get really pissed off at you....if he survives.

That it is possible to do nine shots of Jack Daniel's in fifteen minutes, and then walk across campus to a football game, have fun at said game, hit some bars, and return to the dorm without falling over or puking.

That if you have more than one hole in your cheap dorm closet door, you might as well have a party where you and some friends destroy the entire door, as the deduction from your security deposit is going to be the same.

That no matter what social circle they run with, EVERYONE loves AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long."

That it's a Really Bad Idea to tell a guy in your dorm who is nicknamed "Ahnold" due to his massive size, while you are both drunk, to go fuck off, and when he grabs you by the throat and slams you up against the door, to tell the same large individual to "go for it." I also learned it is a Really Bad Idea to piss off a hockey player, no matter how much smaller they may be than you. Finally, that it is a Very Bad Idea Indeed to engage in the following conversation with a frat boy:

YOU: "Blah blah blah frat."
FRAT BOY: "It's not a frat. It's a fraternity. You don't shorten the word for country, do you?"
YOU: "I do when I'm talking about your mother."

I never learned, however, how it is possible to enter the dorm with the highest security on campus, with only one way in and out, with an entire keg of beer, on a dry campus, when you are underaged......but somehow people did it all the time.

People in the generation just after mine really are very disrespectful. And whats worse is many of them don't realize it.

The number of people who don't take College seriously is just appalling. Seriously, if you're going to blow your classes off, easy or not, why are you here?

The above commentary has been opined by people for the last, oh, 5000 years or so. Hate to be the bearer of bad tidings, but trust me when I tell you that many people in YOUR generation were just as disrespectful, oblivious, and non-serious as the ones coming behind you. Ditto people in my generation, my parents' generation, etc., etc., etc.

I hated my Latin course. Never learned much from that..

My two years of Latin in my first high school were a very large reason for me nailing my PSATs and SATs.

[B&NGoddess]

Although I am not in school, it bothers me that at the tender age of 21, I have a better grasp on the English language and can write/type/say a coherent sentence, whereas people who are much older than me, in higher up positions, can't differenciate between there, their, and they're.

oh god, that drives me nuts. things like "it was in they're best interest." they are what? dude, seriously, it's not that damn difficult. im in a 615 writing workshop this semester, and reading some samples from students im wondering how these assholes made it to 215, let alone 615. it's depressing.

(i added my apostrophes to the "itses" just for this post. usually i dont bother :))

[blas]

Speaking of economics (oh Jester, must you get me thinking!).....my 12th grade economics teacher looked JUST LIKE Peter Griffin from Family Guy.

I mean, kids in school were making that connection since Family Guy started, and it drove the guy crazy. I do a horrible impression, but sometimes if it got quiet, I'd do my pathetic attempt at a Peter Griffin laugh, and he'd say "Miss Blasenheimer, do you have anything better to contribute to the class?"

I still squeezed by with a C!

[ArenaBoy]

That there are screwballs everywhere, including on the faculty of major universities.


So true. I've had plenty of loony professors.

[Severen13]

What I learned in school:

-Shame
-Guilt
-Humiliation
-Reading
-Writing
-Arithmetic
-Some other stuff


I hated school.

[wolfie]

I agree completely on the not understanding the difference a subtle change in wording makes. In a real-world job, I had difficulty convincing a supervisor to change a report on why a computer didn't work from "memory was reported stolen by named_coworker" to "memory was reported by named_coworker as stolen". Even though he knew (since the co-worker had just filed the report) what he meant, someone new reviewing the report a few years down the road might get the wrong impression.

One thing I've heard is that a lot of XXX videos refer to "sex party" in their titles because too many people don't know what "orgy" means:eek:

[Acolyte]

That with the right professor, any class, even political statistics, can be a blast. Likewise, with the wrong professor, any class, even psychology, can be boring as all hell.

Is troof. I mean, my profs for my Financial and Managerial Accounting classes was awesome, and I did really well in his class. My current Business Finance prof is a riot (His own words, he's a fat old Irish engineer, finance prof and raving conspiracy nut), and the prof I had for one of my intro programming and digital architecture courses was awesome. None of these were classes I was very interested in, but I love them because the prof is awesome.

Consequently, I really want to love my Java class because I like the language, but my prof *sucks ass*.

[gunsage]

I second that...or would it be thirding? :p Anyway, I often had difficulty with programming because it's a very dry subject and often I'd have very dry teachers. One of the EASIEST programming courses I had, both because it's not that hard of a subject and also because the teacher was awesome, was Visual Basic. HTML and COBOL came naturally to me, but the teachers were kinda boring. Java and C++ were tough as BALLS because I never had a fun or even "excited," enthusiastic teacher for them...and, well, they're hard anyway, at least for me.

However, economics was easy as it was taught to me in high school by a teacher completely off his rocker...AND in college by a crazy older New Yorker. GOD he was an awesome teacher...but that was the only class I had with him, unfortunately. :( I think the worst class ever had to be the programming course I had to take online. The teacher seemed kinda cool, but taking online classes blows in the first place, then on top of it...it was programming. UGH! :(:(:(

P.S. Yes, it was JAVA also.

[Primer]

I've been in a couple of those classes, the ones where people shout out random answers. In my experience, it's because

1) The question is so open-ended that the answer could be anything

OR

2) The class is so damned boring that the students have plenty of time to come up with goofy responces to questions.


But at least the students are listening, even if not thinking!


That professors will stop in mid lecture and cancel a class because there's a sporting event going on, be it university or pro.


And I held class less than an hour after the WTC buildings were taken out. Shame on me!


It really is funny to see a professor get royally cheesed off over the last prof leaving the room a mess.

...a student who was coming to class (College Algebra) without the texts and had the nerve to mouth off when the prof chewed them out for it when week 5 rolled around and they hadn't done any of the course work yet.

I get "cheesed off" when the last prof won't leave the classroom on time! Take your conferences to your office! I need to get in and start MY class! I let class out 5-10 minutes early just so that I will have time to pack up and be out by the time the next prof needs to be in.

And he was turning in a paper ripped out of a spiral notebook with the ragged edges still attached when the professor specifically said the edges had to be clean.


I carry scissors, and cut the edges off in front of them. All the better if part of their work was on those edges.



Then the teacher asked what they (togas) were made of... A girl slowly raised her hand, then said "Polyester?"


There goes Rule #1!

[B&NGoddess]

the same girl that thought the continents broke up 70,000 years ago came up with this gem last night:

prof: so, the scandinavians conquered england.
dumb girl: from where?
prof: scandinavia. norway, sweden; that area.

is it just me, or should you know that by a 400 level class?

[Igorina]

Things I learned:

Men are more likely to run screaming from the cockroaches escaping the trash room as women.

How to cross campus but only spend about 3 minutes outside (connecting sub-basements, cutting through lobbies, etc.)

Not to let fellow students catch sight of the hatchet in your backpack.

When out collecting in the field, don't worry if you fall into the mud/creek/whatnot, there will be at least two other people along who will do the same thing.

The 'No alcohol in University buildings' rule isn't really enforced.

Reading science fiction is sometimes the best way to pass physics.

Homemade chocolate chip cookies are the best way to bribe your dorm mates.

There will still be enough tear gas in the air to make your eyes sting the morning after the riot.

[Jester]

Not to let fellow students catch sight of the hatchet in your backpack.

There will still be enough tear gas in the air to make your eyes sting the morning after the riot.

Okay, I don't think I am alone in saying I want to know a bit more about THOSE two items!!!!!!!

[Lady Legira]

[QUOTE=Jester;264386]
That sometimes it really is faster to take the stairs than the elevator.

That no matter what social circle they run with, EVERYONE loves AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long."
[/Quote=Jester;26386]

It is faster even on crutches! I got up three flights of stairs and was in the classroom before the crowd in the lift that wouldn't get out to let me got there! Don't you just love Karma. :D

*Rocks to AC/DC* :devil:

[aniwahya]

Ha, I learned that just because a prof is an awesome person, does not mean that they are an awesome teacher to have. In relation to above said prof, if, after taking the first test NO ONE in a 30 person class passes it (this prof had insane grading practices like asking you to write a paragraph about how an obscure bible passage relates to a specific part of human anatomy+biology, neither of which was discussed in class or even read in the book). This was a college class (for credit) being taken in a high school, with a teacher who was a former college prof.

I also learned that if you are sick, come to class anyway. However, upon making it to class, you WILL be ordered to leave immediately because of the related sick noises you are making (i.e. coughing, sniffling, sneezing).

Oh, last but not least. It is unwise to mention to classmates that you can read, understand and explain in great detail a 600+ page book in under 24 hours while still making it to class, working AND sleeping. Not "speed reading" either where peeps skip to important parts.

[Igorina]

Okay, I don't think I am alone in saying I want to know a bit more about THOSE two items!!!!!!!

I took a class called Taxonomy of Immature Insects. The main requirement was an insect collection of 100 specimens from across 70 familes in at least 12 orders.

My hatchet went with me everywhere in my backpack along with an assorment of vials, tweezers and a pocketknife. I was rummaging in my backpack during my Molecualr Biology class, and the hatchet fell out. I scooped it up and continued rummaging, then I noticed the silence of the students sitting around me. I explained, but still, some of them didn't sit next to me for the rest of the semester.

As for the riot....

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin. For whatever reason, Halloween was celebrated very enthusiastically, and when the bars closed and all the students, and their guests, and the out-of-towners, and the locals spilled out into State St., it went from enthusiam to rioting, burning, and looting.

A city street, perhaps 1.5 miles long and about two lanes wide would be packed with something close to 80,000 drunks. When the looting started, the cops broke out the tear gas. And kept breaking it out until all those able to disperse, dispersed. Typically it was all over at 5am or so. The day after Halloween, I had to be at work fairly early, and ended up having to go past one end of State St. to grab a quick breakfast.

The wind caught some lingering pocket of the gas and I was taken by
(un)pleasant surprise.

[Bella_Vixen]

I graduated from the University of Wisconsin. For whatever reason, Halloween was celebrated very enthusiastically.

Unfortunately, Madison is infamous for it's Halloween celebrations...although I heard that last year, there weren't nearly as many arrests as in previous years.

[Jester]

I took a class called Taxonomy of Immature Insects. The main requirement was an insect collection of 100 specimens from across 70 familes in at least 12 orders.

My hatchet went with me everywhere in my backpack along with an assorment of vials, tweezers and a pocketknife.

Okay......um......what?!?

No, seriously.....I know I don't know much about anything about insect taxonomy, immature or otherwise....but why would you need a hatchet for dealing with insects?!?!?!?

[Spiffy McMoron]

Okay......um......what?!?

No, seriously.....I know I don't know much about anything about insect taxonomy, immature or otherwise....but why would you need a hatchet for dealing with insects?!?!?!?

I don't know alot about insects either, but I imagine that the hatchet was brought out to chop wood to get at insects that have nests in the wood. (Wood referring to both living trees and fallen, rotting trees.)

[ArenaBoy]

Unfortunately, Madison is infamous for it's Halloween celebrations...although I heard that last year, there weren't nearly as many arrests as in previous years.

At least you're not associated with Devil's Night. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Night)

[Igorina]

Okay......um......what?!?

No, seriously.....I know I don't know much about anything about insect taxonomy, immature or otherwise....but why would you need a hatchet for dealing with insects?!?!?!?

I don't know alot about insects either, but I imagine that the hatchet was brought out to chop wood to get at insects that have nests in the wood. (Wood referring to both living trees and fallen, rotting trees.)

And the Kewpie Doll goes to Spiffy!

Yeah, the hatchet was for getting into logs, roots, antihills, wasp nests, bee hives, dead animals, acorns, mushrooms....pretty much anything that had the potential to have an insect in it. The school even provided us with whetstones for the duration of the course, but we had to provide our own hatchets.