Thread: Wow! Are You Kidding Me!?

I thought it was New Sheepland

Your forgiven gents, we can't all be geniuses . Right, I'm off to saddle up Baabra, hate to be late for work!

Originally Posted by joebehar

Carl,

You make some very valid and interesting points. Very sobering (excuse the pun) and some of them downright scary.

I admit that my thoughts did not go to the type of people you deal with routinely. I guess they would fall into that percentage I mentioned. Yes, teaching Mary how to cook and calculate food prices in the market is probably the best we can hope for and we should concentrate on that. I guess if she's sober and not panhandling for money, she can do well enough without knowing where Norway is

I think we basically agree, we just happened to say it differently. Maybe my expectations are too high.

Now, as far as logarithmic tables go...I always lost them in my mess of papers, so I just learned how to use a slide rule..how's that for showing my age? It wasn't till my last year of high school that calculators were available for less than $100, and at that time $100 was a number 10 high school students could maybe put together. Besides, the batteries in my slide rule never died in the middle of an exam. The only downside (or maybe its actually a plus) is that you actually have to know some math in the first place to use a slide rule.

And yes, I still have my slide rule and I still know how to use it. Every once in a while I'll take it out just to give the kids something to laugh at.

Now, of course Australia and Canada are similar in a lot of ways, I'm sure I'd get on Ok there, but I still consider that general area of the planet to be about ten years in front of us country hicks down here, so I'm guessing you're about 40. I just turned 50 and I also used a slide rule at school, though we got calculators in my second year of high school, so, yeah, you must be about 40... :-)

Yeah, I tend to get very carried away when talking about education. Well, actually, I get carried away MOST of the time. I agree we were saying the same thing, I was just ranting so much I forgot to listen to you... :-)

Of course, the next 'Mary' I come across at work is going to be taught where Norway is whether she likes it or not! I don't think I'll be able to resist it now!

(remember those really cool red LED watches where you had to press the button actually see them?)

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

(remember those really cool red LED watches where you had to press the button actually see them?)

Remember how short the battery life was?

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Now, of course Australia and Canada are similar in a lot of ways, I'm sure I'd get on Ok there, but I still consider that general area of the planet to be about ten years in front of us country hicks down here, so I'm guessing you're about 40. I just turned 50 and I also used a slide rule at school, though we got calculators in my second year of high school, so, yeah, you must be about 40... :-)

Yeah, I tend to get very carried away when talking about education. Well, actually, I get carried away MOST of the time. I agree we were saying the same thing, I was just ranting so much I forgot to listen to you... :-)

Of course, the next 'Mary' I come across at work is going to be taught where Norway is whether she likes it or not! I don't think I'll be able to resist it now!

(remember those really cool red LED watches where you had to press the button actually see them?)

Close, but no cigar...I turned 54 last December

1975 was my last year in high school. The texas instruments "scientific" calculator sold for about $150, but it actually did scientific notation, logarithms and roots. That was the extent of the advanced functions.

I most certainly remember those LED watches. I bought one and quickly realized I don't want to push buttons to see what time it is and I prefer analog. I'm still wearing my 15 year old Tissot PRS200 and its been through hell and back. Before I got it, I really couldn't afford a "real" watch, but they were all still analog.

Originally Posted by Crotalus

There was a report out just yesterday that more than 50% of college grads are unable to find a job in their chosen field.

There needs to be more thought about the market when choosing a degree.

Eh...I have a music degree...I worked in the music industry for 9 months, hated it, and then ran cinemas, film festivals, arts non-profits and worked HR in a major O&G company. What degree you have is really only helpful if you have no work experience and are just starting out. After that, as long as you have SOME kind of degree, work experience reigns supreme. I like the way I did it. I studied what I was interested in, then found jobs that interested me (mostly). Who cares if they aren't related?

I work in IT. Most of the people there have degrees that have nothing to do with the field.

Originally Posted by ryanjewell

Eh...I have a music degree...I worked in the music industry for 9 months, hated it, and then ran cinemas, film festivals, arts non-profits and worked HR in a major O&G company. What degree you have is really only helpful if you have no work experience and are just starting out. After that, as long as you have SOME kind of degree, work experience reigns supreme. I like the way I did it. I studied what I was interested in, then found jobs that interested me (mostly). Who cares if they aren't related?

I have a friend who was pushed by his counsellor to go into managemant information systems because it was the new "It" degree. In the three years it took him to graduate, the technology had surpassed what he was taught so much that no one would hire him. He had to start in a warehouse loading trucks and after 6 or 7 years he finally got an MIS job within the company.

Originally Posted by Theseus

I have a friend who was pushed by his counsellor to go into managemant information systems because it was the new "It" degree. In the three years it took him to graduate, the technology had surpassed what he was taught so much that no one would hire him. He had to start in a warehouse loading trucks and after 6 or 7 years he finally got an MIS job within the company.

I guess, at least, the story had a happy ending? :/

Just sad....