Random Banter

[Kalah]

Whatever we want. Me, I've got a bachelor in biology and (soon) one in history.

[Corribus]

Like what?Organization and sociology in a chemistry school?Or history(regular history)in mathematics school?

Taking classes outside of your "major" is a vital part of your education. It's what makes you a well-rounded person.

[DaemianLucifer]

Yes,it is nice to have them,but we cannot choose most of them,they are mandatory.Sociology is mandatory in almost every college in here.What does one chemist need sociology for?Or one physicist?If they were optional I wouldnt mind.

[Corribus]

Yes,it is nice to have them,but we cannot choose most of them,they are mandatory.Sociology is mandatory in almost every college in here.What does one chemist need sociology for?Or one physicist?If they were optional I wouldnt mind.

If a few more scientists knew how to properly interact with society, it would do the world a lot of good.

[Gaidal Cain]

Taking classes outside of your "major" is a vital part of your education. It's what makes you a well-rounded person.

Well, knowing about more things than your "major" (don't have such a system here) is one thing, but considering that the usual thing is to take loans to pay for the time you study on university level, reading about a lot of things that's only meant to increase your "general knowledge" seems like a bit of waste. If it's something that's supposed to be read by "everyone" (such as a course on Daemian's courses seems to be), it better belongs on a "lower" education level.

[Corribus]

Well, knowing about more things than your "major" (don't have such a system here) is one thing, but considering that the usual thing is to take loans to pay for the time you study on university level, reading about a lot of things that's only meant to increase your "general knowledge" seems like a bit of waste. If it's something that's supposed to be read by "everyone" (such as a course on Daemian's courses seems to be), it better belongs on a "lower" education level.

When it comes to hiring people, employers want to know that they are hiring talented, multidisciplinary people. If a company is looking into hiring a chemist, for example, and they have two potential candidates, one who took university chemistry classes and nothing else, and one who took university chemistry classes but also took a number of philosophy, sociology, philosophy, history or whatever, the latter person is a much more desirable candidate. By requiring you (the student) to take classes outside of your major, the university is only doing its job in trying to prepare you as best as it can for the outside world. What may seem unfair and tedious now will only help you in the long run.

Not only this (and I feel like I've posted something like this before) - you never know, in business or in pleasure, when it will be useful to have knowledge of other subject areas. You may be required to have dinner with your boss, or some other work related function outside of the office, where you will be required to have an intelligent conversation about a topic that is not necessarily related to your core specialty. Say your boss invites you to go to dinner with him and some people visiting from another company who are potentially interested in collaborating with your company. At dinner, you are likely to discuss a wide range of topics. If the topic of the conversation is the crisis of some third world country, or the musical works of Brahms, it is good to have some fundamental level of education in these areas so that you don't come off sounding like a complete idiot. This is why companies look to hire well-rounded people.

Not only in your professional life, but in your private life as well. You will attract more friends and sustain more positive relationships with the people around you if you are able to interact with them intellectually.

Finally, even if you are paying for your own education, it is my opinion that learning ANYTHING is NEVER a waste of money.

Corribus

[DaemianLucifer]

College is an option,not a requirement,since you can have a job even without it.Since most of the lectures are optional,and it depends just on you if youll atend them and make your exams easier or skip them all and study just from books,it really isnt logical that you are unable to choose which minor subjects you want to have.

Maybe youre bad with history,but good in psychology.So why cant you choose psychology over history?

[Corribus]

College is an option,not a requirement,since you can have a job even without it.Since most of the lectures are optional,and it depends just on you if youll atend them and make your exams easier or skip them all and study just from books,it really isnt logical that you are unable to choose which minor subjects you want to have.

Maybe youre bad with history,but good in psychology.So why cant you choose psychology over history?

Here in the states, you typically have a choice.

For instance, where I went to college, in addition to the requirements for your major, you had to have a minimum of three semester courses in each of the following three major areas: physical sciences, social sciences and humanities.

I majored in chemistry and so obviously most of my physical sciences courses were thus already taken care of. Social sciences include: anthropology, history, sociology, East Asian studies, etc. I took most of mine in history but you are free to choose whatever you like, as long as you have at least three courses in those areas before your graduate. Humanities include: English literature, music, philosophy, art, etc. I took most of mine in philosophy but again you can choose whatever you wish. Thus while the university requires you to diversify yourself, you still have some freedom to choose something that interests you.

I agree that forcing you to take a certain class in a certain subject is wasteful, as you will get nothing from it if you do not have any interest at all in it. But requiring you to "endure" a number of classes (actually I thought taking classes outside of the hard sciences was refreshing...) outside of your major in a subject of your own choosing is essential to your education.

[DaemianLucifer]

I took most of mine in philosophy

Well,that explains a lot

[Gaidal Cain]

When it comes to hiring people, employers want to know that they are hiring talented, multidisciplinary people. If a company is looking into hiring a chemist, for example, and they have two potential candidates, one who took university chemistry classes and nothing else, and one who took university chemistry classes but also took a number of philosophy, sociology, philosophy, history or whatever, the latter person is a much more desirable candidate. By requiring you (the student) to take classes outside of your major, the university is only doing its job in trying to prepare you as best as it can for the outside world. What may seem unfair and tedious now will only help you in the long run.

Our university systems might be a bit different, and my line of studies is an exception even in this system but if I wanted to have the kind of job that the education is designed to qualify one for, I would hardly have time for many such extra courses.

Not only in your professional life, but in your private life as well. You will attract more friends and sustain more positive relationships with the people around you if you are able to interact with them intellectually.

Those things can be learnt on one's free time, if one is really interested. I don't need a term of University studies to learn enough about who Brahms was, or to realize that I prefer Grieg

Finally, even if you are paying for your own education, it is my opinion that learning ANYTHING is NEVER a waste of money.

It might not be a waste, but the cost might be higher than the benefit...

[HodgePodge]

Some of my most enjoyable classes were those electives. One of my favorites was an Astronomy class I took. We were required to do an outside skywatching lab; which turned out to be so fun. I actually got to see Jupiter, Mars & Saturn (with all its glorious rings) through the high-powered telescopes set up on the football field.

[DaemianLucifer]

That was just a painting on the lens you saw

[Corribus]

Some of my most enjoyable classes were those electives. One of my favorites was an Astronomy class I took. We were required to do an outside skywatching lab; which turned out to be so fun. I actually got to see Jupiter, Mars & Saturn (with all its glorious rings) through the high-powered telescopes set up on the football field.

My point exactly: this is an experience you would never have had had it not been for "electives".

[Corribus]

For instance, where I went to college, in addition to the requirements for your major, you had to have a minimum of three semester courses in each of the following three major areas: physical sciences, social sciences and humanities.

Correction: the three areas were natural sciences, social sciences and humanities, as biological sciences (what I like to call "squishy chemistry") are/were not considered "physical", like chem and physics.

[Kalah]

Man, look at all the users online, man!

[DaemianLucifer]

Biology is not considered "physical" simply because it would be too hard to change thousands of years of history in order to put living and non-living matter in one field.The same reason why all of us use the term human instead of homo sapiens in regular conversation.

[Gaidal Cain]

Maybe my english knowledge is as fault here, but wouldn't chemistry as well be excluded from "physical sciences", or has those words some meaning radically different from just "physics"?

[DaemianLucifer]

Thats why they are refered to as natural sciences

[Gaidal Cain]

Not if Biology is excluded

[DaemianLucifer]

No,I meant all of them.Biologhy,math,chem,and physics.Physical science would mean just physics,and probably non-organic chemistry.