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  • Subject: So what exactly is wrong with majoring in liberal arts?
Subject: So what exactly is wrong with majoring in liberal arts?

Fellow Floodian:
Posted by: Oh This Dude
I had a very similar thing, only I threw a 14 story building out of a pool and hit a kid on a paper aeroplane.


The Flood is just this awesome :D

Someone has to do it, like it or not. If there were no psychologists in the world, I'm pretty sure there would be a lot more suicides and undiscovered mental diseases/disorders that would be classified by 200 year old diseases because no one has studies for more.

  • 11.27.2012 5:07 PM PDT


Posted by: Aythor




Can you try to explain the UK education system? What does A level mean? And what does the grade "U" mean?


Here in the US, you go to school for about 13 years. Kintergarten- 12th grade. 1-5th grade is typically considered Elementary school. 6-8th grade is usually called middle school- at this point you're still learning the basics. 9-12th grade is called High School, and you actually learn some pretty good stuff if you take Honors and AP classes.


The grades are A-F. A being the best, F being the worst.

A= 90%-100%
B= 80%-89%
C= 70%-79%
D= 60%-69%
F= 0%069%


You earn your first qualifications at age 15-16 called GCSEs, these are really just to get you into 6th form/college (6th form is where you do your A levels at a school, college are independent places to earn qualifications, but mostly A-levels).

I went to 6th form so I'll explain that.

You do 2 years, in your first year you do your AS levels, generally you do 4, in your second year you do your A2 levels, generally 3 (so you drop one of your AS levels, but you can only do the subjects you did at AS level at A2, eg. I did Maths, Chemistry, Physics and History at AS level, then dropped history and did Maths, Chemistry and Physics at A2 level)

The outcome of your A2 levels is what gets you into universities, a U grade means "Unclassified" meaning, you did so badly you didn't get a grade.


That made no sense to me. What are A- levels? Is 6th form the same thing as college? What if you do really badly on the GCSE's? Do you still go to 6th form/college? Are colleges the same thing as universities? What are these qualifications of which you speak of?


Forget it. I'm reading it up on Wikipedia.

[Edited on 11.27.2012 5:17 PM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 5:11 PM PDT


Posted by: Aythor
Ok forget college.

I'll explain high school.

In my area, you begin high school in Year 9 (Age 13-14), you get given a timetable, you aren't assessed in Year 9, at the end of Year 9 you pick which subjects you want to do for GCSE, although it is compulsory to do English Maths, Physics Chemistry and Biology.

In Year 10 (Age 14-15) you begin your GCSEs, this continues into Year 11 (Age 15-16) where you sit your exams, the outcome of your GCSEs decides if you go to 6th form, it varies from school to school, but you needed at least 5 Cs to get into 6th form at my school.

In Year 12 (Age 16-17) you being your AS Levels, you pick 4, you are assessed on them, then continue with 3 of your subjects into A2 (Year 13, Age 17-18), but the AS level you dropped is a qualification by itself.

In Year 13 you complete your A-levels, the results of your 3 subjects are determined by the exam score of the exams you did in Year 12 and Year 13.

The grades you get from your A-levels decides if you go to University (College is a totally different thing in the UK).


Hm. I see. Seems a lot more complicated than the education system here. But perhaps it isn't a bad thing. Especially since the US ranks so relatively low in education.


  • 11.27.2012 5:24 PM PDT

Maybe we should look at exactly what "liberal arts" are before we say whether studying them is worthless or not.

In modern times liberal arts is a term which can be interpreted in different ways. It can refer to certain areas of literature, languages, philosophy, history, mathematics, psychology, and science. It can also refer to studies on a liberal arts degree program. For example, Harvard University offers a Master of Liberal Arts degree, which covers biological and social sciences as well as the humanities. For both interpretations, the term generally refers to matters not relating to the professional, vocational, or technical curricula. Arguably, liberal professions, so-called "learned professions", include only professions which require education at the university: medicine, for example, as well as law and architecture-heirs of the Trivium and the Quadrivium.

  • 11.27.2012 5:25 PM PDT

_____ ____(˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜˜)_∏______
--------____.`=====.-.~:_______\___|==============[oo
|_|||___/___/_/~```|_|_|_|``(o)----------<)
Have Fai7h

My old Halo account: karsttheninja99


Posted by: DeclinedA1

Posted by: Aythor
Ok forget college.

I'll explain high school.

In my area, you begin high school in Year 9 (Age 13-14), you get given a timetable, you aren't assessed in Year 9, at the end of Year 9 you pick which subjects you want to do for GCSE, although it is compulsory to do English Maths, Physics Chemistry and Biology.

In Year 10 (Age 14-15) you begin your GCSEs, this continues into Year 11 (Age 15-16) where you sit your exams, the outcome of your GCSEs decides if you go to 6th form, it varies from school to school, but you needed at least 5 Cs to get into 6th form at my school.

In Year 12 (Age 16-17) you being your AS Levels, you pick 4, you are assessed on them, then continue with 3 of your subjects into A2 (Year 13, Age 17-18), but the AS level you dropped is a qualification by itself.

In Year 13 you complete your A-levels, the results of your 3 subjects are determined by the exam score of the exams you did in Year 12 and Year 13.

The grades you get from your A-levels decides if you go to University (College is a totally different thing in the UK).


Hm. I see. Seems a lot more complicated than the education system here. But perhaps it isn't a bad thing. Especially since the US ranks so relatively low in education.


Yeah, it seems complicated compared to the US system

  • 11.27.2012 5:25 PM PDT
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Posted by: Telec
Remember kids: when Uncle Delta tells you he has sweeties, he isn't lying.

Now get in the van.


The Black Chapter


Posted by: DeclinedA1


That made no sense to me. What are A- levels? Is 6th form the same thing as college? What if you do really badly on the GCSE's? Do you still go to 6th form/college? Are colleges the same thing as universities? What are these qualifications of which you speak of?


OK, I'll try:

The basic, school leavers qualification one earns in the UK is the GCSE. This is the qualification you get in the subjects you take in your final 2 years of High school. Usually you take 9 or 10 courses and should leave with that many.
When you finish High School at the age of 16, you can enter the workplace or go on to further education at a College or Sixth Form. These are educational establishments where you hope to earn A-Level qualifications (for clarification to become an Officer in the Armed forces this is the minimum required qualification). A-Levels are a two year course comprising of the lesser qualification, the AS-Level in year 1, and should you continue that course in second year you turn that into an A2 Qualification (commonly known simply as A-Level). When you finsih this you should be 18.
Universities use A-Levels as their grade system for admissions. For example a top University will expect you to have AAA at A level (so 3 A Grades at A Level).

As for your questions, most colleges (note not the same as US 'College' which = University here) require at least 5 A-C GCSEs, usually including Maths and Science. Should you fail you can always resit your exams or take adult learning courses, though really failure at this level would suggest you aren't the academic sort.

Sum up:
Age 14-16: GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) - takes in High School
Used as entry requirements for College/Sixth Form

Age 16-17: Select your desired AS (Advanced Subsidiary) Level courses (usually 4) and take them for the year. Gain AS-Level Qualification

Age 17-18: Continue your courses, usually dropping one. Turns your AS Level into an A2 Level
Used as entry requirements to Universities

18+ University or Workplace
Worth noting that Bachelors in the UK are usually BA (Hons) Courses (Bachelors with Honours), and are 3 years in length as opposed to US 4

  • 11.27.2012 5:26 PM PDT

_____ ____(˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜˜)_∏______
--------____.`=====.-.~:_______\___|==============[oo
|_|||___/___/_/~```|_|_|_|``(o)----------<)
Have Fai7h

My old Halo account: karsttheninja99


Posted by: deltahalo UK

Posted by: DeclinedA1


That made no sense to me. What are A- levels? Is 6th form the same thing as college? What if you do really badly on the GCSE's? Do you still go to 6th form/college? Are colleges the same thing as universities? What are these qualifications of which you speak of?


OK, I'll try:

The basic, school leavers qualification one earns in the UK is the GCSE. This is the qualification you get in the subjects you take in your final 2 years of High school. Usually you take 9 or 10 courses and should leave with that many.
When you finish High School at the age of 16, you can enter the workplace or go on to further education at a College or Sixth Form. These are educational establishments where you hope to earn A-Level qualifications (for clarification to become an Officer in the Armed forces this is the minimum required qualification). A-Levels are a two year course comprising of the lesser qualification, the AS-Level in year 1, and should you continue that course in second year you turn that into an A2 Qualification (commonly known simply as A-Level). When you finsih this you should be 18.
Universities use A-Levels as their grade system for admissions. For example a top University will expect you to have AAA at A level (so 3 A Grades at A Level).

As for your questions, most colleges (note not the same as US 'College' which = University here) require at least 5 A-C GCSEs, usually including Maths and Science. Should you fail you can always resit your exams or take adult learning courses, though really failure at this level would suggest you aren't the academic sort.

Sum up:
Age 14-16: GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) - takes in High School
Used as entry requirements for College/Sixth Form

Age 16-17: Select your desired AS (Advanced Subsidiary) Level courses (usually 4) and take them for the year. Gain AS-Level Qualification

Age 17-18: Continue your courses, usually dropping one. Turns your AS Level into an A2 Level
Used as entry requirements to Universities

18+ University or Workplace
Worth noting that Bachelors in the UK are usually BA (Hons) Courses (Bachelors with Honours), and are 3 years in length as opposed to US 4
That clears it up a little

  • 11.27.2012 5:31 PM PDT

+1 for you good sir.

This thread is still alive?

  • 11.27.2012 5:33 PM PDT

GOAT

The purpose is going to college is not to learn. It's to get a degree now. If people didn't need to go to college to have a decent shot at finding a job, they wouldn't.


My dad was an English major, and he's doing very well for us. 6 figure income and my mom doesn't have to work. There's nothing wrong with it.

  • 11.27.2012 5:36 PM PDT

_____ ____(˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜˜)_∏______
--------____.`=====.-.~:_______\___|==============[oo
|_|||___/___/_/~```|_|_|_|``(o)----------<)
Have Fai7h

My old Halo account: karsttheninja99


Posted by: BlackHeaven
The purpose is going to college is not to learn. It's to get a degree now. If people didn't need to go to college to have a decent shot at finding a job, they wouldn't.


My dad was an English major, and he's doing very well for us. 6 figure income and my mom doesn't have to work. There's nothing wrong with it.
damn, thats a lot for an english major, whats he do?

  • 11.27.2012 5:37 PM PDT

As I said, it's a lot more complicated than here in the US.


In the US the federal government doesn't regulate education, it's left to the states. Therefore, you have 50 slightly different education systems.

Here in Florida, in order to graduate high school you need to complete(this depends on the year you will be graduating, the more recent the year, the more higher the standards, I will be using the most recent year):

English: 4 credits with major concentration in composition, reading for information, and literature

Math: (we don't say maths, even though it's grammatically incorrect not to): 4 credits, one of which must be Algebra 1 or its equivalent, one of which must be Geometry or its equivalent, and one of which must be Algebra 2 or a series of courses equivalent to Algebra 2

Science: 3 credits in science, two of which must have a laboratory component and one of which must be Biology 1 or an equivalent course or a series of courses

Social Studies: 1 credit World History 1 credit U.S. History .5 credit U.S. Government .5 credit Economics

World Language: Not required for high school graduation; but required for admission into state universities

You also need: 1 credit in Fine or Performing Arts, Speech and Debate, or Practical Arts (eligible courses specified in Course Code Directory)
Not Required
Not Required
Physical Education
1 credit in Physical Education

and 8 electives which basically consist of any additional classes.

All while maintaining a C average to graduate(see my other post).


As you can see, it's a lot less...standardized, I suppose, than in the UK.



[Edited on 11.27.2012 5:41 PM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 5:37 PM PDT

GOAT


Posted by: karsttheninja99

Posted by: BlackHeaven
The purpose is going to college is not to learn. It's to get a degree now. If people didn't need to go to college to have a decent shot at finding a job, they wouldn't.


My dad was an English major, and he's doing very well for us. 6 figure income and my mom doesn't have to work. There's nothing wrong with it.
damn, thats a lot for an english major, whats he do?


He's a human resource director.

  • 11.27.2012 5:38 PM PDT

_____ ____(˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜||˜˜˜˜˜)_∏______
--------____.`=====.-.~:_______\___|==============[oo
|_|||___/___/_/~```|_|_|_|``(o)----------<)
Have Fai7h

My old Halo account: karsttheninja99


Posted by: BlackHeaven

Posted by: karsttheninja99

Posted by: BlackHeaven
The purpose is going to college is not to learn. It's to get a degree now. If people didn't need to go to college to have a decent shot at finding a job, they wouldn't.


My dad was an English major, and he's doing very well for us. 6 figure income and my mom doesn't have to work. There's nothing wrong with it.
damn, thats a lot for an english major, whats he do?


He's a human resource director.
damn, didn't see someone with a major in that field getting there

  • 11.27.2012 5:39 PM PDT
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Tom
USNSCC, E-3

The Line of Steel
Basically, it's a blog of mine that focuses on military and policy related issues. Feel free to bookmark it and PM me any ideas you have to improve its quality. I hope you enjoy it!


Posted by: Adamal123

Military Science (Possibly)


Don't you get a degree in Military Sciences from completing the ROTC program? That's rather pointless, in my opinion.

  • 11.27.2012 5:47 PM PDT
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Posted by: Telec
Remember kids: when Uncle Delta tells you he has sweeties, he isn't lying.

Now get in the van.


The Black Chapter


Posted by: DeclinedA1



I find the credit system more complicated to be honest.
A GCSE is either taken in a series of modules or a few exams. You total the scores and get a grade.

Same with AS and A Levels

There are just a few more formal qualifications here, and a few more stages of education.

Also you 'graduate' no matter how well you did, plus at GCSE there aren't too many compulsory classes (Science, Maths , English lit & lang and a language) with the other being the students choice.

With regard to centralisation, schools do have to follow a National Curriculum (for the most part - there are some new exceptions), though my History GCSE and A Level course will be different from other peoples as Schools and Colleges/Sixth Forms do get their pick of various Exam Boards, all of whom have their own courses.

It is, therefore, not the School that awards qualifications, but nationally approved Exam Boards. The Educational Institution just teaches you.

  • 11.27.2012 5:48 PM PDT

Generally speaking, a full year class is 1 credit and a half year class is half a credit. The first semester I'm taking Economics honors, the second semester I will take AP Microeconomics. Both of the previously mentioned classes are worth a half credit each.

Thus, in the 4 years of High School, I need to take 4 English classes. Therefore, since I'm in 12th grade(the final year of High School) I'm in English IV.

[Edited on 11.27.2012 5:55 PM PST]

  • 11.27.2012 5:53 PM PDT
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Posted by: Telec
Remember kids: when Uncle Delta tells you he has sweeties, he isn't lying.

Now get in the van.


The Black Chapter

Oh, easy enough then

  • 11.27.2012 5:54 PM PDT


Posted by: Aythor

In Year 12 (Age 16-17) you being your AS Levels, you pick 4, you are assessed on them, then continue with 3 of your subjects into A2 (Year 13, Age 17-18), but the AS level you dropped is a qualification by itself.

In Year 13 you complete your A-levels, the results of your 3 subjects are determined by the exam score of the exams you did in Year 12 and Year 13.



Uh, just to point out that 4 AS levels and 3 A2 Levels is the norm. Like myself, you can carry on all you AS subjects to A2.

It's just a lot of Universities requirements only require 3 A2 levels to get in. And people drop their 'weakest' subject to make their life easier, as it seems the 4th subject is pointless to carry on.

  • 11.27.2012 6:02 PM PDT

+1 for you good sir.


Posted by: MilitaryTheorist

Posted by: Adamal123

Military Science (Possibly)


Don't you get a degree in Military Sciences from completing the ROTC program? That's rather pointless, in my opinion.
I think you do, it might be a mandatory class if you join ROTC, which I plan on doing.

  • 11.27.2012 6:06 PM PDT
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Tom
USNSCC, E-3

The Line of Steel
Basically, it's a blog of mine that focuses on military and policy related issues. Feel free to bookmark it and PM me any ideas you have to improve its quality. I hope you enjoy it!


Posted by: Adamal123

Posted by: MilitaryTheorist

Posted by: Adamal123

Military Science (Possibly)


Don't you get a degree in Military Sciences from completing the ROTC program? That's rather pointless, in my opinion.
I think you do, it might be a mandatory class if you join ROTC, which I plan on doing.


It is, so you'll get that anyways.

Out of curiosity, what grade are you in OP?

  • 11.27.2012 6:07 PM PDT

+1 for you good sir.


Posted by: MilitaryTheorist

Posted by: Adamal123

Posted by: MilitaryTheorist

Posted by: Adamal123

Military Science (Possibly)


Don't you get a degree in Military Sciences from completing the ROTC program? That's rather pointless, in my opinion.
I think you do, it might be a mandatory class if you join ROTC, which I plan on doing.


It is, so you'll get that anyways.

Out of curiosity, what grade are you in OP?
I'm a Senior, so I've been thinking about majors for college a lot lately.

  • 11.27.2012 6:15 PM PDT

Gamers don't die, they just go offline.

"...and the fanboys will unite to slay the Call of Duty threat for the greater good of gaming."

There's nothing wrong with it, its just that you'll have trouble finding a job with a liberal arts major.

  • 11.27.2012 6:17 PM PDT

Gamers don't die, they just go offline.

"...and the fanboys will unite to slay the Call of Duty threat for the greater good of gaming."


Posted by: Adamal123

Posted by: MilitaryTheorist

Posted by: Adamal123

Posted by: MilitaryTheorist

Posted by: Adamal123

Military Science (Possibly)


Don't you get a degree in Military Sciences from completing the ROTC program? That's rather pointless, in my opinion.
I think you do, it might be a mandatory class if you join ROTC, which I plan on doing.


It is, so you'll get that anyways.

Out of curiosity, what grade are you in OP?
I'm a Senior, so I've been thinking about majors for college a lot lately.


Military Science is a minor you can get if you go into Army ROTC. I'm not sure if you can get that as a major unless you go to a military academy.

  • 11.27.2012 6:18 PM PDT