What is with this world?

[OutThere]

Honestly? As far as academia goes, I'd take busy-work over real analytical work any day. It can be done so half-assedly and that's what easy-As are all about. Just do the grunt work, get the A. Period. Mmm... Just learn to be more efficient and you can get your work done pronto. Or not.

I'd rather have a teacher who assigns interesting and meaningful, shorter assignments, and you get the grade by showing analytical or intellectual prowess over the other students.

Screw the busywork. What kind of real value does an A achieved through BS'd busywork have? You don't actually have to have any real mental capacity to do some worksheet assigned by a slacker professor.


(All that's not to say that I don't have very adept skills at BS'ing papers and assignments. Prep school teaches you really well how to do really good BS jobs. )

 

[devilot]

I'd rather have a teacher who assigns interesting and meaningful, shorter assignments, and you get the grade by showing analytical or intellectual prowess over the other students.

Screw the busywork. What kind of real value does an A achieved through BS'd busywork have? You don't actually have to have any real mental capacity to do some worksheet assigned by a slacker professor.

That's just it, though. The academic classes I took while at Cal were just as full of "lame" seeming work. Not as much busywork per se as HS, but definitely not thought-provoking.

In the perfect world? I'd agree with you.

But if you just wanna get that darned degree? The way most universities and colleges work? Are just getting through the system. Playing by the rules. And the rules say to just memorize and regurgitate, baby. Which is exactly what my HS was adept at teaching.

Shrug. Maybe I'm just too cynical.

 

[Electro Funk]

I go out to get the mail today, hoping to receive my Threadless order, but instead, I find a letter addressed to me from my school.
Surprised and also quite excited, I assume that it must be my schedule for next year or my FCAT results.
I open the letter and what is it you may ask? HOMEWORK. F*&(ING HOMEWORK.

This is how it read to me-
"Dear Students, Welcome to AP European Literature at **** High School..... Blah blah blah... Read the 4 books listed below and complete the 150 journal questions enclosed"


I expected a summer of beach and beach and beach.
Not reading and journal questions.


Who else has summer homework?

Hey neighbor... it could be worse... Get a nice pair of polarized shades and read at the beach! We'll see you there

 

[nitynate]

Hey neighbor... it could be worse... Get a nice pair of polarized shades and read at the beach! We'll see you there

I like your interests.

 

[steamboat26]

That sucks, my county doesn't allow summer work any more. It can be "highly encouraged" or "suggested" but it can't be mandatory, and i don't think you can get a grade for it.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

i think ap classes are now a waste of time since uc (california) does not take them anymore. i would rather just dual enroll (which i also did).

Not sure where you got the info that UC schools don't take AP credit, they most definetly do, which classes and what scores qualify for what credits differ from school to school and even in certain departments at different UC schools. Honestly, you most likely won't get into a top UC school if you haven't taken AP and honors classes (whether you pass the AP test or not), because there are tons of students with 4.0s or higher applying who have taken mostly AP classes. Besides, UC schools aren't the only schools worth going to in California, and the majority of other schools give some form of AP credit too.

Personally I wish I had taken more AP classes in high school, would have saved me $750 a unit and lots of time now.

 

[Henri Gaudier]

Ohhh tough life .. having to read . Reading is a joy.

 

[Sdashiki]

AP CLASSES ARE WORTH IT!!!

Dont believe anyone who says otherwise.

Let me ask you this, do you like money? (yeaaa, i like money - Idiocracy go watch it)

Did you know college courses COST money?

Take any chance you can to get free college credit. And dont kid yourself in thinking that a high school teacher and class is anything but easy compared to the class equivalent in college.

Though there are alot of "silly" AP courses, you could do worse than taken English, Chemistry, Biology or Art if you were happening to go into a college major where any of those are requirements for your degree.

Chemistry, for example, is typically taken by every single College of Liberal Arts student, just at varying levels. Take it in high school, pass the AP test, and save a semester or two of mental anguish.

Seriously, if you got into any AP course, take it and dont complain.

 

[imac/cheese]

Ohhh tough life .. having to read . Reading is a joy.

I agree completely. I wish I could spend my summer reading four books and answering a few questions.

 

[imac/cheese]

AP CLASSES ARE WORTH IT!!!

Dont believe anyone who says otherwise.

Let me ask you this, do you like money? (yeaaa, i like money - Idiocracy go watch it)

Did you know college courses COST money?

Take any chance you can to get free college credit. And dont kid yourself in thinking that a high school teacher and class is anything but easy compared to the class equivalent in college.

Though there are alot of "silly" AP courses, you could do worse than taken English, Chemistry, Biology or Art if you were happening to go into a college major where any of those are requirements for your degree.

Chemistry, for example, is typically taken by every single College of Liberal Arts student, just at varying levels. Take it in high school, pass the AP test, and save a semester or two of mental anguish.

Seriously, if you got into any AP course, take it and dont complain.

I agree and disagree. If you are going to use the AP credit to take a class that you will never use again and never be responsible for (like Chemistry for a Liberal Arts Student) go for it, but I knew a lot of engineering students that used their AP test to skip Calc I and they failed Calc II. Those of us that didn't get the 4 on the AP test had to take Calc I and it was an easy "A" and a great preparation class for Calc II. That easy "A" also boosted my freshman GPA and made that first semester in college so much less stressful.

 

[furcalchick]

Not sure where you got the info that UC schools don't take AP credit, they most definetly do, which classes and what scores qualify for what credits differ from school to school and even in certain departments at different UC schools. Honestly, you most likely won't get into a top UC school if you haven't taken AP and honors classes (whether you pass the AP test or not), because there are tons of students with 4.0s or higher applying who have taken mostly AP classes. Besides, UC schools aren't the only schools worth going to in California, and the majority of other schools give some form of AP credit too.

Personally I wish I had taken more AP classes in high school, would have saved me $750 a unit and lots of time now.

maybe it wasn't uc, but i heard them at least considering nixing it and not accepting them anymore. but i do know that some schools don't accept ap credit for one reason or another. and also, many students don't have a chance to take ap classes because they aren't offered at the school due to various reasons.

 

[Sdashiki]

maybe it wasn't uc, but i heard them at least considering nixing it and not accepting them anymore. but i do know that some schools don't accept ap credit for one reason or another. and also, many students don't have a chance to take ap classes because they aren't offered at the school due to various reasons.

schools have to decide what AP classes to teach based upon their faculty's qualifications.

you wont have AP German without a German teacher...

I dont think many schools can offer all 22 programs.

As for a college not accepting them, show me one thats accredited so I can talk sh** about them.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

I agree and disagree. If you are going to use the AP credit to take a class that you will never use again and never be responsible for (like Chemistry for a Liberal Arts Student) go for it, but I knew a lot of engineering students that used their AP test to skip Calc I and they failed Calc II. Those of us that didn't get the 4 on the AP test had to take Calc I and it was an easy "A" and a great preparation class for Calc II. That easy "A" also boosted my freshman GPA and made that first semester in college so much less stressful.

Definetly agree, there are certain times when I definetly would not want to use an AP class for credit and would want to take the regular class for the credit; your example of an engineering student and calc is excellent.

I definetly wish I would have taken AP English classes, if not for the college credit, but just because writing is pretty crucial in college and AP classes would have improved my writing. Some AP science classes would have been nice too and saved me the trouble of taking a minimum of two science courses right now. AP French would have been good too, still have to take 2 semesters of that. AP Statistics, even though I only got a 3 on the test, was definetly the most useful course I took in high school, it helps so much in the polisci, sociology, and business courses, I can actually understand what authors write about when they cite a study or perform one themselves.

My advice, take as many AP courses as you can handle and still have a life, you'll be happy you did once you get to college and you get to skip some pretty lame general education courses.

 

[rhsgolfer33]

maybe it wasn't uc, but i heard them at least considering nixing it and not accepting them anymore. but i do know that some schools don't accept ap credit for one reason or another. and also, many students don't have a chance to take ap classes because they aren't offered at the school due to various reasons.

That really doesn't make them not worth it, that just means we need to increase access to AP programs. The only way it wouldn't be worth taking them is if you could get into the college you hoped to attend without taking AP classes and the school didn't accept AP tests as college credit; there are not very many colleges like that. To get into most top colleges (and many not in the top), whether they accept AP tests for credit or not, you will need to take AP classes, most people who are applying will have, and most schools would rather have someone with a 4.0 in mostly AP classes than someone with a 4.0 in the regular classes.