Pick My Major and 2nd Semester Classes for Me!!! (OT)

[Jman28]

[ QUOTE ]
I am a 1997 Madison grad. I only had one philosophy class, and it was with an aspiring Philosophy PhD. Apparently he went Harvard for his undergrad, Yale for his masters, and of all places Madison for his PhD. It turns out that Madison is/was the best school in the country for philosophy. Perhaps, you should just hang your hat on that.


[/ QUOTE ]

I didn't realize this. I'm gonna investigate. Thanks.

-Jman28

[citanul]

I'm stopping reading this thread here, so this may or may not be continued or disputed later on by any poster already. I don't know or especially care.

First, I'd like to discuss the college math major with relation to highschool mathematics.

One sentence: They correlate badly. Your "assertion" that anyone who can excel at hs level mathematics should, with a little work, be able to perform well at college level mathematics, is ludicrous. Your school isn't exactly known for beating down on mathematics majors, but you're still just flat out wrong. HS mathematics is about chugging through equations and calculations. The extension of such work is generally, I believe, engineering. College level maths focus much more on abstract thinking. Sure, you could probably find colleges where you can get through the degree taking Diff Eq, Calculus, Analysis, and basically that's it. But even in those classes, you're going to have proofs, as opposed to calculations. You're going to have calculation as well, but the MEAT of the class is being able to wrap your head around things that your TI-82 can't. I am sorry for you that you have this confusion in your head that mathematics is as boring as "solving" integrals that have been solved and typed up in the back of you book is. It is not the way real mathematics is. In terms of mathematics that is approachable, and tons of fun, I agree with another poster, Discrete mathematics is a great subject. It's tons of fun.

On the SAT math section: a monkey, trained adequately, could get an 800 on the math SAT. I, being less than a monkey, got a 790. I got 800s on 2 math SAT2s though, so that made up for it, I think. The reason that companies like Kaplan do so well is that SAT math (and verbal) are incredibly easy subjects, not pressing the "education" past trig, when the press that far.

On "I should get something for being naturally gifted." Oh come on, really, this isn't polite, but blow me.

You want to work, but only want to do the work if it is "interesting." Perhaps you should consider what it is that you find interesting? eh? Perhaps in your 2nd semester of college is a bad time to enter a 7 year plan to become a lawyer, only to find out then that you hate it? Most lawyers don't like their jobs. They work long hours, and receive low job satisfaction. My suggestion is that you take whatever the maximum number of classes allowed at your school is, and not take 2 classes in the same department. Find 5 or 6 or whatever, classes that, when reading the course handbook, look cool right on the page! Just take them. Don't think about your major, or your future too much, just take the courses, and when you find a subject that interests you, you'll actually want to take more courses in that area, and you will wind up wanting fo finish a major as well!

The whole "I am gifted, I should be given things" MO is just silly. I know because I had it. It's lame. In reality, you know what's going to happen if you don't do homework except when it's necessary to "pass" courses? You get Bs, at best, and then you wind up going to some lame assed law school, on par with Madison in terms of undergraduate education (more known for it's party school atmosphere), and you wind up not being employable as a lawyer, but in debt. Sound good?

Lay off the [censored] ego and do something crazy, like oh, attempting to display your "gift." If you're really better than everyone else, then by working hard, and possibly less hard than your contemporaries, you should be able to acheive greater things than they. In 3 years or whatever, you'll be happy you did, when you have your pick of employment. People don't give you things because you think you're gifted. People give you things (like jobs) because they think you're gifted. Outside of possibly some college admission, they don't actually decide you're gifted based on some standardized test score, so get off it. You're already in college, so no one gives a damn about your SAT math scores. People mostly, in the real world, spit in your face, when you approach them with the attitude you have displayed thus far.

The message: if you really think you're gifted, use the gift, make it evident to your potential employers, your professors, and your contemporaries.

citanul

[citanul]

Oh, I forgot to ask, while we were on the subject, since it will probably be amusing:

What's your SAT verbal score?

citanul

[Jman28]

citanul,

Maybe you should've continued reading the thread, or focused harder on the part that you did read.

I never said that I should get anything for being gifted. I already responded to this so I'm not going to go into it again.

I also didn't initially 'brag' about my SAT scores. I brought the math score up when I felt I was attacked for saying that I was math/science minded, in order to explain why I think I am math/science minded.

As far as abstract mathematics, I would be interested in that. The calculus I took in HS was boring. I guess that by me saying that it's boring, you assume that I'm an idiot, and can't do any math beyond geometry.

I also never said that any 800 math guy could get through college level math easily. I said with work they could. I'd appreciate it if you'd respond to things I actually say.

[ QUOTE ]
Oh, I forgot to ask, while we were on the subject, since it will probably be amusing:

What's your SAT verbal score?


[/ QUOTE ]

I got a 690. I hope that was amusing for you. What number would not be amusing? And, I wasn't trained for either section, although I'm not a monkey, so I have an advantage.

I'm not sure what it is about the majority of internet forum posters that makes them so angry. I'm sorry you are unhappy about something in your life and you have to take it out on a 19 year old asking for help.

You clearly know me so well from the posts I've made. I'm glad you got me all figured out.

Thanks for the response.

Hugs and Kisses,

-Jman28

[dcoles11]

If you like philosophy get a degree in it and teach in high school. Maybe even get a masters degee and teach in college. I'm going to be earning a poly sci degree this summer and i'm going to teach in high school. It's a rewarding job, with alot of free time.

[DangerGoodson]

I go to Madison, and one of my roomates is a philosophy major. I see the classes he takes and from what he says the are really easy and not very time consuming.
So if you are looking for an easy major I say Go for it.

[etgryphon]

Well if you like Math and making your mind work in a field that includes Philosophy..

I would suggest Economics\Business because you can get the math in and Philosophy through Ethics and such.

If you really like math, you can do what I did and double major in Physics and Computer Science and get a complimentary minor in Math. It's the golden ticket, but lots of Calc. in the Physics.

-Gryph

[(my name it is) Sam Hall]

How about this: Since you say you have an aptitude for math (btw I agree with those who say you probably have less than you think), take *applied* math courses, get a degree in *applied* math, and then get your teaching credentials. Teach HS math for a while. Teachers get lots of free time and chicks love them. You can continue your attempt to slide through life unnoticed. The difference between a diligent, motivated teacher and a lazy and/or under-competent slacker will go unappriciated by 99.9% of the people in the world (ridiculous, yes, but sadly true).

Congrats eastbay on the philosophy minor. I managed only one ancillary phil class and hated the dicipline with a passion by the end, although now I think it's probably just because I happened to run into a prof and TA who were both arrogant jerks. Philosophy's not bad, but it seems to concentrate the very arrogant people who think they know everything about everything.

Sam

[The Yugoslavian]

[ QUOTE ]
Philosophy's not bad, but it seems to concentrate the very arrogant people who think they know everything about everything.


[/ QUOTE ]

I know close to nothing about everything.

Yugoslav

FWIW I find the highest concentration of 'know everything about everything' people seem to be in highly technical fields (a la engineering/physics/etc). But, we've already established that I know almost nothing, so there you go, [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img].

[(my name it is) Sam Hall]

[ QUOTE ]

I know close to nothing about everything.

Yugoslav

FWIW I find the highest concentration of 'know everything about everything' people seem to be in highly technical fields (a la engineering/physics/etc). But, we've already established that I know almost nothing, so there you go


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OK, so how about highest concentration of know-it-alls per unit knowledge? Wait, I'm a highly technical person, and I think my statement just proved you right.

Is there anyone else who thinks Jman should become a teacher?

Sam