I don't like people who think my fist's rights end where the rights of someone's face begins.
What is college like?
- Thread starter Mouthwash
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It really depends a lot on where you go to school, and even what you're studying at that particular school. I know people who went to Ohio State and loved it, and I know people who went to Ohio State and hated it, with the majority in between. I myself went to a small liberal-arts school in the suburbs of a good-sized city. There was a range in satisfaction there, too, but fewer who were dissatisfied with the education (though also fewer subjects to choose from).
I wouldn't put much weight in that article.
#5 - If you did well in high school, the first two years will not be a repeat of high school at any halfway decent school (and most state schools do fall in the category of halfway decent - Ohio State certainly would). Just make sure you accept credit for classes you took in high school where possible, so you aren't taking introductory courses covering things you already know. State schools tend to have honors programs that you can apply for, which will help with this. More rigorous schools won't have honors programs, but their regular courses won't rehash the prerequisite courses, and they'll work with you to exempt you from courses you don't need to take.
#4 - Somewhat, but this varies a lot by school, and required electives is not necessarily bad. They can in fact be rather enjoyable. I ended up taking more literature classes than I'd planned to because the first one was quite good. And had I taken a sociology class earlier than senior year, I probably would've taken more of that, too. It can be a good way to discover new interests, and you can often use most of your electives to take more classes in your major if you're really into it anyway.
#3 - Usually, failing one course will not in fact take you off financial aid, as long as your other grades are good. There often is a semester of probation to give you a chance to get on track as well. So if you're getting A's and B's and you take one course that's really not your area, you aren't going to be screwed. On the other hand, if you're skating by with C-'s, then yeah, failing a class might be a problem, and if you start failing lots of classes, you are in major trouble. But it doesn't sound like you plan to fail many classes.
#2 really depends. A lot of people make really good friends in college. I have some good college friends, but am closer with my high school friends a few years later, largely because I live close to where I grew up, not where I went to college. But I also talk with one of my friends from college who lives on the other side of the world every week. So it varies.
#1 also is up to you. At any school, there are plenty of parties. But at any more rigorous school or larger school, you'll have other options as well. Partying all the time tends to lead to poor grades, but even at rigorous schools, you will have free time to use as you wish. And it's quite possible to avoid the party scene. In my limited experience, non-academic fraternities do tend to be about drinking and partying, but at most schools, fraternities and sororities are not the majority of the student body.
Basically, it varies a lot by school. Visit the schools you are thinking of attending if possible, take them up on overnight stay offers, and talk with the professors in the areas you plan to study before accepting. It won't tell you everything, but especially at smaller schools (and for your areas of study), it'll give you a good glimpse of what to expect.
I wouldn't put much weight in that article.
#5 - If you did well in high school, the first two years will not be a repeat of high school at any halfway decent school (and most state schools do fall in the category of halfway decent - Ohio State certainly would). Just make sure you accept credit for classes you took in high school where possible, so you aren't taking introductory courses covering things you already know. State schools tend to have honors programs that you can apply for, which will help with this. More rigorous schools won't have honors programs, but their regular courses won't rehash the prerequisite courses, and they'll work with you to exempt you from courses you don't need to take.
#4 - Somewhat, but this varies a lot by school, and required electives is not necessarily bad. They can in fact be rather enjoyable. I ended up taking more literature classes than I'd planned to because the first one was quite good. And had I taken a sociology class earlier than senior year, I probably would've taken more of that, too. It can be a good way to discover new interests, and you can often use most of your electives to take more classes in your major if you're really into it anyway.
#3 - Usually, failing one course will not in fact take you off financial aid, as long as your other grades are good. There often is a semester of probation to give you a chance to get on track as well. So if you're getting A's and B's and you take one course that's really not your area, you aren't going to be screwed. On the other hand, if you're skating by with C-'s, then yeah, failing a class might be a problem, and if you start failing lots of classes, you are in major trouble. But it doesn't sound like you plan to fail many classes.
#2 really depends. A lot of people make really good friends in college. I have some good college friends, but am closer with my high school friends a few years later, largely because I live close to where I grew up, not where I went to college. But I also talk with one of my friends from college who lives on the other side of the world every week. So it varies.
#1 also is up to you. At any school, there are plenty of parties. But at any more rigorous school or larger school, you'll have other options as well. Partying all the time tends to lead to poor grades, but even at rigorous schools, you will have free time to use as you wish. And it's quite possible to avoid the party scene. In my limited experience, non-academic fraternities do tend to be about drinking and partying, but at most schools, fraternities and sororities are not the majority of the student body.
Basically, it varies a lot by school. Visit the schools you are thinking of attending if possible, take them up on overnight stay offers, and talk with the professors in the areas you plan to study before accepting. It won't tell you everything, but especially at smaller schools (and for your areas of study), it'll give you a good glimpse of what to expect.
madviking
north american scum
you make your own college experience. as in, you can be a douche, be nice, be involved, be a shut-in, be whatever you want. college is really your oyster.
Crezth
i knew you were a real man of the left
But other people's right to self-determination, well, haha, they can go eff themselves.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
I don't think it is, no. What's going on there is that a lot of Scots are supporters of Irish Republicanism, and Irish Republicans have traditionally supported Palestine on the basis that "the enemy of my enemy is my friend". Beyond the analogy to Ireland, there's little strong feeling about the subject one way or the other.
Not according to the Orange Order.
Crezth
i knew you were a real man of the left
Damn it, Traitorfish, would you stop stomping on his rights to self-determination?
So they're simply drawing an analogy between the situations of Ireland and Palestine. Which is incredibly offensive; "Northern Irishmen" aren't even a thing. It's saying that Jews aren't really a people at all, and that Israel is a colonial outpost of the West.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
Northern Irishmen do exist. They're called "Ulstermen", I know several. The debate is not whether they exist, but whether they constitute a sub-set of Irishman or an altogether distinct people. So reading the analogy as you have chosen to, the Republican position on Israel would be that the Jews are a tribe of Palestinians who are fully entitled to reside within Palestine for all eternity, but should not organise themselves as a distinct Jewish state.
Which, come to think of it, is probably a fair summary of how most Republicans view the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. But it's missing the point, because their analogy is constructed around the relationship between the Irish/Palestinians and the British/Western imperialism. The Ulstermen/Israelis are basically secondary, defined not by who they are but where they stand in the relationship between colonisers and colonised.
Ayatollah So
the spoof'll set you free
Thread winning comment
College will not educate you. But it is a freaky awesome context in which to educate yourself. (I don't totally agree that it has to be a small liberal arts college, though that can help.)
Course requirements barely matter. Suppose you major in history. Most of the requirements will be things you needed to know anyway, if you want to get serious about history. Also, most professors will tolerate, or downright welcome, papers that relate loosely to the title subject: "The consequences of the Thirty Years War for European economies"; "The influence of Empiricist philosophers on 18th century British governance"; etc. You can ride your hobby horses most of the way through. Being motivated helps you get good grades and actually learn something to boot.
Of course. There are No True Scotsmen.
ParkCungHee
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Wow. Yeah, and you complain about other people being grossly offensive.
ParkCungHee
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No, they seem to be complaining about the Scots who've immigrated to Scotland. It's important to keep these distinctions in mind, and vice versa.
Some of my friends who went to the US took courses in beer brewing. I don't think I've particularly missed that in my own academic career.
Also, the language requirement that you had would be less necessary here, since high school includes at least 3 foreign languages.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
Well, there's Scots and there's Scots, y'see, and some of the Scots are Scottish and some are Irish, but some are Irish and some are also Scots, and there's the Irish Scots who are Irish and the Scots Irish who are Scots, not mention the Irish Scots Scots who are Scots Irish and the Scots Irish Scots who are Scots, except when they're Irish, in which case they're also Scots.
There used to be Norwegians, too, but we got rid of them because there's no sense in complicating things.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
Hey, I was just Saxon a question. There's Norse harm in that, is there? Something something Brythons something.
Tahuti
Writing Deity
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Iain Banks != whole of Scotland.
You might want to check out the Netherlands and the Czech Republic though, these are probably the most Pro-Israel countries in Europe.
Though the actual Palestinian nationalist view of Jewish Israelis would be comparable to how the Montagnards viewed members of the French aristocracy: Every man, woman and child is a representative of repression that needs to be murdered.
Did you take German, English and French all the way to the end? I only kept French, besides English - which was and still is compulsory - though you could avoid any foreign language besides English if you like.
Traitorfish
The Tighnahulish Kid
You'll have surveyed Palestinian nationalists extensively, no doubt. And Montagnards, too.
