I need to rant

[Jonny]

Like the title says, I need to let off steam and I doubt anyone is awake.

So yeah, here goes.

1. I'm at Uni, and it's portrayed as the best time you'll ever have in your life. The transition between school and 'the real world', or 9-6 in a cubicle with a boss who can pretty much buy everything you have so he owns your life.

From my perspective. It's a total farce. Either it's not for me. Or the University is shitee. Or a bit of both I guess. This point links to most of my other points.

2. I'm trying to do an assignment, probably why I'm so goddamn pissed off right now. OK, so they have a lot of resources. OK, a few.. some.. one or two.. might be relevant.. might not.. maybe..

There's this online reading, where you read text from books online. There's basically sources, like journals, articles, etc. then there's the good ol' Library.

So I tried searching, fail. I tried every system relevant to what I wanted, you basically search for potentially 'topics' in articles etc. but, for example, I could just rant on and on and type a random word - banana - and that makes it relevant. It's like diving into hay looking for needle then realising there is no needle but a 10-inch thick safe bolted to the ground, wrapped in chain, permanently locks after three attempts for the keycode and you're two down already.

Then I tried reading online, from the Internet. I found EXACTLY the book that I wanted. What happens, I have to install a plug-in, fair enough. It doesn't work. OK, maybe that's just Firefox, I'll try IE. It doesn't work. $%&# you.

So I have to tackle the bitter $%&#ing cold, and I'm not entirely sure about this but the only library I know is a good 20 $%&#ing minutes away. I might be whining about 20 minutes but I do it every day and expected I could do work in the comfort of my own goddamn four walls of confinement of my student accomodation.

3. I do a module on marketing but unfortunately he doesn't follow other lecturers and posts up booklets for the week. Some lecturers do that and even print for us. Others just post it up. This guy does neither. So I have to write, copying from the board AND trying to listen to him explaining and also pay attention if he asks a question we're expected to be alert like rabbits on the look out for foxes. I rather be eaten, to be honest.

And lucky me, the assignment I have is on marketing. So I asked him if I could have the booklets (I had my pen drive and everything) he said no the fact that we only get them at the end of the month is what he believes will make things work. So my assignment is based on the work we do each week. So if I can't write everything down before he clicks for the next slide, I have to wait TILL THE END OF THE $%&#ING MONTH. SO I AM ABLE TO WRITE UP ON IT. This is due on the 8th. And I would have liked to have given him a draft or something to skim over but I rather give him the finger and $%&# off out of the university. This is like 'I won't give out notes, BECAUSE EVERYONE IS THE SAME AND WILL DO GREAT BY LEARNING THAT WAY' Sorry if I'm not one of those people and I feel I'm somewhat stereotypicalised because the way I see it, it is a way in saying that I DON'T pay attention so I have to pay attention now. And I do pay attention, and I want the notes to read over. Except I'm restricted from that.

What. A. $%&#ing. Joke.

I've had my 'life changing' experience of university now. Can I go home now? (rhetorical)

Plus I haven't slept.

[Roobubba]

Is this your first term at Uni, Jonny?

I had a pretty rubbish time at Uni, if I'm honest, largely because just before I went I had the wonderful idea that I might be a Christian. Thankfully, since leaving Uni, I've seen the light - but now I regret all those wasted years. I also suffered from learned helplessness at Uni - as a result of having fallen a week behind due to 'flu in the first year. It wasn't until the third year that I managed to get the help that I needed (GPs always think it's depression...) and after that, Uni sort of made sense. I much preferred time at school, and time since finishing my PhD, too.

I guess the key is: when times are bad, can you stick through it? If yes, then you'll benefit from when times are much better (and they will get better!), if not, then the remaining question is: is it worth it? Only you can answer these questions, but you can get help and advice from others.

Get some sleep, try to worry less (only a bit less!), and do some other, non-work stuff to help keep your mind from stagnating in your subject.

8 hours of work, 8 hours of sleep and 8 hours of play ;)


Roo

[Spitfire]

the idea at uni isnt for the lecturers to do things for you, the ones that give you any notes are doing more than they really need to anyway.  Its all about finding things yourself.. and if you cant get to the library in the cold then uni probably isnt for you.

When i was at uni i was commonly in the libary untill 4 or 5 am working... the journals are only an additional source... they commonly only have parts of the journal free online and are hard to search.. you cant be too specific.

you always go thru ups and downs at uni, especially with assignments.. but their is always a way, you just wont have found it yet.

[MDV]

Stop self pitying.

Its not going to be handed to you on a plate.

If it were easy you wouldnt earn anything from it.

[ToneMonkey]

As I had to keep saying to my bro when he was at uni.... "it's all just the bullshitee"

Besides, you think that's a pain in the arse, wait until you start propper work, you've got plenty more bullshitee to go through yet.

[rohlfo]

I'm at uni for the experience, not the degree - sex, drugs, rock'n'roll! love it! But yeah, can be rubbish some times with work, and I think after this year it's time to move on....there's people here who were born in the 90's !!!!!!!!

[gwEm]

actually, i found copying stuff down from the board/slides is a good thing. it always helped my memory and encouraged me to turn up to lectures.

obviously you see things differently, but i can understand what the guy is saying there.

edit:
i always found undergraduate level were mostly a massive exercise in cramming. after we finished i discussed that with some friends and we reckoned we could pass an undergraduate programme in any subject with the right cramming technique. believe me - writing stuff out yourself is a great way to cram.

my PhD studies were a different story again though, but equally skills can be transferred across any subject.

studying at undergraduate and postgrad level is depressing - its meant to be i think

edit2:
i think uni *is* the best time, but mostly because you and your mates are young and full of youthful energy. i much prefer the lifestyle of having a job, or research... downside is your mates become old, boring and not keen to go out on the rinse. also you can't stay out till 4am and start work at 9 anymore without falling asleep at your desk and expect to do meaningful work. quite a few times i went without sleep at uni, and it was absolutely fine, it doesn't really work like that anymore unfortunately.

[Jonny]

Surely I thought the standard would be to at least post it. I don't want to be spoon fed but I don't want to be not fed at all.

But I do accept views from both sides and I'm not going to not do this assignment as enduring as it may be, however I am realising sooner or later do I really want to stick up with stuff that will get to me really badly (which will be reasoned with by you fellow members, of course), do I really need to go through Uni just to open a business. Half the time I don't think it should even be needed.

[gwEm]

Half the time I don't think it should even be needed.

The governments made it so you need a uni undergrad degree to get a job - so everyone has to do it, and therefore go into massive debt. i think this is a bad thing. however its the world we live in and we have to accept that.

if your sure your business will take off you probably won't need it. on the other hand, a degree is a very sensible (necessary?) backup plan.

[Jonny]

And a nice place to be during economic downturns.

[MDV]

Half the time I don't think it should even be needed.

The governments made it so you need a uni undergrad degree to get a job - so everyone has to do it, and therefore go into massive debt. i think this is a bad thing. however its the world we live in and we have to accept that.

if your sure your business will take off you probably won't need it. on the other hand, a degree is a very sensible (necessary?) backup plan.

gone are the days when a degree made you in any way exceptional. Which is very, very silly. Its like printing money to try to hold its value (something else from the pie-addled mind of our pseudo prime minister) - the more of it there is out there the less worth it has. You need to go the extra extra extra mile to have exceptional qualifications now - leaving education in the latter half of your 20s.

I just got my MPhys and cut and ran. Didnt want to devote myself to one field with a PhD, and now have >3 years 'equivelent experience'. Suits me.

Do you need it to start a business? No. You need business sense, self motivation and independence (and to know the trade you wish to ply, of course). Do you need it if your business falls through? Yes, most certainly. And no offence jonny, but it sounds like you really need the experience in a well safety-netted environment of doing things for yourself, adapting to circumstances, creating your own research methods and independent investigations, engenendering some pro-activeness and the ability to do things for yourself or your own business wont make it to its first tax return.

[dave_mc]

gone are the days when a degree made you in any way exceptional. Which is very, very silly. Its like printing money to try to hold its value (something else from the pie-addled mind of our pseudo prime minister) - the more of it there is out there the less worth it has. You need to go the extra extra extra mile to have exceptional qualifications now - leaving education in the latter half of your 20s.

 yeah, definitely. (to be fair, though, sending 240% of the population to university was blair's idea, not that i want to be fair to brown because he's a douche)

i guess, the other thing is, a lot of the people saying how awesome university is love it because they're away from their parents so can drink when they like. if you aren't into all that (i know i wasn't)... it's more or less like school except now you have to make your own dinner and have to walk to class instead of being left off by your mum... :lol:

the whole "is it worth it?" thing, as roo suggested, is very much a personal thing, and only you can decide that. I wouldn't quit an undergraduate degree without a very good reason (because, as mdv said, almost everyone has a degree now), but if you think you can't stick it, having everyone else tell you that you should be able to stick it is likely no consolation, and in fact likely to make you want to give it up even more.

I finished my undergraduate degree without much bother, but got into a similar mindset as you with my Ph.D., i honestly couldn't take it any more, so i quit (ok, transferred to M.Phil, but more or less the same thing), i was scared of something worse happening if i kept going (you know, manage another 6 months then just completely break down and have to quit without even getting an mphil, that type of thing). I'm sure plenty of people thought i was mad (the phd was funded, tax-free, apart from anything), but it'd have been even more mad to do something i didn't want to do.

so, er, yeah. it's up to you. get as much advice as you can from people who know more than you, but make your own mind up. apart from anything, if you make a mistake, at least if you feel that you made that mistake yourself, it's a little easier to take. i know i'm glad i have the mphil now, but to be honest, if i had quit instead of transferring to mphil, i could have probably done something different (e.g. a masters in something else) at university with the amount of time it took me to finish even the mphil...

so, er, yeah. my main point is, get as much advice as you can, but make your own mind up. Do not quit without a LOT of thought, though. :) Don't forget about fees etc. though- the last thing you want to do is pay the fees, take out the loan, etc., for, say, your second year, only to quit two weeks later. if you can make your mind up now (by that, i mean up until the next set of fees is due) when there's no real time pressure regarding fees, that'd be a good idea.

EDIT: i should add that all that stuff about making your own mind up is my opinion, and as such, you (or someone else) may disagree. :lol: :)

[Jonny]

Half the time I don't think it should even be needed.

The governments made it so you need a uni undergrad degree to get a job - so everyone has to do it, and therefore go into massive debt. i think this is a bad thing. however its the world we live in and we have to accept that.

if your sure your business will take off you probably won't need it. on the other hand, a degree is a very sensible (necessary?) backup plan.

gone are the days when a degree made you in any way exceptional. Which is very, very silly. Its like printing money to try to hold its value (something else from the pie-addled mind of our pseudo prime minister) - the more of it there is out there the less worth it has. You need to go the extra extra extra mile to have exceptional qualifications now - leaving education in the latter half of your 20s.

I just got my MPhys and cut and ran. Didnt want to devote myself to one field with a PhD, and now have >3 years 'equivelent experience'. Suits me.

Do you need it to start a business? No. You need business sense, self motivation and independence (and to know the trade you wish to ply, of course). Do you need it if your business falls through? Yes, most certainly. And no offence jonny, but it sounds like you really need the experience in a well safety-netted environment of doing things for yourself, adapting to circumstances, creating your own research methods and independent investigations, engenendering some pro-activeness and the ability to do things for yourself or your own business wont make it to its first tax return.

I know you're being realistic but you make me feel like a retard now.

[MDV]

Half the time I don't think it should even be needed.

The governments made it so you need a uni undergrad degree to get a job - so everyone has to do it, and therefore go into massive debt. i think this is a bad thing. however its the world we live in and we have to accept that.

if your sure your business will take off you probably won't need it. on the other hand, a degree is a very sensible (necessary?) backup plan.

gone are the days when a degree made you in any way exceptional. Which is very, very silly. Its like printing money to try to hold its value (something else from the pie-addled mind of our pseudo prime minister) - the more of it there is out there the less worth it has. You need to go the extra extra extra mile to have exceptional qualifications now - leaving education in the latter half of your 20s.

I just got my MPhys and cut and ran. Didnt want to devote myself to one field with a PhD, and now have >3 years 'equivelent experience'. Suits me.

Do you need it to start a business? No. You need business sense, self motivation and independence (and to know the trade you wish to ply, of course). Do you need it if your business falls through? Yes, most certainly. And no offence jonny, but it sounds like you really need the experience in a well safety-netted environment of doing things for yourself, adapting to circumstances, creating your own research methods and independent investigations, engenendering some pro-activeness and the ability to do things for yourself or your own business wont make it to its first tax return.

I know you're being realistic but you make me feel like a retard now.

Not my intention.

Uni is in more ways that just cooking your own food and living in your own place a half-way-house to real life. You still get curriculems and tuition, but much research, finding sources and developing networks is down to you. In a real job the vast majority to all of that is down to you, and in your own business if you cant do those things then your business fails.

This is an opportunity to learn that you create your own success, on your own initiative. Learn this lesson well and you'll go far. Dont learn it and you'll get a poor to mediocre degree, if any at all, and you'll flounder in the world of real employment, especially self-employment.

You dont need to go to uni to learn these things, but you have a chance to while youre their, so do it.

[DrBob]

Great......now I get the chance to sound like my parents, my tutor at uni, Yoda etc etc

This stuff is all about learning. Learning about learning.

I guess cos you are on this forum you play guitar and now appreciate the benefit of great pups and great tone?

Remember back to the first months playing guitar....it was hard, finger tips got a bit messy, and it never sounded right. After a lot of hard work, ignoring some cr@p advice, broken strings and bad gigs, it really comes together.

Uni is a bit like that. Just keep at it.

Yep, platitude after platitude (and yes I did say 'theres plenty more fish in the sea' to a good mate - bad move), but honestly......uni can be hard, just don't let it get to you. Go to a gig, have a pint or two, chill out with your mates........those are the best bits.

Those and when that assignment comes together (and when your mates gasp at that new bit of two handed finger tapping you show them).

It does get better, don't let the bar-stewards (cool translation Bareknuckles) wear you down, there's plenty more fish in the sea...... cr@p there I go again!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Good luck with the assignment and have a good weekend. Enjoy.

Rob