University is messed up (in my opinion)

Zer0 · 10-27-2014, 03:45 PM

A good understanding of maths is very important for a lot of college courses. My degree is in software engineering and I had a maths module for the first 3 years of my course. There are scenarios where you have to replicate maths formulae in code and it's extremely important to be able to work out a maths problem on paper before attempting to write it in code. Also remember that the logical thinking behind solving a maths problem can be applied to other areas as well, and I'd imagine that would be the case for business courses. University/college only really gives you the knowledge of how to learn things on your own after you graduate.

As for universities/colleges being messed up? The one I went to spent a large sum of money on an indoor running track that nobody uses and spent nothing on a library which was out-dated and far too small.

**Frownland** · 10-27-2014, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dreadnaught

Obviously you need to comprehend basic math functions to survive in the business world, but some of the math courses that universities require students to take in order to graduate are a bit ridiculous. I'm technically a liberal arts student, and my degree program and future career will have little to do with the course I'm required to take (finite mathematics). I really don't understand the logic behind it, or why other, more sensible, math courses can't be taken instead. I would think a class like statistics would be much more beneficial to a liberal arts major planning to work in the public sector than finite or calculus.

A liberal arts education is meant to make a person more rounded in their skillsets. It may not seem useful to your major but there is a possibility that something might open up in a career that you could use those skills for. Plus jobs that require a degree prefer someone who isn't too specialized in one area for that reason (not all of them though).

simplephysics · 10-27-2014, 08:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Frownland

A liberal arts education is meant to make a person more rounded in their skillsets. It may not seem useful to your major but there is a possibility that something might open up in a career that you could use those skills for. Plus jobs that require a degree prefer someone who isn't too specialized in one area for that reason (not all of them though).

That's completely understandable, and I'm not entirely objecting to having to take a higher level math course to earn my degree, I just wish the course options were a bit more open ended so students are able to better tailor their education to what they want to do after graduation. There are a ton of majors that fall under our lib arts curriculum, and only two potential classes that count toward our math credit.

10-27-2014, 03:45 PM	#11 (permalink)
Zer0 ∞ Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Ireland Posts: 3,792	A good understanding of maths is very important for a lot of college courses. My degree is in software engineering and I had a maths module for the first 3 years of my course. There are scenarios where you have to replicate maths formulae in code and it's extremely important to be able to work out a maths problem on paper before attempting to write it in code. Also remember that the logical thinking behind solving a maths problem can be applied to other areas as well, and I'd imagine that would be the case for business courses. University/college only really gives you the knowledge of how to learn things on your own after you graduate. As for universities/colleges being messed up? The one I went to spent a large sum of money on an indoor running track that nobody uses and spent nothing on a library which was out-dated and far too small. __________________ Last FM \| RYM \| The Final Sound