Generic academia thread

[Mata Hari]

This is a thread for shit about school or college or university or whatever. Fun!

I am currently doing zoology at university and I've been set an essay on the population dynamics and feeding strategies of leopard seals. There is a lot of literature on this, which is obviously a good thing, but how can I write such an essay without essentially just going over all these papers and rewriting the relevant points? Or is that what you're expected to do?

[QubicTom]

There is a lot of literature on this, which is obviously a good thing, but how can I write such an essay without essentially just going over all these papers and rewriting the relevant points? Or is that what you're expected to do?

I'd recommend looking for review articles and reading them through, but you can simply skim the papers for points (in particular, look at the abstracts, which should contain the main points of the paper - if there is something in a paper that you need, then read it in more detail).

Writing this reply from my lab, nearly finished a phd in physics, but I've felt this close to quitting for a year or so, psychologically it's the worst thing I've ever done, haha. Best of luck with your course! I gotta go teach now (a perk of postgraduate studies - demonstrating can be a lot of fun, and you get paid for it!)

I think anyone in academia should take part in this thread, we all need all the support we can get, especially those just starting their studies!

[RedMageSusie]

I'm old (relatively speaking). Shit.

I'm planning to go back for my masters eventually though (need work experience for MBA programs apparently).

[PlatinumTriforce]

...nearly finished a phd in physics...

Holy crap, as someone who is absolutely terrible at physics, I have major respect for you.

I think anyone in academia should take part in this thread, we all need all the support we can get, especially those just starting their studies!

Yeah, I'm one of those people who is just starting their studies, I'm currently pursuing a B.S. in Applied Math. I actually just got out of one of my math midterms, coincidentally. I tried starting a thread about college a few months back because I wanted some advice and wanted to see what people had to say about it, but it died pretty quickly. This one, on the other hand seems broader and will probably live on longer than mine.

I'm trying to get my GEs out of the way right now as a first year so I can (potentially) write as little as possible (in terms of actual papers/essays) once I get to upper course work. But I know that's wishful thinking and I'll probably have to write some more anyway, especially if I want to minor/double major in a foreign language. But when I went to a workshop last month, I was told that I should probably double major in Econ or something because apparently App Math isn't worth as much on its own. So I may not even be able to pursue the language if I wanted to.

Also trying to make good class schedules is hard as balls, but I'm guessing that's pretty normal for everyone.

[QubicTom]

Yeah, I'm one of those people who is just starting their studies, I'm currently pursuing a B.S. in Applied Math.

Remember, physics is the career for people who like maths but aren't good enough at it to be a mathematician, so I have a lot of respect for your area of study!

I'm trying to get my GEs out of the way right now as a first year so I can (potentially) write as little as possible (in terms of actual papers/essays) once I get to upper course work. But I know that's wishful thinking and I'll probably have to write some more anyway, especially if I want to minor/double major in a foreign language. But when I went to a workshop last month, I was told that I should probably double major in Econ or something because apparently App Math isn't worth as much on its own. So I may not even be able to pursue the language if I wanted to.

Also trying to make good class schedules is hard as balls, but I'm guessing that's pretty normal for everyone.

I'm afraid I don't understand GEs and making schedules like that, getting a BSc in Ireland is a different experience! There are options between different modules, but otherwise the curriculum for a degree is pretty fixed. So we can't just do economics or a language with our degree without some hassle (but it is possible, just not really heard of!). If you really want to learn a language, do try out Duolingo, it's really good and totally free!

Applied Maths is worth a lot on its own, actually, especially if you can pick up some programming skills (C++, Java and Python are the big ones, but any language will do). The banking and finance sectors will hire people with strong math skills and pay you very well, even if you don't have Economics or Business studies behind you (about a quarter of those who graduated physics with me ended up in the finance/banking sector, they all said they were given the business/economic training by the companies before starting their jobs). Stay positive, you'll have a good future :D

[Zha Hong Lang]

Currently taking Dual Credit courses in 11th grade. Assuming I don't fail my classes, I'll have about 24 hours of college credit once I graduate.

English Composition is amazing. It's extremely fun to analyze texts, especially when the teacher's really involved in it and not just handing out assignments. Our teacher's also really good at encouraging students to go ahead and write something, regardless of how bad it seems at first. My favorite article we've gone over is "Shitty First Drafts", (yep, that's the title) It's really encouraging to know that no matter how good it looks at a distance, there was hair pulled in the creation of it.

I plan on eventually majoring in Computer Science. I haven't taken any formal classes, but I've learned a lot about web development, a TON of Ruby, and bits and pieces of C++, Python, C#, and JavaScript. (with JavaScript being the one I know the best) I may major in web development instead of general CS, but at the moment I want to try making programs before I really get into dynamic websites. Games... I was interested in that at first, but I doubt that would ever be my career the way I see it now. Practicality has made a monster of me. :(

I'm currently studying Spanish as my foreign language, despite the fact I've lived in Vietnam for a long time. I hope to get at least a minor in that, and if possible I may non-academically try learning another European language. Spanish has been a lot less stressful than Vietnamese was, not because of the fact Vietnamese is tonal, but more because I didn't actually get an official education on it for years, and the opportunity I did get fell apart after a year's time. Spanish is a bit hard with all the exceptions to conjugations and whatnot, though they generally follow under certain rules. (unlike English)

especially if you can pick up some programming skills (C++, Java and Python are the big ones, but any language will do).

Gonna emphasize learning something other than just these languages here. C++ isn't that bad, (once you're at the required skill level) but Java has a BUNCH of junk headed its way, and Python, although it's really not that bad at all, is an opinionated language. It has specifics about it for people who want to code a certain way, similar to how Ruby does. (I will admit Python has more support out of the two, but support alone isn't a very good reason to choose what you want to program in, especially since Java has a lot of support but ends up being a mess)

This is just my opinion, but I'd recommend learning JavaScript as a first language. I haven't noticed the same kind of persuasions out of it that I've seen from most other scripting languages, and if you pair it up with the right things you can get some pretty good stuff out of it. Still just a stepping stone, though, since something like Python or Ruby (or if you want to get even deeper, Haskell or Lisp) might actually be your choice of style.

[QubicTom]

Gonna emphasize learning something other than just these languages here. C++ isn't that bad, (once you're at the required skill level) but Java has a BUNCH of junk headed its way, and Python, although it's really not that bad at all, is an opinionated language. It has specifics about it for people who want to code a certain way, similar to how Ruby does. (I will admit Python has more support out of the two, but support alone isn't a very good reason to choose what you want to program in, especially since Java has a lot of support but ends up being a mess)

This is just my opinion, but I'd recommend learning JavaScript as a first language. I haven't noticed the same kind of persuasions out of it that I've seen from most other scripting languages, and if you pair it up with the right things you can get some pretty good stuff out of it. Still just a stepping stone, though, since something like Python or Ruby (or if you want to get even deeper, Haskell or Lisp) might actually be your choice of style.

Definitely agree with your points, and personally I'd program almost exclusively in C (I teach C to physics students for writing simulations). The reason I mention C++, Java and Python is because I was at a jobs fair for scientists a few weeks ago, and they were overwhelmingly the languages asked for by finance and IT companies. Ruby (on Rails) and Javascript are, of course, super important for web development, if that interests other readers of this thread.

For those uncertain about what to learn, just learn what's easiest for you to understand - once you know one language you can jump into almost any other, it's just a matter of different syntax. (Except with Haskell, that language is fascinating but nuts!) Javascript is easy to get into, since it runs in your browser, but I'd recommend Python for something easy but more powerful.

In any case, those of you out there studying just need to focus on getting settled in and comfortable with your work, make some friends, then worry about these little additions later!

[ohmato]

BS in Chemical Enginnering in progress, shooting for a couple extra semesters for a double with compsci, nothing luxurious planned for the future

[spittySynthyHands]

I'm a computer engineering person here. I'm not sure how exactly it compares to formal Computer Science, but it definitely is very oriented towards writing software and stuff. I can't say I've really found my niche though, I mean, I haven't really found anything I especially like. Then again, I haven't seen much of anything, so take that as you will. Most of what I've learned was through self-study anyways.

I'll have to second the whole getting a study group. Having people you can sit down and work through problems with is incredibly great for keeping up morale as the semester rolls over, and exams get harder.

[july]

BA in linguistics. I'm graduating next month! Yeah! And then going back straight away next year to do Honours. Yeah.

[Le Neveu de Rameau]

Currently working on an MA in Scandinavian Languages, with a focus on the historical linguistic aspect. I specifically moved to Germany to do this, which strikes many people as an odd choice--why not somewhere Scandinavia, after all? Well, because my current home institution was honestly probably the best choice for studying the family as a whole, rather than just one specific language. I'm currently doing a semester in Denmark (Danish being my primary focus), and it bears out my initial suspicions--though the program for Danish in particular is unsurprisingly excellent, the treatment of the other Nordic languages (except maybe Icelandic?) is rather a bit more superficial, and largely geared towards simple (especially reading) understanding. I can sort of see where they're coming from with Norwegian and Swedish for a purely practical perspective, but bizarrely enough, this applies even to a certain degree to Faroese (admittedly, we do put quite a lot of focus on pronunciation there, albeit largely in the context of reading aloud--active production is essentially neglected entirely), which is all the more vexing considering this is one of the only Faroese courses offered outside of the Faroes themselves. But I guess I've got to take what I can get on that particular front.

[Zha Hong Lang]

Definitely agree with your points, and personally I'd program almost exclusively in C (I teach C to physics students for writing simulations).

Yeah, C is a great language to use. Personally I'm nowhere near that level of complexity to use it as a main language, but once I get enough experience I may use that or C++.

The reason I mention C++, Java and Python is because I was at a jobs fair for scientists a few weeks ago, and they were overwhelmingly the languages asked for by finance and IT companies.

It is true that they're the ones most often used for businesses. I don't have much argument with learning a language for business, (or if it's in a course, for that matter) but for personal use I recommend people try to figure out what suits them.

Ruby (on Rails) and Javascript are, of course, super important for web development, if that interests other readers of this thread.

Rails is indeed a major part of web development. However, Ruby can also be used for many other things, my personal favorite being Jekyll so far. Javascript is mostly a way to embed things into a web page, but it's used for back-end as well. (node.js, meteor, etc) However, Python is another major language in this department as well, although it's also used for lots of other things.

For those uncertain about what to learn, just learn what's easiest for you to understand - once you know one language you can jump into almost any other, it's just a matter of different syntax. (Except with Haskell, that language is fascinating but nuts!)

I would agree with this, though it mostly depends on the way you're taught. I spent a good amount of time trying to learn Ruby and Python, but it wasn't until I was able to find good resources for them that I could understand the two. In the meantime, I had found a good source for Visual Basic, and now I'm actually stuck remembering a few things from that. Most of it has faded over time... but still.

You think Haskell is nuts? I though you would say that about Lisp.

Javascript is easy to get into, since it runs in your browser, but I'd recommend Python for something easy but more powerful.

JavaScript is indeed the less competent one, but it's still useful enough than, say... any Basic language in existence. I personally just think Python is a bit too opinionated, because the conveniences of it are unbalanced. JavaScript is a real pain in the butt, though once you have that frustration, it's easier to choose what language to learn because it's a simple matter of deciding what coding style would make things easier for you.

BA in linguistics. I'm graduating next month! Yeah! And then going back straight away next year to do Honours. Yeah.

But you'll have a degree, right? Which one will you pick, fifteen degree(s) Celsius? No, minus forty is no longer available. But minus fifteen is!

[Mata Hari]

I actually have a test in half an hour in which I have to identify insects and plants by clade. Insects I'm feeling pretty confident on but I don't give a God damn about plants so I don't expect to do super-well with them. I could be revising them but instead I'm composing this post.

It's a zoology degree, I mean come on.

[Mata Hari]

I'm also supposed to know how to spell the insect groups but I am really really fucking good at spelling

Dictyoptera? Baby food. BABY FOOD

[Sorel]

While I'm still at school, I plan to study something related to economics, since it's something I really really like (english is 1st place, but honestly, what kind of english stuff can you study...? Maybe international economics or something?)

[Mata Hari]

Plants confirmed to still be shitty and boring

[QubicTom]

Plants confirmed to still be shitty and boring

You're just looking at the wrong plants :D For example, see Shy plants and Mathematical Plants

[Mata Hari]

I am legitimately mad rn because actually all the population estimates and analysis of surveys of leopard seals have basically boiled down to 'we don't actually really know how many leopard seals there are'. Like, if actual scientists don't know what the hell then what am I supposed to do? I don't know where these numbers are coming from, I don't know anything about statistics.

[Mata Hari]

I'm actually not that happy at university and I would rather get a job. But my mum keeps telling me I would find it much harder. I'm not convinced I would but the fact she does actually want what's best for me sometimes makes it hard to talk about how I really feel about stuff. Especially since we've already bought a house down here and spent >£9000 on tuition fees and shit like that. I don't want to throw that all away but if I struggle on for like a year before throwing in the towel anyway I don't think that's better.

My brother actually has a master's in petroleum geoscience and he just got a job stacking boxes. It's like, what's the fucking point?

[PlatinumTriforce]

Especially since we've already bought a house down here and spent >£9000 on tuition fees and shit like that.

Try dealing with tuition prices in the United States, it's fucking ridiculous. I don't even go to a private institution and it's still crazy. And yeah, you never know if the job market is gonna be good to you or not. Plus, with where I go to school, I'll probably never own an actual house near campus (or any house for that matter) until after I graduate. Until then I just have to hope I keep getting on-campus housing and eventually probably switch over to an apartment or something. At least the public transportation to get to my family's house is decent, but still.

It's just hard to adjust to this stuff at first because you wanna focus on your grades and studies but all of a sudden there's a whole lot more to worry about. But a lot of people do it so I guess I've just gotta suck it up and deal with it.

[Mata Hari]

That's £9000 per year for 3 years. Might still be less than US, I dunno.

Uni is shit is my point