4 ms·

Art school isn't much like other kinds of academia: it's similar to music school in that it's focused on creativity, and whatever it takes to maximise that crea

Art school isn't much like other kinds of academia: it's similar to music school in that it's focused on creativity, and whatever it takes to maximise that creativity. Coursework isn't rote learning or repeating facts or applying algorithms: it's understanding the work of other artists, and your place among them - and then putting that creativity into practice with the mentorship of a teacher you (hopefully) admire. I think it's a fantastic idea for mature students. I've always wanted to go and do undergraduate classes in calculus, but that seems like it would be quite a leap from my current existence and I'm not quite ready to rock that boat.

ghaff 8y ago
Having taken undergraduate classes in calculus (at a good school), I'm afraid you'd be very disappointed. They're typically huge core courses taught in lecture halls with smaller recitations with TAs (graduate students). I doubt there's anything about typical freshman calculus you couldn't replicate with a MOOC. Here's video of MIT's first-semester calculus course right here (from a number of years back though I doubt calculus has changed much): https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01-single-variable-calculus-fall-2006/video-lectures/ https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01-single-variabl...
- dsajames 8y ago
  This is only true for the lower levels of math. Like all subjects, you need a baseline. Even art 101 has to walk you through the basics. The more advanced math classes are much more 'creative'. They don't stress doing it your own way per say, but find a way when a clear way isn't obvious. In the end, you still have to get an answer right, even if it's unknown to mankind.
jonhendry18 8y ago
"I've always wanted to go and do undergraduate classes in calculus, but that seems like it would be quite a leap from my current existence and I'm not quite ready to rock that boat." I did this in my 30s, having had my butt kicked by calculus as an undergrad in 89/90. I took a couple of courses at a state school over the summer. Wound up getting an A and a B, which I was happy with. It felt a little weird being so much older than everyone else, but it wasn't a big deal. Contrary to ghaff's observation, these weren't huge lecture courses. Presumably because they were held in summer.
scarecrowbob 8y ago
Perhaps this is part of what is coloring my opinion: as a semi-professional musician who occasionally plays with serious folks and who knows a lot of both DMAs and "self-trained" successful pro musicians, I don't know if there is a lot of value in music school once you learn how to practice an instrument (a difficult task in itself). As a a substitute for doing the legwork of getting gigs and sitting though a ton of shitty ones, a collegiate musical education might serve well. But beyond that networking, it's just time spent learning scales, tunes, technique, and so on. Go to summer camps and play with as many people as possible, and you have a much more useful experience, IME, especially for the price. That's my observation, not the only solid opinion on the matter... but it is my opinion. For what little it's worth, I've been taking online classes in math with an eye to learning calculus and staistics... I feel like that skill alongside my current programming skills will set me up to do some really interesting stuff in 24 months or so. Really, I feel like I make plenty of gains in understanding just by doing a ton of exercises... I wouldn't have been able to do this when I was 20, but I'm a lot more disciplined as a 40-year-old... so maybe that is my point here: as I've gotten older, my experience is that the kinds of self-directed learning which might be the core of what a PhD program is instilling in people, are a lot easier to practice. But of course, that's my own possibly idiosyncratic understanding of a PhD and learning. I don't know if other folks would agree. In any case, consider doing 20 minutes of math every day for a while and see if you like it... it's kind of fun. It won't rock your existence probably, but if you do it long enough you'll get better at it. Maybe it would be easier in the context of an undergrad class. Maybe you'd be better of with an actual teacher grading your work. But you are likely capable of doing that work on your own.

ghaff 8y ago

Having taken undergraduate classes in calculus (at a good school), I'm afraid you'd be very disappointed. They're typically huge core courses taught in lecture halls with smaller recitations with TAs (graduate students). I doubt there's anything about typical freshman calculus you couldn't replicate with a MOOC. Here's video of MIT's first-semester calculus course right here (from a number of years back though I doubt calculus has changed much): https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01-single-variable-calculus-fall-2006/video-lectures/ https://ocw.mit.edu/courses/mathematics/18-01-single-variabl...

dsajames 8y ago
This is only true for the lower levels of math. Like all subjects, you need a baseline. Even art 101 has to walk you through the basics. The more advanced math classes are much more 'creative'. They don't stress doing it your own way per say, but find a way when a clear way isn't obvious. In the end, you still have to get an answer right, even if it's unknown to mankind.

jonhendry18 8y ago

"I've always wanted to go and do undergraduate classes in calculus, but that seems like it would be quite a leap from my current existence and I'm not quite ready to rock that boat." I did this in my 30s, having had my butt kicked by calculus as an undergrad in 89/90. I took a couple of courses at a state school over the summer. Wound up getting an A and a B, which I was happy with. It felt a little weird being so much older than everyone else, but it wasn't a big deal. Contrary to ghaff's observation, these weren't huge lecture courses. Presumably because they were held in summer.

scarecrowbob 8y ago

Perhaps this is part of what is coloring my opinion: as a semi-professional musician who occasionally plays with serious folks and who knows a lot of both DMAs and "self-trained" successful pro musicians, I don't know if there is a lot of value in music school once you learn how to practice an instrument (a difficult task in itself). As a a substitute for doing the legwork of getting gigs and sitting though a ton of shitty ones, a collegiate musical education might serve well. But beyond that networking, it's just time spent learning scales, tunes, technique, and so on. Go to summer camps and play with as many people as possible, and you have a much more useful experience, IME, especially for the price. That's my observation, not the only solid opinion on the matter... but it is my opinion. For what little it's worth, I've been taking online classes in math with an eye to learning calculus and staistics... I feel like that skill alongside my current programming skills will set me up to do some really interesting stuff in 24 months or so. Really, I feel like I make plenty of gains in understanding just by doing a ton of exercises... I wouldn't have been able to do this when I was 20, but I'm a lot more disciplined as a 40-year-old... so maybe that is my point here: as I've gotten older, my experience is that the kinds of self-directed learning which might be the core of what a PhD program is instilling in people, are a lot easier to practice. But of course, that's my own possibly idiosyncratic understanding of a PhD and learning. I don't know if other folks would agree. In any case, consider doing 20 minutes of math every day for a while and see if you like it... it's kind of fun. It won't rock your existence probably, but if you do it long enough you'll get better at it. Maybe it would be easier in the context of an undergrad class. Maybe you'd be better of with an actual teacher grading your work. But you are likely capable of doing that work on your own.