4 ms·

I grew up poor, and from my anecdotal experience people do better on the SAT if they "are rich". You can also pay people to take the test for you. Maybe it's b

I grew up poor, and from my anecdotal experience people do better on the SAT if they "are rich". You can also pay people to take the test for you. Maybe it's because they don't have to spend their days worry about getting shot, stabbed or beaten to the ground by gangs. Maybe it's because they get to eat every day. I guess, perhaps, they get more quality study time. Or, heck maybe you're all right, random questions - your ability to regurgitate the points on the unit circle at will - indicates the level of education you are qualified to attempt. Thank goodness these tests will let you know what you are capable of. To be fair, I tried to get into several universities (over the pandemic) to round out my self taught education, but I was rejected everywhere I applied. So, I guess for some people - tests or no tests - it doesn't really matter. Apparently, I am too stupid to get an education. Good to know. For anyone who is salty about this (I used to be quite angry about this and the "Google style" hiring process (which is essentially the same thing)), this realization helped me get over this: _These tests are designed to filter out people like you. You have a qualities they do not want. That's why they are used. The tests are working from their point of view. They wont stop using them. Your life will be much easier if you just accept it, let it go, and go do something else._

tonymet 5y ago
i grew up poor and SAT helped me escape poverty. are we forced to only accept negative outcomes when sharing experiences ?
- 0x20cowboy 5y ago
  Absolutely not! Good on ya! I'd rather everyone got a fair go, but mate, I am very happy for you. Keep on keeping on.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
adam_arthur 5y ago
I do think the standard leetcode style interviews are often administered poorly. But I also think that if you create a fairly complex mousetrap, the profile of the average person who gets to the other side will be decent enough. So likely many false negatives, but works at scale. I'd do it very differently for my own company. But I think some of the bigger cos have actually gotten better, e.g. not asking certain types of questions too far removed from 99% of programming work.
namdnay 5y ago
I think you’re focusing your anger on the wrong target. Is it Google’s fault for performing blind objective skill tests? Or is it your society’s fault for not giving you the chance to grow up fed and safe enough to study?
- 0x20cowboy 5y ago
  Absolutely not! Sorry if you thought I was angry. I sometimes have a funny way of expressing myself, but there is no anger here at all. Just acceptance of the way the world works - kind of my point actually :)
ceeplusplus 5y ago
I grew up poor enough that I got a full need-based ride to a state school. The SAT helped me differentiate myself from all the kids with expensive summer camps, tutoring for competitions, and expensive sports lessons that didn't actually do that well in school. > Google style hiring process A couple leetcode questions is hardly a difficult task compared to getting matched for residency as a doctor or accruing enough volunteering experience as a poor college kid for law school. Don't even get me started on investment banking. Sorry that reality has hit you I guess? My perspective has always been that if you fail you should get up, evaluate what went wrong, and try again. > but I was rejected everywhere I applied Did you try going to community college and transferring?
- 0x20cowboy 5y ago
  Don't want to go too much into this, but thanks for the thoughtful response. > A couple leetcode questions is hardly a difficult task I don't have a problem with data structures and the like. I've been building software for >20 years. I can do pretty much anything I want with a computer. However, and I can't articulate this well, but where I come from "high pressure" things mean people are getting killed - it's not fun. I don't do hackathons either for the same reason. The whole argumentative style of communication doesn't work so I just stop answering. Like I said, they are filtering out people like me on purpose, and it's fine. > Did you try going to community college and transferring? That is not something I could do at this stage. I tried to get into a few online degrees which have a more flexible schedule. Several years ago, I did try to go to a community college, but none of my current bachelors credits would transfer (they are from an online school which no institution apparently counts as valid). So I'd have to start over from scratch. This is turning into a life story here. I have indeed tried - for a very, very long time. I've given up on the idea of going to school or working at some hip company now, and I've made peace with it. Anyway, thanks for asking.
lucidbee 5y ago
If I were you I wouldn't apply right away to a 4 year college. Do community college in your chosen field and then transfer. In California if can do 2 years in a community college you are guaranteed a spot in a school in the UC system. Not UC Berkeley, but still some place great. I think to qualify for this transfer you need to have a 'C' or 'B' average. If you stay on the pity pot you won't get anywhere. Also, in California, community college is very cheap.
- 0x20cowboy 5y ago
  I don't live in the states any more, but thank you for the suggestion! Also I am not on the pity pot, my life is awesome compared to where I came from. I'd like others not to have to go though it, but such is life. Although, I am realising that the way I say things might give people the wrong impression...

tonymet 5y ago

i grew up poor and SAT helped me escape poverty. are we forced to only accept negative outcomes when sharing experiences ?

0x20cowboy 5y ago
Absolutely not! Good on ya! I'd rather everyone got a fair go, but mate, I am very happy for you. Keep on keeping on.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]

adam_arthur 5y ago

I do think the standard leetcode style interviews are often administered poorly. But I also think that if you create a fairly complex mousetrap, the profile of the average person who gets to the other side will be decent enough. So likely many false negatives, but works at scale. I'd do it very differently for my own company. But I think some of the bigger cos have actually gotten better, e.g. not asking certain types of questions too far removed from 99% of programming work.

namdnay 5y ago

I think you’re focusing your anger on the wrong target. Is it Google’s fault for performing blind objective skill tests? Or is it your society’s fault for not giving you the chance to grow up fed and safe enough to study?

0x20cowboy 5y ago
Absolutely not! Sorry if you thought I was angry. I sometimes have a funny way of expressing myself, but there is no anger here at all. Just acceptance of the way the world works - kind of my point actually :)

ceeplusplus 5y ago

I grew up poor enough that I got a full need-based ride to a state school. The SAT helped me differentiate myself from all the kids with expensive summer camps, tutoring for competitions, and expensive sports lessons that didn't actually do that well in school. > Google style hiring process A couple leetcode questions is hardly a difficult task compared to getting matched for residency as a doctor or accruing enough volunteering experience as a poor college kid for law school. Don't even get me started on investment banking. Sorry that reality has hit you I guess? My perspective has always been that if you fail you should get up, evaluate what went wrong, and try again. > but I was rejected everywhere I applied Did you try going to community college and transferring?

0x20cowboy 5y ago
Don't want to go too much into this, but thanks for the thoughtful response. > A couple leetcode questions is hardly a difficult task I don't have a problem with data structures and the like. I've been building software for >20 years. I can do pretty much anything I want with a computer. However, and I can't articulate this well, but where I come from "high pressure" things mean people are getting killed - it's not fun. I don't do hackathons either for the same reason. The whole argumentative style of communication doesn't work so I just stop answering. Like I said, they are filtering out people like me on purpose, and it's fine. > Did you try going to community college and transferring? That is not something I could do at this stage. I tried to get into a few online degrees which have a more flexible schedule. Several years ago, I did try to go to a community college, but none of my current bachelors credits would transfer (they are from an online school which no institution apparently counts as valid). So I'd have to start over from scratch. This is turning into a life story here. I have indeed tried - for a very, very long time. I've given up on the idea of going to school or working at some hip company now, and I've made peace with it. Anyway, thanks for asking.

lucidbee 5y ago

If I were you I wouldn't apply right away to a 4 year college. Do community college in your chosen field and then transfer. In California if can do 2 years in a community college you are guaranteed a spot in a school in the UC system. Not UC Berkeley, but still some place great. I think to qualify for this transfer you need to have a 'C' or 'B' average. If you stay on the pity pot you won't get anywhere. Also, in California, community college is very cheap.

0x20cowboy 5y ago
I don't live in the states any more, but thank you for the suggestion! Also I am not on the pity pot, my life is awesome compared to where I came from. I'd like others not to have to go though it, but such is life. Although, I am realising that the way I say things might give people the wrong impression...