4 ms·

As a counterpoint to the introduction, my postgraduate degree at Oxford is the best thing I have ever done. The professors were engaged. Classes were very good

As a counterpoint to the introduction, my postgraduate degree at Oxford is the best thing I have ever done. The professors were engaged. Classes were very good and my social life has never been as interesting since. Don’t listen to this man.

kfrane 3y ago
Nobody will, at least if there's any truth in this article
NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago
I have two anecdotes now. They have reached the threshold of "actual data". One datum is a five star, the other is a 1 star. This means with some unusually high level of certainty, that the experience is actually only mildly/moderately good. Also, the correct approach is to heed the author's every other word. But when I attempt to do that, the statements make little sense, like "can't the through ears" or "You reach brain the".
- WastingMyTime89 3y ago
  There is also the fact that I’m not an American and think Americans are used to being taught and treated a way during university which is fundamentally at odd with how Europeans universities work. Plus I guess moving to England if you have never been exposed to anything else than the standard American friendliness and uber positiveness might feel alienating.
sctb 3y ago
And as a third point between these two, a close friend is finishing a postgraduate degree at Oxford and would agree with “The professors were checked out, the classes were bad, and I felt isolated and alienated” but still feels as though it was worthwhile.
- sumtechguy 3y ago
  Education is what you get out of it. Especially at the university level. If you are really engaged and trying to find new things it will be a wild ride. If you are there to just 'get the degree' you will find it dull, boring and a chore. What crystalized this thought for me was a few years ago. I had a class that started with 20 people in a corp env and optional. At first all 20 showed. By the last class there was 4. Most had checked out when they realized that you had to do the course work and be engaged (2-3 hours of study per week for 8 weeks). We even made accommodations for those who fell behind as long as they tried. I found being engaged into the coursework is not the norm.
  - TeMPOraL 3y ago
    Well, if I could send a short message to myself 15 years back in time, I'd tell myself that - specifically, tell myself that professors and TAs seem disengaged or dumb mostly because they're being forced to teach outside of their direct area of research or expertise, and those same scholars will be thrilled and super-engaged if you approach them to learn about their research. Something I learned just as I was leaving the university. (That, and investment tips, obviously.) However, very much like the article claims, I feel that me 15 years ago wouldn't be truly moved and convinced by this message. Hell, I'm sure I must've read or heard that advice many times in my early university time - but I never stopped to actually process it.
    - BrandoElFollito 3y ago
      > seem disengaged or dumb mostly because they're being forced to teach outside of their direct area of research or expertise It depends on the people. I had a great fun teaching at the university as a PhD student, because I loved to teach. I obviously liked to teach what I was working on, but also very much other areas. The main reason being that I only truly understood them when teaching - it is by far (for me at least) the bast way to really learn something.

kfrane 3y ago

Nobody will, at least if there's any truth in this article

NoMoreNicksLeft 3y ago

I have two anecdotes now. They have reached the threshold of "actual data". One datum is a five star, the other is a 1 star. This means with some unusually high level of certainty, that the experience is actually only mildly/moderately good. Also, the correct approach is to heed the author's every other word. But when I attempt to do that, the statements make little sense, like "can't the through ears" or "You reach brain the".

WastingMyTime89 3y ago
There is also the fact that I’m not an American and think Americans are used to being taught and treated a way during university which is fundamentally at odd with how Europeans universities work. Plus I guess moving to England if you have never been exposed to anything else than the standard American friendliness and uber positiveness might feel alienating.

sctb 3y ago

And as a third point between these two, a close friend is finishing a postgraduate degree at Oxford and would agree with “The professors were checked out, the classes were bad, and I felt isolated and alienated” but still feels as though it was worthwhile.

sumtechguy 3y ago
Education is what you get out of it. Especially at the university level. If you are really engaged and trying to find new things it will be a wild ride. If you are there to just 'get the degree' you will find it dull, boring and a chore. What crystalized this thought for me was a few years ago. I had a class that started with 20 people in a corp env and optional. At first all 20 showed. By the last class there was 4. Most had checked out when they realized that you had to do the course work and be engaged (2-3 hours of study per week for 8 weeks). We even made accommodations for those who fell behind as long as they tried. I found being engaged into the coursework is not the norm.
- TeMPOraL 3y ago
  Well, if I could send a short message to myself 15 years back in time, I'd tell myself that - specifically, tell myself that professors and TAs seem disengaged or dumb mostly because they're being forced to teach outside of their direct area of research or expertise, and those same scholars will be thrilled and super-engaged if you approach them to learn about their research. Something I learned just as I was leaving the university. (That, and investment tips, obviously.) However, very much like the article claims, I feel that me 15 years ago wouldn't be truly moved and convinced by this message. Hell, I'm sure I must've read or heard that advice many times in my early university time - but I never stopped to actually process it.
  - BrandoElFollito 3y ago
    > seem disengaged or dumb mostly because they're being forced to teach outside of their direct area of research or expertise It depends on the people. I had a great fun teaching at the university as a PhD student, because I loved to teach. I obviously liked to teach what I was working on, but also very much other areas. The main reason being that I only truly understood them when teaching - it is by far (for me at least) the bast way to really learn something.