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But university education is largely free in Germany right? So the messages seem to be: Germany: if you're not gonna make good use of this education, stop wasti

But university education is largely free in Germany right? So the messages seem to be: Germany: if you're not gonna make good use of this education, stop wasting tax payer money ASAP U.S.: we don't care too much if you drop out later, as long as you pay your enormous tuition in a timely manner. That makes sense to me...

WA 13y ago
Yes, university is largely free in Germany. if you're not gonna make good use of this education, stop wasting tax payer money ASAP This is your interpretation. Thing is, it doesn't do more than leave people with a bad feeling. My point is: Whatever you say in a welcome-speech doesn't affect the choices of freshmen in the slightest. People will drop out, that's for sure. But not because some smartass Dean or professor holds a self-righteous speech, but because some students find that university (or that particular subject) isn't for them. They'll find out by EXPERIENCE and not by a stupid speech.
- Zancarius 13y ago
  Your first post (and this one) were eye-opening for me, and I wanted to thank you for offering a dose of reality from the other side of the pond. For years, I've heard musings among Americans that suggest motivational speeches do more harm than good to those present. I've often wondered how true that is, because the other side of the coin seems just as detrimental--if not more so--to young, impressionable minds. More importantly, though, I think you're absolutely right: It's experience that's the real teacher, not some bloviating figurehead whose speech will be forgotten before the end of the day. If someone's not cut out for it, no amount of (de)motivation will help. Sink or swim. Cheers, my friend.
moocowduckquack 13y ago
Surely the most sense would be to do whatever gets the best education for the people who have come in as students, to then create the best researchers and maximise the amount of new shit they can find out about. Screw reasoning about who paid for that student, whether it is their parents, themselves or a state or a charity, universities have a purpose and it is not necessarily best served by making a group of largely inexperienced people stressed out and depressed. Also, the people who are arrogant self-entitled little sods are not going to listen to the negative speech anyway, they will naturally assume it is directed at the other people and think that their parents connections are all the guarantee of finishing with a good grade that they need, and depending on where they are and what they are studying, they may well be right. The people who are more likely to take something like that to heart is the nervous rather than the untalented or arrogant.

WA 13y ago

Yes, university is largely free in Germany. if you're not gonna make good use of this education, stop wasting tax payer money ASAP This is your interpretation. Thing is, it doesn't do more than leave people with a bad feeling. My point is: Whatever you say in a welcome-speech doesn't affect the choices of freshmen in the slightest. People will drop out, that's for sure. But not because some smartass Dean or professor holds a self-righteous speech, but because some students find that university (or that particular subject) isn't for them. They'll find out by EXPERIENCE and not by a stupid speech.

Zancarius 13y ago
Your first post (and this one) were eye-opening for me, and I wanted to thank you for offering a dose of reality from the other side of the pond. For years, I've heard musings among Americans that suggest motivational speeches do more harm than good to those present. I've often wondered how true that is, because the other side of the coin seems just as detrimental--if not more so--to young, impressionable minds. More importantly, though, I think you're absolutely right: It's experience that's the real teacher, not some bloviating figurehead whose speech will be forgotten before the end of the day. If someone's not cut out for it, no amount of (de)motivation will help. Sink or swim. Cheers, my friend.

moocowduckquack 13y ago

Surely the most sense would be to do whatever gets the best education for the people who have come in as students, to then create the best researchers and maximise the amount of new shit they can find out about. Screw reasoning about who paid for that student, whether it is their parents, themselves or a state or a charity, universities have a purpose and it is not necessarily best served by making a group of largely inexperienced people stressed out and depressed. Also, the people who are arrogant self-entitled little sods are not going to listen to the negative speech anyway, they will naturally assume it is directed at the other people and think that their parents connections are all the guarantee of finishing with a good grade that they need, and depending on where they are and what they are studying, they may well be right. The people who are more likely to take something like that to heart is the nervous rather than the untalented or arrogant.