Ive just realised

Stabshauptmann

I think that everybody should go to university; it's great fun. What on earth is wrong with coming here primarily for the craic?

FionnMatthew

Kaptain Redeye wrote:

I think that everybody should go to university; it's great fun. What on earth is wrong with coming here primarily for the craic?

The fact that it drags down the average; the fact that the curriculum has to be dumbed down so that the people having fun can get a degree at all, because the university doesn't want everyone failing because it looks bad; the fact that that diminishes the value of the degree of someone who works very hard at it, because the quality of learnng that people come away from it with is diminished; the fact that this whole process erodes the ideal of higher learning in the first place, because rather than succeeding, the prevailing ethos becomes simply getting by, and rather than rewarding high acheivers, the system simply bores them to tears.

Copper

Very interesting thread, although some of the views come across as very adolescent.

I think most arts degrees are as worthwile as any other discipline. If the OP doesn't know what to study an arts degree will give him a good education, but the best option is probably to take a year out and work before you decide what to do.

The point is, if you don't have some appreciation for the arts, you're a churl. Hair management?? Hair management?? What kind of a life is a life where the sum total of all your accumulated knowledge applies to the management of human hair so as to present an appearance in accordance with whimsy and fashion?? Where are you with that? Nowhere. You're a one-dimensional person, with a flattened awareness. You're utterly boring in the general scheme of things, nothing about you amounts to anything other than your occasionally replenished wallet, and your death is a shame only insofar as some people who were used to you being around will feel an absence for as long as they can remember you, which won't be too long at all.

If you study arts purely for knowledge and the appreciation of that knowledge fair play to you. If thats what you believe makes your life meaningful and less like the "life of an animal ". But don't assume that because someone doesn't give a rats about art or culture they are in any way less human than you.

There is value in having practical skills and knowledge such as hair management. You may take great pride and derive satisfaction from your work. Or you may hate managing hair but use the money to raise a family/enjoy life. These are wholly worthwile aims and a man/woman is no less for choosing to study hair or pastry baking than if they studied arts.

Personally I think knowledge is worthless unless you can use it, and as far as I'm concerned, the whole focus of third level education should be towards churning out people with practical and pragmatic skills which will benefit society. Otherwise its just a waste of resources and time.

it becomes necessary to take an undergraduate degree just to achieve a basic level of acquaintance with, say, the broad sweep of history, the development of western literature, the arc of art-history, an intuition for criticism, etc...

Without these things, anyone with just a practical education is functioning in a void. You don't have real autonomy. You have no idea of what kind of a thing you are, of where your species as a cultural entity comes from, of the breadth and scope of human possibility. You don't know where your profession fits in. Your aesthetic sensibilities remain undeveloped - you can't even say why it is you like what you like.

...people who enjoy a lower level of existence to that of anyone who appreciates the arts

Its not necessary to have a degree to appreciate culture and art, nor to understand history. A few months reading books in a library can give you all that. To deny that people without an arts degree or an education in arts are somehow intellectually incapable of appreciating life as much as an arts graduate is sheer arrogance.

Spectator#1

Personally I think knowledge is worthless unless you can use it, and as far as I'm concerned, the whole focus of third level education should be towards churning out people with practical and pragmatic skills which will benefit society. Otherwise its just a waste of resources and time.

Well done.

Hot Dog

So, 1 year on, has anyones opinions changed towards arts? Anyone gained an appreciation for the classics or still "only in it for the money"?

stardust_dublin

one thing thats for sure, an arts degree is no longer 'easy'. people might have been able to coast through it before when there was hardly any coursework during the year and just 1 summer exam at the end. now with ucd horizons, work has to be handed in contantly throughout the year. if you dont keep up, your ******, basicially.

Jonny Arson

not this ignorant superiority complex ridden thread again...

as an Arts student who has just completed 4 years of stressing and slogging if anyone says to my face that this course is a piece of piss i'll knock the living daylights out of them

i've come a long way from the student i was 4 years ago, i'm more intelligent, i have learned more skills and i have a greater awareness about the world. yeah that may sound clichéd but its the truth.

so the real question is do i feel i'm a better individual as result of these 4 years? too right i am. ok the course wasn't perfect, i'm not going to walk straight into a well paid job, yes i'm sure i would have gained numerous skills in other courses too but i all i care is that the experience of studying Arts at university has made me a better person, broadened my view on life and made me better equipped to deal with the inevitable twists and turns that life will bring.

in other words, f**k the begrudgers and the "my course is better than your course" brigade, i'm happy with what i got out of it educationally and thats what matters to me.

fillefatale

estebancambias wrote: »

Im an idiot

Agreed.

estebancambias wrote: »

im aiming for arts like well done people who get or got in but it shouldnt be your aspiration, but anyway whats the lowest possible points I could get into arts

With an attitude and punctuation like that, who says we'd want you?! I got well over what was required for Arts, but it was the course I really wanted. Don't tell me what I should or shouldn't aspire for.

Kaptain Redeye wrote: »

I think that everybody should go to university; it's great fun. What on earth is wrong with coming here primarily for the craic?

So historically, speaking. Thats why universities came about is it? For "the craic"? Not for the pursuit of education.. oh no. Nevermind all that money spent. Just as long as you spent four years getting wasted.

MizzLolly

I'm doing Arts and I am absoultely sick and tired of hearing "hah that's not a real degree" and other such sh*te!

First of all, the workload is crippling. How on earth is there a notion out there that Arts is easy? :eek:

Secondly, the points aren't exactly low for Arts. Granted they're not that high either but the course is definately not aimed at dimwits. Arts has a huge dropout rate, possibly due to the fact that it's not so easy afterall.

There's loads you can go on to do with an Arts degree, it's a pretty cool achievement to have under your belt. All I have to say to the people who are belittling the course and it's students is that you shouldn't knock it 'til you try it. If you haven't done an Arts degree then how can you say how hard/easy it is?

breadmonkey

What a retarded thread.

Riamfada

Primary School - My daddy has a better job than your daddy

Second Level - My Nokia 2321235i is better than your Nokia 1325ti212p

Third Level - My course is better than your course

Welcome to your twenties :rolleyes:

arbeitsscheuer

Grimes wrote: »

Primary School - My daddy has a better job than your daddy

Second Level - My Nokia 2321235i is better than your Nokia 1325ti212p

Third Level - My course is better than your course

Welcome to your twenties :rolleyes:

Real World - My job/paycheck/house is better than your job/paycheck/house

Smug hippies - My ethical consumer lifestyle is greener than your ethical consumer lifestyle

This sh*t is all-pervasive...

Dave!

My cawk is bigger than your cawk. No, really.

tribulus

That's what secondary school was about.

What was this thread about again?

For the first two years I was very much about the learning and expanding my mind thing. By 3rd year and even more so final year I just can't wait to be finished.

I don't know what changed, probably the realisation that despite what the career guidance counselors and various older people told me you don't necessarily walk out of it being some super employable person (certainly not in my course).

I also feel utterly unprepared to work in the relevant industry due to a lack of practical experience. Maybe I'm kind of bitter toward UCD for that although in fairness it's my own fault for not picking a different one.

So yeah I've certainly became one of those "drones" who's now just using college as a means to an end and I know of many people the same. I honestly don't care though, uuuggh this post reeks of apathy. There's a quote from Fight Club I'm trying to think of that puts it better than I can, but I can't remember it lol.

Steve.Pseudonym

Riamfada

In all fairness I love when GCD, TCD FM come close to us. My radio station kicks your radio stations ASS! Boo Yaw! Just call me "coach grimes"!!

A bit of competition is always good. Especially pissing ones behind the Eng building. Apprently one guy went over it once.

Anyway lock this thread before I start a better thread about how much better arts is than that night i spent with your ma

bnt

tribulus wrote: »

There's a quote from Fight Club I'm trying to think of that puts it better than I can, but I can't remember it lol.

Tyler: Hey, you created me. I didn't create some loser alter-ego to make myself feel better. Take some responsibility!

Pride Fighter

Grimes wrote: »

In all fairness I love when GCD, TCD FM come close to us. My radio station kicks your radio stations ASS! Boo Yaw! Just call me "coach grimes"!!

A bit of competition is always good. Especially pissing ones behind the Eng building. Apprently one guy went over it once.

Anyway lock this thread before I start a better thread about how much better arts is than that night i spent with your ma

I think we have all done his ma:D:D:D

tribulus

bnt wrote: »

Lol touche

stopyourshoppin

estebancambias wrote: »

Im an idiot and should have taken school more serious, last year now with 3 months left im aiming for arts like well done people who get or got in but it shouldnt be your aspiration, but anyway whats the lowest possible points I could get into arts

that's pretty insulting. i'm trying to finish 2nd year arts and working my butt off, and am very stressed. and there are many different subjects within arts. it's not a doss course, especially with the horizons system. if you manage to get in, don't expect an easy ride if you want to get a degree. and as someone else said, stop listening to your friend's parents or whoever put your ideas about arts into your head.
and you can easily get 375 points - you have 3 months, that's loads of time.

conchubhar1

can i aspire to do your ma?

cos thats a 1.1 already

---

wasnt arts 345 last year anyway?

Dave!

Thought it was 310, no?

Tom65

I'd steered clear of this thread after I read the first post. I don't know why I came back, but I regret it.


That's pretty much it.

conchubhar1

fairly sure it was 355 but went down 10 points

Donald-Duck

stopyourshoppin wrote: »

that's pretty insulting. i'm trying to finish 2nd year arts and working my butt off, and am very stressed. and there are many different subjects within arts. it's not a doss course, especially with the horizons system. if you manage to get in, don't expect an easy ride if you want to get a degree. and as someone else said, stop listening to your friend's parents or whoever put your ideas about arts into your head.
and you can easily get 375 points - you have 3 months, that's loads of time.

You proved his point Look at the post date

mloc

It's sad that people still think points have anything to do with a course other than representing demand. That's right; they have nothing to do with difficulty, job prospects, ability of entrants or any other criteria other than they increase with demand to allow only a certain amount of people into the course.

A sad reflection that it's demand, not academic merit or interest in the subject that gets you into college in Ireland.

Did Esteban make it to Uni?