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What do you think about Institute Grinds?

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  • 28-02-2010 1:25am
    #1
    kev9100
    Registered Users Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭


    I had my first ones this weekend and although the notes are superb, it was a pretty weird experience. The teachers never asked anyone a question and just kept on talking for 90 minutes. I suppose if you just want to learn stuff off by heart this approach is fine, but I definitely don't think its the best way.

    Also, for my second grind I knew absoloutly no one in the class so I guess that did'nt help either.


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    #2
    spurious
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Education Moderators Posts: 27,229 CMod ✭✭✭✭spurious


    They have done to education standards in this country what McDonalds and the like have done to fitness levels among the young. Oh yes, many more A grades now, but compare the difficulty of the papers. If you can, find a HL Maths or Irish paper from the late 70s or so.

    Just look at the number of threads here talking about 'learning off essays'.

    Is it such a shocking idea to maybe know a few things about a subject and answer any questions asked in the exam based on your knowledge? That's what we used to do in the not terribly distant past.

    What do all those who like to learn off essays do in college? Learn more essays off? Plagiarise?


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    #3
    kev9100
    Registered Users Posts: 1,271 ✭✭✭kev9100


    To be fair, people will try and learn off essays with or without the institute, its human nature.
    Also, people were'nt allowed to use calculatos in exams in the 70's so of course maths would be more difficult back then.


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    #4
    zam
    Registered Users Posts: 829 ✭✭✭zam


    kev9100 wrote: »
    to be fair, people will try and learn off essays with or without the institute, its human nature.
    Also, people were'nt allowed to use calculatos in exams in the 70's so of course maths would be more difficult back then.

    Wouldn't that mean the exam papers would be easier?
    Anyway.


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    #5
    wayhey
    Registered Users Posts: 527 ✭✭✭wayhey


    I do weekend classes too and I think they're really great. Although sometimes they can skim over topics a little too fast, at least they don't dwindle. Organic Chemistry took us like 3 weeks in school and an hour and a half on a Saturday.


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    #6
    DancingQueen:)
    Registered Users Posts: 2,062 ✭✭✭DancingQueen:)


    I do maths there on a Saturday and it's brillant, really helpful.


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    #7
    Cathal93
    Closed Accounts Posts: 90 ✭✭Cathal93


    based on my viewpoint, most people who go there are those who havent done enough in school up to this point

    don't really agree with forking out a huge ammount of money when loads of people I know have achieved 500+ points in the LC without even a grind!

    as for learning off english essays, I don't think it's a fault of the students, but a fault of the exam and the system. I myself have an essay learned off as I know in an exam like that I could never make one up on the spot..


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    #8
    theowen
    Registered Users Posts: 1,744 ✭✭✭theowen


    kev9100 wrote: »
    I had my first ones this weekend and although the notes are superb, it was a pretty weird experience. The teachers never asked anyone a question and just kept on talking for 90 minutes. I suppose if you just want to learn stuff off by heart this approach is fine, but I definitely don't think its the best way.

    Also, for my second grind I knew absoloutly no one in the class so I guess that did'nt help either.
    That's what the classes are like for the most part also. They expect you to ask a question if you need to.


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    #9
    Bradence93!
    Closed Accounts Posts: 20 ✭Bradence93!


    i can't give my opinion from experiance but i was speking to some of my teachers about the grinds and they said that you'll just be repeating what they have done with us. it's either they want full credit for the grade i recceive or there no good. any help????


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    #10
    randylonghorn
    Registered Users Posts: 29,509 ✭✭✭✭randylonghorn


    spurious wrote: »
    What do all those who like to learn off essays do in college? Learn more essays off? Plagiarise?
    Unfortunately, it's going that way. Certainly, the idea that a student might read round a subject and form a critical opinion of their own based on that reading, and be prepared to defend that opinion, is very difficult to sell to most of the present crop of students.

    In fairness, it's not all a result of the grinds / learn & regurgitate culture, though that's a major factor.

    Another major factor is the internet and the habits it encourages ... the majority of students want the short sharp tell-me-the-right-answer approach, and ideally downloaded to their iphone while you're at it! The idea of actually reading a full book, let alone more than one ... ZOMG!! Are you kiddin' me?! :eek:

    It's probably isn't so bad in the sciences, but in the humanities, where the whole point is that very often there isn't a "right" answer in the first place, let alone one which can be encapsulated in < 100 words ...

    Oh dear, I'm beginning to sound like Victor Meldrew! :(


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