tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post22833267092400213..comments2023-10-15T04:23:50.187-04:00Comments on College Misery: Raining on a Snowflake's ParadeUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-6800088276682332332013-03-09T01:33:10.888-05:002013-03-09T01:33:10.888-05:00Neither business statistics nor the actuarial exam...Neither business statistics nor the actuarial exams are trivial. Basic statistics can be, but enough to be useful to businesses as an in-house operations person is not. The public service exam is also kind of tough to pass.penthesileiahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08436004840734951906noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-25405017359925884242013-03-08T23:11:57.421-05:002013-03-08T23:11:57.421-05:00Your students' sweet longing for what they per...Your students' sweet longing for what they perceive as the Good Life reminds me both of Tess McGill's dreams in "Working Girl" and Seymour's aspirations in "Little Shop of Horrors." Both titles seem apt here.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02906546940408742913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-21907842362522840102013-03-08T23:11:31.871-05:002013-03-08T23:11:31.871-05:00A friend who teaches occasionally for the Universi...A friend who teaches occasionally for the University of Phoenix says it's a great gig if you can just shine on the whole "rigor" thing. That could be a sinecure.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02906546940408742913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-3740281110087683182013-03-08T22:57:55.692-05:002013-03-08T22:57:55.692-05:00Interesting you should bring that up, Ripberger (a...Interesting you should bring that up, Ripberger (and what an interesting moniker). Last semester I shocked myself and my office mate by discouraging a student who started talking about becoming a college librarian after I discouraged him from planning to teach college-level Hamsterology. <br /><br />This was a student in our disabilities program taking my Intro class for the third time and Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02906546940408742913noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-74284865411102474482013-03-08T00:12:40.545-05:002013-03-08T00:12:40.545-05:00State U where she attends now is known for being o...State U where she attends now is known for being one of the best for creative writing MFAs. She wants nothing to do with it. She wants to write about literature, and the only way she knows of to make a living doing that is being a proffie. She has no idea that even if she were of good R-1 caliber, getting a lit prof job with a light teaching load that requires little teaching is roughly EnglishDochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12046114978214062491noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-57601093296855405782013-03-07T13:45:23.222-05:002013-03-07T13:45:23.222-05:00I, too, was thinking that she sounds like an ideal...I, too, was thinking that she sounds like an ideal candidate to be a high school teacher (well, except for that whole "not following directions" thing. That wouldn't go over well, at least in most public high schools. She might find an independent school where her style fits the culture.) <br /><br />An MFA in Creative Writing might, indeed, be a good fit, and would serve as a Contingent Cassandrahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08161652083031423415noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-51364178318045684772013-03-07T07:51:33.355-05:002013-03-07T07:51:33.355-05:00Maybe somebody needs to tell her that if writing i...Maybe somebody needs to tell her that if writing is her calling what she really needs is a sinecure--a routine nine-to-five job that pays the bills, not terribly demanding intellectually and with reasonable security, as far from writing as possible. Teaching doesn't fit the bill, nor does technical writing (too much work). There are few jobs that do these days. She could try something trivialPeter Khttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00754472537710161295noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35532351038891042212013-03-07T07:50:18.944-05:002013-03-07T07:50:18.944-05:00You did the absolutely correct thing. Too many stu...You did the absolutely correct thing. Too many students who don't have (1) the skills and (2) the disciplines are coddled by prof-flakes who are either too weak and squeamish to tell them the truth or too blind by their own uniqueness to see it.<br /><br />You saved Above Average Alice disappointment (if she takes your advice) and preserved possible mentors and colleagues from the frustrationAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-23424890535717835102013-03-07T03:02:49.550-05:002013-03-07T03:02:49.550-05:00Would a MFA in Creative Writing be possible for he...Would a MFA in Creative Writing be possible for her? It's a terminal degree that could open doors for teaching positions. In the meantime, she could start a writing career.<br /><br />If she starts talking about going for a Master of Library Science degree, discourage her! There are no good librarian jobs out there and the market will continue to be sour for years to come barring the Ripbergerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01685894007541567391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-77327330760322242242013-03-07T02:23:41.493-05:002013-03-07T02:23:41.493-05:00Oh, no...please don't tell Alice to go into te...Oh, no...please don't tell Alice to go into technical writing. Tech writers need to be anal-retentive about rules.Dr. Mindbenderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16916271564719224677noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-35816607963728932492013-03-06T23:05:53.332-05:002013-03-06T23:05:53.332-05:00I think it is good that you were honest with Alice...I think it is good that you were honest with Alice. Proffies often make a mess of people's lives when they thoughtlessly repeat obviously false nonsense, such as, "The good ones will still make it."<br /><br />I tell students who come to me expressing an interest in astronomy that one can make more money for less effort in just about any job in the world other than astronomy. I keepAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2883226237165701608.post-38234879712964251412013-03-06T23:05:29.732-05:002013-03-06T23:05:29.732-05:00You made a mistake. You should have told Alice to...You made a mistake. You should have told Alice to go into rhet/comp or teacher ed. She would be the the cream of the crop in an education doctoral program. She'd have to probably get a Master's in teaching and teach a bit, but then she'd be set.<br /><br />You don't have to be that bright and you can get a great job. If she loved English let her get her MA in ed, teach for a StellafromSparksburghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584701718285662953noreply@blogger.com