why do colleges want interesting people? - Page 10

sockpuppet · 02-07-2008, 06:07 PM

"I don't care how genetically smart you are... you can't ace a college bio test without even opening the textbook. You need to study 2+ hours for the test. Maybe it's just my school cause my teacher's lecture is right off the book and her lectures are very general/vague"

It's very possible to study less than 2 hours for a biology test. If the teacher is even decent, most of the material should be covered/supplemented by notes, labs, and class activities.

Narcissa · 02-07-2008, 08:12 PM

well the "tools" to math are pretty easy. sure, you're not born knowing the pythagorean theorum, but the amount of stuff you memorize <<< the amount of stuff you actually have to ... like... just know. Try looking up some advanced proofs, and I can give you all the tools you'll need but most of it is pretty intuitive.

Newjack88 · 02-07-2008, 09:15 PM

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It's very possible to study less than 2 hours for a biology test. If the teacher is even decent, most of the material should be covered/supplemented by notes, labs, and class activities.

you won't/shouldn't have teachers like that at the college level. teachers like that don't foster mature studying habits.

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well the "tools" to math are pretty easy.

hmmm... how far are you in math? :P

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Try looking up some advanced proofs, and I can give you all the tools you'll need but most of it is pretty intuitive.

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i agree with Bio being pretty much strictly memorization (and therefore nobody is born with the knowledge). But other subjects (especially math) we can't make the same generalization.

please read what you posted. you were talking about "knowledge" which is something that one must obtain through learning; natural talent is not a substitute for knowledge. basically you are agreeing with what i was saying.

Narcissa · 02-07-2008, 09:18 PM

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hmmm... how far are you in math? :P

lol. i suck at math. and i agree that knowledge is something that is acquired through learning, however if you compare biology (which is like 90% memorization, 10% conceptual/visualization) and math (which is like 90% conceptual/visualization and 10% memorization) it's more possible to have a "natural talent" for math and for being able to visualize things than in biology.

compared to the boatload of stuff you have to memorize for biology if you even go into such a field that makes up the bulk of the subject, the memorization part of math is much easier than the visualization part >_> people spend years trying to prove a single formula lol

ducktape · 02-07-2008, 09:31 PM

I mean this to be in no way insulting, but if you "suck at math," why do you want to go to MIT so badly?

Narcissa · 02-07-2008, 09:35 PM

LOL. i have no clue. =p jk. uh well i do want to do something related to business, where they don't have hardcore proofs>.< + other reasons.

yeah i know supposedly the business school is a lot less intense than the engineering school?

ducktape · 02-07-2008, 09:46 PM

Well, you need two math classes to graduate no matter what you go into. And (though I'm not going into business/management, and hence know very little about the requirements) I'm guessing that additional math will be necessary for your degree, though likely not the types of proofs you'd encounter in some of the more pure math courses.

That being said- I'm 99% sure MIT does not actually offer a degree in business, but rather in management (http://web.mit.edu/firstyear/2010/ch...ses/index.html). And Sloan is awesome, so that's still fine and dandy if that's the route you want to take in the business world. However, you should also look here (http://mitsloan.mit.edu/undergrad/academics.php) where it talks about the academics involved in a management degree- note that "Mathematical analysis and modeling" is at the top of the list. I'm just concerned that if you don't like / aren't good at math, MIT might not be the best place for you. The school as a whole tends to be very fond of its numbers.

EDIT: Also, here are the requirements for a management degree: http://mitsloan.mit.edu/undergrad/management-core.php

Narcissa · 02-07-2008, 09:48 PM

Well I'm not sure what I want do in the field of business yet, so that will remain vague.

and, well.....i'm not HORRIBLE ABSOLUTELY ABYSMAL at math i hope >.<

ducktape · 02-07-2008, 09:51 PM

And I'm not saying you are. I just want to make sure that you know what you'd be getting into.

Narcissa · 02-07-2008, 09:55 PM

lol, thanks i appreciate it. Yeah i'm going to do some research before I actually decide where to apply etc.

sockpuppet · 02-07-2008, 10:07 PM

"you won't/shouldn't have teachers like that at the college level. teachers like that don't foster mature studying habits."

Comparing an AP class with an actual college class (assuming this is a decent college or better) is a moot. College course cover the same or more material within a fraction of the time.

aisgzdavinci · 02-08-2008, 12:17 AM

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you won't/shouldn't have teachers like that at the college level. teachers like that don't foster mature studying habits.

What studying will we do after college?

Zamzam · 02-08-2008, 12:23 AM

Most people these days have to get a Master's or a doctorate to proceed very far, aisgzdavinci. Bachelor's degrees just don't mean as much as they used to.

aisgzdavinci · 02-08-2008, 12:37 AM

^ I meant "after college" as in you finish your PhD or first professional.

Newjack88 · 02-08-2008, 04:59 PM

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Comparing an AP class with an actual college class (assuming this is a decent college or better) is a moot. College course cover the same or more material within a fraction of the time.

that's irrelevant to what i was saying. but, AP classes differ from school to school. in my case it would be a fair comparison because my AP classes are taught like college classes. but i guess your school's AP classes may be taught like normal high school classes where the teacher lectures and all you have to do is study your notes so in your case comparing a high school AP class to a college class is not a fair comparison.

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What studying will we do after college?

that's sort of shallow. just because you won't have teachers who are testing you doesn't mean you won't have to learn any more. learning is a lifelong activity. in any well paying professional field like medicine, law, or engineering (especially computer engineering) you'll have to study on your own to keep up with modern day advancements.