rant

[Maine-iac]

I truly believe that comparative literature is a waste of anybodies time. Why one would delve so deep into any book, especially fiction, and try to find meaning in one or two sentences is beyond me.

As a student I am required to take many general education classes, actually close to 70 credits worth, these classes are supposed to make me a more rounded student. I thought the purpose of high school was to introduce you to these many different subjects, and then when you further your education at either a technical school or a university you are to specialize. Now please correct me if I am wrong, but if I wanted to become a electrician, I would not have to take classes on being a plumber. I feel the same concept should apply to university; I for instance am a geography major, but why the hell am I required to take more general education classes than geography classes?

Now back to my original rant, who in their right mind would get pleasure of reading a book, or set of books (or even movies or plays....) and then spend quite possibly their entire life analyzing these scripts? How is my out of state tuition being spent on analyzing the phrase "There was in the meeting-house a wood quiet" anyway meaningful to furthering my life?

 

It is all a waste of my time and money. These institutions are significantly worthless; no wonder Europe is ahead of us, they don't waste time and money on needless dribble.

 

 

[pc313]

SO True!!!

Edited January 27, 2009 by pc313

[Fairweather]

I went back. It matters insomuch as literature is one of the easier and more pliable subjects upon which one can nurture and build those critical thinking skills the world is so fond of--and that really do matter. It goes beyond the dry text of the history book and provides a window into the mind of the day. It is often the real record of a people long passed--or who's voices were silenced. Even if the subject matter bores you to tears, the structures you are being forced to follow amount to a reasoned approach. It's a lot like the high school algebra you swear you'll never use...until you see Ichiro hit that home run, just barely over the fence, and realize you posses the knowledge to express the path of that ball as a quadratic--and maybe even calculate some angle/energy physics. It still might not mean much, but the beauty remains. Just roll with it. It all comes together eventually.

[Lars]

SO TURE!!!

 

What about remedial spelling?

[murraysovereign]

I went back. It matters insomuch as literature is one of the easier and more pliable subjects upon which one can nurture and build those critical thinking skills the world is so fond of--and that really do matter. Even if the subject matter bores you to tears, the structures you are being forced to follow amount to a reasoned approach. It's a lot like the algebra you swear you'll never use...until you see Ichiro hit that home run, just barely over the fence, and realize you posses the knowledge to express the path of that ball as a quadratic--and maybe even calculate some angle/energy physics. It still might not mean much, but the beauty remains. Just roll with it. It all comes together eventually.

 

 

I thought the purpose of high school was to introduce you to these many different subjects, and then when you further your education at either a technical school or a university you are to specialize. Now please correct me if I am wrong

 

OK, since you asked - you're wrong. The purpose of high school was to teach you how to learn; the purpose of university is to teach you how to think.

 

...no wonder Europe is ahead of us, they don't waste time and money on needless dribble.

 

Actually, they do. Well, they don't waste time on things like comparative literature, but they do study it at university, and a great many other quaint and esoteric subjects besides. And it shows - I'm always struck by the breadth and depth of knowledge that's taken for granted by so many Europeans. We North Americans look like slobbering fools by comparison.

 

Sorry not to support you in your rant - I agree things like comparative literature can be painfully dry, but they're not inherently a waste of time.

Edited January 27, 2009 by murraysovereign

[Gary_Yngve]

You can go to an engineering school and take less core, though it will be harder to score.

[olyclimber]

especially with the chicks. every girl loves a poet.

[Skeezix]

The purpose of studying literature is to study what it means to be a human being. It's the most important subject...

 

I would submit that it's not for everybody, though.

[STP]

University of Oregon huh? That's where Ken Kesey went.

 

There's a lot of ways to answer your rant. I'd have to say it's about living. Do what you have to do but don't forget to take advantage of opportunities. You might meet a cute attractive girl in that class who feels the same way. You might end up getting a job because you made a friend in that class. Ten/twenty years from now, you might recall something from that class that you will tell your son or daughter to help them on their way.

 

Besides if money is an issue, then apply for in-state tuition. Drivers licence, voting card, etc to establish residency.

[Maine-iac]

Now that I have had a few hours to sleep on it, I still believe it (maybe just this class) is a waste of my time. I was probably just ranting more about this class than the concept of comparative literature. I suppose it is the same on their end, why do we climb? Maybe a mountain man has more than meets the eye; ahh shit, I better stop thinking and do more doing.

Edited January 27, 2009 by Maine-iac

[Maine-iac]

University of Oregon huh? That's where Ken Kesey went.

 

I think that is where he started seeing a lot of these as well:

[mattp]

That lit professor may be a bit esoteric for you, Mr. Maine, but even though I might roll my eyes in the back row right along side of you I think the rote memory and mindless competition that passed for "education" at UW law school was even MORE worthless. We could have been inspired to at least once in a while think about how laws make our society work or encouraged to practice some of the skills we'd need as attorney's, but there was almost no room for that. They made a big deal about how we were "learning how to think" but in reality it was all about how much minutia can you store up in your brain, spit back on a test, and then forget about as you store up the next load of crap for another big dump.

 

You may be studying geography today, but I'd be surprised if you didn't think, years from now, that some of that unrelated fluff was worthwhile.

[max]

As an ed person, I talk alot about this kind of thing (not trying to establish authority, just commiserating on drivel).

 

1. Take it as a lesson on how to do the stupid shit you're forced to do in order to get to where you want to go. It seems life is full of these "challenges".

 

2. Your lit class could be just a context to develop other skills: writing, critical, qualitative analysis (outside of a quantitative field like the sciences), sucking up, etc.

 

3. Someone mentioned schools of engineering above. They;re right: they don't focus on "liberal arts" stuff and the people that come out of those schools show it! NERDS. I'm hearing alot (in the ed circles) about employers looking for "whole" people.

 

Just know there are many others out there suffering with you. Now get back to it!

Edited January 27, 2009 by max

[prole]

Why don't you think of it as an opportunity to become a person that someone might be half-interested in having a conversation with. In other words, not one of the multitude of dull, overspecialized technicians with a weekend warrior complex you seem in such a hurry to become.

[KaskadskyjKozak]

Now that I have had a few hours to sleep on it, I still believe it (maybe just this class) is a waste of my time. I was probably just ranting more about this class than the concept of comparative literature. I suppose it is the same on their end, why do we climb? Maybe a mountain man has more than meets the eye; ahh shit, I better stop thinking and do more doing.

 

I graduated with an engineering degree in the UC system. One of the best course sequences I had to take for my GE requirements was the dreaded 5-course "Humanities" sequence at Revelle College (UCSD). A couple 6-unit B's dropped my GPA, but I remember those classes as being some of the best I took.

 

Some of the engineering classes were the most useless, OTOH.

 

But I agree with you that the esoteria involved with comparative literature and people dedicating their lives to it is a bit over the top.

 

 

[selkirk]

especially with the chicks. every girl loves a poet.

 

true true

 

I can't remember who said it but....

 

"writers, no matter how ugly, drunk, or otherwise objectionable always have pretty wives."

[KaskadskyjKozak]

especially with the chicks. every girl loves a poet.

 

true true

 

I can't remember who said it but....

 

"writers, no matter how ugly, drunk, or otherwise objectionable always have pretty wives."

 

Hey Selkirk! Tried any good whisky recently?

[selkirk]

You can go to an engineering school and take less core, though it will be harder to score.

 

You'll take less core, and learn to think just like every other engineer. I've always thought this was one of the serious weakness in many engineering curriculums. Many graduates can dissect almost any technical problem, but have no awareness of the world around them or the world as a whole.

 

On of my saddest moments was in engineering grad school at UW, was when it was announced that Archbishop Desmond Tutu was coming to UW to recieve an honorary degree, and NONE of the other folks in the TA office had the slightest idea who he was.

[selkirk]

especially with the chicks. every girl loves a poet.

 

true true

 

I can't remember who said it but....

 

"writers, no matter how ugly, drunk, or otherwise objectionable always have pretty wives."

 

Hey Selkirk! Tried any good whisky recently?

 

Just about to finish a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask

And did finish a bottle of Drambuie last night

[KaskadskyjKozak]

especially with the chicks. every girl loves a poet.

 

true true

 

I can't remember who said it but....

 

"writers, no matter how ugly, drunk, or otherwise objectionable always have pretty wives."

 

Hey Selkirk! Tried any good whisky recently?

 

Just about to finish a bottle of Laphroaig Quarter Cask

And did finish a bottle of Drambuie last night

 

How is the Quarter Cask? How does it compare with the L 15-year?

 

 

[Maine-iac]

You may be studying geography today, but I'd be surprised if you didn't think, years from now, that some of that unrelated fluff was worthwhile.

 

I am very glad to have been exposed to the things that I have been exposed to, and I am sure that I will happily look back upon these times.

 

I was purely complaining at the time about having to do something that I was not looking forward to do. I appreciate being able to construct a complete sentence, and I like to think that I do not sound hickish when I speak.

 

[ivan]

the germans might be taken as a warning, no? they've historically had much more of a divide between liberal/technical arts. certainly they had a vibrant art culture, but the technical side of their culture utterly ignored it in pursuit of misguided scientific perfection.

[RuMR]

rant??? Here's a rant...this fucking itching is driving me literally insane...the front of my toes are cracking and i'm going crazy...i assume that this is going into where i can't see it, since the whole kit and kaboodle is itching...i literally want to belt sand my foot...

[G-spotter]

I took a comparative literature course from Dr. Pierre Menard. It was probably successful, but it confuses people sometimes when we discuss the classics.

[Hugh Conway]

I'm always struck by the breadth and depth of knowledge that's taken for granted by so many Europeans. We North Americans look like slobbering fools by comparison

 

eh? i'm curious to see the root