CCCToad on 10/5/2010 at 04:44
I think how much it would affect learning would depend on the class.
In my first math course where the professor was a temporary from Checkozlavakia. Obviously intelligent and knowledgeable, but he gave incomprehensible and disorganized lectures that were not helped by his thick accent. I found the lectures to be nearly useless when it came to trying to understand material, so I simply skipped the lectures and made up the time by taking advantage of the tutoring resources available at the school.
Scots Taffer on 10/5/2010 at 05:19
That doesn't depend on the class then, it's the lecturer isn't it. You're right though.
Fafhrd on 10/5/2010 at 05:42
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Enchantermon - Aren't your prerequisites for Bachelor degrees different though, don't you guys have to go through College first? I left school at 16 and went straight into my degree program.
I think the delineation between 'College' and 'University' is different in the UK than in the States. Generally in the US you're in High School until age 18, and if you've done HS right you should've covered all your pre-requisites to get into a University straight off, and if you don't waffle about your major too much you should be on track for a Bachelor's in 4 years.
Enchantermon on 10/5/2010 at 05:44
Quote Posted by Scots Taffer
Enchantermon - Aren't your prerequisites for Bachelor degrees different though, don't you guys have to go through College first? I left school at 16 and went straight into my degree program.
You just have to finish high school.
US school systems have twelve grades; typically, 1-5 are elementary school, 6-8 are middle school, 9-12 are high school. You typically finish high school at 18 and can then begin college at whichever university will take you. There's no transition period or anything, though; you leap right into undergraduate studies.
EDIT: Darn you, Fafhrd! :mad: ;)
Vernon on 10/5/2010 at 06:08
Some funny pics there fonz
What's the story with the AP thing in the US? Is it optional? Do some universities have it as a mandatory prerequisite or is it just some kind of bridging thing? A lot of the stuff we were taught in first year at Uni (Australia) had AP content (one of my favourite supplementary textbooks for Maths was an AP book) - is AP done at high school or in-between?
Enchantermon on 10/5/2010 at 06:38
Quote Posted by Vernon
What's the story with the AP thing in the US?
AP classes, to my understanding, are completely optional. They start in high school; I'm not sure what the criteria is, but I suppose if you're doing exceptionally well in your normal classes, you're given the choice to take AP classes. I think the reasoning is that teachers want to make sure students are challenged, as the exceptionally bright ones might breeze through normal classes and then become bored and potentially disruptive. If, therefore, they are taught at a higher level they will be challenged and will learn at a pace more suited to them.
I don't know of any colleges or universities that require you to have taken such classes, and I'm 99.9% certain that if you're eligible according to your school district to take them, you don't have to.
Tonamel on 10/5/2010 at 07:04
At my high school, there were three tiers of classes: Regular, College Prep, and AP. Aside from the fact that each tier was harder/more boring the the preceding one, I don't think there was any functional difference between them, requirements-wise.
And to hopefully clear up the college/university confusion: In the USA, the terms college and university are largely interchangeable. Technically, colleges are Baccalaureate only, while universities offer graduate degrees as well. That distinction can get pretty blurry, though. Universities also tend to have individually branded departments. For example, Indiana University has the Kelly School of Business and the Jacobs School of Music.
The real confusion comes when you add community colleges into the mix. A college can offer four year degrees, but community colleges can only offer two year degrees, trade certifications, or the first two years of a four year degree (which you finish somewhere else).
And rereading that, I'm pretty sure it didn't clear anything up at all. Oh well!
Fafhrd on 10/5/2010 at 07:31
Quote Posted by Tonamel
At my high school, there were three tiers of classes: Regular, College Prep, and AP. Aside from the fact that each tier was harder/more boring the the preceding one, I don't think there was any functional difference between them, requirements-wise.
Same at mine, though as I understood it the only way to get a 4.5 GPA (which combined with high SAT scores pretty much guarantees entry to the University of your choice) was with AP classes. And depending on the teacher an AP class could cover some college level material.
Enchantermon on 10/5/2010 at 07:46
Quote Posted by Tonamel
And to hopefully clear up the college/university confusion: In the USA, the terms college and university are largely interchangeable. Technically, colleges are Baccalaureate only, while universities offer graduate degrees as well. That distinction can get pretty blurry, though.
True. Lately, names seem like they mean less. One of the colleges I attended just changed their name to "University", but they still only grant Bachelor degrees and certificates (for now).
Quote Posted by Tonamel
The real confusion comes when you add community colleges into the mix. A college can offer four year degrees, but community colleges can only offer two year degrees, trade certifications, or the first two years of a four year degree (which you finish somewhere else).
Are you sure about that? I attended a community college for a little while and distinctly remember looking over class lists for BS degrees that never mentioned finishing the program elsewhere. Now, it could just be that I didn't get deep enough into it to find out about that part (I was just looking to knock out core classes for free during my senior year and for cheap during my two years of Bible college), but that left me with the impression that you could get some four year degrees there.
Quote Posted by Fafhrd
Same at mine, though as I understood it the only way to get a 4.5 GPA (which combined with high SAT scores pretty much guarantees entry to the University of your choice) was with AP classes.
Never attended a public high school, but some of the high schoolers I've talked to have mentioned exactly this.
CCCToad on 10/5/2010 at 14:49
Correct, AP is completely optional. The main advantage of taking them is it is visible on your high school transcript that you took the hardest classes. While it is true that they can be counted towards college credit, its getting harder to do that. For example, tech doesn't give credit for some AP's unless a 5 has been awarded ( a rare occurrence). In addition, American high schools are beginning to offer college study programs where higher grade students can take classes at a nearby college to meet high school requirements. They get to keep both the high school and college credit.
