Another rant about general education requirements

[Rageaholic]

Then I almost had to take Spanish for my Education major, but because I had four years of it in high school, I didn't have to take it. Then I found out that for my Education major, I will most likely have to take Biology. WTF? I am not in the Elementary Education where you have to learn everything! I am specializing in ENGLISH. INGLES.


And I'm sorry Rage, but that is a reason I decided not to go to CC. Well, one of them. I was so afraid that some credits wouldn't transfer and I would have to retake those classes.

Do not get me started on biology. Luckly, I can handle the mathamatical parts of it. What I cannot handle is having to disect shit. I am very squemish about that stuff so this it not going to be easy. You should not have to disect something in an intro to biology course! There was a lot of other stuff I didn't do so hot on so I know I'm not going to get the best grade, but at this point, I don't even care, as long as I pass, I should be good.

What I really despise though, are these specific courses that they want you to take. One of them being a world religion course which bores me to tears. If I expressed how I really feel about most religion, I would probably fail the class. And you're right about CCs being picky about which transfers where. Like I said, I had one hell of a time trying to get the counsulors to explain which courses I needed because of a lack of communication between the two. I just hope I have it right and won't have to retake any courses because of a lack of communication.

[guywithashovel]

I graduated from college, and I took a lot of gen ed courses that didn't relate to what I ended up majoring in. However, as I have progressed, I have developed a little bit of appreciation for them. Throughout my work life (which admittedly hasn't been as long as some other people's has), I've realized that despite the fact that you've chosen a career field to go into, you really don't know for sure exactly what you will end up doing at the job(s) you get.

For example, I just earned a master's degree in library and information science, the degree that is usually required for employment as a librarian. There have been people who have graduated from my school's program and gotten jobs as youth services librarians where they have provided instruction in literature and folklore. Some of them learned that stuff in their gen ed English classes in college, and at the time thought they were useless, but ended up using it in their later careers.

Now, I know that not everyone will fall into that boat. A lot of business majors will take Intro to Philosophy and then go on to do various business things in their careers and only use what they learned in philosophy when playing Trivial Pursuit (if even that much). However, I think it's good to keep this in mind.

[Plaidman]

You need a masters degree to work at a libary? I thought all they did was put away books and checked stuff out. Didn't think any major degrees were needed.


So far I've enjoyed my general studies. I've learned quite a bit. I'm not so bitter about life, nor so depressed since taking them. I'm alot smarter then I ever gave myself credit for.

[Hobbs]

You need a masters degree to work at a libary? I thought all they did was put away books and checked stuff out. Didn't think any major degrees were needed.


So far I've enjoyed my general studies. I've learned quite a bit. I'm not so bitter about life, nor so depressed since taking them. I'm alot smarter then I ever gave myself credit for.

Wow, just wow. Yes, you need a Masters Degree. The one librarian I knew had one in Library Studies (or some such thing) and knew quite a lot. It's not a Blockbuster.

[Hobbs]

What exactly is policital science about? I mean, I never understood policitics. Its like, Republician, Democrat, all follow one way or another. I don't get it. At all.

Ehe, not exactly. Those are political actors. Politics is more like
Political development: how nations and states evolve; nations; the evolution of institutions
Modernization: the transformation of agrarian societies in industrial nations
Political regimes: the system of rules and institutions for the exercise of political power: “rules of the game.” Regime types (not Cold-War divisions into “three worlds”)
Regime change: revolution, democratization.
Political actors, civil society Organized activity outside government), political parties, interest groups

[Plaidman]

Wow, just wow. Yes, you need a Masters Degree. The one librarian I knew had one in Library Studies (or some such thing) and knew quite a lot. It's not a Blockbuster.

Why the sarcasm? My friend works at a library. He never even finished High School, yet he works there. Thus my confusion.

[elsporko]

Theres a difference between shelving at a small town library and working at a big library or running one.


Frankly I don't see the big problem with gen ed classes. If you don't go to a liberal arts school you don't have many anyways, but if you do then just pick classes you are interested in or help you for what you want to do in the future. Thats what I did and I only ended up taking a couple I didn't like.

[guywithashovel]

You don't need a master's degree to work in a library. However, in order to be a librarian, you almost always need a master's degree in library and information science or a related degree (there are a few similar master's degrees out there that are almost always accepted).

Not everyone who works in a library is a librarian. Most of the people you see putting up books and checking people out are either library assistants or pages, though librarians sometimes do these things as well. Library assistants and pages don't need to have master's degrees to do what they do. Librarians are the ones who manage the library and take care of all the "higher up" stuff. For example, I am the librarian at a technical college. I am responsible for the budget, for developing and managing the collection, planning and organizing activities in the library, delivering library instruction, and other various things that involve keeping the library running. Most other librarians do similar things. I also administer placement tests to new students, though that is not a typical librarian duty.

[AdminAssistant]

And at a university, most librarians are specially trained to assist students and faculty members with research. Helping to search databases, finding that one really hard to find book, arranging for interlibrary loans, etc. Most of the ones here are trained especially for certain fields (arts, music, women's studies, history, poli sci, hard science, etc.)

[KellyHabersham]

You don't need a master's degree to work in a library. However, in order to be a librarian, you almost always need a master's degree in library and information science or a related degree (there are a few similar master's degrees out there that are almost always accepted).

That's about how it is in the library system I work in - the only people whose job title actually is "Librarian" are those who have a Master's Degree in Library Science, and anyone who works at the reference desk is required to have a Bacheler's Degree (although that can be in any subject).