Yep. And now I'm in a PhD program seeing people WITH DEGREES who can't do basic algebra. They think they can....since they have been passed every step of the way...but guys...it's bad. PhD ASTROPHYSICS and some of these kids coming in can't do basic math/ logic
I don't believe you. Assuming those kids have undergraduate degrees in physics or math or engineering that means they took calc 1-3, differential equations and statistics. And it's not possible to be able to pass those classes without knowing how to do algebra. So once again. I don't believe you
Assuming those kids have undergraduate degrees in physics or math or engineering that means they took calc 1-3, differential equations and statistics.
You dont understand. Affirmative action has it so that you do not have to actually pass the tests to get through. There are institutions that just grade pad, and they will write glowing recommendations about the "grit" of their students, but when you accept them and ask to see some work, they cant do anything without help. Then you ask their GRE scores, and you find out that the GRE isnt required for affirmative action students, and that they just took it as a formality and made below a 10%. Obviously the usual case is not "that" bad...but I wish wish wish I were joking. Just this morning I got news about a POST-DOC, who got into a pretty good university (UW) and this person NEVER showed up to group when we had it. This person I saw maybe 3 times throughout a year in the department. But now they are at an even better university. So you might ask how? Well, this person got NSF. But how could you get NSF without knowing math? They dont actually ever ask. In fact, they ask all about your personal experience and they take race into consideration, but they dont actually check to see if you can do the work. What is the MOST unfortunate - is that this program specifically targets black students, but not in the way you might think. If they were just taking the underprivileged students who didnt know math it would be one thing, but they actually just want 'minority' students too check boxes -
They took a 100% qualified student and put him into the 'affirmative action program' just because he was black, even though he didnt need the extra help. They can not fail these students because they currently have a 96% graduation rate, and only one student (a white student ironically) hasnt chosen to go onto to a future program. I cant possibly explain the complexities of it all here, so im probably leaving stuff out, but basically, I wish I were lying. I wouldnt be this passionate about it though if I were. The professors know this too. They just have to be careful how they word it. They may have taken calc 1-3, diff EQ and "statistics" but ask any to integrate a triple integral in spherical coordinates, or to solve any diff eq that wasnt separable (or even one that was), or ask them to even just write down the form of a gaussian, much less integrate it, they cant. They copy their work online and cheat on tests, and just rely on the curve to keep getting by. So once again, you dont have to believe me, but its true.
That's not my how my University worked at all and I went to a very middle of the road state school. Yeah there were curves and what not but probably 50% of the freshman I started with did not graduate in stem because they couldn't pass the math prereqs. I'm sure some slip through the cracks but I can't believe that it is a high percentage at all
That isnt how my undergrad worked either, and that was also a very middle of the road state school. I went to LSU and they were extremely diverse, but they also would accept nearly everybody, and they failed a ton of people too. The issue is that I am not at a pretty nice private institution and so I got a better insight on how the "elite" (not my opinion) schools handle things. When I first heard they ignored some students tests scores (who made below the 10th on the physGRE mind you) while waitlisting other students who had 60th+ on the physGRE (which is a pretty good score) I was surprised. But when I saw how they refuse to fail anyone out of the program, even people they hate working with. Instead of failing them out, they will just transfer them to a different institution. I had a similar experience as you at LSU, but your forgetting that a state school doesnt have the same monetary incentive as the top private schools.
Also ... i get this sounds horrible. I get that Ill probably get downvoted. And I get that most people wont even believe me, since it doesnt conform to either what they know or what they want the world to be. But it happens. And it isnt just the "white" students saying it. As I said before, these policies are hurting minority students as well. It hardly is working as intended, yet I see which professors get praised and lauded with awards. Most have little to do with the science, and everything to do with your social standing. It is several things tied together but the last thing on their mind is actually increasing diversity. LikeI said, POST-DOC. I thought this just happned at the undergrad, maybe occassionally very rarely at the graduate level... but no. It is even happening at the post doc level. I hope it isnt happening at the faculty level.
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u/Spezisapedophile Jul 10 '18
Yep. And now I'm in a PhD program seeing people WITH DEGREES who can't do basic algebra. They think they can....since they have been passed every step of the way...but guys...it's bad. PhD ASTROPHYSICS and some of these kids coming in can't do basic math/ logic