Anyone got students? How are they managing the money?

[ajohn]

You think a degree is only useful if you can manage a control loop or send a rocket to space on day 1?

Who on earth is suggesting that a fabric design grad is a good fit for electronics or law? I'm not.

That doesn't really relate to what I posted. I just mentioned and example that can apply in many areas.

Why is it that some design grads become famous designers and some don't? It can relate to how an item looks - can that be taught? It's more of a flair that some one may have.

Actually my son could have had a place in B'ham in the design area. Suggested to him as he had an arts qualification but it wasn't what he wanted to do. It's seen as a necessity in some design areas. Say household items as a for instance. Looks can matter then I look at Dyson. Performance figures more. In some ways that is a different design area.

 

[Justin Passing]

Justin Passing said:
I don't agree.

Well knock me down with a feather!

Well if you get something blatantly wrong, it's not surprising, is it?

If you're going to teach chemistry, or Physics, or Maths, or many other subjects, a degree in it is a damned good idea, otherwise you fall flat on your face when a student asks "why?".

The teacher I know best, teaches outside their subject, not very well judging by the questions I've heard.

You think a degree is only useful if you can manage a control loop or send a rocket to space on day 1?

Nope, that's very straw-man-argument of you.
A degree is basic knowledge. If you want to get that rocket in space you need a load of basic knowledge. Working with transforms like Fourier, working in the Langrangian, tensor calculus, QM. You know, basic stuff.
If you haven't done a degree with a lot of maths you won't be sending rockets up, ever.

Who on earth is suggesting that a fabric design grad is a good fit for electronics or law? I'm not.

Nobody.
Another S-m-a.
They aren't going to be much use for most things slightly technical. A bit of Stats, a few macros on a spreadsheet? They'd find someone else.

Transferable skills. That's the key takeaway for someone who does a degree.

"The key"??? Not for me..

If you did a physics degree you could teach physics, chemistry, electronics, biology, maths at gcse, and A level with some effort.
Fabric Science, not even gcse. Completing the square would have a whole other meaning!

Maybe there's a world out there with teachers who don't know anything that's not on the specification and I was lucky. ?

 

[Justin Passing]

I don't either. Take a subject I have mentioned before - electronics. It should be safe to assume that a fresh graduate will have any maths they need. Much of that will relate to analogue and probably control loops even in software - maybe indirectly. In practice capabilities vary. Knowledge of components as well. A subject that is always changing. The other areas can too. This is typical of many areas.

A side issue. My son came back with a 1st. Mentioned to some one in the legal profession who pointed out that these often aren't popular in his area. Understandable really. Proud of themselves and gods gift to their subject. However they lack real experience.

Yes electronics would include 3 term control PID control I'm sure it's a standard algorithm too - and there are chips with it on. It's everywhere, your heating probably uses it. Again pretty basic in many science areas but not to a Gender Studies person.
Congrats to your son - he did Law, yes? I recommend he shuts up about it forever, until it matters. He may well get grief!

My degree was 6 months study, 6 months work for the first 3 years and then one full academic year. It meant we had no holidays, but I was able to get short term contracts for my placements and earned enough to get me through. Sadly these thin sandwich courses seem to have disappeared.

Pity, that. Very sound idea, it always seemed to me.

 

[gas112]

USA just wiped out student debt bit unfair on those that struggled to pay it .

 

[charliegolf]

USA just wiped out student debt bit unfair on those that struggled to pay it .

Rich people AND poor people getting a freebie. Not common in America. Nice move.

 

[Tigercubrider]

I have no idea what “fabric science” is, but as this is a DIY board, stuff like landscape fabric, breathable membranes and even workwear require some science behind them.
Two friends are Chemists, as in industrial. They worked for a paper company initially, then started a test laboratory for all sorts of stuff. Very little chemistry involved with running it, but many skills picked up while working as industrial chemists

 

[ajohn]

Congrats to your son - he did Law, yes?

No accountancy. If I knew more about how that works I would probably have tried to talk him out of it. He was dead set on it so that would probably have made no difference.

He does seem to be doing something about the problem this leaves now. Bit more to allow him to put letters after his name. Expensive. Getting to be chartered - not simple. There is a need to work in certain companies. His degree does offer exclusions to the usual training.

A company did open a branch in B'ham that would have been a good option. Another gave him an aggressive interview which didn't go down well. I have wondered if having a 1st figured.

He started his own business based around ebay and took a few years to get a job. He still runs the ebay business as it doesn't take a colossal amount of time.

 

[JP_]

My degree was 6 months study, 6 months work for the first 3 years and then one full academic year. It meant we had no holidays, but I was able to get short term contracts for my placements and earned enough to get me through. Sadly these thin sandwich courses seem to have disappeared.

I did a sandwich course, but the salary was so low that I would have been better off finishing my degree a year earlier.

 

[motorbiking]

It depends on the industry. I was lucky and was making 4 times other placement students. The key for me was not to ask for an "internship" (weren't called that back in the day) but to match my skills to their needs and apply for short term roles and then convince the placement tutor that it met the criteria.