Attitudes to Learning

[Tips_of_Fingers]

OK, so I have to go and continue reading the autobiography of Malcolm X. This is a set text for one of my univeristy modules called African-American culture. So far, I am really fucking enjoying it, despite the fact that I disagree with a lot of what he's saying and that he was incredibly racist himself. He just has a very charismatic style of writing - I suppose it's just the way he spoke but in text form.

While I am away, I'm intrigued to know what fellow Escapists have really enjoyed studying at school, college or university. I'm sick of people constantly moaning about how they had to read that "shit book" etc. That kind of negativity towards reading seems to have followed me in every place of learning that I have been in; if they didn't enjoy the learning process, it baffles me as to why they would go onto college and university...

I want to hear positive approaches to learning for once. Hopefully you cans can grant me that.

 

[The Procrastinated End]

I usually get interested over world history. US history had its moments, and it was always fun to reflect on how we disregarded the west most of the time, but the general idea was already known and that ruined it for me.

 

[OakTaooper]

Are we just covering literature, or all fields of school? Because I never really enjoyed my English classes, mainly because I didn't like the books we were forced to read. But I did enjoy learning grammar and the like. I really enjoy learning about science, mathematics, technology, and stuff like that.

But a lot of the people who don't like school just hate the instructors. Honestly, I don't like history, and if one of my science instructors had taught American History, I would have had no problem. But I hated my History teacher, so it just made it that much worse. It's the same for my English classes too, dislike of the instructor...

 

[Tips_of_Fingers]

Are we just covering literature, or all fields of school? Because I never really enjoyed my English classes, mainly because I didn't like the books we were forced to read. But I did enjoy learning grammar and the like. I really enjoy learning about science, mathematics, technology, and stuff like that.

But a lot of the people who don't like school just hate the instructors. Honestly, I don't like history, and if one of my science instructors had taught American History, I would have had no problem. But I hated my History teacher, so it just made it that much worse. It's the same for my English classes too, dislike of the instructor...

I took literature as an example because I'm taking English and American Literature but I'm interested in whatever people were actually passionate learning about.

I've disliked books that were had to read (T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland was terribly obscure and elitist)but I always tended to find atleast some aspect of them that I liked (The Wasteland's Structure and Narrative juxtaposition, as an example)...even if i disliked a book completely, the process of learning about it and people discussing ideas within the text made me come to enjoy it in some way.

EDIT: yeah, lecturer's can generally make or break some people's interest in a specific subject. I know that feeling all too well from the unbearably dull guy who teaches Romanticism at my univeristy.

 

[sosolidshoe]

Are we just covering literature, or all fields of school? Because I never really enjoyed my English classes, mainly because I didn't like the books we were forced to read. But I did enjoy learning grammar and the like. I really enjoy learning about science, mathematics, technology, and stuff like that.

But a lot of the people who don't like school just hate the instructors. Honestly, I don't like history, and if one of my science instructors had taught American History, I would have had no problem. But I hated my History teacher, so it just made it that much worse. It's the same for my English classes too, dislike of the instructor...

I took literature as an example because I'm taking English and American Literature but I'm interested in whatever people were actually passionate learning about.

I've disliked books that were had to read (T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland was terribly obscure and elitist)but I always tended to find atleast some aspect of them that I liked (The Wasteland's Structure and Narrative juxtaposition, as an example)...even if i disliked a book completely, the process of learning about it and people discussing ideas within the text made me come to enjoy it in some way.

EDIT: yeah, lecturer's can generally make or break some people's interest in a specific subject. I know that feeling all too well from the unbearably dull guy who teaches Romanticism at my univeristy.

That's an interesting point; what do you want in a lecturer? Strict? Enthusiastic? Professional? I plan to become one, but every student I speak to finds a different trait distasteful. For example, I prefer a very professional, straight-up, fact-based lecture, but everyone else I've spoken to on my course wants some kind of clownish, overly-enthusiastic showman.

As far as the original topic, I like learning about everything, save the "rules" of English. I just find the minutiae of languages dull, which is a slight hindrance in learning new tongues. I read for pleasure, mainly fiction(science and crime in particular), some factual and educational tracts, with a little philosophy or poetry on occasion. My two passions are History and Science, the former keeps me glued to wikipedia for hours on end, the latter is my chosen area of study and hopefully future career.

Sadly, the gathering of knowledge has come to be seen as secondary to the acquisition of wealth, the consumer is more valued than the scholar.

 

[sms_117b]

I like maths, I looooooooooove prooving show that questions. But I really enjoy Astrophysics, so extra solar planets, Quasars, Galaxies, specifically star formation and life sequence. Love it.

I'm such a bloody nerd.

 

[tomtom94]

It's good to hear someone who wants to learn, cause that's the key thing.

Me, I'm studying Greek and Latin (awesome and challenging) History (awesome and I'm apparently good at it) and Maths (reasonably fun, not quite as stretching as I thought)

 

[Best of the 3]

Psychology has been a hoot. Not much reading but it sure has been very very interesting. It' pretty simple at the moment but I know that it will get harder soon.

 

[Nincompoop]

I have absolutely no positive approach to any books we have ever used.

First, I didn't care much for the books we read in language and history classes, and second, all the f*cking scientific books we used in various classes were f*cking horrible. I don't get how such stupid books even get published. There must be a high demand on math books on danish I suppose, and someone decided it'll be smart to whip a book out of their arms and get a hefty reward.
..

 

[Eumersian]

I'm pre-med, and my doctor told me to pick up a book called "How Doctors Think" while I was away. He recommended that I read it through multiple times and that I take what I learn from that book to heart when I go on to my profession.

So far, it's one of the most interesting books I've ever read. It's extracurriculariffic!


Bio has always been fun for me. I got a gold star for highest grade on the first exam. Next exam's coming up, can't wait to study! I know! It may sound weird! But once the exam date goes up, I'm hittin' the books!

 

[Nincompoop]

Are we just covering literature, or all fields of school? Because I never really enjoyed my English classes, mainly because I didn't like the books we were forced to read. But I did enjoy learning grammar and the like. I really enjoy learning about science, mathematics, technology, and stuff like that.

But a lot of the people who don't like school just hate the instructors. Honestly, I don't like history, and if one of my science instructors had taught American History, I would have had no problem. But I hated my History teacher, so it just made it that much worse. It's the same for my English classes too, dislike of the instructor...

I took literature as an example because I'm taking English and American Literature but I'm interested in whatever people were actually passionate learning about.

I've disliked books that were had to read (T. S. Eliot's The Wasteland was terribly obscure and elitist)but I always tended to find atleast some aspect of them that I liked (The Wasteland's Structure and Narrative juxtaposition, as an example)...even if i disliked a book completely, the process of learning about it and people discussing ideas within the text made me come to enjoy it in some way.

EDIT: yeah, lecturer's can generally make or break some people's interest in a specific subject. I know that feeling all too well from the unbearably dull guy who teaches Romanticism at my univeristy.

That's an interesting point; what do you want in a lecturer? Strict? Enthusiastic? Professional? I plan to become one, but every student I speak to finds a different trait distasteful. For example, I prefer a very professional, straight-up, fact-based lecture, but everyone else I've spoken to on my course wants some kind of clownish, overly-enthusiastic showman.

As far as the original topic, I like learning about everything, save the "rules" of English. I just find the minutiae of languages dull, which is a slight hindrance in learning new tongues. I read for pleasure, mainly fiction(science and crime in particular), some factual and educational tracts, with a little philosophy or poetry on occasion. My two passions are History and Science, the former keeps me glued to wikipedia for hours on end, the latter is my chosen area of study and hopefully future career.

Sadly, the gathering of knowledge has come to be seen as secondary to the acquisition of wealth, the consumer is more valued than the scholar.

I am still a quite angry that in our University (which is small, I live in the Faroe Islands) we had to write some answers to the professor's questions on the board thingy... I felt like I was back in elementary school.
..
In my personal opinion, everything above elementary school should have a less personal approach to learning. The teacher is supposed to guide you, and give you assignments to help you learn, and on occasion give some personal insight on the subject.
All this community getting-to-know-everyone-and-participating bullsh*t nags me.

But I think you have gotten the general opinion spot on. They want phun teachers.

 

[Tharwen]

Hey, I like reading! I read all sorts of things that teachers would love to see in schools. It's just the set texts and the way that they're studied and re-read and examined and dissected and sodomised[footnote]What?[/footnote] and read (again) and written about then finally given up on before we get to the end, that really annoys me.

 

[CarpathianMuffin]

Most anything involving mythology or world history I ate right up with no hesitation.

 

[Sexual Harassment Panda]

I think it's perfectly reasonable not to enjoy everything that is covered on any given course. Book-enjoyment is largely subjective afterall, and some books can even objectivly be slated...so it's pretty likely you will be assigned material that just rubs you the wrong way, at some point.

Claiming that it isn't cool to know things, or people who act as though knowledge not gained in an institution is worthless...those are the attitudes to learning that irk me. I don't care if people are simply indifferent to knowledge, it's the judgemental and assumptious dispositions that suck the hardest.

I'm currently reading the "Doors of perception", it's about mescaline...it's a little up itself, but it's also pretty funny.

 

[Naheal]

I'm an aspiring linguist, so anything having to do with foreign languages interests me. Also, anything having to do with foreign culture interests me.

I really need to refresh French.