farangsay Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Here ya' go, ladeez and gents, free brain surgery by a bloke wot just stepped off the trolley from his streetsweeper's job. And in this corner, Jester Theocrates Pladonius, who dropped out of Mrs. Askansadapalitidy's second grade primary class, will be your attorney/lawyer/barrister for your appeal to the World Court. Next? Degrees? You don't need no stinkin' degreez! Professor of rocket fuel with seven years of passing through prathom and matayom? You must be a genius.....go fix Swanaphum. Elitist twaddle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IvanLaw Posted February 14, 2007 Share Posted February 14, 2007 Had to understate my quals having been to Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford was King's Head, Grapes of Wrath, Turf Tavern, Carpenter's Arms and the Fountain (before they redeveloped Jericho). By the time I got to Cambridge I was too to remember where I was. Blue at Oxford (Just missed the Pink) Armed Forces = VD & Scar Actual PhD & BSc (Hon) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmart Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 On a normal day, Stephen Hawking calls me before breakfast for advice. I've cured cancer by midday. I've built a particle accelerator that makes electrons dance the hokey-cokey before dinner, and I have simultaneously hacked into NATO's supercomputer; crashed the Belgian stock exchange, and taken the new Chinese spy satellite out of orbit and put it down on the nearest local 7/11. - Just dickering around on my laptop, before retiring to my anti-gravity bed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 A small change in the list to cover most of the options suggested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
November Rain Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 OK, I've voted now. I voted "kindergarten" for 2 reasons. 1 to balance out all of these supposed high flyers 2 my finishing my education at age 5 is about as truthful and likely as those claiming to be Nobel or other award winners Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
autonomous_unit Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 PeaceBlondie, not sure if your sarcasm was aimed at my earlier post, or just a coincidence of posts... I am by no means suggesting that education is useless, but people do use degrees (just like most other identifiable attributes) to an illogical and unwarranted level of exclusion, just like race and other visible markers. Because people in general are terrible at statistical understanding of groups, and constantly try to consider whole groups as equal and then relatively order the groups rather than the individuals. I think almost any person would benefit from higher education, in terms of becoming a better person than they were without it. That is my value system speaking, in terms of not considering a high opportunity cost for not avoiding higher education. But, it is foolish to consider this to the exclusion of the "starting point" of the individuals. I have met those with just high school diplomas or associates degrees, plus a self-driven interest to learn beyond what school forced, and they can be more interesting and broad people than some who have run through the hoops of bachelor's, master's, and even doctorate education while somehow evading the wonderful benefits of a university environment. I have also seen people practicing in my technical field (not a field which requires professional licensing) to illustrate that a high-scoring Ph.D. from a "respectable" second tier US university can mean almost nothing for their abilities, compared to undergraduate schooling from a good first-tier school and some real world work experience. Yet those degree holders from the lower rate schools are often the ones who wave the degree around as a badge of honour or admissions ticket to the good life. Expressions of entitlement seem to lead to resentment and conflict no matter where they appear... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricardo Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I was pisitively possed throughout my education, so I don't remember, how far up the ladder I got. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prakanong Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 (edited) Its pretty much just taken for granted that everyone I work with has a degree but some of the researchers do not- they were nurses and some of the best managers around. I work with people from many "name" Unis (Harvard, Cambridge, McGill etc) and no-one bandies about their degree as a badge of honour ot to put someone else down - I have seen it in other industries but I suppose I am priviledged now where I work Edited February 15, 2007 by Prakanong Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sriracha john Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Unsurprisingly, this poll is actually more accurate than those put out as ABAC Polls. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThaiGoon Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Ironically...I have a BS degree....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robski Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 (edited) City and Guilds, thats the English technical schools trade qualification. You may not think it's worth the paper it's written on, until your car breaks down. Edited February 15, 2007 by Robski Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jai Dee Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Unsurprisingly, this poll is actually more accurate than those put out as ABAC Polls. I wonder who our secret Nobel prize nominee/winners are... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prakanong Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 City and Guilds, thats the English technical schools trade qualification. You may not think it's worth the paper it's written on, until your car breaks down. City and Guilds certs were quite good - it got my Dad around the world as an engineer with Shell He is too old to fly about now but I wish he could see it - he still smiles when I say the MRT station I get off to go to work is Bugis Street - I think its a littl different from his time in the 1950's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sriracha john Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 (edited) It's good to see i'm not the only Nobel prize nominee on the board Unsurprisingly, this poll is actually more accurate than those put out as ABAC Polls. I wonder who our secret Nobel prize nominee/winners are... Edited February 15, 2007 by sriracha john Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
younghusband Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 Had to understate my quals having been to Oxford and Cambridge. Oxford was King's Head, Grapes of Wrath, Turf Tavern, Carpenter's Arms and the Fountain (before they redeveloped Jericho). By the time I got to Cambridge I was too to remember where I was. So are you a graduate of both universities? Sounds a bit strange unless undergraduate degree at one and further degree at the other? In which case -how to put it politely- how did you end up doing what you do? Or perhaps just a Jeffrey Archer type teacher's certificate through "attachment" to one of the colleges.Or did you just google Oxford pubs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jet Gorgon Posted February 15, 2007 Author Share Posted February 15, 2007 Nice summation, Autonomous. I loved uni; loved my classes, loved doing time with the computer geeks, loved working on the newspaper, loved the java shop, and many of the people I met. Fortunately, I could apply most of my studies to work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Black Duck Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I went to Oxford Jet.. But it was only a half day tour.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sceadugenga Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 I only read the first and last pages here but this comes up on every forum eventually. Can't work out whether it's an elitist thing with the OP who has great quals or an elitist thing with the OP who has no quals but made good. I mean, what the <deleted> does it matter this far down the track? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trt Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 5 ppl with PhD's... ok someone has way too much time on their hands....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rogerinthai Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 What about an option for those of us who won the Nobel Prize twice??!! Voted Kindergarden as a protest Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
astral Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 City and Guilds, thats the English technical schools trade qualification. You may not think it's worth the paper it's written on, until your car breaks down. I was at an Education Exhibition last weekend. City and Guilds were still represented. Don't knock what you have. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeaceBlondie Posted February 15, 2007 Share Posted February 15, 2007 PeaceBlondie, not sure if your sarcasm was aimed at my earlier post, or just a coincidence of posts...I am by no means suggesting that education is useless, but people do use degrees (just like most other identifiable attributes) to an illogical and unwarranted level of exclusion, just like race and other visible markers. No, autonomous unit, I wasn't replying to your earlier post, but to the usual anti-elitist twaddle that usually spews forth by folks who think formal education is almost completely useless. I weary of having to argue this issue on....education forums! And for the record, two of my kids have more degrees than I have, and four kids have far less formal education. Let's just say that for some jobs (such as education, oddly enough) many degrees do help in getting hired, even if the studies aren't in the work being sought. But having a degree may not help in keeping the job! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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