- Joined
- Nov 26, 2006
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(Belongs in the post-bac forum more than anywhere else.)
I've taken classes at a number of educational institutions. I've attended a top private school and a mid-range private school. I've studied at a top two or three and a mid-range public school. The experiences coincided significantly with their classifications. At both private schools, the classes were small, there were no discussion sections, and the professors knew our names. Grades were usually based on understanding, with the median around a B+. At both public schools, lectures where researches masquerading as teachers reading powerpoints followed by non-effective TAs. Tests were dubious multiple-choice affairs. Median grade was between a C+ and B-.
Complaints about grade inflation and students of our generation expecting A's for mediocre efforts are valid, but eff it. My experience has been that the private school courses were of far superior educational value and easier to get A's in. Law and medical schools claim to take grade inflation at specific schools into account, but there's no way they cover such a significant difference.
I'm currently leaning toward PA school (more but not greatly friendly to comm. college than med school) and taking some CC classes. My Bio II class is small, excellent and challenging. Twenty-five students with the same teacher leading lecture and lab. Getting an A will not be impossible, but it will be harder than taking the same class at one of the three four-year privates - the future home of the Bush library (my alma mater), a Baptist college, or a historically black college. The costs are a no-brainer - for the four-unit science course with a lab, the CC runs $150, the local state $1000 and the privates anywhere from $1500-4000.
I've taken classes at a number of educational institutions. I've attended a top private school and a mid-range private school. I've studied at a top two or three and a mid-range public school. The experiences coincided significantly with their classifications. At both private schools, the classes were small, there were no discussion sections, and the professors knew our names. Grades were usually based on understanding, with the median around a B+. At both public schools, lectures where researches masquerading as teachers reading powerpoints followed by non-effective TAs. Tests were dubious multiple-choice affairs. Median grade was between a C+ and B-.
Complaints about grade inflation and students of our generation expecting A's for mediocre efforts are valid, but eff it. My experience has been that the private school courses were of far superior educational value and easier to get A's in. Law and medical schools claim to take grade inflation at specific schools into account, but there's no way they cover such a significant difference.
I'm currently leaning toward PA school (more but not greatly friendly to comm. college than med school) and taking some CC classes. My Bio II class is small, excellent and challenging. Twenty-five students with the same teacher leading lecture and lab. Getting an A will not be impossible, but it will be harder than taking the same class at one of the three four-year privates - the future home of the Bush library (my alma mater), a Baptist college, or a historically black college. The costs are a no-brainer - for the four-unit science course with a lab, the CC runs $150, the local state $1000 and the privates anywhere from $1500-4000.
