# Blind me with science! **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 5, 2003, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381 "2003-07-05T15:38:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/21 "2003-07-06T00:08:27Z")
Okay. [pokes **GMRyujin** in both eyes with corner of science textbook cover] ---
**Author:** ![Helena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/c68b51/32.png) [@Helena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 12:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/22 "2003-07-06T00:40:27Z")
I had an observational astronomy class that was pretty easy on the math. I still didn’t do well in it, but I loved the class. The teacher was a real card and had an affinity for Ferdinand Feghoot. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f05b48/32.png) [@The\_Bad\_Astronomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Bad_Astronomer)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/23 "2003-07-06T03:09:06Z")
Beware: most survey classes (100 level) will load you with jargon and vast amounts of data to process. Try to choose one that is hands-on and not simply a lecture about which you are tested. You won’t learn much from something like that unless you _really_ apply yourself, and even then are unlikely to retain the information. I have seen studies on this, and the results are pretty clear; we in astronomy are trying to change the current paradigm of lecture/test, but of course it is difficult. If you can, take a lab class where you go out and _observe_, is you choose astronomy. It will test your limits, but will also broaden your horizons. Literally. ---
**Author:** ![Yersinia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/6bbea6/32.png) [@Yersinia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yersinia)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 3:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/24 "2003-07-06T03:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AV8R \* > \*\*Doesn’t anybody want to be a well-rounded scholar anymore? :rolleyes: > Is the whole point of education simply vocational training? > > Some time I need to start a Pit thread about the attitudes I quoted above. They are very prevalent these days. \*\* Hey, **AV8R** , whatever happened to “different strokes for different folks?” The original poster’s interests, and mine, for instance, are totally different – him (her) offering to trade me the “lobotomy courses” for the math and science stuff, while, if it would’ve been possible, I’d gladly have made the trade. And just because I hate the subjects the OP likes doesn’t mean I’d be threatening to start a Pit thread about “liberal farts courses” or anything like that. And besides that some people like some subjects better than others, and that their career choices might be different, there are also some people who tend to have lots of different interests/subjects which they pursue (or enjoy studying in college), while there are others who have a more “specialist” kind of nature – they prefer to delve deep down into only a few areas (as compared to being “well rounded” like the “many interests” kind of person is. I happen to be one of the “specialist” types myself, and yes, I considered college to be a form of “vocational training.” There are plenty of occupations where you don’t need higher education to learn what you need to know to do the work, but being a microbiologist doesn’t happen to be one of them. Had I not wanted to be a scientist, I wouldn’t have bothered with college at ALL. But the whole point I’d like to make here is that not EVERYONE has to be “well rounded” and I don’t think that “specialists” should be forced into this. That’s all. Peace, OK? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![\_ceQueen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/_/b9bd4f/32.png) [@\_ceQueen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/_ceQueen)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/25 "2003-07-06T04:18:41Z")
Geology, definitely. Physics and astronomy (unless you already happen to know quite a bit about either), forget it. Geography is e-e-eh. I don’t know, probably still too much work. Chemistry, forget it, esp. if ORGANIC chemistry. _shiver_ So I’d say it’s 1. Geology 2. Geography 3. Biology. Keep in mind, though, that there’ll be LABS in Biology, most likely. ---
**Author:** ![Ringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/779978/32.png) [@Ringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ringo)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 4:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/26 "2003-07-06T04:54:41Z")
I haven’t counted the votes, but a gut feel is that geology is edging out astronomy. OK, so one more pitch point. A professional career may well involve much air travel. Should such befall you, you’ll soon discover the competition for aisle seats. Well, ha-ha, laugh at them. With a little geology in you, you’ll never tire of looking out of airplane windows. I know, I know; **The Bad Astronomer** ’s going to be back in here advising night flights (but I bet he goes for the window seat, too). ---
**Author:** ![furt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/439d5e/32.png) [@furt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/furt)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/27 "2003-07-06T05:03:15Z")
[hijack] GMRyujin, Speaking from the inside, it is exactly this sort of thinking: > [@](#): > > \*\*I’m not a math or science person and never will be. \*\* That makes English professors objects of derision among other disciplines. Our students are intellectually flabby because they are unwilling to do any resistance training. ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/28 "2003-07-06T06:00:08Z")
I don’t know, **GMRyujin** , looks like you don’t relish any intellectual challenges. University is going to be tough for you. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/29 "2003-07-06T06:06:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by furt \* > \*\*[hijack] GMRyujin, > Speaking from the inside, it is exactly this sort of thinking: > That makes English professors objects of derision among other disciplines. Our students are intellectually flabby because they are unwilling to do any resistance training. \*\* Suits me just fine, I don’t like English professors much at all, I do prefer Psych, but if I stayed in Psych, I’d be in labs for the rest of my days. English is easier and I can BS my way through it. I don’t want to be intellectually buff. I don’t want to be intellectual at all, frankly. Just to contribute to this thread, what’s actually required is a sequence of two courses, for example Astronomy 101 and 102. It LOOKS like some have labs and some don’t. I’d have to dig into the handbook and pull up some descriptions. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2003, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381/30 "2003-07-06T06:09:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Urban Ranger \* > \*\*I don’t know, **GMRyujin** , looks like you don’t relish any intellectual challenges. University is going to be tough for you. \*\* Not really. I’m already about halfway finished and, with some judicious CLEPing and decent summer coursework in '04, I’ll be out fairly soon. It’s not tough, it’s boring. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/blind-me-with-science/186381.md?page=1)