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May 09, 2003
Currently playing: Paul Oakenfold -
Currently playing: Paul Oakenfold - @ Home In Space - Ibiza 07-25-99 - Part 1
Oh, one annoyance today in class... it's always there...
You've probably experienced it. There's the smart*ss people... but I'm talking about the idiots.
Small upper-division classes often work pretty well, the idiots don't get into them... but almost always, someone who's just knowledgeable enough to be dangerous gets in. They can get into plenty of trouble, but not enough to get them out... and while they're getting into trouble, they're dragging the whole class down. It's even worse when they're loud and obnoxious about it. Sometimes you're fortunate, they don't drag the whole class down, but you still have to put up with the loser in every class. Generally they just annoy me and I tolerate it-- I've been clueless in classes on more than one occasion myself-- but when they're loud and obnoxious and annoying, even my tolerance can be tested.
Larger classes tend to hide these people in the crowd, which is ok. I've got several small upper division classes this quarter... unfortunately, it's not the "knowledgeable enough to be dangerous" who bug me... but I've got a few totally clueless idiots to deal with, too. For some reason there was no enforced prequisite for any of my classes this quarter, and only one had "requiste" or "recommended" classes for it. As a consequence, a few total idiots snuck in. One of my classes is a software based class. Plenty in the class aren't too familiar with computers, but most took the (non-enforced) prequiste and can find their way around. Some screaming and frustration but things do get done, and they ask the right questions to get ahead. Then there's the idiots.
The professor went over basic windows operations the first day of class. Combined with your presumed familiarity with the software package we're using, you should at least have a clue on how to use the mouse, load notepad, Internet Explorer, Windows Explorer, etc. Nope, the idiots are still lost. Ever want to shoot someone for being stupid? Ever wonder how these idiots are going to pass the course, when, halfway through the course, the idiot asks a really basic question, and even the professor-- who's normally quite helpful-- responds "you should know this already"... ouch.
I realize I'm not the best student. I also realize I'm trying hard to get the most out of my classes, or at least the most I know how to get out of my classes. I also realize I'm a geek, and that my tolerance for computer-idiots is occasionally stretched very thin.
This quarter started out looking pretty good... hopefully it'll continue that way, and I won't accidentially kill any idiots out of frustration...
Posted by brian at May 9, 2003 03:19 AM