Comments on: Only at MIT… http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/ Decoding Patterns of Success Mon, 06 Feb 2012 22:53:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: musingvirtual http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-13686 musingvirtual Wed, 28 Apr 2010 23:42:00 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-13686 So Georgia Tech is the only school in the top 10 drinking schools that is not in the top 10 party schools. Read this counterexample and weep. So Georgia Tech is the only school in the top 10 drinking schools that is not in the top 10 party schools. Read this counterexample and weep.

]]> By: Jesse http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-10264 Jesse Sat, 21 Nov 2009 04:56:43 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-10264 <em><blockquote>I suspect that one of the main reasons<strong> students who aren’t in college </strong>drink less than college students is that they have to get up in the morning and go to work at a real job, where they are accountable for their behavior.</blockquote></em> What have I misunderstood which has allowed me to believe that this woman's logic is flawed? Students* who aren't in college aren't students! That's in addition to the laughable idea that more work takes away from avoidance behaviour - i.e. procrastination, drinking, etc. (*presumed to be of drinking age & working full time)
I suspect that one of the main reasons students who aren’t in college drink less than college students is that they have to get up in the morning and go to work at a real job, where they are accountable for their behavior.

What have I misunderstood which has allowed me to believe that this woman’s logic is flawed? Students* who aren’t in college aren’t students!

That’s in addition to the laughable idea that more work takes away from avoidance behaviour – i.e. procrastination, drinking, etc.

(*presumed to be of drinking age & working full time)

]]> By: Study Hacks http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9326 Study Hacks Thu, 23 Jul 2009 13:20:09 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9326 <blockquote><p>lots of MIT students have worked and are working to solve social problems</p></blockquote> <p>I don't remember saying "<em>every</em> MIT student thinks that the answer...."</p>

lots of MIT students have worked and are working to solve social problems

I don’t remember saying “every MIT student thinks that the answer….”

]]> By: valentine wiggins http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9324 valentine wiggins Thu, 23 Jul 2009 10:53:18 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9324 "Only an MIT student would think that the answer to a social problem is to work people too hard to have time to develop the problem." that statement's a bit abhorrent -- lots of MIT students have worked and are working to solve social problems, even right now, and in quite thoughtful & constructive ways. “Only an MIT student would think that the answer to a social problem is to work people too hard to have time to develop the problem.” that statement’s a bit abhorrent — lots of MIT students have worked and are working to solve social problems, even right now, and in quite thoughtful & constructive ways.

]]> By: Switzerland » Ascona Switzerland Displays Cultural Events http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9295 Switzerland » Ascona Switzerland Displays Cultural Events Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:21:52 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9295 [...] Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Only at MIT…I find that in general students here are very mature from early on (and I notice this kind of stuff because I’m not from Switzerland), and the culture of the school is to treat them as such (incl. the access to alcohol thing). … [...]

[...] Study Hacks » Blog Archive » Only at MIT…I find that in general students here are very mature from early on (and I notice this kind of stuff because I’m not from Switzerland), and the culture of the school is to treat them as such (incl. the access to alcohol thing). … [...]

]]> By: Phillip http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9274 Phillip Sun, 19 Jul 2009 02:50:20 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9274 interesting post. freshman year i lived/got placed with 6 frat guys that went out all of the time because they hardly had any kind of homework i believe. i on the other hand was constantly trying to keep up with school. while they were in easy get by classes, i was taking data structures, calc 3, etc. typically a lot of my friends would "go out" unless they had homework or a test or something. if colleges did up their "hardness" it probably would cut down on drinking and also weed out the slackers. interesting post. freshman year i lived/got placed with 6 frat guys that went out all of the time because they hardly had any kind of homework i believe. i on the other hand was constantly trying to keep up with school. while they were in easy get by classes, i was taking data structures, calc 3, etc. typically a lot of my friends would “go out” unless they had homework or a test or something. if colleges did up their “hardness” it probably would cut down on drinking and also weed out the slackers.

]]> By: Corina http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9262 Corina Thu, 16 Jul 2009 21:10:50 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9262 Regarding school counseling. (This comment might be late, I don't know if anyone is still reading this post/comments) Case is: I'm in a lot of pressure because of school, so I go to the school psychologist for help. When the idea came to me that I have this avenue, I was even a little bit excited, a professional will help me, and it's for free. So, I go there a couple of times. The result, what I noticed I was doing is that I was analyzing the psychologist in how successfull she was in analyzing me. I also talked about procrastination, the traits a successfull student would have and other related concepts. For me it doesn't work if someone, even if it's a qualified person, tells me what's best I do etc, I need to understand myself the scientific evidence, the general logic behind it. Well, I noticed that (according to my standards) I was not satisfied with her answers, because I could see some holes (and it is a person with 15 years experience with students). I'm an undergrad in engineering and it's pretty much impossible that I know about a subject, as remote and exotic it might be, more than my professors, so I have respect and 'trust' what they say (but I also read books to confirm). So when I saw some insufficiencies in the judgement of the psychologist, I kind of labeled her in my mind (mean and immature from my part, I know), and stopped going. I know that it is a field that is relative. I find it unlikely that I will be content even if I go to another counsellor, so this counselling stuff, for me at least,doesn't work. Regarding school counseling. (This comment might be late, I don’t know if anyone is still reading this post/comments)

Case is: I’m in a lot of pressure because of school, so I go to the school psychologist for help. When the idea came to me that I have this avenue, I was even a little bit excited, a professional will help me, and it’s for free.

So, I go there a couple of times. The result, what I noticed I was doing is that I was analyzing the psychologist in how successfull she was in analyzing me. I also talked about procrastination, the traits a successfull student would have and other related concepts.
For me it doesn’t work if someone, even if it’s a qualified person, tells me what’s best I do etc, I need to understand myself the scientific evidence, the general logic behind it.
Well, I noticed that (according to my standards) I was not satisfied with her answers, because I could see some holes (and it is a person with 15 years experience with students). I’m an undergrad in engineering and it’s pretty much impossible that I know about a subject, as remote and exotic it might be, more than my professors, so I have respect and ‘trust’ what they say (but I also read books to confirm). So when I saw some insufficiencies in the judgement of the psychologist, I kind of labeled her in my mind (mean and immature from my part, I know), and stopped going.
I know that it is a field that is relative. I find it unlikely that I will be content even if I go to another counsellor, so this counselling stuff, for me at least,doesn’t work.

]]> By: Dotty Wine http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9260 Dotty Wine Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:51:41 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9260 But yah, more work doesn't fix anything. I don't drink, but I procrastinate. If you give me more work, I wouldn't procrasinate less. I would procrastinate in proportion to the work. So if you give me more work, I would procrastinate a little less to make it so if before with less work, I didn't do 60% of my work, now with more work, I would still not do 60% of my work. Okay, you guys... lol, I have no clue what I am talking about. But yah, more work doesn’t fix anything. I don’t drink, but I procrastinate. If you give me more work, I wouldn’t procrasinate less. I would procrastinate in proportion to the work. So if you give me more work, I would procrastinate a little less to make it so if before with less work, I didn’t do 60% of my work, now with more work, I would still not do 60% of my work.

Okay, you guys… lol, I have no clue what I am talking about.

]]> By: Dotty Wine http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9259 Dotty Wine Thu, 16 Jul 2009 17:49:23 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9259 I think my school has a pretty good counseling program. I don't feel it is advertised enough. However, good health is advertised. Keeping physically healthy and going to excercise. Which is important. If your body is healthy, your mind is likely to follow. During finals, stress is advertised a lot more. They want students to find ways to relieve stress during finals (this is when the counseling center is advertised) so that students do not resort to using drugs to "relieve" stress. My school DID follow this advice. The advice the MIT student gave. To help reduce the amount of drinking issues. My school did make it so that attendance was mandatory in more classes. My school made it so more classes would be held on fridays. My classes made it so less classes will be held in the afternoon and more in the morning. And I can understand this. You have to go to class or you WILL fail. I think my school tried to make some classes harder. Uhm... I dunno how they would make it harder. But they did make some courses that ordinarly, you would just write it on your form and you are in... well, now, you have to have a certain GPA and apply and such and such to get in. I think my school has a pretty good counseling program. I don’t feel it is advertised enough. However, good health is advertised. Keeping physically healthy and going to excercise. Which is important. If your body is healthy, your mind is likely to follow.

During finals, stress is advertised a lot more. They want students to find ways to relieve stress during finals (this is when the counseling center is advertised) so that students do not resort to using drugs to “relieve” stress.

My school DID follow this advice. The advice the MIT student gave. To help reduce the amount of drinking issues. My school did make it so that attendance was mandatory in more classes. My school made it so more classes would be held on fridays. My classes made it so less classes will be held in the afternoon and more in the morning. And I can understand this. You have to go to class or you WILL fail. I think my school tried to make some classes harder. Uhm… I dunno how they would make it harder. But they did make some courses that ordinarly, you would just write it on your form and you are in… well, now, you have to have a certain GPA and apply and such and such to get in.

]]> By: Daisy http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9256 Daisy Thu, 16 Jul 2009 12:39:12 +0000 http://calnewport.com/blog/2009/07/10/only-at-mit/#comment-9256 I could write you an email about this topic in my university, particularly under my Chemical Engineering course. :D stress is an accepted way of life here; it's surprising to others when we have time to do things unrelated to school. it's not unusual for students to occasionally burst into tears under the workload and everyone's usually at least a little depressed. the course difficulty is sort of a point of pride to our school. it's generally known all over my country that this course is rigorous here, and that it's one of the best. our department has a reputation for working students and professors really hard, and the school itself creates our loaded course schedule from freshman to senior year and none of us have the freedom to pick our own courses. like I'm taking 19 units now as an upperclassman with about 29 class hours per week (2 laboratory courses, 4 major lecture courses, 1 major design course and 1 thesis course) and it's the <em>bare minimum</em> I can take to graduate the expected number of years for my course. the minimum number when I was still in my first and second year was more than that: an average of 24-28 units. the answer students get when they say it's too stressful goes something like "of course it is! you're Chemical Engineering students. change your major if you can't handle it." and yes, from what I've seen, the courseload doesn't prevent the students from binge drinking. if anything, it often encourages it because they usually bond over how difficult the courseload is. XD I could write you an email about this topic in my university, particularly under my Chemical Engineering course. :D stress is an accepted way of life here; it’s surprising to others when we have time to do things unrelated to school. it’s not unusual for students to occasionally burst into tears under the workload and everyone’s usually at least a little depressed.

the course difficulty is sort of a point of pride to our school. it’s generally known all over my country that this course is rigorous here, and that it’s one of the best. our department has a reputation for working students and professors really hard, and the school itself creates our loaded course schedule from freshman to senior year and none of us have the freedom to pick our own courses.

like I’m taking 19 units now as an upperclassman with about 29 class hours per week (2 laboratory courses, 4 major lecture courses, 1 major design course and 1 thesis course) and it’s the bare minimum I can take to graduate the expected number of years for my course. the minimum number when I was still in my first and second year was more than that: an average of 24-28 units.

the answer students get when they say it’s too stressful goes something like “of course it is! you’re Chemical Engineering students. change your major if you can’t handle it.” and yes, from what I’ve seen, the courseload doesn’t prevent the students from binge drinking. if anything, it often encourages it because they usually bond over how difficult the courseload is. XD

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