Any equealist in house?

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True. Living costs are the reason I can't afford college. The lack of college fees would help people somewhat and would be a step in the right direction, though.

First off...living off ramen is not a bad thing. Just make sure you keep a good supply of kimchi and you'll get through it.

Second...interesting that this comes up because I just started watching the K-drama "Cheese In The Trap." Having to actually WORK for a degree is not, IMO, a bad thing, and will yield more tangible value for the work, both physical and intellectual, that you put into it.

Your thoughts, in a way, result in material existence. I start with the idea of owning a car. I need purchasing power to do that. I need something to exchange for said power. So I have an idea or a special piece of knowledge. From that idea or knowledge I create something with my hands--whether my actions are teaching children to play musical instruments or if I build QP's with cheese at McDonald's, it either starts with my knowledge of instruments and how people learn, or from memorizing the steps to make a QP (build from bottom. QP meat, top with cheese. On top bun, mustard, ketchup, pickles, and fresh onion, NOT evaporated). People who have to work their way through college are in the habit of bringing thoughts and ideas into reality WHILE simultaneously or alternately expanding their knowledge and ability. You can measure you degree in terms of numbers of quarter-pounders served, houses built, planes flown, tourists shown, gigs played, drinks poured, and so on. People who never work for it lack people, places, things, and money to back it up, and for them the diploma is nothing more than another piece of card stock. That's not to say college grads who get full scholarship just for being smart aren't exceptional and can't perform. But in terms of everyday folks, it's much more difficult when you aren't in a creative pattern.

You can, and it wouldn’t be a personal attack. But there’s a difference between saying something and it being true.

Then, dear whoever is reading, I find The Walrus' behavior hypocritical.

That's why:
He seems to strongly believe we all should be considerate towards minority members.
I am a minority member - typically the only female in a project, participating in all-male-but-me competitions and being the first female to <do something, nation-wide> obviously makes me a minority member in my work.
I shared my point of view.
The Walrus discarded my experience in a judgemental, condescending manner.
Now let's see, what hypocrisy is:
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hypocrisy
Thank you for your attention.

I'm late to the party but I'd like to ask for clarification on something: do "disadvantaged" or minority students actually get extra credits/points anywhere? How exactly does it work?

I've never heard of this, here we offer financial support and other similar accommodations.

Sorry, it's in Polish, but yes.
https://gospodarka.dziennik.pl/praca/ar ... unkty.html - 15 points of maximum 100 for being a woman when applying for startup dotations
https://innpoland.pl/157301,kielecki-ur ... gramowania - 5 points of 30 for being a woman on a city-funded programming course

Just the cases that made it to the press. What high school teachers do (oh, let's pass her, after all, she's a girl...) doesn't.

Wow, I had no idea whatsoever - is this only for applying as an attempt to encourage them to join? I'll have to check if they do anything like this here, maybe I just don't know about it.

I just asked my daughter what she thinks, as she wants to study Maths when she goes to University. Her answer was too rude to post here but amounted to her calling such things "condescending and misogynistic". She's very ambitious and hard-working; she seemed mortaly offended by the idea of getting extra points for being a girl.

Thanks, magz.

Edited for clarity

Last edited by BenderRodriguez on 22 Jan 2020, 2:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I think this is really bad (yeah, I know it happens). It can either undermine kids' confidence in their skills or give them the idea that they can get a free pass all the time. It's usually the approach of "one size fits all" of teaching that makes a lot of kids struggle with certain disciplines, but of course it's expensive and difficult to change that.

Probably it is an attempt to encourage more diversity. I am against that form of encouraging it. Just be respectful and fair, maybe help with logistics when needed but don't do this.

So am I. Cheers to your daughter, I wish her best in doing what she likes!

I see things in a similar light. Many European countries are trying to deal with inequality through a better welfare system that tries to ensure children have their basic needs covered regardless of their parents' situation and access to good and free education. There are also programs for gifted children and young people, along with accommodations for those coming from a modest background.

Thank you

It's a silly thing here but whenever our bureaucrats do something stupid they claim it's because of "EU regulations". The practices I described are no exception.
I guess it's the local beaurocratic culture of "ass-saving" - it doesn't need to make sense as long as the papers are in perfect order. I don't really know how to possibly change this attitude for the better.

As for the welfare system - I find free high quality education and basic accommodations valuable. My position is strange here because I come from a higly educated family hovering about the poverty threshold - something not really stable in more capitalistic societes.

And a lot of (Western) countries assign blame to the EU for all kind of unpopular practices too

I understand where you're coming from - I have quite a few close friends (probably closer to your parents' age than yours) who grew up behind the Wall and I'm familiar with the culture and for lack of a better name the different class system.

It's just much better IMO to try to make up for financial and other handicaps kids have early on and offer them more opportunities to develop their skills, instead of giving free/unearned credits. And while I am a white male born in a first world country, I'm also someone who grew up in the system and had to work both through high-school and University to feed myself. I would have appreciated some financial support or a free place to stay, that's for sure. The only way I managed to build a career and a good life despite my horrible childhood and youth was working very hard toward professional achievement and I was grateful for teachers and colleagues who took the time to actually teach me things and give me concrete guidance. It can be very insulting for those who actually come from difficult backgrounds to be treated as if they need an intellectual leg up.

Removing obstacles is much more difficult and costly than lowering expectations.