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ankursethi
August 14th, 2008, 06:56 AM
This is mostly just a brain-dump. I'm going crazy, and I was wondering if somebody had already been there and could help me with it.

I've just joined a CompSci course in a not-so-reputed university. I could have made it to a better university had I tried studying a bit harder, but I was too busy poking around in Linux and Python to notice I had a lot of stuff to cover.

My problem is this : most of the people I have met in my university to date are, to put it very bluntly, idiots. I don't mean to say that I'm one of a kind or something. It's just that the people back at school were much more intelligent and rational. Even though very few had any interest in computers, programming or just geekery in general, I could hold intelligent conversation with them.

The guys at my university fall neatly into two categories :
1. The small-towners - Dazzled by the marvels of the big city. They have no clue what a CS course is, and have joined simply because someone told them it was a good idea. Mostly farmer john types.
2. The city slickers - They don't give a dingo's behind about CS, the college or the world in general. To them, life begins and ends at Elevates (a nearby club) and their definition of a computer is "something you can access Facebook with". They have an inkling of what CS is about, but they are too cool to worry about it. All they want is the B.Tech. degree so they can get a 9 to 5 job and spend the rest of their lives hanging out at Elevates.

And then there's me. I've been sitting in a corner - alone - trying to look out for people who seem to know what they are up against. I found two people who looked a bit geekish, but I was put off when one of them said "DOS is such a huge language that nobody has managed to explore it yet. It's the best OS for hacking".

It's not the lack of geeks that is killing me. It's the lack of people with a drive to do something. At school I used to talk about technology with my friends, and we used to detail our own private ventures. Some of us were learning how to program, and some of us were trying to make money online. Even those who were not particularly inclined to anything at all had something intelligent to say. The people at my university are planning to simply take their lives and flush it down the toilet.

I like to have fun just as much as the next guy, but my definition of fun is not loud music, Facebook, booze and nightclubs. I'd rather go out with two good friends than with 20 people I just know by name. I'd rather sit and talk about nothing in particular than talk about who's hooking up with whom. I'd rather sit down with a nice book than pump blaring music into my ears.

Has anybody here been in this position before? I need some help out here.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 07:37 AM
My problem is this : most of the people I have met in my university to date are, to put it very bluntly, idiots. I don't mean to say that I'm one of a kind or something. It's just that the people back at school were much more intelligent and rational. Even though very few had any interest in computers, programming or just geekery in general, I could hold intelligent conversation with them.

Not only at universities, but at work too.

Now, go out buy some Dilbert books and realise that you are probably going to be mocking your bosses who got into management because they couldn't do computers but think they know a lot.

lisati
August 14th, 2008, 07:48 AM
Welcome to the real world. No matter where you go, there will always be someone similar to the "idiots" you describe.

loell
August 14th, 2008, 07:57 AM
I could have made it to a better university had I tried studying a bit harder, but I was too busy poking around in Linux and Python to notice I had a lot of stuff to cover.

Ironic!

the next person seating next to you could most probably have that alibi, well not exactly, but somewhere along that line. ;)

Atomic Dog
August 14th, 2008, 07:59 AM
Yep. I see it every time I take a CS class. I have been picking away at a degree for many years at a big well known university. Granted there are a few sharp kids that have drive, but 95% are useless, and yet will get good jobs at a big company because they need bodies to fill the positions.

I see the types break down as this:
1. The party boys - more interested in getting drunk and or stoned than study. They are net savvy, but think of themselves as having mad skillz. They consider 30 minutes of work real effort.
2. The business wanabe - sees themselves as becoming upper management material, can talk the game but couldn't write a while statement if their life depended on it.
3. The girls - just once I would like to see a female student that knew how to code, or knew how to structure a database (in school). They depend on waving their breasts in a guy's face to help her with all of her work. Seriously, I want to at least one time see a girl in the class that had skill.

I know I sound harsh, but there are classes where I am the only one that seems to put effort into my work, and pride.

Oh well. I have accepted that things will not change. Instructors are under pressure to pass students, and the students know it.

You are not alone my friend. Just grin and bear it. One of your instructors will likely see your talent and hook you up with a really good job.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 08:09 AM
3. The girls - just once I would like to see a female student that knew how to code, or knew how to structure a database (in school). They depend on waving their breasts in a guy's face to help her with all of her work. Seriously, I want to at least one time see a girl in the class that had skill.


I think you'll find the percentage of girls who are serious about what they are studying is the same or higher than the males in the same class. Because females are less numerous, it may give you less to observe, but that is offensive...

Griff
August 14th, 2008, 08:26 AM
Just stick it out and let them amuse you. If nothing else this means an easier class setting and work load for you and more time for you to pursue your own interests. I've grown fond of working with php/mysql and bash scripting because of this very same situation.

sonofusion82
August 14th, 2008, 08:41 AM
I like to have fun just as much as the next guy, but my definition of fun is not loud music, Facebook, booze and nightclubs. I'd rather go out with two good friends than with 20 people I just know by name. I'd rather sit and talk about nothing in particular than talk about who's hooking up with whom. I'd rather sit down with a nice book than pump blaring music into my ears.

Has anybody here been in this position before? I need some help out here.

yeah, it is just a different definition of fun and life.
as much as you think they are wasting their life, they also think you are wasting your life in front of computers and books.

and the sad thing is that, they might become your boss someday because they are somewhat more "socially adaptable" with their smoooth-talking skills that somehow works well in modern corporate environment. meanwhile, the geeky tech guy like us will always be the backroom boy.

cheers...

Canis familiaris
August 14th, 2008, 09:21 AM
This is mostly just a brain-dump. I'm going crazy, and I was wondering if somebody had already been there and could help me with it.

I've just joined a CompSci course in a not-so-reputed university. I could have made it to a better university had I tried studying a bit harder, but I was too busy poking around in Linux and Python to notice I had a lot of stuff to cover.

My problem is this : most of the people I have met in my university to date are, to put it very bluntly, idiots. I don't mean to say that I'm one of a kind or something. It's just that the people back at school were much more intelligent and rational. Even though very few had any interest in computers, programming or just geekery in general, I could hold intelligent conversation with them.

The guys at my university fall neatly into two categories :
1. The small-towners - Dazzled by the marvels of the big city. They have no clue what a CS course is, and have joined simply because someone told them it was a good idea. Mostly farmer john types.
2. The city slickers - They don't give a dingo's behind about CS, the college or the world in general. To them, life begins and ends at Elevates (a nearby club) and their definition of a computer is "something you can access Facebook with". They have an inkling of what CS is about, but they are too cool to worry about it. All they want is the B.Tech. degree so they can get a 9 to 5 job and spend the rest of their lives hanging out at Elevates.

And then there's me. I've been sitting in a corner - alone - trying to look out for people who seem to know what they are up against. I found two people who looked a bit geekish, but I was put off when one of them said "DOS is such a huge language that nobody has managed to explore it yet. It's the best OS for hacking".

It's not the lack of geeks that is killing me. It's the lack of people with a drive to do something. At school I used to talk about technology with my friends, and we used to detail our own private ventures. Some of us were learning how to program, and some of us were trying to make money online. Even those who were not particularly inclined to anything at all had something intelligent to say. The people at my university are planning to simply take their lives and flush it down the toilet.

I like to have fun just as much as the next guy, but my definition of fun is not loud music, Facebook, booze and nightclubs. I'd rather go out with two good friends than with 20 people I just know by name. I'd rather sit and talk about nothing in particular than talk about who's hooking up with whom. I'd rather sit down with a nice book than pump blaring music into my ears.

Has anybody here been in this position before? I need some help out here.

+1

I Would step into your shoes soon. Soon joining an a not so reputed college for CS Engg.

zxscooby
August 14th, 2008, 09:23 AM
Just ignore the idiots and continue to be the best nerd you can be. Later it will pay off when you are the idiots boss.

Canis familiaris
August 14th, 2008, 09:26 AM
3. The girls - just once I would like to see a female student that knew how to code, or knew how to structure a database (in school). They depend on waving their breasts in a guy's face to help her with all of her work. Seriously, I want to at least one time see a girl in the class that had skill.

What I have observed either girls are plain cheeky or they are very diligent and successful in conventional sujects. (many are both, which surprises me since how do they manage both).
But I have never seen Girls in real life who step out of line and just follow a non-conventional path or hobby.
Maybe afraid?

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 09:28 AM
But I have never seen Girls in real life who step out of line and just follow a non-conventional path or hobby.
Maybe afraid?
I have many times.

zxscooby
August 14th, 2008, 09:38 AM
They depend on waving their breasts in a guy's face to help her with all of her work. Seriously, I want to at least one time see a girl in the class that had skill.

I know what you mean bud, If only i had a dollar for every girl that showed me her ***** so i would write some code for her.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 09:43 AM
I know what you mean bud, If only i had a dollar for every girl that showed me her ***** so i would write some code for her.

If I had a dollar for every time a guy came to me to help with programming/computers/networking/math.

Canis familiaris
August 14th, 2008, 09:47 AM
Why this thread is becoming from discussions "ignorants" to discussions of "girls"..

Anyway it would be unwise to make negative generalised statement about girls.

There would be far worse generalizations I can make about males.:lolflag:

Elfy
August 14th, 2008, 09:51 AM
There would be far worse generalizations I can make about males.Which I guess is LR's point.


Anyway it would be unwise to make negative generalised statement about girls.We shouldn't be making generalised statements about anyone...



Has anybody here been in this position before?You want to try going back to uni in your 30s - you become a father/mother substitute to all the poor little lost kids who've just left home...

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 09:59 AM
Why this thread is becoming from discussions "ignorants" to discussions of "girls"..


Because someone felt a need to insult every single female in the field.

Canis familiaris
August 14th, 2008, 10:06 AM
Because someone felt a need to insult every single female in the field.

Pity they dont realise that their mothers and sisters(if any) are also females.

Kingsley
August 14th, 2008, 10:17 AM
I sort of have the same issues in college too. Though I think it's bull and applies to every big university, the place I go to is known as a "party school." But that attracts a lot of people that wanna do just that. I've managed to maintain good friendships with mainly nerds/geeks, but also drink or hang out with the "idiots" a couple of times every month. I refuse to join the club scene though.


If I had a dollar for every time a guy came to me to help with programming/computers/networking/math.
That's different! You're a cyborg, right? :p

DoctorMO
August 14th, 2008, 10:18 AM
Never known such a thing, I divorced my peer group at 16 and kicked my life into high gear and sped away into real work experience and real social skills. True it also meant I couldn't take the educational route, but it was worth it on reflection.

Now people only get my wrath when they try to be immoral, deceitful or deliberately political in the work place. I have to say though, that's been getting rarer and rarer these days.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 10:19 AM
Pity they dont realise that their mothers and sisters(if any) are also females.

They are "different". I guess they don't realise other females are also mothers/sisters/daughters to other people.



That's different! You're a cyborg, right? :p
Close, Borg.

zipperback
August 14th, 2008, 10:20 AM
You are there to get YOUR degree and YOUR education.

My advice is to put yourself into your education as best as possible.

Work as hard as possible, and study as hard as possible.

Get good grades, and then once you've established yourself as a great student, and if you are still unhappy at your current college, apply to other colleges which you feel are better suited to what you want to do. If you've got good grades and can prove yourself with what you are doing in college, then you should be able to get into a better school.

Everyone makes mistakes in their education. None of us are perfect.

Work hard. Study hard. Get good grades, and it will pay off.

Don't worry about what other people are doing with their education.

You should worry only about YOUR education.

Consider that alot of those people will probably not graduate and they won't be doing much with their lives other than just hanging out with their friends.

- zipperback
:popcorn:

Canis familiaris
August 14th, 2008, 10:20 AM
Borg.
I thought Borg Queen. :razz:

powerpleb
August 14th, 2008, 10:22 AM
My problem is this : most of the people I have met in my university to date are, to put it very bluntly, idiots. I don't mean to say that I'm one of a kind or something. It's just that the people back at school were much more intelligent and rational. Even though very few had any interest in computers, programming or just geekery in general, I could hold intelligent conversation with them.
I think that you may just need to find some common ground with these people. I'm at university too (doing Anthropology/Linguistics, nothing to do with computers) and most of the people I speak to have no idea that I even know how to use a keyboard let alone run Linux (most of them wouldn't know what Linux was). So I just talk about whatever comes up, like whether all this unclear, relativistic, post-modern stuff our Social Scientist lecturers keep teaching us is just piling up in our minds until it finally collapses leaving us in utter confusion and disarray.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 10:22 AM
I thought Borg Queen. :razz:

The Borg is a collective. The Borg Queen is the collective so to speak.

"LaRoza of Borg" is different from "LaRoza is Borg".

There have actually been many Borg Queens, but there is one Borg, and I am.

starcannon
August 14th, 2008, 10:23 AM
@ the OP

Start looking outside your box, it works in programming, it works in all sorts of problem solving, and it works in life.

If school doesn't have an intelligent social scene, then do your classes, and then get the hell outta there; and then go find the scene your into.
Somewhere in that town is a little wifi cafe, or a bike shop, or a coffee house, or a book store, or a something... go hang out there; chat it up a bit, stalk the geek isles in the book store, buy a portable chess board for the coffee shop.

I live in Spokane WA, if I can find people here, they can be found anywhere; just start turning over some rocks, they're there somewhere, you just didn't find them in the most likely spot this time.

rolnics
August 14th, 2008, 10:45 AM
You are there to get YOUR degree and YOUR education.

My advice is to put yourself into your education as best as possible.

Work as hard as possible, and study as hard as possible.

Get good grades, and then once you've established yourself as a great student, and if you are still unhappy at your current college, apply to other colleges which you feel are better suited to what you want to do. If you've got good grades and can prove yourself with what you are doing in college, then you should be able to get into a better school.

Everyone makes mistakes in their education. None of us are perfect.

Work hard. Study hard. Get good grades, and it will pay off.

Don't worry about what other people are doing with their education.

You should worry only about YOUR education.

Consider that alot of those people will probably not graduate and they won't be doing much with their lives other than just hanging out with their friends.

- zipperback
:popcorn:

+1

As has been said before in this thread, welcome to the real world! The above is good sound advice and when you get a job again use the same advice, that way you can work up the ladder.

ankursethi
August 14th, 2008, 10:45 AM
*sigh* I guess I'll just have to make do with what I have right now. I was kind of hoping I'd get to meet a couple of great people at college and start a small part-time business of some sort.

The good thing is my friends back from high school have joined local universities as well, so we're at least still in the same city. We can still get together on weekends (on weekdays, I leave for college at 7:30 A.M and reach back home at 7 P.M).

I'll have to remind myself to grab some nice books this weekend. At least I won't sit idle at college.

BTW, I've met some very intelligent girls. They weren't really into technical stuff, but they were great at languages.

tribaal
August 14th, 2008, 11:02 AM
Keep studying, it will pay in the long term. Be a nerd, be proud of it!
Eventually not-so-motivated people will drop out and/or fail, and anyways, a good employer will interview you and test you before giving you a position, papers are only good for the very first screening...

By the way, we have 5 girls out of 25 employees in my office, and all of them are extremely competent (all are software engineers)... Maybe girls are nerdy in a different way than guys, but I would rather ask any one of them a math or technical question rather than my male colleagues :)

Keep the faith :)

- Trib'

kirsis
August 14th, 2008, 11:06 AM
I can sort of relate to the OP's tale. I was a CompSci student for a short while and the first time we all sat down in front of the computers, the professor went around and had to individually show most people in my group how to operate Internet Explorer, I **** you not :) Nobody knew squat about computers, networks or programming.

However, I don't think it's that bad. Not everybody has the opportunity to mess aruond with computers for a few years before uni. Doesn't mean they won't eventually become decent programmers (though probably no Linuses).



I know what you mean bud, If only i had a dollar for every girl that showed me her ***** so i would write some code for her.If I had a dollar for every time a guy came to me to help with programming/computers/networking/math.

The probability of what zxscooby said being sarcasm seems high :)

edit:
Eventually not-so-motivated people will drop out and/or fail...

Yep, and it just might be the person who thinks he knows everything already and ain't paying attention ;)

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 11:11 AM
The probability of what zxscooby said being sarcasm seems high :)


Borg have no use for sarcasm and do not detect it often.

Nostrafus
August 14th, 2008, 12:11 PM
Eh, I deal with an abundant amount of stupid in my daily life at work especially when it involved computer related questions... like "What's a UBS?" (intentional typo)

But I also get things like "You know when you're looking at a picture of a building, but it's not a building, but it looks like a building?"

And I loved this one "Can I fax money?" I wanted to say yes, but that I would have to destroy it on this end because it was no longer valid as currency once it has been faxed.

Also "So when I send a fax, why does it spit the paper back out, does that mean they didn't get it?" my response "The gnomes that tear up the paper and deliver it through the fax tubes around the world are on strike, they're working on a new contract so faxing should be back to normal next week though" I just got a blank stare.

My best advice is to mock the stupid in a way that they're unsure if you are actually making fun of them or not.

LaRoza
August 14th, 2008, 12:12 PM
Also "So when I send a fax, why does it spit the paper back out, does that mean they didn't get it?" my response "The gnomes that tear up the paper and deliver it through the fax tubes around the world are on strike, they're working on a new contract so faxing should be back to normal next week though" I just got a blank stare.

My best advice is to mock the stupid in a way that they're unsure if you are actually making fun of them or not.

Ask them to fax another building some paper because they have a shortage.

fiddledd
August 14th, 2008, 12:35 PM
This is mostly just a brain-dump. I'm going crazy, and I was wondering if somebody had already been there and could help me with it.

I've just joined a CompSci course in a not-so-reputed university. I could have made it to a better university had I tried studying a bit harder, but I was too busy poking around in Linux and Python to notice I had a lot of stuff to cover.

My problem is this : most of the people I have met in my university to date are, to put it very bluntly, idiots. I don't mean to say that I'm one of a kind or something. It's just that the people back at school were much more intelligent and rational. Even though very few had any interest in computers, programming or just geekery in general, I could hold intelligent conversation with them.

The guys at my university fall neatly into two categories :
1. The small-towners - Dazzled by the marvels of the big city. They have no clue what a CS course is, and have joined simply because someone told them it was a good idea. Mostly farmer john types.
2. The city slickers - They don't give a dingo's behind about CS, the college or the world in general. To them, life begins and ends at Elevates (a nearby club) and their definition of a computer is "something you can access Facebook with". They have an inkling of what CS is about, but they are too cool to worry about it. All they want is the B.Tech. degree so they can get a 9 to 5 job and spend the rest of their lives hanging out at Elevates.

And then there's me. I've been sitting in a corner - alone - trying to look out for people who seem to know what they are up against. I found two people who looked a bit geekish, but I was put off when one of them said "DOS is such a huge language that nobody has managed to explore it yet. It's the best OS for hacking".

It's not the lack of geeks that is killing me. It's the lack of people with a drive to do something. At school I used to talk about technology with my friends, and we used to detail our own private ventures. Some of us were learning how to program, and some of us were trying to make money online. Even those who were not particularly inclined to anything at all had something intelligent to say. The people at my university are planning to simply take their lives and flush it down the toilet.

I like to have fun just as much as the next guy, but my definition of fun is not loud music, Facebook, booze and nightclubs. I'd rather go out with two good friends than with 20 people I just know by name. I'd rather sit and talk about nothing in particular than talk about who's hooking up with whom. I'd rather sit down with a nice book than pump blaring music into my ears.

Has anybody here been in this position before? I need some help out here.

Here's a non geek old man's opinion. Firstly, you seem to place people into categories rather quickly, yourself included. Don't be quick to judge the others in class, give it time. When people join a new school/university or workplace, they try to make an impression on others. Often the person you first met 1 year ago is nothing like you believed they were. I also disagree with those that said do your own thing. Well, I don't totally disagree, but you can't cut yourself off from others, unless your ultimate goal is to become a hermit. At some point in your life you'll want a partner (not a business partner) and you won't find them in a book. Also sitting in a corner in class and keeping away from others will make you stand out just as much as if you get up on a chair and sing while stripping. Your technical education is important, but so is your social education.

joshdudeha
August 14th, 2008, 12:43 PM
here's a non geek old man's opinion. Firstly, you seem to place people into categories rather quickly, yourself included. Don't be quick to judge the others in class, give it time. When people join a new school/university or workplace, they try to make an impression on others. Often the person you first met 1 year ago is nothing like you believed they were. I also disagree with those that said do your own thing. Well, i don't totally disagree, but you can't cut yourself off from others, unless your ultimate goal is to become a hermit. At some point in your life you'll want a partner (not a business partner) and you won't find them in a book. Also sitting in a corner in class and keeping away from others will make you stand out just as much as if you get up on a chair and sing while stripping. Your technical education is important, but so is your social education.

+1

amazingtaters
August 14th, 2008, 01:05 PM
Look at it this way. You're not living with one of a combination of your two categories who likes to pee in the room when he gets drunk. That was my first college roommate. Lasted about a month before I moved out.

loell
August 14th, 2008, 01:37 PM
Here's a non geek old man's opinion. Firstly, you seem to place people into categories rather quickly, yourself included. Don't be quick to judge the others in class, give it time. When people join a new school/university or workplace, they try to make an impression on others. Often the person you first met 1 year ago is nothing like you believed they were. I also disagree with those that said do your own thing. Well, I don't totally disagree, but you can't cut yourself off from others, unless your ultimate goal is to become a hermit. At some point in your life you'll want a partner (not a business partner) and you won't find them in a book. Also sitting in a corner in class and keeping away from others will make you stand out just as much as if you get up on a chair and sing while stripping. Your technical education is important, but so is your social education.

Yes, and if i may be humorously blunt :tongue:

there's no sadder than an Idiot loner who might think he's better than the other idiots who knows how to socialize with everybody around them. :)

OldTimeTech
August 14th, 2008, 01:39 PM
Watch, do you own thing and then at some later date....you can write a book (humorous of course) about things that go on in colleges ;)

graabein
August 14th, 2008, 01:46 PM
Nerds need some general socialising sooner or later so they don't become all cramped up and bitter. Yes, I'm generalising, don't take it personally (I'm not the one calling everyone idiots).

Don't give up on your classmates. I'm sure there's someone who shares your interests or you could branch out and discover new interesting things. Be open man. Reach out.

:popcorn:

Erik Trybom
August 14th, 2008, 02:10 PM
You know dude, if you think everyone else is an idiot, you can be pretty sure everyone else thinks YOU are an idiot.

cespinal
August 14th, 2008, 02:15 PM
yeah, it is just a different definition of fun and life.
as much as you think they are wasting their life, they also think you are wasting your life in front of computers and books.

and the sad thing is that, they might become your boss someday because they are somewhat more "socially adaptable" with their smoooth-talking skills that somehow works well in modern corporate environment. meanwhile, the geeky tech guy like us will always be the backroom boy.

cheers...

Ir really think it will be the opposite... It takes brains and skill to escalate high...your knowledge its what delivers! not how peopular or socially adaptable you are, althopugh it obviusly can help you.

It really find it harsh when you say everyone that is not like you are simply idiots. People are not more or less idiots because of their main motivations. I BET that at the time you are thinking they are idiots, maybe they are thinking you are an idiot too so the core thing of all this is: PREJUDGEMENT

I know its difficult not to tag people that have a totally different mindset. But you have to give it a try.

I have my own case. Despite Im a very social person. I also love books and computers and im always craving for knowledge while my friends on their own are always thinking on how to tune up their 4 x 4's and how much cubic centimeters are Vanessa's breast implants...should I call them idiots for that? How should I feel If the call me an idiot for what I do?

So in brief:

There is nothing wrong with being a geek
There is nothing wrong on going to parties (unless you become substance addict or something)
There is nothing wrong on waving breast to get favors
a most of all: there is nothing wrong on being ignorant about some subjects!!!!.. I had to learn this one the hard way.. .

uberdonkey5
August 14th, 2008, 03:14 PM
What I have observed either girls are plain cheeky or they are very diligent and successful in conventional sujects. (many are both, which surprises me since how do they manage both).
But I have never seen Girls in real life who step out of line and just follow a non-conventional path or hobby.
Maybe afraid?

not keen on male/female conversations as they tend to generalise too much, but... :)

(generally) females tend to be more risk averse than males because males have to compete for females to reproduce (females carry children and therefore their task is not to have children, which is easy, but to find high quality males). In human societies women have traditionally had less power (physically and socially), and I think this may be why women lie more (shown scientifically) and also conform more* (also shown).

(* interestingly women TEND to be better at sub-conciously picking up accents, which is a sign of conformity)

HOWEVER, it is difficult to say how much of this is due to the different societal pressures placed on men and women. I believe, not only do we have to think on an individual level in most cases (variation within men or women is enormous), but also that the dynamics between women and men are changing.

Always remember too, if there is a trait you hate about the opposite sex - your own sex is to blame because your sex selected for these traits in the past.

uberdonkey5
August 14th, 2008, 03:24 PM
PS. to reply to the original post...he he
I think the best type of work is the work that you don't need to feel recognition for your abilities because you love it so much. Maybe these other people aren't interested in C.S. (I know I'm not!), but imagine how much more boring it must be for them in this case?! Personally I worked in many jobs and ended up in research, partly cos its one of the few jobs where nobody gets recognition for the hard work that you do, except yourself (but then you have to live on peanutbutter sandwiches for the rest of your life)

ankursethi
August 14th, 2008, 03:32 PM
I'm not calling anybody an idiot just because they're different from me. I know many people who are not a bit interested in computers, and yet we are good friends. The reason we are friends is that all of us know exactly what we are doing and why we are doing it. We have not blindly picked up any course just because it was popular at the moment. A guy has gone into architecture, one has taken up law and one of them is going to Bangalore to get a mechanical engineering degree.

Prejudice is bad, yes. I think I should wait a few months before passing judgment on any of these "idiots" I mentioned. I think I will find a couple of great friends. Yet, right now the whole scene in my classroom is getting me down.

One thing I still can't understand is this : if none of the people in my class know anything about computers, are not interested in learning about them (they drove the Computer Languages teacher out of the class yesterday) then why on Earth did they take up CS?

Canis familiaris
August 14th, 2008, 03:44 PM
One thing I still can't understand is this : if none of the people in my class know anything about computers, are not interested in learning about them (they drove the Computer Languages teacher out of the class yesterday) then why on Earth did they take up CS?
Because CS seemingly has lots of scope, and money with less stress apparently. (not true exactly but a stereotype)

cespinal
August 14th, 2008, 03:49 PM
I'm not calling anybody an idiot just because they're different from me. I know many people who are not a bit interested in computers, and yet we are good friends. The reason we are friends is that all of us know exactly what we are doing and why we are doing it. We have not blindly picked up any course just because it was popular at the moment. A guy has gone into architecture, one has taken up law and one of them is going to Bangalore to get a mechanical engineering degree.

Prejudice is bad, yes. I think I should wait a few months before passing judgment on any of these "idiots" I mentioned. I think I will find a couple of great friends. Yet, right now the whole scene in my classroom is getting me down.

One thing I still can't understand is this : if none of the people in my class know anything about computers, are not interested in learning about them (they drove the Computer Languages teacher out of the class yesterday) then why on Earth did they take up CS?


Well then you have a well defined line between what means friendship to you and what does not: knowing people more intimately. And of course that is pretty valid!

Im sorry that this passionless environment filled with people that does not share the same motivation as you is letting you down. But hey! those are their lives! if they want to be mediocre in their studies, so be it! you just focus on squeezing all your motivation.

Im also sure that prejudgement walls will fall eventually. Somehow you will get to break the ice with some on them and begin nice relationships. My only advice here is too keep your mind open at all times.

Reasons for their behavior can be as varied as each of their personalities:
-Dad just put me into college.. I had no choice.
-These course seems to be easier
-Im up for the social stuff
-I hate the teacher

Keyper7
August 14th, 2008, 03:50 PM
Just one observation about the "just do your best and ignore them" comments: sometimes it's not that simple. For instance, a lot of teachers tend to give group assignments and not allow "groups of one". And honestly, they are not wrong in doing so because that's what will happen in the market.

So one must be careful for that "just do your best and ignore them" does not turn into "just let them put everything on your shoulder" in group assignments.

happysmileman
August 14th, 2008, 04:49 PM
I know what you mean bud, If only i had a dollar for every girl that showed me her ***** so i would write some code for her.

You want money too?
Some people just don't appreciate what they have.
Girls. I drive a much better deal that zxscooby. Keep that in mind

VitaLiNux
August 14th, 2008, 05:37 PM
This is mostly just a brain-dump. I'm going crazy, and I was wondering if somebody had already been there and could help me with it.

I've just joined a CompSci course in a not-so-reputed university. I could have made it to a better university had I tried studying a bit harder, but I was too busy poking around in Linux and Python to notice I had a lot of stuff to cover.

My problem is this : most of the people I have met in my university to date are, to put it very bluntly, idiots. I don't mean to say that I'm one of a kind or something. It's just that the people back at school were much more intelligent and rational. Even though very few had any interest in computers, programming or just geekery in general, I could hold intelligent conversation with them.

The guys at my university fall neatly into two categories :
1. The small-towners - Dazzled by the marvels of the big city. They have no clue what a CS course is, and have joined simply because someone told them it was a good idea. Mostly farmer john types.
2. The city slickers - They don't give a dingo's behind about CS, the college or the world in general. To them, life begins and ends at Elevates (a nearby club) and their definition of a computer is "something you can access Facebook with". They have an inkling of what CS is about, but they are too cool to worry about it. All they want is the B.Tech. degree so they can get a 9 to 5 job and spend the rest of their lives hanging out at Elevates.

And then there's me. I've been sitting in a corner - alone - trying to look out for people who seem to know what they are up against. I found two people who looked a bit geekish, but I was put off when one of them said "DOS is such a huge language that nobody has managed to explore it yet. It's the best OS for hacking".

It's not the lack of geeks that is killing me. It's the lack of people with a drive to do something. At school I used to talk about technology with my friends, and we used to detail our own private ventures. Some of us were learning how to program, and some of us were trying to make money online. Even those who were not particularly inclined to anything at all had something intelligent to say. The people at my university are planning to simply take their lives and flush it down the toilet.

I like to have fun just as much as the next guy, but my definition of fun is not loud music, Facebook, booze and nightclubs. I'd rather go out with two good friends than with 20 people I just know by name. I'd rather sit and talk about nothing in particular than talk about who's hooking up with whom. I'd rather sit down with a nice book than pump blaring music into my ears.

Has anybody here been in this position before? I need some help out here.
Been there, too, ankursethi. I know your feelings and it kind of desperates one's live every now and then... But no matter what happens, you'd be better off sticking with that thing you believe in that gives some genuine sense to your life!

Pogeymanz
August 14th, 2008, 07:30 PM
Eh, my 2 cents:

I do sympathize with you. There are a lot of kids who just don't want to be there. They are only there because someone else told them that they need a degree to make decent money.

It's really a shame, because these kids that don't value academia or education are clogging up our hallways and classrooms. I don't mean to sound harsh, but it truly sucks that people are pressured to get degrees. But there are a bunch of people who really are there to learn and better themselves. I just hope you find a few.

It sounds like you are just starting out in college. Once you get through your first one or two years, you'll find that the kids in your comp sci classes are more into it. Either, because the other ones failed, or changed majors to something else. I've been there. I'm a Physics major, and for my first year, my physics and math classes were full of engineering students that hated math and physics! I always had to hear these large groups of kids moaning "Why do we have to do the integral ourselves?! There's computers to do that stuff for us!"; "Why is everything a variable, can't we just have some numbers to plug into an equation?" Seriously.

I'm not sure those particular kids made it as engineers, but my point is that now my classes are all Physics and Math classes that are full of Physicists and Mathematicians. And I actually socialize with most of the kids in each of my classes. There is a group of about 7 of us who have had the exact same schedule of Physics classes for 2 years and counting. Luckily we get along well.

I guess I'm just trying to say that you'll find your group. They are looking for you too, probably!