I don't understand the people who are saying that he just wasn't cut out for an engineering program. I, too, am an engineering school dropout (computer science, though). And I'm the first to admit that I _didn't_ work hard enough at it -- mainly because I discovered I just didn't like it all that much. BUT. Even if I had, I believe I would have had an extremely discouraging experience. The teaching was horrible, like he described. The TA's English skills left a lot to be desired. And many of the TAs that I knew as friends complained about students "bothering" them for help; nevermind that that's what they were supposed to be doing.
There's something really wrong with less than 50% being a passing grade, too, which was common.
And the particular university I went to was definitely not friendly for women. (I don't want to blame sexism for my failure in the subject, but it definitely played its part in various ways.)
I've been reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. He has a lot to say about the state of science and engineering education in the U.S. today. Relevant to this article/discussion. I recommend it.
We NEED more scientists and engineers in this country. Weeding out those students who don't excel immediately doesn't make sense in that context.
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I don't understand the people who are saying that he just wasn't cut out for an engineering program. I, too, am an engineering school dropout (computer science, though). And I'm the first to admit that I _didn't_ work hard enough at it -- mainly because I discovered I just didn't like it all that much. BUT. Even if I had, I believe I would have had an extremely discouraging experience. The teaching was horrible, like he described. The TA's English skills left a lot to be desired. And many of the TAs that I knew as friends complained about students "bothering" them for help; nevermind that that's what they were supposed to be doing.
There's something really wrong with less than 50% being a passing grade, too, which was common.
And the particular university I went to was definitely not friendly for women. (I don't want to blame sexism for my failure in the subject, but it definitely played its part in various ways.)
I've been reading The World is Flat by Thomas L. Friedman. He has a lot to say about the state of science and engineering education in the U.S. today. Relevant to this article/discussion. I recommend it.
We NEED more scientists and engineers in this country. Weeding out those students who don't excel immediately doesn't make sense in that context.
I was just wondering, as a librarian, if it usually occurs to people to ask a librarian for help when searching.
Regardless of what she's actually looking for, there are people who study CS just for fun.
I swear I'm going to finish that damned Rosen's Discrete Mathematics book one of these days...
I've had many a research project go under due to the inability to find accurate information
I'm curious, did you try going to a physical library and asking a reference librarian for help?
*MOST* universities definitely do not have Web of Science. It costs tens of thousands of dollars. A lot have it, yes, but not most.