General Discussion

MannyGoldstein

(34,589 posts)

36. You're pretty impressed by my education.

Tue Jan 13, 2015, 08:51 PM

Jan 2015

Certainly, more than I am! I recall bringing it up in one post ever out of 30k of 'em, and that was in the context of having classmates who've been unemployed for years.

But you - and a few others - bring it up often. C'est la vie.

I will say one thing - as a Cornell Engineering undergrad in the 1980s, nobody handed me @#$%. Fully half of the students who started in that engineering program flunked out over time, it was brutal, nasty stuff. Every course was graded on a bell curve centered at 2.5, (B-/C+), and IIRC 20% of students in each course had to fail, or the professor was in deep @#$%. A GPA under 2.0 earned a semester of academic probation, under a 2.0 twice in a row and you were kicked out -- even in one's senior year.

I take a little pride in having survived the thing, but it was ultimately ridiculous to treat students like that. Goddess knows, nobody was handed anything there, it was all earned though a ridiculous amount of work, and not being the brightest bulb in the chandelier didn't make it any easier for me.

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Even an Ivy League Grad Can�t Pass the New GED [View all] cali Jan 2015 OP

Hmm...very interesting. NaturalHigh Jan 2015 #1

A community college student is living with us, who has been making excellent grades. pnwmom Jan 2015 #2

And you handily point to the reason for the new test. Keep an entire population at their disposal lonestarnot Jan 2015 #39

I think all of this test mania is for the sake of the profit of a few. It's disgusting. n/t pnwmom Jan 2015 #41

Certainly fucking is. Most assuredly is. Without a doubt is. lonestarnot Jan 2015 #42

it's also about ranking people and putting them into boxes so tight they can never escape. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #108

Yes, I think so, too. pnwmom Jan 2015 #112

Message auto-removed Name removed Jan 2015 #142

$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ mountain grammy Jan 2015 #3

Then they will start a big war demwing Jan 2015 #8

"They will dine on our miseries, and drink from the wells of our sorrows." City Lights Jan 2015 #25

Shouldn't it be difficult to pass? LittleBlue Jan 2015 #4

first of all, those who take the GED have some high school cali Jan 2015 #7

and often, college ged courses as well. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #47

When's the last time you took one of those tests? F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #12

I took the SAT and didn't find it misleading LittleBlue Jan 2015 #17

The writer of the OP said he got his lowest score on the liberal arts section, pnwmom Jan 2015 #44

And if he took a comprehensive exam of the material from all his liberal arts programs LittleBlue Jan 2015 #87

Reading comprehension tests, unlike math tests, are not supposed to rely on prior or pnwmom Jan 2015 #90

You can study for those LittleBlue Jan 2015 #93

Again, reading comprehension tests are supposed to measure reading comprehension -- pnwmom Jan 2015 #102

Would that be the same challenge faced by children at high schools? LittleBlue Jan 2015 #103

But the new GED test is not pre-tested for biased or misleading questions pnwmom Jan 2015 #106

I'm attacking the conclusion in the OP, not giving blanket support for the test LittleBlue Jan 2015 #110

True, but the things he said he missed ARE covered in high school joeglow3 Jan 2015 #116

Pearson's test isn't pre-tested with actual students or backed by pnwmom Jan 2015 #129

Plenty of people graduate high school without having to pass calculus or trig. MADem Jan 2015 #82

you don't have to -- or didn't use to have to -- sit for all the tests at once. you could take ND-Dem Jan 2015 #50

Ah, okay, thanks for the clarification. F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #59

That's just insane n/t vive la commune Jan 2015 #67

You mean the $900? Agreed, and especially considering who the typical person sitting for ND-Dem Jan 2015 #69

Yeah, the $900 is insane vive la commune Jan 2015 #75

The one thing that used to be great about this country (as opposed to many other 1st-world ND-Dem Jan 2015 #76

Here is someone come along to defend it JonLP24 Jan 2015 #21

GEDs don't solve job shortages and poor pay LittleBlue Jan 2015 #22

More people are unemployed, more people earn less income JonLP24 Jan 2015 #24

That doesn't matter LittleBlue Jan 2015 #26

It does matter. Drop-outs can get into community college and certificate programs pnwmom Jan 2015 #45

Yes, but it has nothing to do with the existing number of jobs and their pay LittleBlue Jan 2015 #79

You are conflating two separate issues. pnwmom Jan 2015 #86

are you for real? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #51

The level of critical reasoning on this forum LittleBlue Jan 2015 #80

how can you not see that nobody said they were? Heal thyself, physician. Or work on ND-Dem Jan 2015 #81

That has absolutely nothing to do with what I replied to LittleBlue Jan 2015 #84

It may be. However, with GED at least some people from the bottom of the income distribution ND-Dem Jan 2015 #88

I would prefer we increase the number of well-paying jobs LittleBlue Jan 2015 #91

You set it up as a choice between the two when it's not and when there is no plan or programme ND-Dem Jan 2015 #96

Then why don't we just do away with the GED altogether? LittleBlue Jan 2015 #99

Actually, since you could take free classes, take the test multiple times, and it was free or ND-Dem Jan 2015 #100

I googled one of these so-called impossible math questions LittleBlue Jan 2015 #104

Maybe you don't get the fact that not every high school requires linear equations for ND-Dem Jan 2015 #107

You don't have to understand linear equations to pass the GED LittleBlue Jan 2015 #109

you have to pass each one of the tests. if linear equations aren't the standard for HS graduation ND-Dem Jan 2015 #111

I think the Oregon Department of Education would disagree whopis01 Jan 2015 #115

and i think you must have missed the star by the requirements that footnoted ND-Dem Jan 2015 #120

I did not miss that star at all - and last time I looked at the calendar it is 2015 whopis01 Jan 2015 #124

Point being, the requirement is NEW. I graduated HS in WA with intro to algebra too. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #125

I guess they didn't cover sarcasm either when you where in HS whopis01 Jan 2015 #127

may i ask why you decided to put sciences in scare quotes, usually used ND-Dem Jan 2015 #128

There are no scare quotes there - just plain old quotes indicating that the wording was not mine whopis01 Jan 2015 #132

you didn't quote the phrase, you quoted the word "sciences". that's a scare quote. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #133

I never claimed to have quoted the full phrase whopis01 Jan 2015 #134

You don't understand the meaning of backhanded. A backhanded compliment is really an ND-Dem Jan 2015 #135

You are not following what was said very clearly. whopis01 Jan 2015 #139

ah, but i clearly implied you were a math 1%er, so why the sarcasm and hostility? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #140

Exactly. They don't want us to have jobs. jen1980 Jan 2015 #29

It is obvious JonLP24 Jan 2015 #32

and some on this board feel the same. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #136

You're right that there aren't enough decent paying jobs. But GED is the first step for someone ND-Dem Jan 2015 #60

I understand that. It is an economic solution for an individual person LittleBlue Jan 2015 #83

Yes, it's a solution for individuals. Would you deny them that without any viable alternative? ND-Dem Jan 2015 #85

I would have the GED be a serious examination and not a joke LittleBlue Jan 2015 #89

It always was a serious examination, and people didn't "breeze through it" without studying ND-Dem Jan 2015 #92

You are a member who joined 2 days ago LittleBlue Jan 2015 #94

I'm a person who's taught GED to poor students. And who, knowing a bit of logic, knows ND-Dem Jan 2015 #97

Welcome to DU Fumesucker Jan 2015 #113

Thanks. I notice you have more posts than "Little Blue," too. ND-Dem Jan 2015 #137

I have never worked anywhere where GED applications didn't go... Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #40

I don't understand JonLP24 Jan 2015 #43

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #55

People use GED's to get into community college and from there into universities. pnwmom Jan 2015 #46

That's fine, all roads lead to Rome Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #49

I don't have a GED. But those who do don't need to have them accepted pnwmom Jan 2015 #52

Yes, I've known a lot of people who took the same route and did very well. It seems this is ND-Dem Jan 2015 #58

Especially if you read the article JonLP24 Jan 2015 #63

I hear ya. I'm recovering from meningitis (infection of the covering of the brain) and am ND-Dem Jan 2015 #65

I know what you mean, very well. JonLP24 Jan 2015 #74

"the people who would be taking a GED test could probably figure out a smarter test" ND-Dem Jan 2015 #77

I have a GED vive la commune Jan 2015 #66

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #70

I don't think the unconventional student is the typical GED situation Sen. Walter Sobchak Jan 2015 #101

There are two worlds though the one with the GED or the one without JonLP24 Jan 2015 #62

Well, I have. Any low-level job will take a GED: janitor, restaurant work, etc. And for people ND-Dem Jan 2015 #54

I have never worked anywhere that actually looked to see if you actually graduated Egnever Jan 2015 #61

He has a Masters Degree in a liberal arts subject from Columbia University pnwmom Jan 2015 #57

Within Reason BlueinOhio Jan 2015 #121

Point taken, but... MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #5

Exactly. It's like "Are you smarter than a fifth grader." nichomachus Jan 2015 #6

I certainly agree with some of that MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #11

I agree nichomachus Jan 2015 #15

Me, Manny. Some of us weren't handed an Ivy League education..... msanthrope Jan 2015 #23

Can you translate that into common, direct language MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #30

I am sure, with your self-professed Cornell education, you know msanthrope Jan 2015 #34

You're pretty impressed by my education. MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #36

Impressed? Not in the least. msanthrope Jan 2015 #38

Achingly-beautiful campus MannyGoldstein Jan 2015 #53

Could we not just have ,,, Cryptoad Jan 2015 #9

Thanks for this! I'm teaching a "pre-GED" class right now -- oneview Jan 2015 #10

This. F4lconF16 Jan 2015 #13

i need to work on my reading comprehension Enrique Jan 2015 #14

I flunked my 7th grade kid's English comprehension test perdita9 Jan 2015 #16

Many things we learn in high school are simply not applicable to life Warpy Jan 2015 #18

This is sad to learn about. logosoco Jan 2015 #19

I wonder who came up with the new GED JonLP24 Jan 2015 #20

How about people just finish high school? woolldog Jan 2015 #27

In the end JonLP24 Jan 2015 #31

Life events don't always make it simple. Starry Messenger Jan 2015 #37

says the man of limited experience ND-Dem Jan 2015 #72

High school can be a horrible nightmare for many kids. roody Jan 2015 #95

Chuckle..."I'm glad we don't have to play the Rams anymore," wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. madinmaryland Jan 2015 #35

He should try taking the Grade 5 Math Common Core test oberliner Jan 2015 #28

He says the Math questions in the GED test are consistent with the Common Core JonLP24 Jan 2015 #64

Considering it is equivalent to getting a high school diploma, yeoman6987 Jan 2015 #33

There is a recent push to make it dramatically tougher than previous edition JonLP24 Jan 2015 #48

One more way to fuck the poor..welcome to Randian Amerika! /nt workinclasszero Jan 2015 #56

Of course they made it almost impossible to pass.. KyleMcShades Jan 2015 #68

Only 1/2 college grads have jobs so why let all into college. CK_John Jan 2015 #71

Pretty sure graduate unemployment <50%.....<5% even. whatthehey Jan 2015 #144

I quit high school before the GED. hunter Jan 2015 #73

+100 ND-Dem Jan 2015 #78

I Left After Three Years ProfessorGAC Jan 2015 #118

My own kids, straight A honors students, staged a few high school rebellions... hunter Jan 2015 #123

Yeah, Real Brazen! ProfessorGAC Jan 2015 #126

I have no doubt that I would flunk any test with algebrea. cwydro Jan 2015 #98

Also, the new GED has not been pre-tested for fairness with actual high school students pnwmom Jan 2015 #105

Cute anecdote by ONE Ivy League grad. GeorgeGist Jan 2015 #114

Sounds contrived Android3.14 Jan 2015 #117

Testing Thespian2 Jan 2015 #119

As far as High School goes, BubbaFett Jan 2015 #122

I took mine in 1965 without any preps and passed all the test with my lowest being math. Went on jwirr Jan 2015 #130

"the door to higher education is being closed to a lot of people who may do just fine in college" ND-Dem Jan 2015 #138

Yes, but there is going to come a time in the near future when the older workers start to retire and jwirr Jan 2015 #141

I agree, we need to get rid of the visa program. But it doesn't exist for lack of qualified ND-Dem Jan 2015 #143

Well, at least one Ivy League grad couldn't pass it. MineralMan Jan 2015 #131