To wonder how the HELL some people get into university?

[SayYuleNowSayWhipTheReindeer]

I'm currently doing a degree as a mature student alongside work, and am just amazed at the stupidity lack of knowledge some of my fellow students have. For instance, nearly all of them - on a fecking ENGLISH LANGUAGE degree course - mix up "your" and you're", "there" and "their", and use the spelling "definately".

I overheard a conversation today that involved several students talking about how they didn't know their times tables above 5 or 6.

AIBU to seriously wonder if it's even worth doing a degree if this is the standard they're allowing in at the moment?

Even the 'cold hard world of teh workplace' has to abide by the law, though. As I said further up the thread, people have to make reasonable adjustments.

Much of my family is dyslexic - it's never stopped us getting and keeping jobs, because we have amazing technology like dictionaries and grammar books.

The admin staff that I work with can write a perfectly good email/letter in 3 languages.

My Ds is dyslexic ,good job he never went to university then really

OP - this is all very familiar to me (not in the UK) - but a large uni with a very wide range of abilities - if it's any comfort to you, you will very quickly endear yourself to your lecturers and tutors precisely because you don't make these kinds of mistakes, and because you listen to advice and criticism. This latter is the main difference for me between mature students (defined here as over 23) and the straight from schoolers. Also it's likely to be the quiet students who are in the library who will share your views and standards. Be true to yourself, and don't worry about them! good luck

YANBU re the grammar and punctuation (my typing sucks and I can't be arsed to triple check it so apologies for my mistakes ) but YABU about the tables.

I am a solicitor and have completely forgotten alot of mine. When do I ever need them? it isn't so hard that you can't figure one out quickly anyway. If you asked me 8x9 it would take me a matter of seconds. You just use x10 as a baseline. 8x10 is piss easy: 80 and just subtract 8 and you'll get the right answer. There are easy ways to work things out wihtout having to know tables. I can still work out the and I can still do mental arithmatic.

I'm not surprised that they get into uni. It isn't hard these days, places are based on predicted a-level grades and there isn't an entrance exam. I'm surprised that they get good grades GCSE's and A-Level's with such poor written skills. They no longer deduct marks for poor spelling and grammar in English exams and I think that is a disgrace.

We employ law students every year at my law firm. I can only remember 1-2 over the last 5 years that stood out as a good all rounder: good skills and dedication. The rest, never mind the book smarts, not only are most of them pretty mediochre academically, the attitude needed serious work. Sitting on the internet shopping when they should be doing some bloody work, bringing their dirty bowls into the kitchen and chucking in the sink and when told they ought to wash it up: "i can't be arsed" they say. good luck get a training contract or pupillage girls and boys, you're gonig to bloody need alot of luck.

You think thats bad. We let pretty much anyone who will pay in to do a masters. Its all about bums on seats.

Not surprised at all waited news night a while back it was about employers having to provide remidal class for graudets
I fee so sad lots of young people were sold a myth but labour that everyone should be at uni

No they should not I know I am a person who should be no were near they are sold medjia degree when really its a degree which means you haven't got the marks to do law I mean how many people can work on x factor or on kiss fm for gods sake

I dunno, I just tell them the difference between been and being and then get on with introducing some interesting ideas

Yes, you might have to start at a more basic level than ideal, but anyone who is prepared to listen and make the effort is alright by me.

SayYule- Hindsight is a magical thing. If you're oh so bright and smart why didn't you go to university back in the day?

I hate studying alongside mature students, and to be honest, they had been out of the education system for so long they were utterly clueless. The lecturers humoured them but out of 20 that started only 2 graduated...luckily for them they're near enough pension age so getting a job with their degree isn't really an issue. Well use of a place.

I really do despair at the spelling in emails sent in a professional capacity. The amount of managers who still can't tell the difference between your and you're is just ridiculous

That should read "the number of managers"

However, I agree with you. I used to have to proofread the school prospectus every year when I was teaching because the satadard of literacy of the deputy head was so poor. What amazes me as well is how poor most students' general knowledge is. Many of them don't seem to read newspapers or watch the news.

Ouch : standard

Thanks for that Exquisite. I didn't go to university as my mother had cancer and there was no one else around to look after her, so I found a job to pay the mortgage and supported us both. But thanks for reminding me.

I'm now at a place in my life where I am lucky enough to pursue a career that I want, and am doing pretty well juggling my job, a degree, and a 1 year old child.

ilovesooty - you're absolutely right. I blame the wine . I wince every time I see "8 items or less" at the checkout.

"The other day I was trying to explain myxomatosis (as you do) and said, "you know, kind of like rabies for rabbits."
The reply was, "What's rabies?"

I know, it's tough when you get a reply like that from the lecturer.

I blame Noo Labour, dumbing down and grade inflation.

I don't mind the spelling so much (as long as I am not expected to correct it! I will do the first page but after that the student needs to get to grips with spell check!), what gets me is the disinterest.

I've students who were unresponsove in seminars (Russell Group Uni) and when I approached them to find out what was wrong, how I could help etc. they said they couldn't be bothered they just wanted a Third class degree and they did not need to contribute to seminars for that!

Favourite openning line ever in an essay: "It is very difficult for me to write on this subject as I know fuck all about it" !!!!!!!!!!!

"perfectly good email letter in 3 languages": hmm let me think know...

lettre de courriel parfaitement bon en 3 langues

καλή ηλεκτρονική επιστολή σε 3 γλώσσες

and if I try really hard...

вполне хороший электронной почте письмо на трех языках

Can I have my degree now!

well that didn't work very well...

Don't tell me schools haven't bothered to teach these things. I've taught students in, say year 7, and then at GCSE, and had them make errors in - and in fact, swear blind they have never been taught! - things I know for a fact I taught, corrected and made a Big Deal about (e.g. paragraphs, capital letters, apostophes) further down the school. It's even more galling when they do the same thing in the sixth form. They have no concept of having to transfer knowledge from one year to the next. I promise that, in my school at least, it is not because teachers don't pull them up on it.

boo - Personally I quite like disinterested students ... it's the biased gits I object to.

I do think that is a much bigger problem though - lack of interest/thinking you deserve a degree, or a first class even, because you paid to study is really not on.

I am now in the 2nd year of a degree course - I'm 50 and SO OVER getting upset about this!

My course is history-based, and some of my teenage fellow-students have never even heard of the Balkans conflict, or the Northern Irish Troubles. It is terribly frustrating to study alongside people who have no "linear" concept of history, (they know about Tudors, Trenches and Nazis) and (from my ancient perspective) a frightening lack of general knowlege about the world. Very few of them read for pleasure, or have actually read anything at all apart from their English GSCE set books.

The year below us were working on a group project to do with Charles Dicken's connection with our city. The lecturer was dismayed to discover that the only book by Dickens that any of the students had heard of was 'Oliver Twist'.

We had nothing much else to do except read books and/or listen to music when I was a kid, especially in winter. No DVDs, only 3 channels on TV etc etc.

What we have to remember is that the curriculum has changed enormously. I nearly shat myself when my first Uni assignment last year was a (filmed) Powerpoint presentation - something I've never had to do before. I was expecting a straight academic essay. I managed to cobble something together with the help of my 15 year old DS (and got a 1st ) but the teenagers took it all completely in their stride.

I think that's what really galls me. I'm working my ass off, and my fellow students are off getting pissed every night, and don't care about what they're doing, and they'll still somehow get their degree.

Still, I did get a first in an assignment the other day....

Good for you, Lapsed.

I did my MA with a 1 year old child and while pregnant with the next. Luckily, at your age, you managed to do it while holding down a mortgage and all of the pluses that come with being over the age of 18.

Well done on your first!

Mind you, I wonder how much of that is to do with you being a mature student, and how much is simply to do with you being the kind of person who puts the effort in and is capable of a first?

I can see what you're saying about it galling you though - and sorry for going in all guns blazing. Every time I tell myself I'll stand back and not do it ... obviously I still need some practice at sitting on my fingers.

Everything, what's with the tone? You did your MA while pregnant and with a 1-year-old - great. So you should know what I'm talking about. Why so antagonistic?