Comments on: University is more than box on a CV

By: I

Thu, 31 Dec 2009 14:44:18 +0000

Bloody pretentious.

By: Thoulalalalala

Thoulalalalala — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 21:43:30 +0000

I do think there are many people who do consider studying an end unto itself.

I chose to study in the UK because I knew I would be able to enjoy actually STUDYING english lit in an environment that would be at once cushioned and competitive with many opportunities to get involved in extra curricular activities: my home country – France – would never have yielded such an opportunity.

In my experience, I get the “what do you intend to do with a degree in english?” question – with an undertone of “what the hell is literature, and indeed ENGLISH literature good for?” far more from French relatives than I do from people in the UK.

What’s more, whilst getting involved in student-run activities can be a nice addition to one’s CV, those who run these societies genuinely care: they would not devote so much time& effort otherwise… and possibly jeopardise their degree!

By: DJFitz

DJFitz — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 20:02:56 +0000

Hi Daniel,

I believe such a problem/phenomenon as you describe is not unique to York. I have just completed my undergraduate studies at Trinity College Dublin, where such foppish, ha ha ya ya, kudos hunting, all to the detriment of a “learned” campus ambience is endemic. The ideals of John Henry Newman cannot compete with the emerging “students as vapid opportunists” syndrome. I will be attending York in October to study for an MRes in Computational Biology. Your article does not offer the vicarious excitment felt from more “official” renditions of York campus life. I do hope you are wrong.

By: Susanna Snufflepuff

Susanna Snufflepuff — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 00:53:35 +0000

hmmm, quite true in some respects. As a first year student I found university highly over-rated. But what can you do? Get a first? Stick that on your CV…? Hope that how the ‘outside world’ views university life and how your time at uni was in reality is unspoken of as you roll into a high paid job….

By: Graduate

Graduate — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 21:27:47 +0000

Fair point on instrumental value. I should have said that the primary end is the lifestyle that the well paid job etc leads to.

By: Josh Lyman

Josh Lyman — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:58:52 +0000

A well paid job and a nice pension are valued for their instrumental role, after all money is only valued for what it can provide, not in itself. Daniel’s mention of philosophy is not valued for what it will lead to, and therefore cannot be understood as instrumental. Pedantry aside, your point in valid. The question of why apathy is so widespread is a question that needs serious attention. I myself doubt whether this article taps into the reason why, but at least it attempts to.

By: Graduate

Graduate — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 15:10:59 +0000

Daniel, you see philosophy as an end in itself. Other people might see unexamined contentment, by way of a well-paid job and nice pension, as their primary end. Yes these people might take up positions in societies because it will look good on their CV’s, but this seems to me no worse than criticising them and doing nothing about it.

York is indeed not filled with idiots (for the most part), but why have more of the non-idiotic, dissatisfied majority not stood up and attempted to create change?

By: Tobias Ziegler

Tobias Ziegler — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 23:01:01 +0000

1 – Our turnout is closer to 30%

2 – It is actually not the highest in the UK. It is one of the highest but the figures released by NUS and reported in national student media show there are a few (not many) with higher % turnout than YUSU. ‘Fact’.

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:44:07 +0000

Exactly – we have the highest turnout – that makes us, at best, the best of a bad bunch

By: Anon

Anon — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 22:10:55 +0000

“We have the highest percentage turnout of undergraduate voters in the country – FACT.”

Yes, but Dan did not try to compare York with other universities, he is only implying that a turnout of 20% is not particularly high.

By: Factual Response

Factual Response — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 21:49:07 +0000

“Our YUSU elections have a ridiculously low turn-out”

We have the highest percentage turnout of undergraduate voters in the country – FACT.