Seemingly pointless classes

sharpeimom · Feb 20, 2011

it's called getting a well rounded education instead of becoming a technician. an education as opposed to being handed or mailed a piece of paper that says you have a degree. it enables you to have critical

thinking abilities.

if you only want classes you think are relevant, you should have gone to a vo-tech school and not to a university or cc.

thenameismac · Feb 20, 2011

Ok. Ok. I get that! I am in a PCT program as well and we learn more than skills so we get a more rounded education. That is why I try to learn the information in Psych and make it interesting. But I just don't understand the point in making it so hard. Whether I find it interesting or not I still have to take it so I think I'm entitled to rant about it if I choose especially if that helps me to better study. That's what "getting it off of your chest" is for. Thanks.

karamarie91 · Feb 20, 2011

I understand what you(the OP) means when you say Psch seems harder than it should be. At the beginning of this semester, I enrolled in Psch 101 with a professor that wanted many papers(like 5-6 pages in length). Due to scheduling conflicts, I dropped that professor and enrolled in another professor's Psch class. This professor does this course VERY simple: in class assignments,maybe an online discussion, class notes, and a test like every two weeks. She already told us there would be no papers.

I wouldnt say these classes are pointless because it adds to a well rounded education, but when paired with hard classes such as Chem or Statistics, work load should be easier.

Best wishes!

thenameismac · Feb 20, 2011

Thanks. I am all about a well rounded education but sometimes professors expect us to take their class and ONLY their class. It does get a little hard to keep up and stuff. You're lucky you got to transfer to another class. This professor is the only one who teaches this course online EVERY SEMESTER. Lol. I wonder what her pass/fail rate is.

MissChloe · Feb 20, 2011

I'd honestly rather write papers than take tests. Papers allow you to really show your breadth of knowledge. If you choke on a test, that's it.

elkpark · Feb 20, 2011

Developmental psych is not only a component of "a well-rounded education," it is also vital, core information that you need for nursing. Your nursing courses will build upon this basic knowledge that you will be expected to already have. Hardly "pointless."

LexiG · Feb 20, 2011

I think psych actualy is an important base class but I know what you mean about some teachers thinking their class should be your main focus. I have the same teacher for 2 different psych classes this semester who is informative without overloading us. My history of photography teacher? Weekly tests, bi-weekly online discussion boards, mid term, final, required museum visit and 4 papers that have to be 4-5 pages each.

2011NursingStudent · Feb 20, 2011

Is there anyone out there who feels this way about some of their pre-reqs? I am currently taking Philosophy and Developmental Psych and I find these classes to be utterly boring and just completely pointless. I believe that my Philosophy professor knows that this information is pointless to us so she only requires us to do a little discussion board assignment and a chapter exam every week. No big deal. Just read and do the work. My psych professor must hate us. She is making this way harder than it needs to be. We have several papers to do before the end of the semester. We must read a chapter and a half every week and complete a chapter exam for each chapter and there are a few other projects. This is cool and all except if you don't understand something she will swear that it's in the syllabus or assignment tab or module tab. Yes everything is in three different places with several due dates. She makes it so hard and is super quick to fail you on an assignment. *sigh*. This class is boring as is. I tried to make the information interesting but when I see that I got a 50/100 on a assignment that information just makes me upset all over again. It's like conditional behavior or something like that. Every time I look at my textbook I think of my professor and I just get upset and I don't want to study. But I must. *sigh* I must.

Yes - same class, same unreasonable teacher, same problem with one random, ridiculously low grade. (Although because I had turned in something a few hours late the second week, not realizing this teacher had a completely random deadline that was before the beginning of the start of the next week.) I had taken this class at another school too, something like Psych-104, and now I'm having to take Psych-101 b/c they won't transfer it. Lucky me!! I do understand the need for psychology and how in theory it could help students understand pts behavior in the future, but they way this particular class is set up, I feel the same way. I like Sociology much better.

mangopeach · Feb 20, 2011

I actually loved those types of classes. I think I'm a better person for it. I think they have added so much to my life and made me a better thinker, and a better person in general. I took more history,religion,philosophy and humanity classes than was required and now that I'm in the nursing program, I actually miss taking some of those classes.

And since nursing is not just about giving meds and the technical things that you do in a hospital, I do think these classes are very important. You are going to be dealing with the holistic person. Not just dealing with their physical illness, but their psychosocial,sociocultural, and spirtual needs as well.

QuarterLife88, MSN, RN, NP · Feb 20, 2011

I feel sorry for you as I loved Psych, and the Ethics class I had to take for pre-reqs. They are very relevant to nursing and general life, IMO. You ARE going to be dealing with HUMANS aren't you? So how are they pointless exactly?

2011NursingStudent · Feb 20, 2011

^ You might not share the op's view on psych, but as someone with the same view on this class, who loves all their other classes, just let him vent. Everybody doesn't have to love the same classes that you did.

Gotta say, in addition to my previous comment - I really hate how this particular instructor has deadlines before the start of the next week, takes off 50% for being a couple of hours late in an online class and then takes over a month to grade everything. I hate when people push things like being uber prompt, and then they are the same ones that grade everything a month+ later.

:rolleyes: