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Academia Ghetto Thread

Started by Mesozoic Mister Nigel, September 05, 2014, 05:51:06 PM

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Ochem grades are in! 95%, which helps make up for the sorry score I got in mol bio. Its also nice to know that I don't need to stress over it and can focus my energy on my one hard class.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Mesozoic Mister Nigel

I don't know why PSU names its classes the way they do. Every time I mention that I'm taking Perception or Holistic Problem Solving, people giggle.  :lol:
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 29, 2014, 03:11:05 PM
Quote from: Ållnephew Tvýðleþøn on October 29, 2014, 05:54:28 AM
Registration for spring semester begins next freakin' week. So, I had to email the department head and ask him for a list of what courses were being offered and when. I just woke up from a brief sleep and saw that he had sent it. I've still got some time to tweak it for time and to contact UMass and ask them just how badly they need me to actually graduate from Bunker Hill before transferring or if I can just transfer regardless and take the necessary classes there (man's gotta work and there's a big chunk of time in between two classes that would allow me to commute back to work, sign in, work for 15 minutes, sign out and then go back to school  :lulz:)

But it looks like it will be:
Environmental Microbiology (elective. The other Microbiology course I took is clinical and is meant for Nursing or Biotech programs)
Molecular Biotechnology (elective, and a capstone course)
General Chemistry I
General Physics II

Total of 17 credits

This would basically leave Calculus I and General Chemistry II as the only classes left I had to take.

Other electives that I have the option for but decided against in favor Micro and Molecular (because that's more in line with what I want to do) were Population Ecology (conflicts schedulewise with Molecular) and Interpretation of Scientific Research (useful, but again. I'm keeping that one as a backup elective)

Invariably, since there's only one time slot for each of these bio electives and BHCC has more students than it can handle, I'm going to have to be sitting at my computer as soon as the courses become available. Which blows, but it will be my last semester there, if given the go ahead by UMass.

I don't know about Mass, but Oregon does a dual-enrollment thing. Even if they don't it just sounds like a normal transfer application.

My next term is looking like a cakewalk, compared to this term at least; Cell bio, Neurophysiology II, and TAing Perception, and then Borneo over spring break. Technically I'm taking 18 credits because Borneo is 4 credits and the TA is 4 practicum credits, but the actual school/homework workload is only 10 credits.

I can't wait until the end of the term; my immune system is not handling this term very well.

Bunker Hill has certain deals with certain local universities. Our biology program, for example, is tailored to be in line exactly with the UMass system, our engineering department with Northeastern, etc. It's basically just a paper work deal. I'm actually even still technically a History and Government major because advising wouldn't sign off on me switching to Biology transfer until I talked to UMass even though I'm almost done with the Biology requirements. It's supposed to facilitate things so that it's an automatic transfer. If I don't graduate from BHCC first, it will take some more work or something like that. I might have to go through the normal application process, write an essay, pay the application fee, all that bullshit. But in the long run, it might just be quicker and less annoying to do just that. Most importantly, I get financial aid again as soon as I transfer, though I think I'm going to appeal for spring semester, because Molecular alone is 5 credits.

If I end up putting Chem and Physics in the Fuckit Bucket, I might also try for a learning contract with the Department Head, which I was considering anyway so I could get lab access for my own purposes for that thing I told you I had an idea about. It would basically be me designing my own lab course, which might not transfer over creditwise, but would pad my GPA a bit, and look wicked good on paper.
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
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Nephew Twiddleton

George did a learning contract in order to keep his insurance and so he could drop Physics, and it's basically just a continuation of the shit he was doing anyway, and it's going to count as a 500 level class.

I was like, Holee fuq, I need to do something like that.
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

I think you guys have a very different system there; I've never even heard of a learning contract.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 30, 2014, 01:41:18 AM
I think you guys have a very different system there; I've never even heard of a learning contract.

I hadn't either until George was looking for ways to keep his insurance :lulz: but apparently umass has a similar thing. Problem is will it transfer
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Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

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Nephew Twiddleton

It probably won't be a problem for him because what he's doing, he was going to do a presentation to UMass Amherst on it (where he's transferring) anyway as part of him being a part of the Honors Program.
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Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

Mesozoic Mister Nigel

One thing that's interesting is that I looked at the bio major requirements at Amherst out of curiosity, and they're utterly different from Portland State. Like, very significantly different. It's interesting. Of course, because you're on semester and we're on quarters it's really hard to say whether it's really as different as it seems, or whether both programs cover the same material in different time frames and with different names.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 30, 2014, 02:09:16 AM
One thing that's interesting is that I looked at the bio major requirements at Amherst out of curiosity, and they're utterly different from Portland State. Like, very significantly different. It's interesting. Of course, because you're on semester and we're on quarters it's really hard to say whether it's really as different as it seems, or whether both programs cover the same material in different time frames and with different names.

It's even different here sometimes. Northeastern is a 5 year university, for some reason, which made it a pain in the ass for friends of mine to transfer out of there. I had a few friends that went there (you know, when they were supposed to), and one or two of them ended up transferring to UMass Boston and it was a bit of a headache transferring the credits because it was a different credit system. Maybe it was something like that where it was a quarter system or something, I don't know. But the Massachusetts state system is roughly 1 credit per hour per week of class time. Obviously that's not an exact measurement since I did about 10 hours of Genetics, but it was also half the time and double the misery, but non-lab courses are generally 3 credits, lab courses 4.
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Nephew Twiddleton

It hasn't been updated for spring (Environmental Microbiology is apparently debuting in spring) but here's the program at BHCC for Bio transfer:

http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/programsofstudy/programs/biologytransferoption/
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Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on October 30, 2014, 02:17:04 AM
Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 30, 2014, 02:09:16 AM
One thing that's interesting is that I looked at the bio major requirements at Amherst out of curiosity, and they're utterly different from Portland State. Like, very significantly different. It's interesting. Of course, because you're on semester and we're on quarters it's really hard to say whether it's really as different as it seems, or whether both programs cover the same material in different time frames and with different names.

It's even different here sometimes. Northeastern is a 5 year university, for some reason, which made it a pain in the ass for friends of mine to transfer out of there. I had a few friends that went there (you know, when they were supposed to), and one or two of them ended up transferring to UMass Boston and it was a bit of a headache transferring the credits because it was a different credit system. Maybe it was something like that where it was a quarter system or something, I don't know. But the Massachusetts state system is roughly 1 credit per hour per week of class time. Obviously that's not an exact measurement since I did about 10 hours of Genetics, but it was also half the time and double the misery, but non-lab courses are generally 3 credits, lab courses 4.

Our in-state systems are pretty integrated, but it's also about 1 credit for every hour of class/lab time, so 180 credits to graduate, for a BS, and some schools register labs separately (because the labs aren't required for every degree) while others combine the class and lab into one registered course. I think maybe course numeration is really different, because your Principles and Genchem courses are listed as 100-level, yet as far as I can tell they're the exact same curriculum as our 200-level Principles and Genchem, spread over 2 semesters instead of 3 quarters.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

Heh, I just looked at History and Government for nostalgic purposes. I'm not even sure BHCC still offers Russian. (Double check) They do, but they only offer Russian I. Biology doesn't even have a language requirement.

http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/programsofstudy/programs/historyandgovernmentconcentration/
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
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Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

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Mesozoic Mister Nigel

Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on October 30, 2014, 02:20:19 AM
It hasn't been updated for spring (Environmental Microbiology is apparently debuting in spring) but here's the program at BHCC for Bio transfer:

http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/programsofstudy/programs/biologytransferoption/

Oh yeah, your course numbering is just way different but I can see how the courses themselves are probably really similar. Our credits are a little weaker; most classes are 4-5 credits and it takes 90 to graduate. I sometimes wish we were on a semester system; the quarter system seems too rushed.
"I'm guessing it was January 2007, a meeting in Bethesda, we got a bag of bees and just started smashing them on the desk," Charles Wick said. "It was very complicated."


Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 30, 2014, 02:28:58 AM
Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on October 30, 2014, 02:17:04 AM
Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 30, 2014, 02:09:16 AM
One thing that's interesting is that I looked at the bio major requirements at Amherst out of curiosity, and they're utterly different from Portland State. Like, very significantly different. It's interesting. Of course, because you're on semester and we're on quarters it's really hard to say whether it's really as different as it seems, or whether both programs cover the same material in different time frames and with different names.

It's even different here sometimes. Northeastern is a 5 year university, for some reason, which made it a pain in the ass for friends of mine to transfer out of there. I had a few friends that went there (you know, when they were supposed to), and one or two of them ended up transferring to UMass Boston and it was a bit of a headache transferring the credits because it was a different credit system. Maybe it was something like that where it was a quarter system or something, I don't know. But the Massachusetts state system is roughly 1 credit per hour per week of class time. Obviously that's not an exact measurement since I did about 10 hours of Genetics, but it was also half the time and double the misery, but non-lab courses are generally 3 credits, lab courses 4.

Our in-state systems are pretty integrated, but it's also about 1 credit for every hour of class/lab time, so 180 credits to graduate, for a BS, and some schools register labs separately (because the labs aren't required for every degree) while others combine the class and lab into one registered course. I think maybe course numeration is really different, because your Principles and Genchem courses are listed as 100-level, yet as far as I can tell they're the exact same curriculum as our 200-level Principles and Genchem, spread over 2 semesters instead of 3 quarters.

I noticed that looking at UMass Boston's courses, and it took me a second to figure it out that we might have to register for lecture and lab separately. At BHCC, if it's a lab course, you're registered for both.

Our numbering system probably is pretty funky. Sometimes annoying due to prerequisites. Also sometimes confusing. As a history major, my science electives were Intro to Biology and Astronomy. Looking back at my old Intro Bio text book, it's basically a lesson in the most generic biology and then mammalian anatomy, but Intro Bio doesn't count towards the bio degree. It's a throw away class. That's sort of a new concept for me. General Physics is a throw away class for Biology majors. Everyone else has to take the more difficult College Physics. Maybe that's why my physics professor is such a smirky hard ass.

You wonder about these things. The science department head is my Gen Bio II professor and the Chemistry degree is an AA instead of an AS. You kinda wonder, ok dude, who's the chemist what pissed you off? lol
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
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Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS

Nephew Twiddleton

Quote from: Sexy St. Nigel on October 30, 2014, 02:32:38 AM
Quote from: Nepos twiddletonis on October 30, 2014, 02:20:19 AM
It hasn't been updated for spring (Environmental Microbiology is apparently debuting in spring) but here's the program at BHCC for Bio transfer:

http://www.bhcc.mass.edu/programsofstudy/programs/biologytransferoption/

Oh yeah, your course numbering is just way different but I can see how the courses themselves are probably really similar. Our credits are a little weaker; most classes are 4-5 credits and it takes 90 to graduate. I sometimes wish we were on a semester system; the quarter system seems too rushed.

I kinda noticed that a little when we were both doing Gen Bio and using essentially the same text book.
Strange and Terrible Organ Laminator of Yesterday's Heavy Scene
Sentence or sentence fragment pending

Soy El Vaquero Peludo de Oro

TIM AM I, PRIMARY OF THE EXTRA-ATMOSPHERIC SIMIANS