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Subject:Re: On learning to think From:Peter <pnewman1 -at- home -dot- com> To:Brian Martin <martin -at- sodalia -dot- it> Date:Thu, 09 Mar 2000 09:25:56 -0500
Brian Martin wrote:
<snip>
> Balance is important.
>
> Get a balanced education. Learn the methods. But mostly, learn to
> think. No one can prepare you for the working world. You'll have to
> learn it by being there and doing that. It's a process of maturing. No
> one should expect that any college undergraduate program will prepare
> them for the working world. Universities teach you to think, not to
> work. That's what they are for.
>
That is precisely why in my courses, (law and accounting,) I emphasized
the thought process, rather than the "how to" approach. I became
unpopular with administration when I recommended that students should
take a lot of liberal arts courses so that they would learn to think and
communicate. Afterwards, they could learn what the subject of the
communication should be.
It is unfortunate that much of our society sacrifices quality for the
sake of speed and quantity.
--
Peter
Arguing with an engineer is like mud wrestling with a pig.
You soon realize they both enjoy it.