Grad School and Annoying Classmates who think they are in High School

I had to do a presentation for work, for my bosses. It surprises me how the DLSU school system has pretty huge cracks of unprofessionalism. My wife tells me that in AIM its a Nerd Herd Jockeying Intellectual One-Ups-manship. Compared to my experience, in what should be Grad School in DLSU, i find "children" disrupting the proceedings.

I know there are similiaries of psychology with school and work. Its quite simply a large gathering of people, and the same social traits reactions show up... unfortunately it seems that some people don't understand that some of us pay for our own tuition, work, have a family and have a life.

I found my eyes rolling when classmates would interupt with jokes, instead of injecting probing questions about their own understanding of the subject matter. Its accounting after all, it has a lot to do with semantics, and semantics is a pretty tricky matter.

Anyway here is an example of one of the Case Studies I had to read up on and answer (with skills that beyond Chapter 1-3 requried reading. It seems if you don't have an accounting background, its a tough subject because the Chapter 1-3 will require you skills from Chapter 1-14 to answer...

Doesnt that make the Test a Chapter 1-14 test and not Chapter 1-3? Its an argument of semantics all over again with DLSU. They say Diploma in the Brochure then when you read the fine print, the school has neglected to get government certification to for Diplomas.

Sigh... studying in the Philippines with our Catholic Universities... The Corruption and Quality of Life and Opportunities of the Country has really caused a serious brain drain and solidified it into a status quo. :(

Here is an example of the crap I have to wade through.

Ex. Baron BS (Case 1-3)
Once upon a time many, many years ago there lived a feudal lord. Baron BS, lived in a castle high on a hill. He was responsible... etc. etc.
One spring the Baron was thinking about the wheat crop of the coming growing season. "I belive that 30 acres of my land, being worth 5 bushels of weaht per acre, will produce enough wheat for the next winter." he mused. "buth who should do the farming?". I belive I'll give it to Ivan and Fred.
"Ivan, you will farm 20-acre plot, while Fred will plot 10. I will give you (ivan) 20 bushels of seed, and 20lbs of fertilizer (worth 2bushels or bu for short). Fred will get 10bu of seed, and 10lbs of fertilizer. I will each give you an ox (worth 40bu) that is young and good for 10 years of work. You will have to find a way to pay the Plowmaker for the plow. Come back in the harvest season with the Oxen, Plow and your reaping".
When harvest season arrived, Ivan and Fred returned to their lord. Ivan said "I present you, your ox, a plow (broken beyond repair), and 223 bushels of wheat. I still owe the plowmaker 3bu for the plow. I used up all the fertilizer and seeds. My lord, also took 20bu before I arrived to present it."
Fred then said: "Here, my Lord, is a partially used ox, the plow (which I paid 3bu for) still good for 2 more years, and 105bu. I used up all my fertilizer and seeds, and my Lord took 30 bushels of wheat before I arrived."

My wife was shocked at how crazy this example was. My own Medieval Gamer Rules of Thumb was shocked as well. I bushel was 27kg of wheat (x5) or roughly 300lbs per acre (half of the optimum output). What also bothered me was that it took a whole family and a famer corporative to take care of 3 acres (1 turned and left to lie fallow).

The semantics of "Come back in the harvest season with the Oxen, Plow and your reaping" and Ivan throwing a plow broken beyond repair at his lord made me imagine an argument of semantics between a Baron and a Farmer.

Then there is the depreciation of the Oxen. Since Ivan had more work (and rules of thumb basically pointed that an Ox is good for 3 acres of work per year) one could say that the Ox and the Plow depreciated 3 increments of usage vs Freds 1 increment of usage for both Plow and Ox. Of course, depreciation is an Arbitrary value and Corollation vs Direct-Causality Relationship means one can make up any value they would want as long as they had sufficient corollary data to support their claim.

this example will serve to show how complicated and interesting accounting can be. unfortunately its not wholly efficient if one has KSP (kulang sa pansin, translation: Starved for Attention) classmates.

The Brain Drain. Thinking about the brain, I'd like to teach, in fact I like to cooperatively learn, which how my RPGs are designed, since I am as a GM a facilitator instead of a "Master" of a sort. Of course, I'll be the type to be really be picky with students. Not that I'll openly pass judgement of who deserves my time more in a class room, but I feel like some people want to be here, and some people just want to stay in school and avoid real life. I have to cater to those who want to learn vs my obligations of providing the service I'm contractually asked to provide.

It is a matter of, ignoring the crap and focusing on those who gives me signals of intent to learn. Why waste my time with those who require "winning" over. Gradschool is already an Adult commitment, why should a professor overburdened with 20+ students when to reach a higher level of efficiency focusing on those whole interested in having the skills vs the unmotivated lot (who are obviously there for other reasons).

Patience to teach was something I grew up with when I could draw better than my peers. people would ask me to show them how to draw well and I would comply, out of pride and trained generosity with my time. I don't care about snide and jeering students the way I don't care about what other people (who have no power over me) think.

Work is requring me to be better than what I am right now. Parenthood also is going to ask of me the same. I know the sacrifices and I know I'm holding on to sentimentality as well as the undesrstanding that once I swtich priories I can't avoid the stuff I always try to avoid. My mother doesnt get much sleep worrying abotu business, I'm afraid I will end up the same (and for good reason I now know the risks).

I'd rather that I become a father by accident (with my wife of course) than intentionally. Too much to give up, too many challenges that I have a supreme appreciation for, and too much of hapiness to give up with my own meager status quo.

I respect my friends who have children and admire those do their best to be good parents, but like owning a Huge Piece of Capital and Giant overhead, it narrows options I'm not quite ready to give up.

What If I can be something more... hmmm... its not to late to keep thinking what you want to be in the next 10 years.