Nice people thread part 5 - nicely does it

PasturesNew

LydiaJ wrote: »

So the archetypal NP is a scientist who loves mushrooms, lives in Herts, is married to a Jew and ... what have I missed out??

Earning big bucks.

PasturesNew

CKhalvashi wrote: »

It’s not about having money Pastures, it’s about what you do with the money that you do have.

That only works if you DO have it though.

PasturesNew

I have absolutely NO plans whatsoever to learn anything new, or qualify in anything because .... I don't have the confidence that any jobs would be available in the "new thing" once I've spent all that time and cost getting to that point. And, even if there are jobs available, those over 40 struggle to get them ... and as for 50 you might as well just not bother most of the time.

So, I figure, mathematically, I might just as well go and "get a job" doing whatever I can do that somebody will employ me to do at about £16k. If, on the other hand, I do get a job at £50k based on my past experience, then I see that as a bonus, and not something I expected.

CKhalvashi

PasturesNew wrote: »

That only works if you DO have it though.

You’re missing the point PN.

If you have £3 to live on for the day, you have to live on that £3.

If you can’t do it, there’s something wrong there.

I personally believe that nobody should be in poverty, but that’s probably just me!

CKhalvashi

LydiaJ wrote: »

So the archetypal NP is a scientist who loves mushrooms, lives in Herts, is married to a Jew and ... what have I missed out??

Something that I don’t think I’ve mentioned on here before.....

I’m a qualified scientist (In Soviet Russia)
I love mushrooms
I live in Herts (just)
I’m married to a Jew
and as Pastures stated, I apparently earn big bucks!

I’m the perfect NP!

PasturesNew

CKhalvashi wrote: »

You’re missing the point PN.

If you have £3 to live on for the day, you have to live on that £3.

If you can’t do it, there’s something wrong there.

I personally believe that nobody should be in poverty, but that’s probably just me!

Not sure where to start with replying to that.

chewmylegoff

CKhalvashi wrote: »

That’s an interesting concept, and one that works in countries such as Russia, whereby university fees are based on course need.

I’ve got a BSc equivalent in Structural Engineering (Moscow) and an MSc equivalent in Molecular Chemistry (Tbilisi) as I didn’t have to pay for it, and I’m qualified to teach Science (Chemistry and Physics specialities, Cambridge PGCE) and have also taught Russian in my time.

I did this through the old 5-year model, which is considered virtually useless in some western EU countries.

It would work, but would need some severe implementation to be able to work in the UK.

Having about 20% of the people who currently go to uni doing 5 year degrees including 1 or 2 year work placements where you actually come out at the end of the degree able to do something would be far better than mass producing undergraduates with dumbed down courses designed to allow average students who don't try to get 2.1s so the university remains popular and can fill its places. Of the other 80% at least half of them shouldn't be going to university at all.

Unfortunately I don't think anyone will ever do anything to radically shake the system up and the universities certainly have no interest in reducing their intake numbers for obvious reasons.

PasturesNew

CKhalvashi wrote: »

I’m a qualified scientist (In Soviet Russia)
I love mushrooms
I live in Herts (just)
I’m married to a Jew
and as Pastures stated, I apparently earn big bucks!

I have 2 O levels and 1 A level
I hate mushrooms
I have never lived in Herts
I'm not/never married
I earn peanuts

I'm in the wrong room aren't I.

GDB2222

CKhalvashi wrote: »

Something that I don’t think I’ve mentioned on here before.....

I’m a qualified scientist (In Soviet Russia)
I love mushrooms
I live in Herts (just)
I’m married to a Jew
and as Pastures stated, I apparently earn big bucks!

I’m the perfect NP!

There must be a conspiracy? :eek:

CKhalvashi

chewmylegoff wrote: »

Having about 20% of the people who currently go to uni doing 5 year degrees including 1 or 2 year work placements where you actually come out at the end of the degree able to do something would be far better than mass producing undergraduates with dumbed down courses designed to allow average students who don't try to get 2.1s so the university remains popular and can fill its places.

Unfortunately I don't think anyone will ever do anything to radically shake the system up and the universities certainly have no interest in reducing their intake numbers for obvious reasons.

I’m Facebooking a Georgian friend whom I met in Moscow as we speak, an the discussion is going along the lines of much higher education now being fee paid, mainly due to the Russian government budget.

This is something that’s leading to make young ex-USSR nationals not having the same opportunity that many of the previous generation had (and that includes myself), in that an undergraduate education is no longer seen as a right by the current government.

I would shot the conversation and post it up, however as it’s in Russian, there’s very little point.

It’s a shame that society is moving this way, but it’s something that seems to be becoming more and more common.

Here’s part of the conversation, for anyone that is interested.

CK