How many references do you use?

studentphil

Tam_Lin wrote: »

I guess things have changed since I did my degree then. None of my contemporaries at any of the universities I knew struggled this way with core texts, no matter what the subject. We were challenged, yes, but not baffled into inertia. We got on with it, were expected to identify our own gaps in knowledge, and enjoyed the process of wrestling with new ideas.

University is just for testing reading and writing. If your intelligence is for anything else then you are at a disadvantage even though you are not stupid.

Tam_Lin

studentphil wrote: »

University is just for testing reading and writing.

Words fail me. Primary school is for testing reading and writing. You're proving my point that not everyone is cut out for the academic life.

DrFluffy

Core texts - difficult for most??? Whhhaaaaat??????????????????????

sali_mali

studentphil wrote: »

I think you miss though on a lot of courses the core readings are so hard that it takes you ages to get them let alone be doing tons of extra reading.

Surely the core readings are the texts most relevant to your course and the extra reading you'd do would be journals/books relevant to the core texts. You'd use the further readings not only to widen your knowledge but also to help you understand the parts of the core texts you didn't understand in the recommended books.

Going back to the original question, my tutor told me that we should aim for at least 6 references for every 1000 words and that was in my first year so it should have increased by now. If you are only using the core texts then you won't be able to incorporate as many references as needed and you won't have such a rounded arguement/understanding of the subject at hand.

studentphil

Tam_Lin wrote: »

Words fail me. Primary school is for testing reading and writing. You're proving my point that not everyone is cut out for the academic life.

Academia is about writing essays. Some People are intelligent and can not write essays, but yet a university could not really deal with their intelligence.

studentphil

DrFluffy wrote: »

Core texts - difficult for most??? Whhhaaaaat??????????????????????

Have you ever read Kant?

crazy_guy

Though this seem to have diverted the thread abit i'd just thought i'd add that core texts are there to give you a grounding and understanding in the area, further reading such as journals and other texts is essential to get the critical analysis in there which is essential for a 2:1.....well it is for my course.

Tam_Lin

studentphil wrote: »

Some People are intelligent and can not write essays, but yet a university could not really deal with their intelligence.

Some people always try to skate uphill. Those people shouldn't be at university if they can't fit the basic criteria. As I said, they'd be better off forgetting academia and getting a job.

Tam_Lin

studentphil wrote: »

Have you ever read Kant?

Yes - he's a great cure for insomnia, but I plug away when I'm in the mood. Not one of my fave writers though.

sali_mali

studentphil wrote: »

Have you ever read Kant?

Do you go to lectures? That would be where core texts are explained or where the ideas in the texts are explored. Do you go to seminars? That is where other students go and discuss the lectures and texts with the tutor to ensure everyone understands and can bounce ideas off each other.

Try it, you might learn something :rolleyes: