Originally Posted by: Dr_simon Achieving PHDs, etc. takes time, money, effort and ambition, but not necessarily intelligence (no offence, Doc Simon!).
What a bloody stupid comment, do you know what a PhD is ?
As for intelegance, well..... yes it does, you may split hares about the degree of intelligence however I have not met too many rocks or vegetables with PhDs, or even BSs for that. Did you know that the national drop out rate for doctoral degrees in the US is 50% ? Do you think this outrageously high dropout rate is because people are too lazy ? It is not !
Oh yes and for the record, having money is not a prerequisite for entering into a PhD. I went through the system with out a bean to my name. I do not come from a family of doctors or even a wealthy family.[/QUOTE]
I'm inclined to agree with Dr. Simon. Not anyone can obtain a PhD. Sure, post-secondary requires a hard work ethic, but you also do need a certain amount of brains.
However, not all doctors make good musicians ;)
[QUOTE=SPL]Only thing I've finished so far is high school, and I doubt I'll be anymore intelligent because of my education by the time I finish my BA.
What proves intelligence in people is how they deal with life and it's challenges. Anyone with half a brain can aquire book smarts, but books smarts don't teach critical thinking, creativity, social skills... which are skills that are much more valuable in life than any degree.
SPL, who says university only teaches book smarts? Haven't you ever heard of a practicum? University is a hands-on experience, not just abstract ideas. I believe you're talking about 'street smarts' when you talk about dealing with life. Street smarts are important too. Anyway, intelligence can be measured on a variety of scales, including memorization of facts, spatial perception, problem solving, critical thinking, etc. I also disagree that you won't be anymore intelligent after finishing your BA. I will have my BA this fall in Criminology. I have learned tons of information besides just book smarts. I have learned how to critically analyse, problem solve, and become much more efficient with time management. Moreover, I've become more of a skeptic in my time at university and I've matured in every aspect of life. Admittedly, there are some people who have never attended post-secondary who are just as smart as someone with a BA, but that's a rarity. I plan on taking supplementary forensics course so I can work with the RCMP lab unit. :)
Oh, and one more thing, I've put myself through university too. Paid every last cent. I'm not a spoiled rich kid. I work at a crappy job and make a crappy wage. It is erroneous to suggest that only economically priviledged students can go to university.
