Getting a degree

[Pubey]

I also think a lot of degree courses (mostly arty/media types) could easily be condensed into 2 years rather than 3. You hear about some students who have 3/4 teaching hours a week - what are they paying for (or should I say getting in debt for)? If you shortened the course to 2 years it would cost them, and the taxpayer less.

I think that's highly unlikely/unusual.

For a degree to be called a 'degree' it has to meet a fairly strict criteria. Just because there may be relatively few 'teaching hours' doesn't mean that the student isn't working. Lectures are a fairly inefficient and 'outdated' way of learning, there's a big shift towards other methods.

My wife studied history - she maybe had 8 contact hours (lectures and tutorials), but was in the library a lot of the time doing research, reading and studying.

I don't think degrees could really be compressed into 2 years when most of the first year is correcting issues and gaps in knowledge and skills that arise from out outdated and not fit-for-purpose A-level system.

 

[Firestorm]

The one year I did was up to 30 hours a week Lecture and lab time and ,given the old rule of 1hour of lecture = 1 hour of writing up meant it was a very intensive course, however it does tend to indicate that any course with 10 hours of lectures / prac a week could certainly be condensed , particularly given the technology available these days .

 

[EastStandBlue]

I think that's highly unlikely/unusual.

For a degree to be called a 'degree' it has to meet a fairly strict criteria. Just because there may be relatively few 'teaching hours' doesn't mean that the student isn't working. Lectures are a fairly inefficient and 'outdated' way of learning, there's a big shift towards other methods.

My wife studied history - she maybe had 8 contact hours (lectures and tutorials), but was in the library a lot of the time doing research, reading and studying.

I don't think degrees could really be compressed into 2 years when most of the first year is correcting issues and gaps in knowledge and skills that arise from out outdated and not fit-for-purpose A-level system.

Yeah, during my last year I only had about 10 hours contact time a week and that reduced significantly for my final semester, but the contact time was replaced by compulsory work placements and various other bits.

 

[Pubey]

The one year I did was up to 30 hours a week Lecture and lab time and ,given the old rule of 1hour of lecture = 1 hour of writing up meant it was a very intensive course, however it does tend to indicate that any course with 10 hours of lectures / prac a week could certainly be condensed , particularly given the technology available these days .

More and more students (unsurprisingly) are having to work part time, or commute from home. Compressing courses would have a significant impact on the ability of many people to actually undertake a degree.

 

[Yorkshire Blue]

I also think a lot of degree courses (mostly arty/media types) could easily be condensed into 2 years rather than 3. You hear about some students who have 3/4 teaching hours a week - what are they paying for (or should I say getting in debt for)? If you shortened the course to 2 years it would cost them, and the taxpayer less.

I only had 3 or 4 teaching hours a week for my undergraduate course.

I learnt far more than with my condensed 3 or 4 teaching hours a day for my post-graduate course.

 

[SonicShrimper]

Oh, and an addendum to my original post, it's not ten grand I owe, it's thirty. Thirty thousand three hundred and something and seventy-seven pence. Could've sworn I was in the last lot to pay the standard fees over the jumped up ones...

 

[Napster]

My degree was useful, but it's not a perfect fit for my current role. However, as I now help together online distance learning courses, some at post-grad level, I can see the other side of the equation if that makes sense.

You need to make the course fit your aspirations, even as far as specific modules that will make a difference to your job or future job. It's an expense but also an investment. I know MBA students that have got promoted/moved jobs and improved their salary by 10-15k.

 

[Napster]

I think that's highly unlikely/unusual.

For a degree to be called a 'degree' it has to meet a fairly strict criteria. Just because there may be relatively few 'teaching hours' doesn't mean that the student isn't working. Lectures are a fairly inefficient and 'outdated' way of learning, there's a big shift towards other methods.

My wife studied history - she maybe had 8 contact hours (lectures and tutorials), but was in the library a lot of the time doing research, reading and studying.

I don't think degrees could really be compressed into 2 years when most of the first year is correcting issues and gaps in knowledge and skills that arise from out outdated and not fit-for-purpose A-level system.

4 years for me on a Scottish MA. Maybe 10 hours lectures a week; with added reading and seminars added to that. The first and second years were introduction to lingustics, the third and fourth were forget about the last two years, here's some new theories and think for yourself stuff.