[WILDCHILD]

Not that anyone here will probably be interested in my exams at school but I took my media exam today and the question was about Reality TV and it said to perhaps refer to...BIG BROTHER!!!
Not only am I in the process of doing an assignment on reality tv, but HELLO, I'm and BIG BRO NUT!! So, I never thought I would say it, but I enjoyed the exam!

[LEE]

Good for you Wildchild

Who said Big Brother wasn't educational

[Amy]

I wish my exams at school were all about Big Brother as i may have passed a few more

[Sticks]

To quote Charlie Brown from the cartoon strip

Oh how I weep for humanity

Is Nothing Sacred ????

[Kaz]

Of course we're interested, Wildchild!

How lucky was that for you? Not only a question on Reality TV . . . but a chance to pour out all your BB knowledge!

I'm sure you'll pass with flying colours!

[bigbrofan]

Cool, i had one of my a-level computing exams yesterday it was ok.

[BigSister]

That is so cool
Im hoping to take Media Studies when I go to college next year
And I had to do my talk and I got a B

[Sticks]

Some of us took real subjects like Maths and Physics and for light relief Computer Science

There seems to be fewer people taking these subjects and more going for Media studies. I wonder why that is...

[BusyBee]

We will be expecting BIG things from that exam Wildchild - after all they couldnt have given you a better subject to deal with.

I bet you found all the revision really difficult and hard to knuckle down to - probably involved watching videos, reading magazines etc.

Best of luck with the rest of the exams.

[Amy]

There seems to be fewer people taking these subjects and more going for Media studies. I wonder why that is...

Maybe as they want to work in the Media

[Janette]

Originally posted by Amy

Maybe as they want to work in the Media

Or maybe because the world has moved on in the last 20 years!?!?!?!?!

[Mairi]

Good luck with the exam, Wildchild.

I just KNOW you'll do really well.

: laugh:

[WILDCHILD]

Originally posted by Sticks
Some of us took real subjects like Maths and Physics and for light relief Computer Science

There seems to be fewer people taking these subjects and more going for Media studies. I wonder why that is...

How rude Sticks? I don't know what you call REAL subjects but I also take English and History as well as Media - its all about taking subjects that you enjoy. What is the point in taking 'REAL' subjects like Maths when you dont enjoy them therefore, I wont do good.
Actually, Im not even going to bother ranting but that is a pretty shallow comment to make Sticks.

[Kaz]

Absolutely, Wildchild. Exactly what does constitute REAL subjects?

I sat and passed Latin at Higher grade (does that qualify?) Although I have to say that it did help in some part during my English Higher, I can't help but wonder what its real relevance is in today's modern world.

Funnily enough (maybe I'm just really strange - don't answer that!!!), I did quite enjoy it - and that's the main thing. If you enjoy a subject then you'll tend to do well in it because you're actually interested in learning about it.

Posted by BigSister
And I had to do my talk and I got a B

Well done, BigSister!

[James]

Hey, I did Latin at school aswell and remember really liking it. Can't recall any of what I learned though.

But there's nothing wrong with an education that is actually useful in later life. There's a lot of snobbery against vocational subjects.

Or maybe it's symptomatic of the 'two cultures' debate.

[Boris]

Who said Big Brother wasn't educational

LOL LEE

Take no notice of Sticks Wildchild. I think he is suffering from 'academic snobbery'...there is a lot of it about.Everyone should have a 'balanced' education, and the 'balance is different for everyone. You follow the route to take you the quickest way to where you want to go....if you follow my waffle !!!
GOOD LUCK with all of the exams
when they come.

[steve_o]

Good Luck with all your exams Wildchild whatever subjects you do.

[Janette]

Originally posted by James
Hey, I did Latin at school aswell and remember really liking it. Can't recall any of what I learned though.

Snap!

All I can remember now is puer and puella!!!!!

[Kaz]

Oh come on - surely you remember amo, amas, amat and mitto, mittis, mittit (snigger, snigger - well you did when you were at school anyway!)

And what about cave canem? (Beware of the dog) Canis = dog, which is where the english language gets 'canine' from.

God, I'm starting to sound like a Latin teacher now! Sorry!

[Mairi]

I did Latin at school too and enjoyed it immensely.

Now let me see, Kaz:

amavi, amavisti, amavit, amavimus, amavistis, amaverunt

[Sticks]

In order to get a place in university sometime you have to do subjects you do not want. When it came to proper 'O' levels, well before GCSE (or whatever alphabet soup they are today), I wanted to do computer studies, but my parents selected me to do chemistry as that was a requirement of most universities.

But on my wider point there seems to be a shortage of people doing the sciences, especially Physics, because it seems hard.

We are going to have a lot of people trained to do media but no engineers, technicians or scientists to design, build and maintain the hi-tech gizmos the media people like to use.

As for snobbery it seems perfectly acceptable to say you know nothing about physics, chemistry or biology, but an absolute faux pas to not know what is going on in Eastenders, Brookside or Coronation Street.

There seems more kudos to do the Arts and relegate science and engineering to a second class status

As for Latin, I would love to have done that, especially as one of my interests is etymology.

[Janette]

Originally posted by Sticks

But on my wider point there seems to be a shortage of people doing the sciences, especially Physics, because it seems hard.

Don't know how much of a shortage there is, my babysitter has been accepted to Oxford to study Physiology. She said there were over 300 applicants for 26 places! And the quality was excellent!

[blinkinlovely]

I guess Media studies is the 21stcentury version of Community studies that I took at my ultra trendy and 1970's Upper school (14 to 19 year old students)?????? The topic I did in my exam (social class of football and rugby fans) was in the news only this week!

[susieq]

It's very much like the old grammar v s secondary school debate of years gone by. You were perceived to be more intelligent if you went to a grammar school (didn't do me much good!!!).

Grammar schools were geared more to academia i.e. languages, sciences, etc and secondary schools dealt with more vocational subjects.

I'm not sure that one type of school was 'better' than the other, or that attending a grammar school made you more capable of living in the outside world than a secondary school education did. All I do know is that being taught Latin, Physics and Chemistry has done me no good whatsoever!! Whereas, if I'd have been taught computer skills, I'd have been fine, as most of my working life has been spent at one form of keyboard or another!

I understand your concern though Sticks re technical staff, scientists etc. The sciences ARE seen as 'unglamourous' and therefore students may shy away from them BUT, if you are interested in the subject then you'll follow it through, whether that's at school or college.

Science IS still taught in school and pupils can, therefore, take it up to A level and beyond if they wish.

Media studies and the like are very 21st century though, it's the age we live in and people are interested in communication and technology. that also has it's place and without people being trained in these subjects we wouldn't have the variety and depth (excepting certain tabloids of course) of journalism and communication we have today.

[Boris]

But on my wider point there seems to be a shortage of people doing the sciences, especially Physics, because it seems hard.

You are forgetting 'aptitude'. Sticks. My son-in-law has a Ph.D in computer 'stuff' and seems to perform 'magic' on his machines. He could no more have studied English literature or media studies at Uni than stand on his head for 3 weeks.

People don't avoid subjects because they seem 'hard' but because they are not interested or have no aptitude for them and that is not quite the same thing as 'seeming hard'.

Going back to school days, my older sister and I both took the 11+.[Hey that old dinosaur] We both passed but she did better that I and went to the Local 'Girls High School' a quite elitist 'Grammar school'.I went to a forunner of the comprehensive system called a 'bi-lateral' school. There were not many. If you passed the 11+ you were in a 'Grammar' class, if not , you were segregated into a secondary modern class. I hated school. All aspects of it except the 'social ' element and did the bare minimum to get through. My sister , on the other hand , worked very hard. We are both now teachers. I have an Honours degree, she has a teachers certificate. On paper my qualifications outstrip hers , but neither is a better teacher than the other or reflects the effort put in to get them.

Think I'd better 'shut up' now or I'll get banned. By the way , in all this , I never could spell, struggled with it all my life still can't spell and have a son who has 'dyslexia! [ he too is a teacher ! So is my daughter but she can spell !]


what did you start Wildchild !!!