Question towards education (higher education)

After several months of looking at information and asking questions around to my university, I feel like there a huge gap from my part where I just don't understand some choices and decision made on the way education is done.

To give a small example and try to propose my question with it

I took some class in a field and I took a language class for the fun of learning that language. The thing in most class (way more in language) is that, everything was based a lot on memorization, you have to learn and study a big portion of information by yourself and listening to class and then be tested on that. Being ADHD and OCD, memorization is like the WORST I can do in my general day to day life, I have to take several extra step to not forget the most basic thing.

The best example is in the language class, we had to learn, say, about 100-150 words by the mid-term, and then in the exam, ask question with the quite straight forward : "What is word [English word] in the [new language]?" or some very similar question. How is that a proof of knowledge and how is that a good way to test my knowledge? from 100 words that I had to learn what if its just happens I forgot that specific one? I could know 98 words, but just happened you asked the one I forgot, mainly because of the stress while being in an exam manner and also memorization "blockage" of losing time on a question and hitting yourself "I know this one, ugh".

And I have problem with this system, where, a lot of the way exam and learning is done this way, not giving the chance to any other way to show your knowledge than this "random"-ish system that only promote ONE way.

I also dont understand this idea of very short burst of "information", in a semester lasting around 3 months and so, you have to cram a lot, being under constant stress of managing your time and managing your learning of all the class you have, then get to an exam, after like 1 month of starting this learning, being in this super stress environment and long of 4 hours answer "binary" question and some few practical ones. Binary question based on that memorization, meaning you know it or you don't.

Then I question this idea of learning such very very broad information, that MAY seem important but at best, give you more information, being also strong at learning with "kinesthetic" (learning by doing, rather than reading, listening to it), I just dont see the point of some class. Like, I wanted to start an bachelor in teacher English as a second language, one class in the curriculum is "History of English language", I guess I just don't understand how is that important to teach English to know where the language is from, sure, can be interesting information, but its wont make me "better" teacher, its so broad and abstract.

I am also in this feeling where the school itself didnt care much other than some loose adaptation to help an "handicap" person, because no matter what, you need to follow this extremely rigid structure, full of bureaucracy at the end, its all based on nothing but what some people decided what is necessary to be X, quite based on broad and abstract ideas.

The next is no way of "bypassing" or "showing" your knowledge outside of those specific rigid structure. Again taking me as example, I have been for the past 10 years a board game teacher (like teaching chess) and also did some tutoring, I understand for a big part how to "teach", but school is not willing to give any kind of compensation towards "skipping" any class, because those knowledge is not specific to a class. I mean, I can understand the need to show my knowledge and skill, but to need fully complete a -ish 4 years curriculum ? really? I need to learn EVERYTHING? how does that make sense? its stupid, wasteful and ask ridiculous amount of money or energy, just because, no real reason than "I didnt learn X, Y, Z" but I learned "A, B, and C"...

Im quite frustrated, I can't seem to wrap my mind and unblock myself from this skewed mindset and worldview about school, and thus I cant continue going against a system which not care and at best is just meaningless bureaucracy (money and rigid structure). I dont want to be stuck without a degree.

The last one is work visa restriction on some country, a few years ago I went in China (its also true for MANY country) and by some headhunting agent I got engaged to be an English teacher, not having a BA they made me be in this grey area, they applied for me for a work visa but made sure the documentation of the rejection would not happen within the semester. After that experience I looked more in depth, to be legal, all you need is a BA, doesnt matter in what, I could have a BA in some random field. So why ask a BA? No, the idea of "we dont want to hire a nobody" doesnt stand, what is different from a person A without a BA but experience in teaching vs a person B with a BA but no actual experience? Also, what if I did my random X BA 15 years ago, why does it matter that I need one? does its really make a difference if anyway its doesnt change a DAMN thing to just be stupidly "legal" toward pointless, again, bureaucracy.

Submitted June 01, 2022 at 09:15AM by siyans https://ift.tt/FvBKTqs