Lessons of an MIT Education • Hacker News Board

Re: Lessons of an MIT Education

#261

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Nov 07, 2017, 10:55 PM UTC

Spooky23 wrote: post #157

dougmwne wrote: post #6

The author was quite harsh on the soft sciencies and humanities and I'm going to attempt a defense. First, he characterises these subjects as merely what, facts to be learned, instead of how, skills to be mastered. Let's take history, which seems very what, full of dates and names. A great course in history teaches you how to think differently and with deeper context about world events and your country's politics. I…

He’s an engineer or scientist. The world needs engineers and scientists, and it makes them feel good to assert their superiority. At the end of the day, these guys always work for somebody, who is usually some sort liberal arts or business major. It’s something to keep in perspective when somebody asserts that math and science run the world.

[deleted]

Re: Lessons of an MIT Education

#262

Post by foldr » Tue, Nov 14, 2017, 4:45 PM UTC

sn9 wrote: post #251

foldr wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's common for people from lots of fields to go to law school, AFAIK. I don't see why a math degree specifically would be helpful in making that switch.

The claim was that a math degree is easier for making the switch than the opposite switch: e.g., an English major would likely do as well as a math major in getting a law degree, but would find it nearly impossible transitioning into mathematics without the equivalent of a second BS. I don't think this is particularly controvertial.

Is it not? Where are the examples of mathematicians successfully switching to writing literary criticism?

Re: Lessons of an MIT Education

#263

Post by theossuary » Thu, Nov 16, 2017, 11:54 PM UTC

pkrumins wrote: post #256

theossuary wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I wanted a college degree because I see it as hedging my bets. I may not want to work at the boring companies of the world, but if I ever needed that stability I can have it with a college degree. Four years while I can work part-time in my field and the offer of my parents to fund my education made it a no-brainer. All I'm trying to say is it's never so black and white, and while I don't plan on using the lack of a…

I don't like people who hedge. I like risk takers.

Hedging isn't the avoidance of risk, it's reasoning what risks are worth taking and hedging against those not worth taking.

Put in other terms, when you have to play cowboy on a production server, you take a backup first to hedge your bets; otherwise you aren't brave, you're just foolish.