I need to rant. Critical thinking: a dying skill?

"BaconSandwich is tasty." (baconsandwich) 10/30/2014 at 18:07 • Filed to: None

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Have a picture of an oldie on the salt flats for your time.

Today has been an absolute poo storm. Currently, I'm working two jobs - one as a full-time software developer and another as an instructor at the local university. (The university which I also recently graduated from with a Masters in Computer Science). This keeps me pretty busy. I'm working 37+ hours/week at the software place, then, two days a week I come over to the university to teach. I don't have a lot of extra time to deal with unnecessary stuff.

Around 11:00 am this morning I get an email from two different students saying that something is horribly wrong with the labs they are in. The lab computers don't have the right software for the lab assignments they are supposed to be working on. That's a problem. But the bigger problem is this - my lab coordinator is getting them to do a lab that I instructed her to NOT do. It was a topic that we didn't want to cover/deal with because so many students had trouble with it before. I made this very clear to her at the beginning at the semester that we shouldn't be doing it. I also told IT that we wouldn't be needing the particular software because we weren't going to be doing that lab. No problem. Except there was a problem.

It turns out the other instructor who teaches Monday/Wednesday/Friday told her to do the lab that I told her to not do. So what does she do? She does it, and does it without talking to me. This creates an absolute poo storm for me, because now it makes me look like an idiot. She then asks me how to fix the problem. The problem that she created. You'd think that a current Masters student would have, you know, critical thinking skills. Nope.

I'm honestly getting fed up with people who lack the brains to do a little actual thinking. So we don't have the software on the machines anymore. There's nothing we can do about that, and it's likely that IT doesn't have the time/manpower to install it on the machines. How about finding an online equivalent? Did that ever cross her mind? A two minute Google session popped up probably half a dozen resources that were suitable replacements. I find one, and I send it to her, and I also send it out to all the students.

She then comes to my office later that afternoon to say "It doesn't work". What doesn't work? Supposedly the online version of the thing I sent out to everyone. So I pull it open on my computer in front of her, and show her that it works. I then go with her to the computer lab, and sure enough, it doesn't seem to work on the lab machines. So I try a different browser and it works. Ugh. Was that so hard?

It seems like lately I've had to deal with all too many similar situations. Is critical thinking such a lost skill? Am I demanding too much? Should someone who is a Masters student have critical thinking skills?

/rant

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:11

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Some people in grad school are dumb as fuck. They're just in there because they don't know how to get a job in the real world.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss 10/30/2014 at 18:12

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Honestly, that could very well be true. That, or it was easy being a student, so why not just keep being one?

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:12

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Fear, emotion, reaction are way easier to evoke and profit from than information and reasonable conclusions.

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:14

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Yeah. I just returned for a masters after 5 years in the field. So far...everyday I've wanted to drop out.

It's unbelievable.

Really brilliant people aren't in grad school. Sure there are some smart people, but *really* smart people are off building their own business.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius 10/30/2014 at 18:14

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It's not just a matter of evoking a reaction/profiting from it. It's a matter of survival. If you aren't good at logic, you probably shouldn't be in computer science.

Conan > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:16

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I try so damn hard to teach it to my high school students. If they only learn it they have learned something.

camaroboy68ss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:16

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i really want the grille shell on that roadster pickup.

George McNally > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:18

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I never went to college.....but I'm married to a woman that has two bachelor degrees and a masters in Nursing, our daughter is a physician assistant and our son is currently in collage pursuing an accounting degree.

I work retail, (I'm a bakery manager) so I work with a lot of folks that don't have any college under their belt.

My point?

I see how folks with no college experience solves problems when I'm at work and I live with a bunch of smart people. Critical thinking (in my opinion) relies a lot on common sense. If someone has a decent amount of common sense, they are usually pretty good at critical thinking.

Let's get back to my wife for a second......yeah, she has a shitload of college degrees, but she drove a car 15 miles with no oil it. When she got home, she asked me what the "oil" light meant....I told her that it indicated that she was about to replace her engine.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss 10/30/2014 at 18:18

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There might be some truth to it, but hang in there. I did something similar - I came back after four years (3.5 spent in the industry).

The university here was a total incubator for amazing stuff. As a grad student, I had a heck of a lot of flexibility. I entered a business plan competition with another guy, and we won $10k to start a business.

Unfortunately, now that I've graduated I'm working two jobs, and Mrs. BaconSandwich and I are going to be parents in just over a month. Even if I were to use the $10k to live off of, there's no way I could be profitable in three or four months. I'm still going ahead with the business, but it's a lot slower going than it was when I was a grad student.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > camaroboy68ss 10/30/2014 at 18:22

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I was on a crazy road trip with a friend when we went to Bonneville for Speed Week. We ended up sleeping in the last morning of it, so we were late getting there. By the time we got there, there was just a few vehicles out there, including this guy.

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:22

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Well two jobs is better than none that's for sure.

How did you manage the money adjustment going back?? I really hate how poor I am now.
I went from net (after tax) about $3K/mo to now half that.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Conan 10/30/2014 at 18:22

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Thank you for doing that! Honestly, I'd much rather hire someone with good critical thinking skills over someone with book smarts, and I'm sure I'm not alone on that.

RallyWrench > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:25

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The answer is yes, and this is why:

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss 10/30/2014 at 18:29

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It's true - I am very grateful that I have the two jobs. I was quite worried I was going to have to move to a different city to get a job, but we really like it here. Other than being stupidly busy, things are pretty good.

When I came back to school, I was prepared to pay for the entire thing myself. I had been working in the industry for 3.5 years, and saved pretty much everything. Fortunately, there was at least a stipend for graduate student duties, which helped. It sounds similar to what you are getting. There's more or less two things you can do:

1. Make as much money as possible. I'd recommend tutoring, if you can. Since you're already at school, you might as well tutor an hour here or there and make a few bucks doing that.

2. Live as cheaply as possible. I lived in a place with a bunch of roommates. It was ~$300/month (plus things like my own phone bill). Yeah, it wasn't fun having to go tell the guys downstairs to shut up/turn down the music, but it saved me a bundle. I was there until I got married, roughly half way through. Also, try biking/walking as much as possible. It's a good thing - it saves you money and it saves you time (having to spend time working out), and it gets the blood flowing, which always helps.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > RallyWrench 10/30/2014 at 18:29

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Honestly, I think half my problems would go away if people even bothered to Google their problems...

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:39

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Thanks for the tips. I actually get my money from my old job on a P/T basis. They pay me pretty good for how much time I spend there.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > thebigbossyboss 10/30/2014 at 18:43

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That's pretty cool. At least as a grad student your schedule is probably fairly flexible. Do a little hunting around for scholarships and bursaries. There's often a lot out there that people aren't aware of.

All Motor Is Best Motor > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:44

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You have to realize most people above the age of ~30 are complete idiots when it comes to computers. You cannot expect them to be able to think on their feet and problem solve computer issues. Especially when they're in the middle of a teaching session. Most instructors don't want to waste time trying to fix a computer issue and will instead do something else which may be a better use of the time. So generally, when a problem comes up they'll spend a minute or two trying to make it work (and then give up), but usually no longer unless it's critical to the class lesson.

You also need to realize that even simple things like trying a different web browser aren't even in many people's knowledge base. I'd say most people don't even know there are different web browsers, and most of those that do don't know that sometimes things don't work in one browser but do work in another.

thebigbossyboss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:48

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I will. I should apply to OSAP, my friend said they might just give me a grant even if I don't need money yet.

camaroboy68ss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:50

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I want to get to Bonneivlle someday, that little 28-29 model A roadster pickup is a neat Rod. The grille shell is a 32 ford pickup piece. The pickup shells are getting hard to find. The look like a 32 car but the main difference is a 32 ford car had a insert for the bars, the trucks/pickups were one piece. Most pickup stuff is thrashed due to abuse and not much in the way of reproductions.

ihm96 > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 18:59

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To reassure you, I would like you to know that I am currently taking a class called Reasoning and Critical Thinking as an elective since I fulfilled my english requirements with AP credit. And no, I would say you are definitely not demanding too much from this masters student

Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 19:01

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I get what you're saying, but our whole society these days (except perhaps the CS department) is geared toward spiking our emotions for short term highs and then moving on to the next distraction.

SalsaShark > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 19:22

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Critical thought is a skill , like heel-toe shifting. As with any other skill, it must be practiced if you want to be good at it consistently.

Not only do we not teach critical thought, often young people never have a chance to practice it. I could see how a kid whose daily activities are planned and managed down to the minute would always know what's expected of them and what they'll need to do next. Give them an open-ended task, even a simple one, and they might have a difficult time with it because it's so far outside their experience that they have a hard time even understanding that they CAN do it, let alone figuring out how.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > SalsaShark 10/30/2014 at 20:27

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Very very true.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Drakkon- Most Glorious and Upright Person of Genius 10/30/2014 at 20:31

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I can totally see that.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > camaroboy68ss 10/30/2014 at 20:32

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I'm surprised there aren't more reproduction parts for something like that, given how popular the hot rod scene is.

camaroboy68ss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/30/2014 at 22:42

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Most people dont want pickups they would rather have a coupe or roadster. The old trick was buy a full size truck. The cab hood and grille are the same as a pickup. Buy a car frame and a bed and you had a pickup

The Compromiser > thebigbossyboss 10/30/2014 at 22:48

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Wait a minute.. aren't you in grad school?

thebigbossyboss > The Compromiser 10/30/2014 at 22:50

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Yes. This is still true though. One of the most idiotic idiots I know graduated law school. He's now unemployed because he's an idiot.

He has literally never had a job.

The Compromiser > thebigbossyboss 10/30/2014 at 22:54

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I deal with engineers all day. The feels bro.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > camaroboy68ss 10/31/2014 at 12:48

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Interesting.

I'm pining for a 1940's pickup. Problem is, I have no garage, no time, and a baby on the way (so no money either). They generally seem to start in the $5k+ range for something that at least rolls. Ideally I'd want to get something that already runs, but those seem to go for quite a bit more. I hadn't considered anything much older than that, but now you've got me thinking.

merlyn11a > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/31/2014 at 12:57

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It is kind of odd that a grad student in "computers" doesn't bother to try a different browser if a web-based app fails. That's sort of the first thing to do nowadays when something breaks in-browser; otherwise, it's usually a Java puke-up. Having seen this before with tech support guys, I ascribe it not to lack of critical thinking but more to lack of fix-it thinking.

For instance, my wife, a well-educated MD, leaves it to me to do certain things IT and otherwise which escape her otherwise intelligent mind. This, I understand; there's a certain interest required in diddling and thinking about where software, firmware and how hardware works. It's all inter-related, just like the human body as I've tried to explain it in a holistic way to her. Usually, I just get the roll of the eyeballs and the "I just want it to work, I don't need a stinkin' classroom explanation" mutter.

Maybe the ability to work with dodgy bits comes from gearheads' earlier life diddling with engines, transmissions, cars or some equivalent. So we just get it and get on with it and try to figure out how to make it work. Many people haven't had that sort of exposure where they've had to sit down and figure out why a perfectly ok looking carburetor or fuel pump isn't working right at all and haven't had the fun of putting something in and then having to take it out again and again. Especially nowadays, where most everyone has access to cars at all price points which are basically just get in and drive and that's the standard expectation from everyone; there's no tolerance for cars or such to have "eccentricities". And I think that does translate into the IT world where if anything, keeping electrical smoke magic on the inside of the wires is a bit of a bit-twiddling artists preserve.

camaroboy68ss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/31/2014 at 13:08

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you can still pick up model a pickups cheap but they are small in terms of leg room. I have a 33 ford pickup and Im about 5'-9" and that's starting to push the space. Over 6ft and its cramped. The 30-31s are bigger than a 28-29, the 35-41s are a little bigger than a 32-34. Avoid a chevy pickup pre 36 due to their entire main structure being wood and they get expensive quickly for repairing that.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > camaroboy68ss 10/31/2014 at 14:57

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Excellent info to know. I'd definitely want to do a bunch more reading before I got something, but is there anything about mid-1940s trucks to be aware of? I know cab corners seem to be a pretty popular item to replace. That, and converting from 6 volt to 12 volt systems.

camaroboy68ss > BaconSandwich is tasty. 10/31/2014 at 15:08

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your looking at more 46-50 pickups, yeah cab corners always rust out, bottoms of the doors as well. Yeah swapping to 12 volt is a must for any kind of driver

ttyymmnn > BaconSandwich is tasty. 12/04/2014 at 15:01

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Read this . I think you'll appreciate it. I came across the essay in Newsweek back when I was a grad student and TA. It should be required reading for all college students.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > ttyymmnn 12/04/2014 at 18:17

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Oh man - good reading. I'll definitely have to pass that on.