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First University Contract: What to Negotiate?
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Son of Bud Powell



Joined: 04 Mar 2015
Posts: 179
Location: Since 2003

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 7:10 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hdeth wrote:


Most Americans say their bachelor's degree is rubbish. If I ever met a guy talking about how amazing his or her undergrad education was I would laugh so freaking hard....



What qualifies you to say something like that? I don't know any Americans who think their bachelor's degree is rubbish. People with that kind of attitude usually drop out and don't graduate.

What's your nationality?
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hdeth



Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Posts: 583

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 8:15 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Son of Bud Powell wrote:
hdeth wrote:


Most Americans say their bachelor's degree is rubbish. If I ever met a guy talking about how amazing his or her undergrad education was I would laugh so freaking hard....



What qualifies you to say something like that? I don't know any Americans who think their bachelor's degree is rubbish. People with that kind of attitude usually drop out and don't graduate.

What's your nationality?


I'm American. Never met an American who takes a BA or BS seriously. It's not really an accomplishment. I should qualify myself as coming from the PNW. Other parts of the country do things differently. I was at a staff meeting the other day talking about visa interview questions and I thought the idea of class rank in high school was extremely weird, but everyone else thought it was normal.

Now I'll give you maybe someone could be proud of say maintaining a 3.8 GPA throughout college, or graduating at the top of their class, or in three years instead of 4.....but the degree itself is meaningless. How do I know it didn't take you 8 years of partying and averaging a 2.1 GPA?

EDIT:
I should add that rubbish is more of a UK word and I would say "worthless" instead.
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Son of Bud Powell



Joined: 04 Mar 2015
Posts: 179
Location: Since 2003

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 8:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I have difficulty taking what you say seriously, but do carry on. I am amused.
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hdeth



Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Posts: 583

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 9:03 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Son of Bud Powell wrote:
I have difficulty taking what you say seriously, but do carry on. I am amused.


Is it really that odd? I don't think I've ever heard someone brag about a bachelor's degree in my life, and I certainly wouldn't. Hell, I don't brag about my graduate degree and would call it easy to get, even though it wasn't. I think I might have bragged once or twice about graduating from college in 3 years, but never about my 3.5 gpa, honor roll, blah-bee-dee-blah. Who cares?
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Son of Bud Powell



Joined: 04 Mar 2015
Posts: 179
Location: Since 2003

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 9:39 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

hdeth wrote:

I was at a staff meeting the other day talking about visa interview questions and I thought the idea of class rank in high school was extremely weird, but everyone else thought it was normal.



Were you discussing this at a Chinese university or an American university?

Why were you discussing visa interview questions or visas at all if you work in academics rather than admissions?

Many college and admissions offices are interested in high school class rank. Academic departments aren't. In the States, unless the student is the recipient of a National Merit Scholarship, has been admitted to advanced placement courses, or some special field of study, high school grades aren't of concern to the professor unless the college has a low enrollment of 6,000 or so and the professor wears many different hats. In larger schools, he would probably have to ask for grades, and the Dean of Students or the Registrar's office might not even release them to him.

Your story is kind of fuzzy.
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hdeth



Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Posts: 583

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 10:55 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Son of Bud Powell wrote:
hdeth wrote:

I was at a staff meeting the other day talking about visa interview questions and I thought the idea of class rank in high school was extremely weird, but everyone else thought it was normal.



Were you discussing this at a Chinese university or an American university?

Why were you discussing visa interview questions or visas at all if you work in academics rather than admissions?

Many college and admissions offices are interested in high school class rank. Academic departments aren't. In the States, unless the student is the recipient of a National Merit Scholarship, has been admitted to advanced placement courses, or some special field of study, high school grades aren't of concern to the professor unless the college has a low enrollment of 6,000 or so and the professor wears many different hats. In larger schools, he would probably have to ask for grades, and the Dean of Students or the Registrar's office might not even release them to him.

Your story is kind of fuzzy.


I work at an "international" high school. Most students practice 2-3 months for their student visa interviews.
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Deats



Joined: 02 Jan 2015
Posts: 503

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 11:46 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

I agree with hdeth that a BA is nothing to boast about. Anyone can pass a BA. Most students coast through 3-4 years of drinking, sleeping and doing very little 'work'. I see it as a waste of my time/life. Great I have a piece of paper that helps me get a better job, but it taught me nothing other than how to strawpedo drinks and sleep off hangovers. It would have been way more productive to have been in the workplace for those 4 years. Learning practical skills, which most graduates are sadly lacking. I remember my degree in History and Politics was 8 hours a week. Can you blame me (an 18 year old kid first time away from home) for killing time in a bar chasing skirt? I'm now 35 and just cringe at what a waste of time my uni years were.

I just had the misfortune of working with a Dartmouth grad and he was an utter imbecile. He thought he knew everything yet he tried to lecture 10 year old kids when teaching. He never listened to what was asked of him. He spent most of his time (even in class) on his iphone msging his gf or updating his twitter. An utter joke. And this idiot was ivy league. I always laugh at the standard of unis in China, but I also think many unis in the West are also an utter joke.
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Deats



Joined: 02 Jan 2015
Posts: 503

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 11:53 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

AKChina - I don't think you need to be in China to find a good job - it's not like Korea. You can find most jobs posted online either through direct hire or agencies. Don't just look on davesesl, most of the uni jobs don't end up on this site.

Personally I think 60k is low. But it all depends on what your expectations are.

I would definitely push for an 11th paid month AND something in your contract saying your 12th month will be paid if you renew your contract. When applying for unis this year I came across a few crooks who said summer was unpaid even if you stayed for more than a year. This is shocking. How can they expect you to stay contracted to them yet be unpaid!?!? It's a joke.

Also, one uni told me my visa ran out on July 15th with a start date of Sept 1st. So if I chose to change jobs, I would be screwed as my visa would run out but my new uni wouldn't be able to cover July 15-Sept 1st with their contract. So you must go to another country for 6 weeks - also they probably couldn't do your visa inn country, which means an expensive flight home to start the process again.

Be very careful of 10 month contracts/visas. They are a headache.
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Son of Bud Powell



Joined: 04 Mar 2015
Posts: 179
Location: Since 2003

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 2:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Deats wrote:
I agree with hdeth that a BA is nothing to boast about. Anyone can pass a BA. Most students coast through 3-4 years of drinking, sleeping and doing very little 'work'. I see it as a waste of my time/life.



I see.
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AKChina



Joined: 29 Apr 2015
Posts: 52

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

Deats wrote:
AKChina - I don't think you need to be in China to find a good job - it's not like Korea. You can find most jobs posted online either through direct hire or agencies. Don't just look on davesesl, most of the uni jobs don't end up on this site.

Personally I think 60k is low. But it all depends on what your expectations are.

I would definitely push for an 11th paid month AND something in your contract saying your 12th month will be paid if you renew your contract. When applying for unis this year I came across a few crooks who said summer was unpaid even if you stayed for more than a year. This is shocking. How can they expect you to stay contracted to them yet be unpaid!?!? It's a joke.

Also, one uni told me my visa ran out on July 15th with a start date of Sept 1st. So if I chose to change jobs, I would be screwed as my visa would run out but my new uni wouldn't be able to cover July 15-Sept 1st with their contract. So you must go to another country for 6 weeks - also they probably couldn't do your visa inn country, which means an expensive flight home to start the process again.

Be very careful of 10 month contracts/visas. They are a headache.


Thanks for the ideas...I might ask them about summer pay if I resign for the second year. Can't hurt to ask, right?
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Thu May 07, 2015 4:39 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote

AKChina wrote:
Deats wrote:
AKChina - I don't think you need to be in China to find a good job - it's not like Korea. You can find most jobs posted online either through direct hire or agencies. Don't just look on davesesl, most of the uni jobs don't end up on this site.

Personally I think 60k is low. But it all depends on what your expectations are.

I would definitely push for an 11th paid month AND something in your contract saying your 12th month will be paid if you renew your contract. When applying for unis this year I came across a few crooks who said summer was unpaid even if you stayed for more than a year. This is shocking. How can they expect you to stay contracted to them yet be unpaid!?!? It's a joke.

Also, one uni told me my visa ran out on July 15th with a start date of Sept 1st. So if I chose to change jobs, I would be screwed as my visa would run out but my new uni wouldn't be able to cover July 15-Sept 1st with their contract. So you must go to another country for 6 weeks - also they probably couldn't do your visa inn country, which means an expensive flight home to start the process again.

Be very careful of 10 month contracts/visas. They are a headache.


Thanks for the ideas...I might ask them about summer pay if I resign for the second year. Can't hurt to ask, right?


That's pretty standard.
You aren't venturing into uncharted waters.
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wangdaning



Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2015 12:59 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

What qualifies you to say something like that? I don't know any Americans who think their bachelor's degree is rubbish. People with that kind of attitude usually drop out and don't graduate.

What's your nationality?[/quote]

I'm American. Never met an American who takes a BA or BS seriously. It's not really an accomplishment. I should qualify myself as coming from the PNW. Other parts of the country do things differently. I was at a staff meeting the other day talking about visa interview questions and I thought the idea of class rank in high school was extremely weird, but everyone else thought it was normal.

Now I'll give you maybe someone could be proud of say maintaining a 3.8 GPA throughout college, or graduating at the top of their class, or in three years instead of 4.....but the degree itself is meaningless. How do I know it didn't take you 8 years of partying and averaging a 2.1 GPA?

EDIT:
I should add that rubbish is more of a UK word and I would say "worthless" instead.[/quote]

If you talk to anyone outside the US you get an idea of standards. Sorry, but what is PNW? I had about 3.3 at my university and got tired a year into courses. Nice libraries, but boring in every other way. There was no point in expanding on what I had studied
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Non Sequitur



Joined: 23 May 2010
Posts: 4724
Location: China

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2015 1:20 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

Professor Bernard Lewis says US bachelors are inferior to UK but with post grad ie masters its the other way around. Interesting.
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hdeth



Joined: 20 Jan 2015
Posts: 583

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2015 1:47 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wangdaning wrote:


If you talk to anyone outside the US you get an idea of standards. Sorry, but what is PNW? I had about 3.3 at my university and got tired a year into courses. Nice libraries, but boring in every other way. There was no point in expanding on what I had studied


Well according to a prior poster on this thread UK universities are giving huge scholarships to vast crowds of dropout Chinese students so...who knows. A degree is to show you put out a certain amount of effort and had a certain amount of dedication to follow through....a benchmark that makes it easier for employers to throw a bunch of resumes in the trash.

PNW: Pacific NorthWest.
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wangdaning



Joined: 22 Jan 2008
Posts: 3154

PostPosted: Fri May 08, 2015 4:26 am    Post subject: Reply with quote

wangdaning wrote:
What qualifies you to say something like that? I don't know any Americans who think their bachelor's degree is rubbish. People with that kind of attitude usually drop out and don't graduate.

What's your nationality?


I'm American. Never met an American who takes a BA or BS seriously. It's not really an accomplishment. I should qualify myself as coming from the PNW. Other parts of the country do things differently. I was at a staff meeting the other day talking about visa interview questions and I thought the idea of class rank in high school was extremely weird, but everyone else thought it was normal.

Now I'll give you maybe someone could be proud of say maintaining a 3.8 GPA throughout college, or graduating at the top of their class, or in three years instead of 4.....but the degree itself is meaningless. How do I know it didn't take you 8 years of partying and averaging a 2.1 GPA?

EDIT:
I should add that rubbish is more of a UK word and I would say "worthless" instead.[/quote]

If you talk to anyone outside the US you get an idea of standards. Sorry, but what is PNW? I had about 3.3 at my university and got tired a year into courses. Nice libraries, but boring in every other way. There was no point in expanding on what I had studied[/quote]

    I never said the above. Or maybe a drink inspired rant, forgive me if you can. I never mean to be mean to fellow posters here
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