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Well I suggest you take off before summer gets here, because if you got here in August you haven't really seen it yet.....oh and I might suggest you check out Mississippi....maybe that would be more to your liking.....don't let the door hit ya.....
I have family from Mississippi. If there is one thing Arizona can be proud of, it's the fact that it's better than Mississippi....then again, that's not much to be proud of.
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Originally Posted by azhiker
Open yourself up to diverse ways of communicating. Never judge.
You're kidding...right?
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Originally Posted by sickofIL
Students are like this everywhere. Actually more than just students. I constantly see notes sent home from teachers with gramatical errors. I get e-mails with misspellings and gross gramatical errors from our COE, the EVP and VP's at my company. I guess they never heard of spell check.
Kids, try going into any fast food store, or any store for that matter, and go to pay. Then give the kid a different amount than they just typed into the cash register. Example, you buy something for $4.05 and you give them $5.25 so you will get $1.20 instead of a handfull of change. Then they type in $5 and look at you funny because of the quarter. They usually say something like, " I can't figure that out. I already typed in $5."
So besides spelling and grammer they also don't know simple math.
And schools? I am convinced that what makes a good school system is more the parents than the schools. They say that the schools, CUSD 200 (Wheaton/Winfield IL) is very good. However, if I just left it up to the schools, my kids wouldn't learn much. The parents need to teach their kids more than the schools do. I believe that the schools in my district are better because the general population has enough education and time to spend teaching their kids. Usually the districts with schools that are considered poor are in neighborhoods with poorly educated parents that both need to work and do not have the ability or time to teach their kids.
And the state government? You think Arizona is bad? Look at the Illinois state government. Here we have had 3 past governors go to jail and it's likely the current one will go there too. We have had a Secretary of State that had shoe boxes of bribe money stashed all over his house.
So it's not just Arizona. It's everywhere.
I understand minor spelling/grammar problems...everyone slips up every now and then. But, I have never seen such blatant and gross rapage of the language in my life (in multiple instances). I don't mind it if it is between two students in a social setting, but talking like that to a professor?
At least Illinois' state government is doing something besides putting up speed cameras every 2 feet, placing all of their highway patrol cars on the interstate between the two largest cities to try to catch immigrants, and raping the education system of the state....because that's really all Arizona does.
Oh, and it's not everywhere. I know that for a fact.
I definitely understand your frustration with Arizona. State government officials don't value education nearly as much as government officials in the East, Northwest, and Midwest do. This is evident by the fact that the budget for higher education is one of the first items to be cut, as opposed to one of the last. As much as I want to avoid any argument, this has a great deal to do with the state's politics. Arizona has had an inadequate public AND private school system for YEARS. I do not see that changing in the near future. Few people here understand the correlation of funding for education and economic development that is necessary to keep this state healthy economically.
As far as the U of A goes, I know that a number of students are from out of state. U of A as a whole is a third-tier school, not ranked anywhere near the top. On top of that, the school has an 85 percent acceptance rate. Couple those items together and you will find that there are a lot of dunderheads sitting in class.
In defense of the state of Arizona, I am not sure that all of the incompetent students you are coming across are from Arizona. There are a number of students from Southern California who are rejected from first and second tier schools in California who come to the U of A. There are a number of students from the Midwest and the Northeast who come to the U of A to party, tan, and brag to their friends at home about the weather in January.
It seems that the vast majority of U of A students fall into one of these categories. I am hoping this state falls flat on its face in the coming years, in part to show state officials the importance of a rigorous and top notch public and private school system.
Lastly, I do not know what makes you think teens in the mall act differently in Arizona than they do in other states. It seems that teens running around the malls, screaming, grabbing each other, and going through other mating rituals is common everywhere.
I definitely understand your frustration with Arizona. State government officials don't value education nearly as much as government officials in the East, Northwest, and Midwest do. This is evident by the fact that the budget for higher education is one of the first items to be cut, as opposed to one of the last. As much as I want to avoid any argument, this has a great deal to do with the state's politics. Arizona has had an inadequate public AND private school system for YEARS. I do not see that changing in the near future. Few people here understand the correlation of funding for education and economic development that is necessary to keep this state healthy economically.
As far as the U of A goes, I know that a number of students are from out of state. U of A as a whole is a third-tier school, not ranked anywhere near the top. On top of that, the school has an 85 percent acceptance rate. Couple those items together and you will find that there are a lot of dunderheads sitting in class.
In defense of the state of Arizona, I am not sure that all of the incompetent students you are coming across are from Arizona. There are a number of students from Southern California who are rejected from first and second tier schools in California who come to the U of A. There are a number of students from the Midwest and the Northeast who come to the U of A to party, tan, and brag to their friends at home about the weather in January.
It seems that the vast majority of U of A students fall into one of these categories. I am hoping this state falls flat on its face in the coming years, in part to show state officials the importance of a rigorous and top notch public and private school system.
Lastly, I do not know what makes you think teens in the mall act differently in Arizona than they do in other states. It seems that teens running around the malls, screaming, grabbing each other, and going through other mating rituals is common everywhere.
UofA isn't entirely third tier....Astronomy, Optical Sciences, Medicine/Nursing, Hydrology/Water Resources, etc. are top-notch programs...and they are at least ranked #96 of 100 by USNWR of universities in the US (though, I can't say with a straight face that they will remain that way with the cuts the SL is proposing).
The ones with the poor grammar, etc. that I've seen are ALL from AZ. I know this because they tell us where they're from on a card.
Re: the teens at malls......I've been to malls in many states...many times on friday or saturday nights....and I have NEVER seen anything like what I see in the foothills mall. It's like an infestation of little stupids.
Yup, it looks like the honeymoon is over...sure, I enjoyed the monsoon thunderstorms, the different scenery, and heck, I still love the food...but too much overshadows those small joys:
Since I moved here in August, I have tried...tried to make it work, tried to enjoy it, and tried to get on with what I am here for....but that door is closing fast.
I cannot feel empathy for this state...its citizens...or anything it/they stand(s) for. This state was built on a giant pit of sand...and somehow, that pit of sand works its way through the veins of everyday life here...the way the government acts, the way business is conducted, the education system, and even the way people live their lives. It is all in a giant pit of hot, hellish sand.
When I see many, many students who have graduated from this state's grade school system come to my office or write me an email...and they can barely communicate properly or use proper etiquette when communicating with professors/graduate students...I can feel certain that the future of this state grows dimmer by the minute. Things were not this bad in other states I've been to and lived in...even Florida, which I am famous for not liking. Ever been to the Foothills Mall on a Friday night? The way these kids handle themselves...is unbelievable. It truly is sad.
The way the government and university handles themselves...is ridiculous. UofA is facing a tremendous, $103M cut from the state legislature. This is a huge percentage cut, one that would cripple the UofA if they retained the current levels of tuition, etc. If this cut went through, the UofA's funding would be approximately $296M...divided by 38,000 students is approximately $7790 per student. Did you know that state funding at PSU is roughly $3500/student? Did you know they aren't in any financial crisis? Sure, the in-state tuition at PSU is ~$14K per year...but that is why there are smaller universities and colleges with lower tuition rates (both in PA and AZ). Yet, the University of Arizona...and the Board of Regents...has their respective thumbs up their bums and are threatening to cut out entire departments and colleges on the basis of these cuts. The UofA can survive these cuts...if the leadership is competent. Unfortunately, it is not.
So, in summary, I am sorry Arizona...Tucson...UofA...I'm sorry that I lost what little connection I had to you in the beginning of my time here. However, I feel that if I do not leave soon, I will completely lose my mind and have to be institutionalized. Unfortunately, I do not know when I can leave.
Actually? The worst communications I receive in my office are from recent college grads. The 22 to 27 year olds. Horrible, how do they manage to get degrees and yet can barely read and can not write? This is all over our country not just AZ, not just your college. So....professor, tell me, how did these students manage not only to get out of high school, but graduate from college...with a degree?
Northern Arizona is beautiful. You should try taking a trip up to Flagstaff. I love it up there and is a completely different world. I have to agree that Tucson isn't that great and I too am just plane bored here. But, I look at it on the brighter side; Tucson is hell of a lot better than Phoenix. I plan on moving back home to Northern Arizona again this summer.
'Don't like it here...? Take I-10 in any direction... 'Bye!
Actually, since I-10 goes in two terrible directions, I'll likely take I-17 north to I-40, then either US 89 N to eventually I-15 N to get me to the Pac NW, or I-40 E to one of various interstates that would take me to the midwest, great lakes, or northeast...
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Originally Posted by dhammo01
Northern Arizona is beautiful. You should try taking a trip up to Flagstaff. I love it up there and is a completely different world. I have to agree that Tucson isn't that great and I too am just plane bored here. But, I look at it on the brighter side; Tucson is hell of a lot better than Phoenix. I plan on moving back home to Northern Arizona again this summer.
I actually agree with this...and I like the weather [snow] much better up there. Unfortunately, Flagstaff does not have the proper jobs for me :\ . I'm willing to bet that if UofA was in Flagstaff, I'd be much happier.
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Originally Posted by ArizonaBear
I strongly disagree there: proper English in the USA commands respect.
And that rule applies even more in college let alone a university.
All I can say is that I am sorry to see you go. You got here shortly after I did and I still LOVE it here regardless of my own problems.
I feel your frustration about spelling and grammar and of course have major concerns for my own small children. However, I am one of those parents who doesn't only rely on school to educate them.
There is no specific 'beef' I have about AZ...it's everything (except the food). The people, the government, the university I work for, the weather...oh God the weather...the education system in general,..........
Oh, and your hypothetical is pretty dumb. Whereas I would much rather prefer living in Michigan...and yes....in the cold weather that actually has decent variation....I wouldn't be "working in the auto industry"....I would be doing what I'm doing now, except at somewhere like UM.
You mean...you would rather live here?? Hundreds upon hundreds of miles of this??
And thousand upon thousands of miles of this???
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