I completely agree with your statement that a course schedule composed of engineering courses will be more time-consuming than a music education track. As a music major, I am always amazed by other music majors whining about, for example, a single five-page research paper about a classical or romantic composer. This assignment is a pittance, especially when compared to the weekly loads of problem sets, discussion questions, and laboratory reports I completed in lowly Principals of Chemistry I. Chemistry doesn't come naturally to me, but I think it is an interesting topic and a great way to broaden my horizons and fulfill a GenEd requirement at the same time. Anyway, most music majors (and, to a lesser but still substantial extent, journalism majors) don't know how good they have it.Rick Denney wrote:Look in your college catalog, and you will see for your major a list of required courses, plus requirements for elective courses. These are the requirements for graduation. At most universities, you have to follow the plan explicitly for it to even be possible, for a variety of reasons. Your scheduling conflicts are just one reason. Many elective courses are only offered once a year, and have prerequisites that are offered only once a year, etc. Those who get off the track have a hard time finishing in four years.Biggs wrote:The challenge isn't getting to 120, it's trying to find a way to get there without all of your classes meeting at 10:30 on Wednesday.
But there was an inflation in the number of hours required, and that inflation was what the legislature was trying to reverse.
Trust me when I say that an 18-hour load consisting of differential equations, physics of electricity, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, environmental engineering (with lab), and finite elements structural engineering will consume more time than just about any course of study in music education. I'm not saying that to be flip or to downgrade music education--quite the contrary. It's just that courses that require the development of an abstract analytical intuition required hours of chasing rabbits down holes and starting over. When I took mathematical statistics, I attempted integrations that filled four 11x17 sheets sideways, written small, only to find after filling up that paper that I'd missed a sign early on that made all the nasty terms cancel out. Give me a history or educational theory text to read, a visit to the library, and a short essay to write ANY DAY for getting it done in time to actually sleep.
I don't know if I agree with your statement regarding building a class schedule, though. You're right in saying that a a 4-year plan is laid out by the school, but I can't find a way to follow it without reaching some undesirable compromises. For example, I had to choose between Music Theory III, Television News Production, and Principles of Chemistry I, all of which met at 9:30 on Monday. These conflicts then get compounded over several semesters. I'm "on track," just behind as a result of having "on track" requirements that are mutually exclusive.
