So quiet!

[Towelie]

I actually thought that too, but I associated it to the fact that I had been visiting boards with 100000x more activity than x86 at it's peak

You're a nobody on 4chan. That's the difference between here and there: here, you're a person. On 4chan, you're another random anonymous idiot.

It isn't just 4chan

[Sidoh]

I'd much rather be an active member of a community like x86 than even, say, slashdot.

I've made some really valuable connections through x86.  There are many incredibly knowledgeable members that can help me with just about anything I need within the realm of academia.  For example, I usually bug iago once every couple of weeks with a question I have concerning Linux, security, etc.

For me, the number of currently active members in a community plays little role in how happy I am being a member.  As long as there are a few good members who are continuously active, the rest doesn't matter.

By the way of the topic, if I had to make a guess, I'd side with iago.  School has started for almost everybody and we're all getting situated.  I'm really busy this semester (18 credit hours, one credit is an independent study which will probably amount to the work of a 4 credit hour class, a work study and two clubs), so my activity will probably lessen a bit.  I still visit the forums very regularly, but I don't post as much.

[chuck]

I've swapped from home-schooling to public school and am noticing the increase in projects and homework, so I post less. 'Tis life.

[CrAz3D]

Ok, yeah, school.  I just spent ~2 hrs writing and I have still so much more to do on that one assignment as well as others

[Newby]

By the way of the topic, if I had to make a guess, I'd side with iago.  School has started for almost everybody and we're all getting situated.  I'm really busy this semester (18 credit hours, one credit is an independent study which will probably amount to the work of a 4 credit hour class, a work study and two clubs), so my activity will probably lessen a bit.  I still visit the forums very regularly, but I don't post as much.

Same kind of topic spawned up at kerrazy-torrents, and everyone blamed it on school. Apparently the same kind of topic comes up about this time of year, too.

[BigAznDaddy]

speaking of school how does college credit work?
is it like so and so amount of credits equals a class session?

[CrAz3D]

In theory, about as much time as you spend IN class is what the "credit hour" is.
Like I spend 3 hrs/week for one of my classes.  It's a 3 credit class.  At least that's how I've always heard it.

If you ask me it's all bull shit.  They should just tell you what fucking classes you need to take and be done with it.  Also, none of that "expand your horizons" class shit and electives are generally pointless as well.

[iago]

Yeah, a credit, or credit hour, is 1 hour/week. Every class I took was either 3 or 6 credits.

And for electives, depending on where you apply, can be very important. That's one of the things that I'm most interested in when I view applicants. It shows what interests they have outside of their career path, and that can provide invaluable insight into their character.

[CrAz3D]

Our electives include swimming, bowling, archery, world dance, and other weird/pointless crap.
What electives do you all have?

[iago]

In university, I took philosophy, roman history, and a few other interesting things.

In highschool I did drafting and art, both of which have, if you can believe it, come in handy in real life.

[CrAz3D]

Things like that are required of us as general education credits.
We have general education classes (intro to ___ phil, psych, geology, astronomy, chemistry, biology, etc) that you have to select a few from.
We have "viewing a wider world" classes.  You have to select 2 classes outside of your college and inside 2 different colleges (I'm taking Chemical Engineering 395 Brewing Sciences and also Human Sexuality [apart of the Health and Human Services dept]).
And FINALLY you have to take elective courses.

It's stupid

[rabbit]

Credits lie.  All the time, especially with classes that have recitations and labs.

For instance, my physics class.  I had a lecture (3 credits) for 3 hours a week, two 1 hour recitations (0 credits), and a two hour lab (0 credits).  That's 7 hours a week for 3 credits.  SUCKITUDE.

[Sidoh]

Credits lie.  All the time, especially with classes that have recitations and labs.

For instance, my physics class.  I had a lecture (3 credits) for 3 hours a week, two 1 hour recitations (0 credits), and a two hour lab (0 credits).  That's 7 hours a week for 3 credits.  SUCKITUDE.

Yeah, I've noticed that rule doesn't apply in some of the more sciencey type courses.  The introductory Physics courses here are 4 credits.  There are three lecture periods a week, a one-hour recitation and a two-hour lab.  I think the same is true for intro chemistry courses, but I'm pretty sure their labs are 3 hours long.

There's some "rule" where the number of credits * 2 for a class is supposed to indicate the average amount of time spent on the course outside of class periods (meaning homework, studying, etc) in a week.  I haven't found that to be the case, though.  I don't spend anywhere near 8 hours a week on Calculus or CS stuff.  It might take the "average" student around that, though.  I don't know.

[CrAz3D]

I recall that "homework" time rule, too.

None of them are true, it's just a Jewish scheme to convince us all of some sort of invasion operation

[iago]

I quickly realized that a credit is basically just a credit. A 3-credit course was 2 or 3 days a week for a semester, and a 6-credit course was 5 days a week for a semester or 2/3 days a week for the whole year. That's how my school did it, at any rate.