Why is Berkeley ranked so high?

<p>I'd like to add some additional comments to Sakky's excellent responses.</p>

<p>You: (paraphrased) Nobody goes to office hours. Therefore students must not want professor attention.</p>

<p>First off, people tend to be uncreative in general and just do what everyone else does. This is the subtle peer pressure effect and happens all the time at Berkeley. You can always tell a freshman from a senior. Many are bubbly and willing to make conversation with a stranger. After staying here for 4 years, you learn about all the freaks out there and how anti-social behavior is tolerated. Likewise, students who would normally expect a high-school like environment where the teacher knows your name, are put off by Berkeley's impersonal nature. Going to office hours is a pretty intimidating thing and in general unnecessary because many classes at berkeley are "filler" classes (i.e. all the weeder classes you have to take). </p>

<p>In general, I feel berkeley students have a lot of people just trying to get a degree and imitating one another; they don't really know what their missing. I'm sure they would appreciate it if they were given more personal time, but a lack of imagination on the part of the general student body is no indication that berkeley's undergraduate experience could not benefit from a more personal experience.</p>

<p>For my upper div courses, I've barely had any reason to go to profs, especially by those classes taught by assistant professors or whoever that they shove to teach classes sometimes. I've had a visiting professor from some podunk college and a few assistant professors who didn't pique my interest. </p>

<p>The socialist experiment has failed as Thomas Sowell has pointed out in many of his excellent books. Education today has suffered great blows to its standards as more and more people have gotten college degrees. College really means very little and is more of a necessary factor in getting a middle class job but barely, if at all sufficient (unless you're engineering or business).</p>

<p>And abot your comments about the French Workers:</p>

<p>Riots in France</p>

<p>By Thomas Sowell</p>

<p>Nov 8, 2005</p>

<p>Riots that began on the outskirts of Paris have spread into the center of the French capital and to other communities in other parts of the country. Thousands of cars have been set on fire and the police and even medical personnel have been shot at.</p>

<p>Like many other riots, whether in France or elsewhere, this one started over an incident that just happened and was then seized upon to rally resentments and unleash violence. Two local boys in a predominantly Moslem neighborhood tried to escape the police by hiding in a facility that transmitted electricity -- and accidently electrocuted themselves.</p>

<p>This was the spark that ignited volatile emotions. But those emotions were there, ready to be ignited, for a long time.</p>

<p>A substantial Moslem population lives in France but is not really of France. Much of that population lives in social isolation in housing projects away from the center of Paris, as unknown to many Parisians as to tourists.</p>

<p>Like housing projects in America, many of these are centers of social degeneration, lawlessness and violence. Three years ago, profound British social critic Theodore Dalrymple wrote of "burned-out and eviscerated carcasses of cars everywhere" in these projects, among other signs of social degeneration. This was in an essay titled "The Barbarians at the Gates of Paris" that is reprinted in his insightful book, "Our Culture, What's Left of it."</p>

<p>While Dr. Dalrymple called this Moslem underclass "barbarians," a French minister who called the rioters "scum" provoked instant outrage against himself, including criticism from at least one member of his own government. This squeamishness in word and deed, and the accompanying refusal to face blatant realities is also a major part of the background for the breakdown of law and order and the social degeneration that follows.</p>

<p>None of this is peculiar to France. It is a symptom of a common retreat from reality, and from the hard decisions that reality requires, not only in Europe but also in European offshoot societies like Canada, Australia, New Zealand -- and the United States of America.</p>

<p>European countries especially have thrown their doors open to a large influx of Moslem immigrants who have no intention of becoming part of the cultures of the countries to which they immigrate but to recreate their own cultures in those countries.</p>

<p>In the name of tolerance, these countries have imported intolerance, of which growing antisemitism in Europe is just one example. In the name of respecting all cultures, Western nations have welcomed people who respect neither the cultures nor the rights of the population among whom they have settled.</p>

<p>During the last election, some campus Republicans who were holding a rally for President Bush at San Francisco State University were harassed by Middle Eastern students, including a woman who walked up to one of these Americans and slapped his face. They knew they could do this with impunity.</p>

<p>In Michigan, a Moslem community loudly sounds their calls to prayer several times a day, without regard to whether that sound bothers the original inhabitants of the community.</p>

<p>The Dutch were shocked when one of their film-makers was assassinated by a Moslem extremist for daring to have views at variance with what the extremists would tolerate.</p>

<p>No one should have been shocked. There are people who will not stop until they get stopped -- and much of the media, the political classes, and the cultural elites of the West cannot bring themselves to even criticize, much less stop, the dangers or degeneracy among groups viewed sympathetically as underdogs.</p>

<p>Not all Moslems, nor necessarily a majority of Moslems, are either a cultural or a physical danger. But even "moderate" Moslem organizations in the West who deplore violence and try to discourage it nevertheless encourage their followers to remain foreigners rather than become part of the countries they live in.</p>

<p>So do our own intelligentsia and political and cultural elites. Balkanization has been glorified as "diversity" and diversity has become too sacred to defile with anything so gross as hard facts. But reality is not optional. Our survival may in the long run be as menaced by degeneration within -- from many sources and in many ways -- as was that of the Roman Empire.</p>

<p>Thomas Sowell is the prolific author of books such as Black Rednecks and White Liberals and Applied Economics.</p>

<p><a href="http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell/2005/11/08/174706.html%5B/url%5D"&gt;http://www.townhall.com/opinion/columns/thomassowell/2005/11/08/174706.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p>

<p>On March 19th, 2006 at 4:09 AM server time, Polite Antagonis posted this message: </p>

<p>
[quote]
Most do because they need recommendations.</p>

<p>You might be right that "most" do not care because they just want the degree and money. As such they don't belong in college.</p>

<p>THose that do care about learning and enriching their lives DO want professor attention. We should respect the wishes of these students as well as it is these students who are more likely to be future leaders and innovators.</p>

<p>We could easily send the rest of the students to trade schools and whatnot and it would result in those students who don't care getting the same academic experience.

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</p>

<p>The following day, s/he stated that </p>

<p>
[quote]
Many things have changed. [In California since the 50s.]There has been a huge influx of immigration from groups that are very difficult to integrate into American culture and society because they are numerous enough to form insulated ghettos. I'm not just talking about Mexicans; I'm also talking about the Vietnamese, Chinese, and most other minority groups. Much of the immigration has also been low-class and illegal adding to California's woes.</p>

<p>Combine that with the rent-seeking politics of the unions who run the California democratic party, runaway populist sentiments more akin to France than America, and a government organized so badly that local governments have to spend millions each year just to lobby to the state government; its not hard to see why much of the public infrastructure of California has gone by the wayside.

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</p>

<p>It doesn't take a genius to figure out that what Polite Antagonis says in the second post directly applies to what s/he says in the first post. Simply put, s/he believes that the students who need recommendations tend to be members of the student section of the population which make up mainstream (whatever that is) of "American culture and society." From the first post, we learn that s/he considers "these students [to be the most] likely to be [the] future leaders and innovators." The remainders are mostly fit for trade schools. Who does s/he claim make up the remainder? Underrepresented minorities and their children (see post #72 in which s/he talks about education in the home)---in spite of the fact that these URM students usually worked (in the physical sense of the word) VERY hard in a commendable effort to make up for the racist educational deficiencies in K-12 and be admitted to UCB. In conclusion, Polite Antagonis' view is fully racist. In fact, it might even be understood as a desire for the reinstitution of slavery. After all, he does note that URM children tend to follow their parents and consequently should only be allowed to go to trade schools. Otherwise, the WASPs and "super asians" won't get their precious recommendations! As a person of mixed WASP and asian heritage, I am absolubtely disgusted by this call for Euro-asian supremacy. </p>

<p>And I'm not the only one who is accusing you of racism, either. NeedAdvice seems to think you are racist, too. In fact let me take it up a notch: you have referred to me as a male. What makes you think I'm a guy?</p>

<p>Racism + Elitism + Sexism = Polite Antagonis</p>

<p>Thank France we haven't gotten to talking about homosexuals.</p>

<p>"And I'm not the only one who is accusing you of racism, either. NeedAdvice seems to think you are racist, too."</p>

<p>Me too. The stuff he wrote under his previous names was even more blatant. Maybe that's why he's had about ten names--he keeps getting booted for being a racist. Just a theory.</p>

<p>You made such a huge logical leap. That was so inane as to defy all rational discussion or even dignify with a response.</p>

<p>Believe what you will; you'll have to face reality if you ever take (and consequently fail) the LSAT or need legal representation in a court room. </p>

<p>Retard.</p>

<p>That's not very polite, is it? And I won't be taking the LSAT, so I don't think I'll fail (not that it's even possible, considering there's no letter grade).</p>

<p>It was politer than the you or greatestyen.</p>

<p>More polite</p>

<p>
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Retard.

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</p>

<p>................:)</p>

<p>If you're going to flame do it intelligently please</p>

<p>I just don't get it. What do you get out of this, Polite Antagonis?</p>

<p>
[quote]
College really means very little and is more of a necessary factor in getting a middle class job but barely, if at all sufficient

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Whenever people say this, I can always tell that they've never actually been on the job market.</p>

<p>Gentleman>>> I consider you a moron. Greatest yen, you're pretty up there too.</p>

<p>You chose not to respond to the Thomas Sowell article which is pretty solid and describes the matter at hand very succinctly and easily counters your dumb statements about France.</p>

<p>For the supposed "racism," I meant that "ghetto"-ization makes social problems that much harder to deal with. When you have affirmative action and civil rights legislation elevating 75% of African Americans into the middle class, but selecting for those less capable to aggregate in the inner cities, you have the unintended consequence of creating a self-reinforcing culture that makes dealing with social problems very difficult, especially using government action.</p>

<p>People learn most of what they know from socialization, and when you have NON-DIVERSE communities, you have stagnation and decay. You are the one practicing a double standard. Somehow pointing out that minorities tend to act in certain ways (because they tend to stick together and share the same culture) is racist, but their likewise exclusionary actions and choices (when made in relation to other races) are somehow above reproach or debate?</p>

<p>And nowhere is there a connection between any of the arguments you made. Neither were the arguments made successively to one another. </p>

<p>Indeed, one of my biggest problems with Berkeley is the cliquishness of the students as I have stated many times. </p>

<p>But thats ok, just chose to make logical sumersaults and focus on those parts of the argument which agree with your preconceptions.</p>

<p>
[quote]
People learn most of what they know from socialization, and when you have NON-DIVERSE communities, you have stagnation and decay.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>Yep. Nothing but social decay here in Japan.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Indeed, one of my biggest problems with Berkeley is the cliquishness of the students as I have stated many times.

[/quote]
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<p>Welcome to life, son.</p>

<p>"Gentleman>>> I consider you a moron." </p>

<p>Hey, at least you consider me. I think you're a brilliant scholar and will make a fine lawyer some day. Your arguments are second to none. Keep up the good work.</p>

<p>I can't tell if you're being sarcastic but I'll reply anyways.</p>

<p>LoL, Japan is decaying. Its going to be half the population in about 2 generations at its current rate and its economy is in constant sclerosis, a fact which I attribute to the lack of political vigour and perspectives in the Japanese political system. Japan could really use some immigration but is too racist and refuses it.</p>

<p>I had no problems in Texas which is suppose to hillbilly country according to Gentleman. Everyone's pretty nice when they're churchgoing IMO.</p>

<p>Polite Antagonis,</p>

<p>Now you have me confused. You seem pretty anti-immigration in one post, but now you're arguing for an influx of immigration into Japan? Explain.</p>

<p>And way to confuse correlation with causation.</p>

<p>Actually what Polite says about Japan is pretty accurate.</p>

<p>However, I disagree with the "everyone's pretty nice' when they're churchgoing, considering I attended a parochial school for most of my life and no, they aren't.</p>

<p>
[quote]
Everyone's pretty nice when they're churchgoing IMO.

[/quote]
</p>

<p>That is, if you follow their faith. I've had some awful experiences as a Jew with your "polite churchgoers." Nothing like being told you're going to hell because you killed Jesus to brighten your day.</p>

<p>UCLAri...you know what my friend said. He says that most Caucasian people who go to good universities are Jewish, because the rest are too dumb to get in. What do you think? (And if this is offensive in any way, feel free to have the mods delete this message.)</p>

<p>NeedAdvice,</p>

<p>Japan's economic problems have nothing to do with ethnic homogeneaity. They have everything to do with bad policy with banks and non-performing loans. </p>

<p>Everyone in our generation forgets that Japan was the standard setter in East Asia for half a century.</p>