Im so lost....please explain!!!?

Question

Can someone please explain univesity to me?

so how do these majors work? i simply dont understand a thing...i just want an explanation on the whole subject situation like credits and all that stuff... im so lost.

Answer 1

Typically a university considers a 'credit' to represent a basic unit of study or unit of academic 'discipline'. These credits are the building blocks upon which a degree course built.

To earn a particular degree you need to earn the 'required number of credits' stipulated by the university for that degree.

You earn credits by,

1. Completing courses at the university, or

2. Exemptions - Completing relevant courses at other institutions and having the academic value of those courses transfered (where allowable), or

3. 'Alternative' - Completing and participating in activities that the university considers worthy of credits. This can include internships, miltary service, work experience, college sports or even community service.

For any given course there is a maximum number of credits that can be counted towards a degree via the 'alternative' or 'exemption' methods.  If, for example, you want to be an architect, you cannot expect to earn your 160 credits by doing community service alone. You also cannot expect that because you worked ten years in an architectural firm, you should be credited for most or all of the value of the degree.

Typically the bulk of the credits have to be earned AT the university.

Also, for a specialized type of degree, they specify which courses need to be completed successfully to attain the degree. Usually you have some percentage of 'elective' course - these are courses specifically not required to earn the specific degree you want, be you are given credits for them. This would include courses such a Spanish, French, or other foreign language, for a person studying Architecture or engineering.

MAJOR vs MINOR.

To MAJOR in a particular area of study, you usually need to be earning a minimum number of credits in accordance with the rules for that area of study. Earning a MINOR also has stipulations, but these are usually lower than those required for a MAJOR in any given area of study.

Now back to where we began - the 'credit' is the basic unit of academic measure in any degree. Its accuracy is monitored by natonal and international academic accreditation boards, so that when an accredited school says that a person earned '10 credits', another unrelated school can expect that the measurement is similar to their own interpretation of '10 credits'.

EDIT:

More advanced schools calculate tutition based on the number of credits required. A 'double major' can be pricey.

I hope you find all this useful!

Answer 2

These explanations seem to be for American colleges.  For info about how the Jamaican system works, you'd have to check with an official source there.  If you do a search on education in Jamaica, you might find what you're looking for.

Answer 3

It is too much to explain here. Go to a university's website and call them for the information

Answer 4

higher education

is so needed for this generation :(

Answer 5

The best thing to do is to call a local school and talk to a guidance counselor...they would love to answer your questions as it's they're job and they want to get your business. Our society gives virtually no information to public students in some areas....and they expect most people will choose not to go to school because it's too "confusing". But you are even entitled to financial aid (if your an american citizens) but you need to cut thru the red tape first....Good Luck!

Answer 6

it's easy