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Is it bad form to say you learnt nothing in college?

  • 15-02-2014 2:28am
    #1
    Splish Splashing
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 18 ✭


    Total hypothetical here but say you graduated college with a decent degree but didn't actually learn anything at all during your studies and passed everything based on prior knowledge/stuff you taught yourself, is this worth alluding to in an interview? Obviously if done so tactfully and not coming across as a bit of an arrogant tosser ;)

    I have a degree but I don't really think I'm qualified for most jobs in the sector since I picked up absolutely nothing of any use in the 3 years undergrad. I do however think that the fact I did relatively well regardless is a positive and an indicator of my aptitude.

    Has anyone gone for this angle before? Are you better off just keeping quiet and pretending you worked super hard to learn everything in lectures?


Comments

  • #2
    playedalive
    Closed Accounts Posts: 750 ✭✭✭playedalive


    Yeah I think it's not a good angle as it can show an attitude you don't want to portray.

    Like I'm a college graduate who didn't like my degree course and found a lot of what I learned to be totally useless to my life. It's fair enough that a degree can be a means to an end but you should focus on your dedication to your studies rather than no interest in the course material (even if that is the case). Sometimes, it can lead to a spiral of negativity which is the last thing you need in an interview.


  • #3
    sawdoubters
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭sawdoubters


    does your mammy tie your shoes


  • #4
    maamom
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 77 ✭✭maamom


    I hate to say it having spent in the region of 30 grand on my degree but there was literally nothing that I learnt that is benefiting me right now in my current position. It really is just a piece of paper and seems to me to be treated as such by colleges and industry alike.


  • #5
    sawdoubters
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 1,288 ✭✭✭sawdoubters


    you can lead a horse to water but you cant make him drink


  • #6
    Mr. Loverman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭Mr. Loverman


    If someone said this to me in an interview, I would think they are both arrogant and a risk. I would not hire them.


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  • #7
    Mr. Loverman
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,001 ✭✭✭Mr. Loverman


    But by all means you can say you have always been interested in [whatever your degree is] and found your degree quite easy because you have been doing [whatever] most of your life and for fun read books on [whatever] and have multiple just-for-fun projects on [whatever]. Basically show you are genuinely interested in [whatever] rather than doing the degree because you had no idea what to do with your life.


  • #8
    neckedit
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,492 ✭✭✭neckedit


    Splish Splashing wrote: »
    Total hypothetical here but say you graduated college with a decent degree but didn't actually learn anything at all during your studies and passed everything based on prior knowledge/stuff you taught yourself, is this worth alluding to in an interview? Obviously if done so tactfully and not coming across as a bit of an arrogant tosser ;)

    I have a degree but I don't really think I'm qualified for most jobs in the sector since I picked up absolutely nothing of any use in the 3 years undergrad. I do however think that the fact I did relatively well regardless is a positive and an indicator of my aptitude.

    Has anyone gone for this angle before? Are you better off just keeping quiet and pretending you worked super hard to learn everything in lectures?

    I would ask you, why did you persist in a degree that you felt didnt assist you in any way? To me it would seem arrogant, Tosser like (to use your words) and I would see little if any initiative in that.
    Not ideal traits to impress on an interviewer.


  • #9
    Mrs OBumble
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 26,295 ✭✭✭✭Mrs OBumble


    Splish Splashing wrote: »
    ... you graduated college with a decent degree [having] passed everything based on ... stuff you taught yourself, is this worth alluding to in an interview?

    Hell no.

    College isn't like school where the teacher tells you how to learn.

    You are expected to learn, and whether you do it in lectures or by private study is totally irrelevant.

    Obviously you did learn the material for your degree, and participate in whatever practical exercises where required well enough to pass. So to say you learnt nothing is wrong.


  • #10
    Itsallrelative
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23 ✭Itsallrelative


    Agree with the other posters that yes you would sound arrogant saying this in an interview, and you'd also come across as very negative.

    What you could (and should) talk about is the extra things you taught yourself, projects you worked on alongside your studies and anything else you did to get to where you are now. This shows initiative and ambition instead of negativity and arrogance - and we all know which of these is more likely to get hired :)


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