Cycling Proficiency

Hey, I failed my cycling proficiency!!!!
Hardly surprising really.

tinsy – Member

WOW, my cycling proficiency just isn't cutting the mustard..

Oh it really is amongst the pile of worthless degrees on here (mine included)

I got my Grade 3 swimming certificate. Never progressed as far as swimming in my pyjamas though.

Desmond in Geography from Durham
Your preferred seating position in the Applebey Lecture theatre please?
(back row, left hand side, against the padded wall bit. 30 min video on chromosomes = 30 min nap. Lovely.

i never got swimming certs …. i broke my arm both years we had it at school ……

although i reckon i could knock out 1500m in the pool with more finesse than most folk i went to school who got the certs with who seem to be lager louts these days ! so certificates mean nothing 😉

* that is conclusive evidence 😉

BSc Physics, MSc Computer Science, and hopefully in a few months a PhD in Computer Science…

Cycling proficiency passed in '78ish – broken body suggests i maybe should have failed. 🙁

Coca cola soccer skills badges.

A bundle of o'levels and a couple of cse's in the rubbish subjects i couldn't be arsed with (well that's what i told my mum).

C&G advanced craft, NVQ3 and a load of teaching quals.

Learnt more in 20 years on a building site than that lot put together. A year on site should be compulsory (to learn to sing, fart and whistle if for no other reason).

surely qualifications come as a result of an education, no?

I'm not sure that how qualified you are to do your job, necessarily reveals your level of education.

Does being qualified to drive a JCB, automatically suggest that you were educated to a different level to someone who is only qualified to use a cartridge nail gun ?

By "how educated are you?" I took the OP to mean what level of education did you achieve, eg, Os, As, further education, degrees, PhDs, etc. not how qualified you are to do your job. Certainly I would say that someone's level of education has a tendency to give rather different information about that person, than their professional/trade qualifications.

Thanks for the replies.
The OP just wanted to know what level of education people had. The OP, having read a fair few threads was beginning to think this forum was being inhabited by people unable to conjugate a verb, punctuate a sentence or formulate a coherent argument. However, the OP has been pleasantly surprised by the educated masses of STW.

Ooh, I forgot – I also have a Blue Peter badge, I got it last year when I did some work on a show.

By the way, on the Dr / PhD thing – PhD is something that American people put after their name to show they have a PhD, Dr is something that British people put before their name to show they have a PhD. So the people moaning about PhD being the correct title rather than doctor are probably just affected by US TV programs and celebrities.

Joe
(and obviously I don't use Dr in non-professional life – except when I want to open a bank account etc., but I do in some work things where it is vaguely important)

was beginning to think this forum was being inhabited by people unable to conjugate a verb, punctuate a sentence or formulate a coherent argument. However, the OP has been pleasantly surprised by the educated masses of STW.

I have known people educated to PhD level who would struggle to argue their case, despite an impressive ability to punctuate a sentence. I too, have been "surprised by the educated masses of STW", unfortunately for me the experience has been more of a disappointment, than a pleasant one. As someone who neither knows how to "conjugate a verb" (although I might give it a go if you showed me how – after reminding me what a "verb" was) nor posses "punctuation skills", I find for example, the lack of double negatives on STW really rather depressing. Certainly I have found the need to reign in more and more my use of colloquial English, despite feeling far more comfortable using it when attempting to make a point – specially when I feel I'm on a bit of a roll. Just as well that I have plenty of time to be myself, when I'm not rubbing shoulders with PhD wallahs

I suppose in the traditional "academic" sense I am highly educated. BSc (First Class), MSc (with Distinction), PhD.

But in many other respects I would consider myself pretty thick relative to my STW brethren. I guess average general knowledge, but no interest in politics or world affairs or anything remotely cultural – not read a book for years etc

Bsc first class hons
E for A level politics
cse ENGLISH – long story
PGCE
Phd started left after a year long story but I did love her

I can just about tie my shoelaces, but i'm very very happy 😉

Sorry, I didn't understand the question? 😕

Does it matter? If I make a list of things that have given me the most satisfaction in life none of them has resulted in me being given a certificate to prove it. Equally I don't have pieces of paper to prove I can do some of the things I do best and that have made me lots of cash. Even thinking quite hard I can't think of an occasion whan I've had to show anyone the pieces of paper I do have.

We live in a world where the value of all the bits of paper people have been listing are so devalued that the real opportunities for young people lie in fields where you don't need (m)any pieces of paper at all. Guess who is happiest and making the most money out a lumberjack and his highly qualified but underemployed brother.

Guess who is happiest and making the most money out of a lumberjack and his highly qualified but underemployed brother.

Not sure 😕

Give us a clue…………..does the lumberjack : cut down trees, eats his lunch, goes to the lavatory, on Wednesdays goes shopping, and has buttered scones for tea ❓

He does all of that and more Ernie. However he has no wish to be a girlie and contents himself with contenting them.

"However he has no wish to be a girlie"

Ahhh…………..wrong answer

🙁

^^^^ I wish I could make sense out of all that 🙂

^^^^ I wish I could make sense out of all that

Really ? 😕

Your education lacks a certain 'comic aspect' then 😯

I was thrown out of school when I got caught in the bike sheds fingering a girl from my class.
The Headmaster said he was really disappointed because I was one of the best Geography teachers they had.

^^^^ I wish I could make sense out of all that

Think he was trying to point to Edukator's post.

However, Monty Python is also wasted on me.

I was thrown out of school when I got caught in the bike sheds fingering a girl from my class.
The Headmaster said he was really disappointed because I was one of the best Geography teachers they had.

😀
😯

Richest people in the world didn't go to Uni and besides you never stop learning.

"people moaning about PhD being the correct title rather than doctor are probably just affected by US TV programs and celebrities"

I'm not entirely sure that is correct use of "affected", but it's tricky. It can mean "to have an influence on" so its use is plausible. But if you had said "effected", that relates their fautly English directly to the "cause": US TV. So on balance, I think you meant "probably just effected by US TV".

Shall we take a vote? 🙂

The 'Doctor' Of medical types (like myself) is an honorary title, the 'Doctor' of people with PhD's (like CaptJon's) is earnt…..

Only medical types with an MD should really call themselves Dr, and surgeons (kinda like me – with postgraduate qualifications) get to call themselves Mr.

However, if they ever ask for a doctor on a plane Jon, they don't want someone to colour in!!

😉

I'm not entirely sure that is correct use of "affected", but it's tricky. It can mean "to have an influence on" so its use is plausible. But if you had said "effected", that relates their fautly English directly to the "cause": US TV. So on balance, I think you meant "probably just effected by US TV".

Well if we're going to do English language pedantry, then I disagree. The moaning could be effected by US TV, but if you're referring to the people then they're affected.

dr death that really made me laugh! 😆

I'm so clever
So terribly clever
I'm so terribly very much cleverer than youuuuuuuuuuuuu!!

that relates their fautly English directly to the "cause":

Ah linguistic pedantry…

By "how educated are you?" I took the OP to mean what level of education did you achieve, eg, Os, As, further education, degrees, PhDs, etc. not how qualified you are to do your job.

That's pretty close to what I'd understand by "how educated are you?" I'd consider it a combination of the level of education as you mention along with the person's language and numeric skills, knowledge and reasoning and ability to use all those skills. For example despite not having much in the way of a "formal education" from what you've said, you are quite clearly fairly well educated in a lot of the basic areas – you can write with good spelling and grammar (far better than average on here) and construct a good argument. No idea how you've acquired that if your formal education is really that limited and given you also claim a dislike for books which would be the other traditional way to get "an education".

As someone who neither knows how to "conjugate a verb" (although I might give it a go if you showed me how – after reminding me what a "verb" was) nor posses "punctuation skills", I find for example, the lack of double negatives on STW really rather depressing. Certainly I have found the need to reign in more and more my use of colloquial English, despite feeling far more comfortable using it when attempting to make a point – specially when I feel I'm on a bit of a roll.

Ah, but you do know how to "conjugate a verb", you just don't know that you know! I'd suggest that understanding the term is far less important than being able to do it (only really of importance to a grammar pedant or somebody formally studying English). Meanwhile I'm a big fan of correct use of grammar and spelling – for those who are capable of managing that, like you, then to do otherwise when writing for others to read is lazy and impolite. That's because the whole point behind the rules of English is to formalize a structure in order to pass ideas clearly and unambiguously. If you don't follow the rules then you make it difficult for your reader. I should point out that I do accept rules change due to common usage, so what it says in a 30 year old text book is less important than what is used on a daily basis by real people – though that is still no excuse for being lazy.

despite not having much in the way of a "formal education" from what you've said, you are quite clearly fairly well educated in a lot of the basic areas – you can write with good spelling and grammar (far better than average on here) and construct a good argument. No idea how you've acquired that if your formal education is really that limited and given you also claim a dislike for books which would be the other traditional way to get "an education".

I certainly did have plenty of formal education – I just didn't get any A levels or go to university. In fact, I consider my education to have been excellent – I went to a catholic ILEA comprehensive, which I reckon makes me pretty lucky. Although there is probably a case to be made that my opportunities were restricted.

"you can write with good spelling and grammar (far better than average on here) and construct a good argument."

Spell check mate, spell check,………my spelling is shite. And I probably make more effort than most, because I need to. And because I think if you're only going to make a half arsed attempt to make your point, you might as well not bother at all. I don't think a "good argument" is dependant on education.

"you also claim a dislike for books which would be the other traditional way to get "an education".

I don't think I've ever claimed to "dislike" books, I just don't read fiction. Nor have I tended to read books cover to cover (apart from Gerald Durrell) But I am quite addicted to information, and I've been reading the Guardian since I was 10 years old (although seriously since about 15) And I've read a lot of stuff such as The State and Revolution by Lenin. These days I will often buy several newspapers in one day and trawl the internet for information. I've also educated myself quite a bit not, through reading, but through observation, eg, going to work etc.

"for those who are capable of managing that, like you, then to do otherwise when writing for others to read is lazy and impolite. That's because the whole point behind the rules of English is to formalize a structure in order to pass ideas clearly and unambiguously"

I disagree. My spoken English is far worst than my written English – I can't even "pronounce" half the words I use on here ffs. And yet, when I am speaking to people I don't feel I have any problem passing on ideas clearly, and unambiguously. I would be happier writing more like how I speak, unfortunately it's got me banned from here a couple of times, and I'm also not certain how much of the stuff I use is regional.

Ernie,

PEDANT ALERT

I don't think a "good argument" is dependant on education.

A dependant is a noun, dependent is an adjective