You know you are getting old when:

[GHT]

I'm teaching kids now who did their entire degrees during and post Covid; they've never had to do a closed book exam, and the extreme paucity of what they actually commit to memory as a result is horrific.

That prompted a reminisce from my student days. A witty piece of graffiti written just above the roll of toilet tissue, that read: "Sociology degrees, please take one."

 

[GHT]

Definitely an "old" experience today. Someone at work had never heard of one of our former currency coins, the shilling. I not only remember the shilling but also how common it was in vending machines and utility meters.

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

Definitely an "old" experience today. Someone at work had never heard of one of our former currency coins, the shilling. I not only remember the shilling but also how common it was in vending machines and utility meters.

So this person never read a Sherlock Holmes story? Never read a Kipling story where a squaddie took the Queen's shilling?
As an American, I've always dealt with decimal currency, but I've been fascinated by British "old money" denominations like "crown", "guinea", "tuppence", "ha' penny" and, of course, the "shilling".

 

[tonyb]

I have my undergraduates sign in to tutorials on paper rather than waste time during class filling in the database online. It's amazing how many of them will often have to borrow a pen in order to be able to sign in. I mean, all my work coms and contents are on-screen too, but the idea of being without a pen and all my scribbled, handwritten note, and my diary..... Does. Not. Compute.

Pre-pandemic, when we still had real exams (we're now in a prolonged period of stand-off between a senior management which prefers open-book, online tests because they are cheaper and more popular with our customer base, and academics on the ground dealing with the dross end of students who cheat because they can) …

I’ve long held that paper and pencil (or ink pen) is a superior technology in certain regards, including committing information to memory.

As to the students being the “customer base” …

We’ve been going down this road for several decades now. And there’s enough blame to go around. The “legacy” institutions can’t absolve themselves of all responsibility for the proliferation of for-profit diploma mills. Nor can the “customers,” nor industry, nor government.

 

[Turnip]

Not particularly surprising, just what is expected to happen, leaving public institutional tasks to a deregulated economy.

 

[Tiki Tom]

The diploma mill is a racket. The paper has become almost meaningless, yet it helps the entitled hang on to their entitledness.

 

[GHT]

So this person never read a Sherlock Holmes story? Never read a Kipling story where a squaddie took the Queen's shilling?
As an American, I've always dealt with decimal currency, but I've been fascinated by British "old money" denominations like "crown", "guinea", "tuppence", "ha' penny" and, of course, the "shilling".

Well done you, I asked three twenty somethings and they had all heard of the shilling, but as for poor old Sherlock, it seems kids rely on their phones for everything. One of those that I asked, had found on his phone, that the shilling's nickname was: "The Bob."

 

[Edward]

Definitely an "old" experience today. Someone at work had never heard of one of our former currency coins, the shilling. I not only remember the shilling but also how common it was in vending machines and utility meters.

I suspect the change in the coinage may have had something to do with this. When the 10p / 5p coins were still the same size as the old two shilling / one shilling coins, I remember there being a lot of the old coins with Georgie 6 still on them in wide circulation, recognised as 5ps and 10ps. When the coins were reduced in size (1990 for the 5pm, 1992 for the 10p), those old shillings disappeared. I suspect before much longer, we'll see a generation born who'll never see a penny, as it seems inevitable now that anything under 5p will soon be phased out. Perhaps that will be more likely to happen now anyhow as they begin phasing in new coins with Charlie's visage replacing Big Liz.

I’ve long held that paper and pencil (or ink pen) is a superior technology in certain regards, including committing information to memory.

The last generation to do "real" exams (pre-covid; online alternatives were only intended to be a covid lockdown measure, until the university discovered how much cheaper they were to administer....) used to get terribly panicked about having to handwrite their exams, as they spent all year taking all their notes on a laptop. I tend to agree that the muscle memory thing with handwriting encourages memory - that and chanting stuff aloud was how I used to learn French vocabulary. Though the big shift in my teaching experience was very much when they went over to open book tests, and thus no longer felt any need to commit anything to memory. Interestingly, the quality of what they produce was not significantly better (and in the case of some year groups, while still high did actually drop a little).

As to the students being the “customer base” …

We’ve been going down this road for several decades now. And there’s enough blame to go around. The “legacy” institutions can’t absolve themselves of all responsibility for the proliferation of for-profit diploma mills. Nor can the “customers,” nor industry, nor government.

The biggest problem we have is a top level management class who either have no classroom experience or haven't been in a classroom in over twenty years. Many of them are also shining examples of the Peter Principle (due as much to sheer boorishness as to incompetence). The level of open contempt these people display for academic staff - regarded not as a core part of the university, but rather a resented cost of running the business, is horrific. Sadly, I don't imagine there will be any change in the sector in this regard in my lifetime (my actual lifetime, not my career: one of the major impacts these people have had is that I am now among a generation of academic many of whom will never be able to afford retirement. At this point I merely hope my pension will allow me to work four days a week and get paid for two, rather than being underpaid for five and more often than not working six or six and a half).

 

[Trenchfriend]

When you don't give a poop on "Ascension Day"/the stupid "Men's Day" in old Germany.

 

[GHT]

You know you're getting old when a good night means you didn't have to get up to pee!

 

[KILO NOVEMBER]

You know you're getting old when a good night means you didn't have to get up to pee!

I think I can remember those.

 

[Edward]

You know you're getting old when a good night means you didn't have to get up to pee!

Isn't that what they call an "all-nighter" after forty?

Oddly, I'd been doing that for a long time; since I lost a significant amount of weight, I've been sleeping right through more often than not. Maybe it was also the cat, God rest her soul - she knew exactly where to stand to hit my bladder and wake me up.... Hope the dog doesn't figure it out too!

 

[Turnip]

Modern human life begins and ends in diapers…

 

[Trenchfriend]

Just as sidenote:
Sleeping on your back works very well, when you get used to, after a short period. I have absolutely no trouble with it.

 

[Trenchfriend]

I'm actually 38, near 39.
So when may I reach the point, when I will have to buy a regular, higher bed instead of my deep Futon bed? Please don't tell me, the point comes in the 40s??

 

[AbbaDatDeHat]

I’ve long held that paper and pencil (or ink pen) is a superior technology in certain regards, including committing information to memory.

As to the students being the “customer base” …

We’ve been going down this road for several decades now. And there’s enough blame to go around. The “legacy” institutions can’t absolve themselves of all responsibility for the proliferation of for-profit diploma mills. Nor can the “customers,” nor industry, nor government.

I’ve long held that paper and pencil (or ink pen) is a superior technology in certain regards, including committing information to memory.

Far superior technology for sure.
Instructions for effective use require thinking thoughts not thumbing skills.
If you loose your pencil you don’t lose your mind and memory as is when you lose your digital memory mind.

Time will tell how the pencil, pen less generations will do.
B

 

[Turnip]

I'm actually 38, near 39.
So when may I reach the point, when I will have to buy a regular, higher bed instead of my deep Futon bed? Please don't tell me, the point comes in the 40s??

That point is reached once you bought your first SUV, Pick Up…

 

[Trenchfriend]

That point is reached once you bought your first SUV, Pick Up…

Thankfully, buying an own car will never happen to me! And my driving license card expires anyway on 19th January 2027 and I will not renew it.

 

[GHT]

Far superior technology for sure.
Instructions for effective use require thinking thoughts not thumbing skills.
If you loose your pencil you don’t lose your mind and memory as is when you lose your digital memory mind.

Time will tell how the pencil, pen less generations will do.
B

I just love the terminology. Pen less generation. At the age of ten, maybe eleven, I was taught to hand write in italic script. It's a skill that has endured the years, even to the point of over-riding anything in e-mail. So many times I've heard, "how I love your hand writing."

 

[Rmccamey]

A man of many talents, I see!

I just love the terminology. Pen less generation. At the age of ten, maybe eleven, I was taught to hand write in italic script. It's a skill that has endured the years, even to the point of over-riding anything in e-mail. So many times I've heard, "how I love your hand writing."
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