On Male Dominated University Subjects (867 hits)
Category: NoneRating: 1.63 on 23 reviews (Rate this item) (V)
Submitted by indigogecko (View user info) at 2004-05-19 12:37:35 EDT
I will admit from the start I am a female Physics student, and I probably border on sets 2 and 3 of the article on our rare species written by Phil Stubbs.
I agree, we are a rare breed, but I wasn't always a physicist. I used to be an engineer. Now that's a male dominated subject if ever there was one. In a year group of 140 students there were 14 girls, and that was an all time high.
But if we are to be categorised, then it's only fair I give a view from the other side. In so large a group of males, you'd think there would be ample choice. In reality most of the guys I even considered in my two years of trying to get through Mechanical Engineering weren't in my department. So here I present to you the choices I was presented with, and why I'd rather go extra-curricular for my... extra curricular, as it were.
The "It's so simple" Brainiac.
They are the ones who are really, really good at one or more of the modules. They'd probably make great study partners except that they won't share their wisdom because they can't fathom how anyone could possibly need help. After all, it's blatantly obvious what the course is all about, how can you not get it?
The Oriental Brainiac.
These students keep to themselves. They are rumoured to go on the occasional pub tour with the Oriental Society, but it's never been witnessed. They work 24/7. If they get 98% on an exam they cry, panic and occasionally suicide because it wasn't a perfect score. Social interaction isn't in their limited vocabulary, which spans more technical knowledge than the lecturers have but falls down when they can't even ask what time it is in anything approaching confidant English.
The Nerd Recluse.
Usually this variety of student is a computer nerd, though there are still a few book nerds around. They spend all day, every day in their room either programming/gaming/web-designing or buried in a pile of books on a range of subjects. Have been known to venture into the Media sector of the Students Union, and in this way develop rudimentary social skills. Really very interesting people when you actually get to meet them, they know so much about everything under the sun that they would probably help you with your latest problem sheet and make it make more sense than the lecturer did. Approach with caution and a friendly face.
The Jock.
Need I say more? They play on the university team, their hall of residence team, the departmental team and probably the local team too. What they play doesn't matter, though it's usually football. They turn up to lectures (but never problem classes) in their sports gear, often still sweating from the latest match. They are famous, in so far that anyone actually reads the student newspaper, and expect this to be a reason to be worshipped. Honestly. Don't they realise we don't like football?
The Cool Guy.
There's always one. They wear boarding labels and have Oakleys sitting on top of their spiky blonde hair regardless of the level of sunlight. In fact we had 3, I remember in my first lecture I was encouraged to see them sitting in a clump at the back of the hall looking scared. They'll go for any of the girls who turn up who look like they are also cool. Sadly the girl in question is probably either spoken for or a lesbian, or both.
There are many more, but I think that'll do for a first post.
User Reviews
Submitted by indoninja (user info) at 2005-07-13 08:21:35 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
I wonder which engineering female group you fell into?
Actually I don't really know the groups for female engineers in college. They were normally surrounded by a pack of nerds who would drool over them because they were (in best case) stunningly average.
Submitted by Adereterial (user info) at 2005-07-13 08:04:15 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I tried applying from Astronomy degrees, and gave up and ended up doing History instead.
I later found out that they were actively discriminating against me as I'd included a humanities subject in the A levels I was doing.
Bastards.
Submitted by missflibble (user info) at 2005-07-13 07:37:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I did Multimedia Systems, kind of artistic programming. I was one of 2 girls in my class and there were 5 girls on the course that year. the blokes were all nerds, some in "normal" uni age group but quite a few in the "mature" catagory.
wierdos the lot of them.
nice post.
Submitted by indigogecko (user info) at 2005-07-13 07:28:52 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
funny you should say that - I have switched to physics from aero engineering. I am interested in astronomy, just don't think I can get the grades for it.
Submitted by Coyote (user info) at 2005-07-13 05:00:37 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Switch to astronomy, it's not too late, and the physics background will help you when it comes time to land a tenure-track position. Plus, as everyone knows, among scientists astronomers rank second only to geologists in terms of social aptitude, interesting behavior, and general drunken insanity.
Submitted by c1ndy (user info) at 2005-07-13 04:37:30 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
great 1st post
Submitted by Jo_of_the_golden_P (user info) at 2004-11-26 23:12:56 EST (#)
Ranking: 2
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-16 11:46:53 (#)
Ranking: 2
You're getting this +2 because I like your name.
----------------------------------
I miss Gibberish.
Submitted by domenad (user info) at 2004-08-16 11:56:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Holy crap. Holeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey crap. All this time, I've been an "It's so simple" Brainiac. I feel....I feel free.....
Boooooooooorn Freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
Submitted by gibberish (user info) at 2004-08-16 11:46:53 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
You're getting this +2 because I like your name.
Submitted by Thanatos (user info) at 2004-08-16 11:36:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
As an Electrical Engineer I haven't really hit any of these categories. We had a few jocks, but they were mostly cool guys, and being in EE classes they sure weren't dumb. There are a few 'cool' guys, but the only guys I know that fit your description were both MEs. Computer nerds are in abundance.
I don't fit into any of these categories, nor do most of my friends.
Its difficult to classify female engineers, since there are so few of them. I've had 3-4 classes with no women at all in them.
Submitted by Gnome (user info) at 2004-08-16 11:19:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
How's this for a female entry to your list:
Female Engineering student - Rare.
Submitted by engine13 (user info) at 2004-05-20 12:51:22 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I thought this was pretty true. My degree is in Mechanical Engineering, and where I went to school the ratio of men to women was even worse. The upper level classes usually had about 20-30 people and I was generally the only female if it was strictly an ME class. If it had CE's in it, there were usually more women.
I will never understand why there aren't more women in mechanical engineering. I think people assume it has something to do with cars/engines or something related. But, you don't neccesarily have to be mechanically inclined. Shit, I can fix parts of my car, but I couldn't even put together my own trampoline. Go figure.
Submitted by Jimbo McFly <hohoho> at 2004-05-20 08:17:08 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Philst82 you are definately not a jock. I would say you are a nerd recluse. Cricket is not a sport, it is an honourable excuse to drink and smoke cigars on a sunny day whilst safe in the knoledge that you are not going to get accosted by common folk.
Submitted by Philst82 (user info) at 2004-05-20 07:44:02 EDT (#)
Ranking: 1
Like it and its true.
I think I fall into the Jock category, though I'm not famous. And I only play cricket. Other than that I'm struggling to see which category I fit into.
Submitted by Magicaddict (user info) at 2004-05-19 15:10:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Good start.
Submitted by indigogecko (user info) at 2004-05-19 14:51:32 EDT (#)
Ranking: 0
OK, wasn't meant to offend, it's an observation. As I said, they are tremendously hard working and have the grades to show for it, my criticism was that they tend to go overboard with *anything* less than 100%. This was true at boarding school, it's true at uni. If they actually let anyone talk to them, I might know them well enough to find out what they really are like. I'm sure they are all nice people, they just don't talk to anyone.
Submitted by mizuchoudai (user info) at 2004-05-19 14:41:58 EDT (#)
Ranking: -2
"...and occasionally suicide"
The verb would be "to commit suicide"
"time it is in anything approaching confidant English"
Spelling?
Wow. You like to critique foreigners trying to learn quantum physics in another language,
when you can't even write that paragraph correctly in your native tongue.
Submitted by Blitzen (user info) at 2004-05-19 13:44:55 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
i'm in Nursing and if you want to talk about female-dominated faculties i'm the gal to talk to. in my year, out of about 100 students, 2 were guys. and one of them dropped out this year. so now one guy left. and he's not gay like everything may think- he's actually quite masculine. but there's something about guys in medicine or nursing that totally turns me off.
anyway, i've seen pretty much all of your classifications of male on campus, i think half of McMaster University is in Engineering and is also Asian.
now i'm just rambling.. i actually have a lot to say but it's all very disorganized.
good post though
i enjoyed it thoroughly.
keep on truckin'
good stuff
Submitted by BLITZKREIG_BOB (user info) at 2004-05-19 13:25:33 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I have a dergee in Mechanical Engineering. The classifications that you noted are pretty accurate. You totally forgot the group that I fell into: The Burnouts. There were four of us in my section. We would study until 2am then get um, into another state of mentality.
There were also only 4 females in my section of about 50 or so. FYI, a female engineer is irresistable to most male engineers. The best looking/personality of the 4 females would only be a 5 on hotornot.com. Damn dorks.
Submitted by conrad (user info) at 2004-05-19 13:04:59 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I did English Literature, and actually found that the ratio was probably something like 60/40 females to males. Not only that, but the standard of said females (not in academic terms, but in terms of overall appearance) was considerably higher than in other female-heavy subjects such as sociology, a subject unworthy of capitalisation in my opinion, which is definitive . Perhaps you should consider that, Koolmang, as I imagine that college will be, for you, little more than an opportunity to lick a plethora of captive, drunken asses.
Submitted by reallybored (user info) at 2004-05-19 12:59:31 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I wonder what type of stereotypes all those guys could up with for female engineers?
+2 cause it was a decent first post
Submitted by KoolMang (user info) at 2004-05-19 12:50:29 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
I am about to go to college once I am accepted soon, and I've been debating what kind of idiots I'll meet.
The oriental brainiac, indeed. Canadian colleges/universities are 50% Chinese, and it's a growing epidemic.
Jocks are fucking dumbasses. I've only met ONE jock in my life which I respected. Yes, you are right, the jock mentality is that because they're on the team they're "cool".
The cool guy? Some dude came into my store a while ago, and he was wearing the latest brands, it looked like he was pulled out of a fag mag. I don't believe in clothes making you cool.
Submitted by youarsoghey (user info) at 2004-05-19 12:43:03 EDT (#)
Ranking: 2
Clever, but you're assuming there is no crossover. I know lots of "computer nerds" who are pretty decent-looking guys and have good social skills, and I know lots of "jocks" who have much better than average book smarts and the ability to be nice.