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ChristianKl comments on Open Thread, July 1-15, 2013 - Less Wrong
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Seeking Educational Advice...
I imagine some LW user have these questions, or can answer them. Sorry if this isn’t the right place (but point me to the right place please!).
I’m thinking of returning to university to study evolution/biology, the mind, IT, science-type stuff.
Are there any legitimate way (I mean actually achievable, you have first-hand experience, can point to concrete resources) to attend an adequate university for no or low-cost?
How can I measure my aptitude for various fields (for cheap/free)? (I did an undergrad degree in education which was so easy I don't know if I could make the grades in a demanding field).
My first undergrad degree (education) was non-science, so should I go back for another undergrad degree, or try to fill gaps on my own and do a post-grad in something with science?
I've started investigating free online education (lesswrong, edx, coursera, etc) but I have concerns: don't I need credentials? Don't I need classmates/colleagues/collaborators to help teach me, motivate me, and supply me with equipment? How do I know if I really understand the material? How do I address these concerns?
p.s. – I’m all for “munchkin” style answers/solutions to these problems, so long as they are actually feasible
Of course, I just go to any university in my city and they don't cost anything.
Whether or not you need credentials depends on your goals. Yudkowsky started SI/MIRI without any credentials.
When it comes to programming questions that I face as part of my university studies I go to StackOverflow.
Depends on your ability to self motivate.
Depends on whether you want to do something that needs equipment.
If you can remember the Anki cards about a topic it's likely that you understand the topic. But more importantly, what's your goal? What do you want to be able to do with your "understanding of the material"?
Thanks very much for your reply,
Apparently you're from Berlin, (I'm sure this is google-able)--are foreign (US in my case) students able to enroll in classes without fees, difficult to obtain visas, etc? Are many courses offered in English?
I'm not really sure what I want to do with my "understanding of the material," which is largely why I'm not sure if credentials/access to equipment are important to me.
It's hard to measure, but I think I'm pretty motivated. Unsurprisingly, I don't have the raw intelligence of Yudkowsky, so I have doubts about how well someone with my skill set will be able to make progress without support/credentials.
Again, thanks for the reply.
As far as I know there are no additional fees for foreign students. A lot of Master courses get offered in English. I think it should be easy for US citizens to get a visa.
But I'm a German citzens so I don't know the details from the perspective of being an US citizen well.
How about spending a gap year to think about what you want to do with your life before starting a new degree at university?
I don't think that raw intelligence is the most important thing. The important thing is to be willing to do work in a way without a clear path.
Having social skills is also important. If you have marketable skills and network well, credentials aren't important.
If you are truly interested in biology and science I would suggest that you do quantified self style self experiments. Start a blog about them.