Paul J Need Posted January 22, 2003 Share Posted January 22, 2003 Having read a few posts about degrees somewhere on here, I suddenly thought of a great question to be included on any degree final exam paper. "You are only as good as your last job" - discuss! :blink: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glyn Edwards Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 A little bit harsh for a normal degree. Maybe it should just be reserved for those doing masters courses? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 More of a subject for a PhD from the University of Life, I'd say. On a more serious note: this is one of the less endearing sayings of the business, which to me reflects the selfish attitudes of many who work within it and the general lack of support and forgiveness for those who are having a bad day/week/month/time in their lives after many years of loyal and devoted service. I think it was an American rock 'n' roll turing import to begin with, but it soon took root over here. It's just one of the many things that has sent me scarpering and I only hope that the Next Generation can work to change this outdated view. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
richard Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 I too went to LAMDA (garduated in 1999) and still they would graduate anyone who had not been bad enough to be thrown off the course. This lead to some people graduating who you felt that if they worked for someone, their employer would never employ a LAMDA alumnis again. However, I still felt than I preferred the actual course content to places with a more academic course, I don't feel that SM&TT courses should last more than 2 years (after the second year most of us were desperate to get out) and I think that they should be as practacle as possible, while still getting taught the necessary theory and history. Sadly nowhere is perfect, but I don't think LAMDA is anywhere near the worst. Richard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest lightnix Posted January 24, 2003 Share Posted January 24, 2003 LAMDA was a great place and I'm often glad I went there. The situation I referred to was the norm among all the Drama Colleges, which lead to the business regarding such qualifications as barely worth the paper they were printed on. Rather sad to hear it doesn't seem to have changed, if your experience is anything to go by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nexuas Posted February 12, 2003 Share Posted February 12, 2003 I do feel there is a danger of all students being tarred with the same brush, I went to Bretton Hall, and a couple of the graduates from my course I felt would be a danger if they were let loose in the "REAL" world. And not always the most experineced or best student were recieving the best marks. But what can be done? Most of the time just complete the three years and handing in somthing for each assignment is enough for you to pass. Are you only as good as your last job? Not if who ever you work for next did not see what you did last? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Need Posted February 12, 2003 Author Share Posted February 12, 2003 But what can be done? Most of the time just complete the three years and handing in somthing for each assignment is enough for you to pass.I would love to see the stats. of numbers of students entering into drama schools, and the numbers of passes!! I bet............. and I am guessing here the "pass" rate will be extremely high? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thirdtap Posted February 24, 2003 Share Posted February 24, 2003 I went to a London drama school about ten years ago. This was before courses had to change to degree status to allow students to get funding for fees. Out of a group of roughly 40 tech students in my year: 4 people left during the 2 years and about 3 people failed to graduate, mainly due to poor attendance. Graduation from the course required reasonable attendance and completing all of your 'show' projects in the second year. Information gained from the friends united website and from touring I am aware of roughly 8 to 10 people from my year still working in the industry. ;) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Shayle Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 I remember back when I did my training we joked that if you collected your grant cheque on Registration Day, you were guaranteed to collect your diploma on Graduation Day. In my recollections of this period I do not recall a single contemporary being dismissed from the training. Given that the loss of a student means a loss of revenue, it is inevitably in the interest of institutions to keep as many students on their programmes as possible. The danger here is obvious; allowing weaker students to succeed any qualification programme must undermine the integrity and effectiveness of that programme. In addition it invalidates the legitimacy of the training for those who do pass. Frankly sending a few Muppets out into the industry can have a serious knock on effect in how the training is seen, and the reputation of the professionals who have trained them. Picking up on Richard and Nick’s comments regarding LAMDA, Paul’s comments wishing to see the statistics, and my comments above, I can tell you that at LAMDA in the last two years approximately 20 percent of those who start the course will not complete it, and will certainly not graduate. In my humble, and probably lonely voice in the wilderness of the SM&TT training world, this kind of training only works if it feels like an assault course. Harsh? Probably. Darwinian? Absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul J Need Posted March 25, 2003 Author Share Posted March 25, 2003 ..............you collected your grant cheque on Registration Day, you were guaranteed to collect your diploma on Graduation DayGreat post Mark. I couldn't agree more with you. In my day as a student it was common place for students to get to the end of the course and walk out the door without clutching a diploma. Your referral to the "bums on seats" approach to higher education also applies to the Polytechnics.... DOH sorry I mean Universities, and other places of higher education. If the labour government wish to get 50% of school leavers into university we will find ourselves with plenty of web designers, media consultants, and sport therapists in a few years time, but no plumbers, electricians and doctors! We will also find British Technical theatre, which was, and still is for the time being, thought of as the best in the world, falling apart at the seams; run by people graduating from colleges simply because they lived in the right area in order to obtain a grant, and survived the course. Bring back the old system PLEASE!!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peter Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 run by people graduating from colleges simply because they lived in the right area in order to obtain a grant,What area is this?!!!!! Grants were abolished years ago <_< - its loans now - payable when your salary reaches £14k - I suppose it would be possible to be freelance and never pay back your loan (with a bit of creative accounting). Government adverts recently suggested that most graduates start work on salaries exceeding £19,000 - I very much doubt I'll be earning that 3 1/2 years from now. Good thing we do it for the love of theatre, eh? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted March 25, 2003 Share Posted March 25, 2003 run by people graduating from colleges simply because they lived in the right area in order to obtain a grant,What area is this?!!!!! Grants were abolished years ago <_< - its loans now - payable when your salary reaches £14k - I suppose it would be possible to be freelance and never pay back your loan (with a bit of creative accounting). Government adverts recently suggested that most graduates start work on salaries exceeding £19,000 - I very much doubt I'll be earning that 3 1/2 years from now. Good thing we do it for the love of theatre, eh? Precisely the reason why I chose to work as opposed to lots of lurverly debt! Course the getouts helped sway my opinion ;) Choose Theatre Degree. Choose Eternal Overdraft. Stu Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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