I like the quote, it implies a certain elitism to organization itself, and when it comes to matters of Will then dedication and self-sacrifice are two important indicators of ability and drive. At the same time though, you have to make sure that what those potential candidates are striving for is what you want them to express through their dedication once admission has been granted.
It would be nice if people treated with respect what they can get easily, cheap, or free, but there's a type of person who doesn't. Social manners being rare today, many people never realize they are being rude. So I've read complaints from those who tried hosting free classes and seeing who'd show up consistently without there being provisos like "either show up or call and say you can't or don't come back to any more" or having an admission in advance like some teachers are doing now. They changed their policy. One I know of, they have a high cost they charge initially for a class longrunning enough to be inexpensive per class. The instructor found that without the charge (which can seem like a lot), people disrespect the teacher's time. And s/he doesn't want dilletantes but people signing up who are serious
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I've found, more often than not, that the things that have some high cost attached to them are the things that I appreciate most. We had comprehensive exams in grad school which were not so much tests of what you learned in class, but rather tests of what you were able to learn on your own from a list of about 45 books. Before I took my comps, I spent the better part of a year immersing myself in the 45 books on the reading list, doing supplementary reading, completing my research projects in Latin and French, presenting position papers and grilling and being grilled by members of the study group to which I belonged--and, oh yeah, paying $850 a semester for the privilege of putting myself through this. There were 12 of us who took comps that year; I was one of the few to actually pass (and was the only person in about ten years to even attempt one of the questions) in a department that generally has a low pass-rate for MA comps. A number of those who took comps with me started studying a month ahead of time (reading outlines of the
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Many of the more valuable things I've done been inexpensive, however, they really cost someone a lot.. and that needs appreciation. And they always involved me having to work hard
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Just a note from Siel [Sin] to let you know I found your LJ. I do however, also agree with the setiment of the article.
It was great hanging out with you guys. Thanks for honoring my home.
Love is the law.
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