Girl Can't Name All the Continents?!

[Evan]

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Why do you think memorizing random crap should be necessary?

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Uh, what's so "random" about the 7 continents? Maybe we should ask something less random like what the capital of your home state is or what planet you live on instead. I'm sorry, but I can't imagine why a COLLEGE BOUND STUDENT wouldn't know the 7 continents. It's not like you're asking some random Joe off the street.

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It's random in that it's completely useless information for virtually everyone. I'm a senior in college and I've never had to name all the continents. I sure as hell won't have to name them all once I'm done with school.

I know them because it's just common knowledge, but there's a lot of other common knowledge that's also completely useless. Capital of Wisconsin, do you know it? Does it matter? No, it definitely does not unless you happen to be a congressman from Wisconsin or something.

What if I asked you to name all the countries that used to be part of the USSR, could you do it? Do you feel good about yourself if you can or bad if you can't? Do you think it matters in the slightest whether or not you could? Unless you're a Russian diplomat or work at a Euroasian hedge fund or something equally specific, it really doesn't matter. Same with the continents, they just happen to be easier to know because they're more commonly taught.

[Stagger_Lee]

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I know them because it's just common knowledge

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No-one said it was useful

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i really don;t think it's that outrageous - it's just memorization - like knowing the 7 dwarfs or something.

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Yep, your right one of them isn't more significant than the other or anything......

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Not that I disagree, but what was the last time you had to know all the continents. I'm pretty sure I've more recently been asked to name all the dwarfs.

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Huh? It's not that you have to know all the continents - just that not knowing shows a fundamental ignorance of the world in general. I really will never understand such a person.

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I agree. I can't imagine having any type of conversation on world events with anyone who was having problems with naming the continents. At a minimum, I think anyone with a clue about what is going on the world should know some basic geography, climate, socio-economic, culture, etc info on most parts of the world (i.e North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, South Asia, to name a few.)

In fairness to the young College kids, though, I think this knowledge predominatley comes with age and having an interest about what is (and what has been) going on around you.

I'm 46 years old, watch the news and read papers everyday, and really don't expect the average 21 year-old to understand the history or nature of the recent conflict in Lebanon, for example, in the same ways I might. First of all, they are not even old enough to recall some of the previous conflicts.

However, on the other hand, they should know much more about areas in mathematics, physics, chem, etc than I can recall at my age.

So while I think they should know the continents, I too agree that the more important indicator is what "not" knowing them speaks to.

[Evan]

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I know them because it's just common knowledge

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No-one said it was useful

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To say that she is stupid or otherwise unworthy of going to whatever school this is implies that it's important. If you agree that it's useless, why is it important?

[Warik]

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I know them because it's just common knowledge

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Exactly.

What other kinds of common knowledge do you know that you'd be shocked to find out a college bound student didn't? The legal drinking age in your country? The significance of the 4th of July (assuming it's an American student)? The alphabet?

The kids who'd waste the most of the professor's time (and mine) with their stupid questions probably couldn't answer most of the above either. Keep them out of the classroom so I can learn. jeez.

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Capital of Wisconsin, do you know it?

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If I was born in Wisconsin or was planning to go to school there, it should be common knowledge for me. Neither is the case, so that is not common knowledge and therefore I'm not expected to know it.

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What if I asked you to name all the countries that used to be part of the USSR, could you do it?

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See above.

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Same with the continents, they just happen to be easier to know because they're more commonly taught.

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Exactly.

BTW, what if I asked you to name all the planets in the Solar System that are inhabited by humans?

[Stat Boy]

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BTW, what if I asked you to name all the planets in the Solar System that are inhabited by humans?

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Do we count pluto as a planet?

[Evan]

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i really don;t think it's that outrageous - it's just memorization - like knowing the 7 dwarfs or something.

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Yep, your right one of them isn't more significant than the other or anything......

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Not that I disagree, but what was the last time you had to know all the continents. I'm pretty sure I've more recently been asked to name all the dwarfs.

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Huh? It's not that you have to know all the continents - just that not knowing shows a fundamental ignorance of the world in general. I really will never understand such a person.

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I agree. I can't imagine having any type of conversation on world events with anyone who was having problems with naming the continents. At a minimum, I think anyone with a clue about what is going on the world should know some basic geography, climate, socio-economic, culture, etc info on most parts of the world (i.e North America, South America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East, South Asia, to name a few.)

In fairness to the young College kids, though, I think this knowledge predominatley comes with age and having an interest about what is (and what has been) going on around you.

I'm 46 years old, watch the news and read papers everyday, and really don't expect the average 21 year-old to understand the history or nature of the recent conflict in Lebanon, for example, in the same ways I might. First of all, they are not even old enough to recall some of the previous conflicts.

However, on the other hand, they should know much more about areas in mathematics, physics, chem, etc than I can recall at my age.

So while I think they should know the continents, I too agree that the more important indicator is what "not" knowing them speaks to.

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This, along with the fact that some people just don't care much about world news/events (and despite some people's inflated sense of self worth, that's okay), makes it really hard for me to see why anyone would draw such harsh conclusions from someone not knowing all the continents.

Like I said, I think it's certainly weird, but ultimately consequence free. Would you think I was stupid id I didn't know how many representatives my state has? I don't, I think it's 33, but I certainly wouldn't take an even money bet on that. There's all kinds of trivial facts people get excited about knowing because they think it makes them worldly and intelligent and whatever, but they're all just as trivial as the other crap they don't know.

[Golden_Rhino]

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BTW, what if I asked you to name all the planets in the Solar System that are inhabited by humans?

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Do we count pluto as a planet?

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Does it matter??

[tuq]

If a chick just randomly came across these forums and found this thread I wonder if she would register? If so, 100% chance she has eyesight problems and gives toothy BJs.

[BCPVP]

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Capital of Wisconsin, do you know it?

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She better have. It's only 45 miles away from this school (UW-Whitewater).