tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post5433972626114909100..comments2024-03-10T05:26:42.148-04:00Comments on My Biased Coin: Graduate Students, Socialize!Michael Mitzenmacherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06738274256402616703noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-49142437609471055462007-11-08T20:22:00.000-05:002007-11-08T20:22:00.000-05:00Anonymous 6: I do, in fact, make undergraduates w...Anonymous 6: I do, in fact, make undergraduates work together on programming assignments for CS 124. (They can choose their partner, but they can't have the same partner.) Similarly, people work together on class projects for CS 222. For CS 223, though, I don't feel obliged to force people to work together, and I imagine as many (or more) students would resent as they would like it. I'm happy to let students try to form study groups themselves. (Which, of course, they should...)<BR/><BR/>I find it odd how in so many comments people object when I suggest graduate students are not yet completely mature, rational, self-aware beings, and in this comment, you're suggesting I treat them, well, as children (or at least like undergraduates...)Michael Mitzenmacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02161161032642563814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-47935272722760585052007-11-08T18:56:00.000-05:002007-11-08T18:56:00.000-05:00It seems that, generally, interactions are most me...It seems that, generally, interactions are most meaningful when there is some context or good motivation for them, e.g., discussing class assignments. An interesting idea to try, especially for a class with many assignments like CS223, is to divide people into groups of 2 or 3 for each assignment (without repeating groups), and make it a policy that people can only discuss or work with those in the group they're assigned to.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-47550815827484843752007-11-07T07:37:00.000-05:002007-11-07T07:37:00.000-05:00I fully agree. And in fact, the theory-seminar-wit...I fully agree. And in fact, the theory-seminar-with-no-faculty tradition at Berkeley goes back at least to the time when my advisor David Shmoys got his PhD there (the early eighties). <BR/><BR/>aravindAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-57881303823039251532007-11-06T12:35:00.000-05:002007-11-06T12:35:00.000-05:00amen!departments do have an important role to play...amen!<BR/><BR/>departments do have an important role to play, though--as providers of free food and drink.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-67702991866966532842007-11-05T16:57:00.000-05:002007-11-05T16:57:00.000-05:00TGIF is still alive and kicking!TGIF is still alive and kicking!asarwatehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07587164580336503000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-16672938087129397572007-11-05T15:56:00.000-05:002007-11-05T15:56:00.000-05:00Great advice. Unfortunately, for some reason the ...Great advice. Unfortunately, for some reason the culture in most CS departments is terrible these days. I'm half convinced if I solicited people for a biweekly pub night only a handful of people would show up (out of hundreds). It's almost as if CS people these days don't know how to have fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8890204.post-15532264155044533682007-11-05T15:20:00.000-05:002007-11-05T15:20:00.000-05:00Thanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mindThanks for the advice. I'll keep that in mindAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com