Unjaded Jade

[not fussed at all]

Minerva does sound good. However it offers just 10% of the actual “student experience” .

Even though I would like to try their model I just adore my uni’s campus. It’s nothing special but for me it’s a place of inspiration, it’s my second home those last 5 years. We don’t have ‘contact hours’, supervisions and staff like that, only lectures and labs. Nevertheless, I just love being there and I really miss it now that classes are online. I can hardly pay attention to online lectures and even though we are encouraged to participate (extra marks, dissertation prospect etc) I just don’t feel comfortable.
Idk how can an introvert survive at Minerva and I really cannot imagine the minerva students on yt following an academic career or even research.

Yeah, I'd say those sorts of universities (Open Uni, University of the People included) really aren't for introverts. Which is fine - not everyone will like that style of teaching. But that's exactly why I wish Jade would stop with the MLM 'you can be as successful and happy as I am here' crap. She's had a good experience, but I emphasise that it's not for everyone.

As for their careers, I suspect academia/research isn't the aim. I can only imagine that it's for those who want to work for Google or get a job at Silicon Valley/Wall Street etc. I'm cynical, perhaps, but I really don't like Minerva.

 

[emm]

Turns out Dinara said the same thing about Minerva...


Why did you choose to attend Minerva?

I first learned about Minerva from my exchange program alumni social media group. As soon as I read the website, I knew Minerva’s vision was perfectly aligned with my goals. At the time, I was already studying at a university in Moscow but I was discouraged by the lecture class format, which wasn’t effective for my learning and allowed a lot of students to skip class. My school didn’t promote critical thinking at all. Instead, we would memorize information and would forget most of it after the exams. I wanted a different education, where my enthusiasm for the subjects would not fade.

When I read about Minerva’s model, I thought it could be a place where I would be continuously challenged and academically stimulated. I liked the small, engaging, discussion-based seminars and that assignments required students to practically apply the concepts to relevant problems. Minerva’s international student body also was a significant factor, as I had studied abroad in high school and enjoyed meeting people whose perspectives were very different from mine. And I’m thrilled I applied because the last 2.5 years have been precisely that.

from
The whole concept of Minerva sounds great but "traditional unis" are just not good, if not better based on academics. I don't think anyone can expect to graduate and get a job like a lawyer etc. Either further study has to be undertaken elsewhere or they'll end up with a quirky job.


she also said:
Additionally, I would also love to continue to develop my YouTube channel and digital community as I am able to connect with a lot of people and, hopefully, help them in a meaningful way.

that is almost word for word what that article said ugh.. in her latest video she seems much less enthusiastic about it and the classes she's taking imo

 

[schmetterling]

Turns out Dinara said the same thing about Minerva...


Why did you choose to attend Minerva?

I first learned about Minerva from my exchange program alumni social media group. As soon as I read the website, I knew Minerva’s vision was perfectly aligned with my goals. At the time, I was already studying at a university in Moscow but I was discouraged by the lecture class format, which wasn’t effective for my learning and allowed a lot of students to skip class. My school didn’t promote critical thinking at all. Instead, we would memorize information and would forget most of it after the exams. I wanted a different education, where my enthusiasm for the subjects would not fade.

When I read about Minerva’s model, I thought it could be a place where I would be continuously challenged and academically stimulated. I liked the small, engaging, discussion-based seminars and that assignments required students to practically apply the concepts to relevant problems. Minerva’s international student body also was a significant factor, as I had studied abroad in high school and enjoyed meeting people whose perspectives were very different from mine. And I’m thrilled I applied because the last 2.5 years have been precisely that.

from
The whole concept of Minerva sounds great but "traditional unis" are just not good, if not better based on academics. I don't think anyone can expect to graduate and get a job like a lawyer etc. Either further study has to be undertaken elsewhere or they'll end up with a quirky job.


she also said:
Additionally, I would also love to continue to develop my YouTube channel and digital community as I am able to connect with a lot of people and, hopefully, help them in a meaningful way.

Creepy!
Also, for all their smugness about unnecessary rote learning they seem to think critical thinking is something you can... revise? And regurgitate in an exam? I guess they're just silly undergraduates who've been swindled into thinking they're the academic 1%, but it's annoying that they don't really seem to grasp these wonderful, thrilling, amazing, life changing concepts that have never been taught at any other university before

 

[emm]

Creepy!
Also, for all their smugness about unnecessary rote learning they seem to think critical thinking is something you can... revise? And regurgitate in an exam? I guess they're just silly undergraduates who've been swindled into thinking they're the academic 1%, but it's annoying that they don't really seem to grasp these wonderful, thrilling, amazing, life changing concepts that have never been taught at any other university before

the worst thing is they'll all get good jobs based on contacts they /minerva has and it'll make it look statistically really good in terms of graduate employment. none of the people i've heard talking about it seem to have any critical thinking skills from the way they just parrott off the same information about how amazing minerva is

 

[Katso]

Turns out Dinara said the same thing about Minerva...


Why did you choose to attend Minerva?

I first learned about Minerva from my exchange program alumni social media group. As soon as I read the website, I knew Minerva’s vision was perfectly aligned with my goals. At the time, I was already studying at a university in Moscow but I was discouraged by the lecture class format, which wasn’t effective for my learning and allowed a lot of students to skip class. My school didn’t promote critical thinking at all. Instead, we would memorize information and would forget most of it after the exams. I wanted a different education, where my enthusiasm for the subjects would not fade.

When I read about Minerva’s model, I thought it could be a place where I would be continuously challenged and academically stimulated. I liked the small, engaging, discussion-based seminars and that assignments required students to practically apply the concepts to relevant problems. Minerva’s international student body also was a significant factor, as I had studied abroad in high school and enjoyed meeting people whose perspectives were very different from mine. And I’m thrilled I applied because the last 2.5 years have been precisely that.

from
The whole concept of Minerva sounds great but "traditional unis" are just not good, if not better based on academics. I don't think anyone can expect to graduate and get a job like a lawyer etc. Either further study has to be undertaken elsewhere or they'll end up with a quirky job.


she also said:
Additionally, I would also love to continue to develop my YouTube channel and digital community as I am able to connect with a lot of people and, hopefully, help them in a meaningful way.

"Minerva’s international student body also was a significant factor, as I had studied abroad in high school and enjoyed meeting people whose perspectives were very different from mine. "

I feel like Minerva attracts very specific type of people so I don't think there will be that much perspective differences. Yes you have grown up in different places but how many of you are still privileged and well off with similar lives? The tuition is crazy high but so are other expenses along the way.

 

[opal73]

For anyone who is interested, I stumbled upon a video vlog channel run by Minerva students…”Minerva Quest”

Minerva Quest

The Minerva Quest is the independent, student-produced news source for the Minerva Schools at KGI community and all interested readers. It was founded in 201...

www.youtube.com

Seems they’re really encouraged to make videos and put themselves out there in various ways. It does look like they're very close as a community (using that word tho does make it sound cultish) but tbh I find it a bit weird.. Also their main channel has a 'gratitudes' video where a bunch of students say what they're thankful for and Jade appears in it, it looked really weird and kinda forced? As if they were just randomly interrupted by someone with a camera.

I'm thinking no wonder Jade was so attracted to it, plus the whole “travel” aspect after her gap yah must have also seemed really appealing to her and I think she thought it would be really chill and I'm sure knowing her yt presence they jumped at the chance for all the PR.

 

[fwooper]

When I first researched Minerva when I saw Jade was going I went down a rabbit hole of Quora questions about it, and there are some hilariously obnoxious responses from their students. I hunted down my favourite one, because it has the same spiel about critical thinking that we've been discussing but with the delusions amped up x10:

What is the downside of going to Minerva Schools at KGI?

Answer (1 of 2): First, I have to say that the actions of one individual does NOT define an entire culture — so if you are thinking of traveling there, please know that it is just as safe as any other western city, if not safer in some areas. Secondly, I'm reposting this because for the past one...

www.quora.com

"You will struggle to interact with normal people after the first year (if not the first semester). The academics are supposed to change the way they think, and generally that really works. The problem is, that most people aren’t used to being called out for thinking in a way that is flawed, and you will also struggle to explain exactly what is wrong with what they’re saying, as you are used to interacting with Minervans who have a shared vernacular for calling each other out. This also extends into general mannerisms that are unique to the Minerva community. Personally, I’m not too upset about this one, and it’s more of a temporary annoyance than anything. Hopefully, after a couple more years of practice, we’ll be able to move more smoothly between the Minerva vernacular, and regular English."

I mean, how is this not a cult. "Minerva vernacular"?! Be warned, expect your blood pressure to rise if you read the whole comment. Highlights include them claiming that normal college students have never had to budget for food or grocery shop. They're deluded.

 

[Merpedy]

...See I can't see people calling each other out because their classes are online and in an online environment it can be hard to have a proper discussion without someone being left out or being interrupted. Sure, you can say the same for physical interactions but the important part online interactions are missing is non-verbal communication which shows when someone agrees/disagrees or wants to have a say. From my experience of online learning, I can definitely say that it was hard to have discussions we would normally have a class because people were interrupting each other by complete accident, so if someone said something the other person would be left without a say until later or not at all depending on how the conversation went.

I don't really know how their 'outside' classes/activities work but I really doubt people are there drinking coffee and having discussions about x or y.

Also, "Minerva vernacular" just sounds like they have a simple code for why someone is wrong without a proper explanation which they could give in "regular English"

 

[emm]

When I first researched Minerva when I saw Jade was going I went down a rabbit hole of Quora questions about it, and there are some hilariously obnoxious responses from their students. I hunted down my favourite one, because it has the same spiel about critical thinking that we've been discussing but with the delusions amped up x10:

What is the downside of going to Minerva Schools at KGI?

Answer (1 of 2): First, I have to say that the actions of one individual does NOT define an entire culture — so if you are thinking of traveling there, please know that it is just as safe as any other western city, if not safer in some areas. Secondly, I'm reposting this because for the past one...

www.quora.com

"You will struggle to interact with normal people after the first year (if not the first semester). The academics are supposed to change the way they think, and generally that really works. The problem is, that most people aren’t used to being called out for thinking in a way that is flawed, and you will also struggle to explain exactly what is wrong with what they’re saying, as you are used to interacting with Minervans who have a shared vernacular for calling each other out. This also extends into general mannerisms that are unique to the Minerva community. Personally, I’m not too upset about this one, and it’s more of a temporary annoyance than anything. Hopefully, after a couple more years of practice, we’ll be able to move more smoothly between the Minerva vernacular, and regular English."

I mean, how is this not a cult. "Minerva vernacular"?! Be warned, expect your blood pressure to rise if you read the whole comment. Highlights include them claiming that normal college students have never had to budget for food or grocery shop. They're deluded.

this cannot be real!!!!!!!!!! this is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo embarassing, basically "we are better than other people" omg I have never read anything so embarassing . "minerva vernacular"?! a group of a couple of dozen people, started a few years ago, has a whole other vernacular...ok... and you pick it up so quickly it is then difficult to interact with "normal" people....had this not been here I would have assumed this was the onion

 

[schmetterling]

When I first researched Minerva when I saw Jade was going I went down a rabbit hole of Quora questions about it, and there are some hilariously obnoxious responses from their students. I hunted down my favourite one, because it has the same spiel about critical thinking that we've been discussing but with the delusions amped up x10:

What is the downside of going to Minerva Schools at KGI?

Answer (1 of 2): First, I have to say that the actions of one individual does NOT define an entire culture — so if you are thinking of traveling there, please know that it is just as safe as any other western city, if not safer in some areas. Secondly, I'm reposting this because for the past one...

www.quora.com

"You will struggle to interact with normal people after the first year (if not the first semester). The academics are supposed to change the way they think, and generally that really works. The problem is, that most people aren’t used to being called out for thinking in a way that is flawed, and you will also struggle to explain exactly what is wrong with what they’re saying, as you are used to interacting with Minervans who have a shared vernacular for calling each other out. This also extends into general mannerisms that are unique to the Minerva community. Personally, I’m not too upset about this one, and it’s more of a temporary annoyance than anything. Hopefully, after a couple more years of practice, we’ll be able to move more smoothly between the Minerva vernacular, and regular English."

I mean, how is this not a cult. "Minerva vernacular"?! Be warned, expect your blood pressure to rise if you read the whole comment. Highlights include them claiming that normal college students have never had to budget for food or grocery shop. They're deluded.

Oh no, I hope I never meet a Minerva student! How ever will my tiny brain keep up with these God-like beings?!

 

[hpprotego]

this cannot be real!!!!!!!!!! this is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo embarassing, basically "we are better than other people" omg I have never read anything so embarassing . "minerva vernacular"?! a group of a couple of dozen people, started a few years ago, has a whole other vernacular...ok... and you pick it up so quickly it is then difficult to interact with "normal" people....had this not been here I would have assumed this was the onion

It sounds so extremely classist. I mean, ‘Minerva vernacular’???!! Who would want to go somewhere where your ability to actually converse and interact with so called ‘normal’ people is stunted???

Seriously..... Go to Minerva=forget how to socially interact with anyone other than Minervans

 

[Magallanes]

yesterday dinara was called out because she wasn't in lockdown at her new home in london, instead she was posting pictures of double-deck buses and the streets and after that she posted a story like: "stop policizing each other" or something like that i'm sorry i'm not a native speaker but she said something like "stop hunting down people as if you were the police" and that's when for me, her mask finally fell off (you can read on one of her last IG posts that "Went grocery shopping, twice." she went not only once, but TWICE. when she should be in quarantine after coming from a foreign country)
also, if you follow her account, she's like jade, always posting about casual magic (with her own wording)
i guess that's the minerva vernacular the other guy tried to warn us about...the minerva bullsh*t!!!

 

[DevilsIvy]

Thank duck that someone else can see how selfish and self-absorbed Dinara is. I'm from Australia so I cannot fathom why UK quarantine laws are SO lax. To come here you have to be quarantined in a hotel for 2 weeks, the police will check on you and then you can come back out after a final negative test. None of this grocery shopping tit. She's been spending every day of the summer on the streets of Moscow and Russia currently has 27.2 MILLION cases. England only has 280 thousand. ??? So many people in my country are stuck in places overseas unable to come home, or missing family members and then people like Jade & Dinara can travel and just do whatever the duck they want. I don't understand one bit.

 

[July9696]

Thank duck that someone else can see how selfish and self-absorbed Dinara is. I'm from Australia so I cannot fathom why UK quarantine laws are SO lax. To come here you have to be quarantined in a hotel for 2 weeks, the police will check on you and then you can come back out after a final negative test. None of this grocery shopping tit. She's been spending every day of the summer on the streets of Moscow and Russia currently has 27.2 MILLION cases. England only has 280 thousand. ??? So many people in my country are stuck in places overseas unable to come home, or missing family members and then people like Jade & Dinara can travel and just do whatever the duck they want. I don't understand one bit.

Dinara/Jade should definitely be self isolating but the demographics and political intent between Aus and Europe are very different. Without getting into it too much, Aus borders are completely closed to foreign nationals (and for the most part you can’t leave the country once you’re back) whereas Europe relies on tourism cash massively and have the travel bridges meaning no quarantine/self isolating needed.

I also don’t think you HAVE to quarantine from Russia (and that’s because of %cases not just pure numbers). If you are returning from a country where you have to isolate for 14 days (France, Spain- currently) you may be checked up on by the police/ transport service too. Someone I know came back from Ibiza, someone came to check she was in (she wasn’t!) and she got fined £1000 so there is the ‘threat’ of it but I agree with you in that it’s not as secure as what’s happening in Aus.

ANYWAY it definitely seems a slap in the face when Dinara/Jade are still jetting about the place. They could literally do their studies from their own countries but no, it has to be different and ~casual magic~ and out there(!!!!).

I kind of feel sorry for them because the opportunity to travel is the main selling point here. Without that- what makes it different from any other uni right now?

 

[ECH]

Her new Berlin vlog is something else. Clearly she got her brother to film her looking introspective walking round the museum instead of actually just enjoying the experience.

 

[schmetterling]

Her new Berlin vlog is something else. Clearly she got her brother to film her looking introspective walking round the museum instead of actually just enjoying the experience.

Galaxy brain quote from Jade: 'Everything's in German'

also I will pay her to stop saying 'the vibe! the viiiiiiiiibeeeeeee!'

 

[ohrouge]

Her new Berlin vlog is something else. Clearly she got her brother to film her looking introspective walking round the museum instead of actually just enjoying the experience.

it's lowkey painful to watch her yelling about how amAzINg the city is and how #blessed she is to be there after being there for like 6 hours

 

[phoenixxx]

Has she said where and with who she will be living?

 

[Katso]

If the online education is so good and wonderful and the content of courses is so special, why is there a need to travel? Surely if they (dinara and jade) think that the education itself is worth the money they could just stay home during a pandemic.

 

[Merpedy]

Why is her brother/mother with her in Germany?
I understand it's probably one of those move out things where family value the time they get to spend before not seeing her for a bit but surely they could visit her once the pandemic has calmed a bit. Idk, might be a bit petty/nit picky but I feel like right now people shouldn't be jetting off all around the place just because they can.
Minerva students included. International students in the UK are being given the option to do their first semester online from their own country, and in the case of Minerva their students won't be missing out on anything 'valuable' since everything they do is basically online anyway.