Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2014 August 24

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August 24

Roman Catholicism after Pope Benedict XVI.

Is there any reliable survey, that after Pope Francis succeeded Benedict XVI. that the Roman Catholic Church experiences a boom again? Or is it just a hype around Pope Francis but overall situation is still sober? --112.198.82.171 (talk) 15:27, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

Here you go. You can read it yourself and arrive at your own conclusions. --Jayron32 16:55, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

I've seen reports that church attendance went up after Francis's accession. I don't think that means the RCC got new adherents; but rather, lots of Catholics who didn't attend services very often started showing up more frequently, due to the new guy's popularity. [1] finds some slightly conflicting reports. 50.0.205.237 (talk) 21:35, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

It's probably still too soon to know the impact that Francis has had. After all, from the perspective of a 2000 year old institution, he is still a rookie. I'd give it at least five years. Blueboar (talk) 23:20, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

You may be interested in The Pope effect: New pontiff has seen huge increases in church congregations since election eight months ago (UK, Nov 2013), 'Pope Francis effect' credited with boosting Italian congregations (UK, Nov 2013) and Pope Francis' appeal not measurable yet in church attendance (USA, March 2014). The last report quotes U.S. Catholics View Pope Francis as a Change for the Better by Pew Research, which is based on a telephone survey of "a national sample of 1,821 adults (including 351 Catholics)" which doesn't seem to me to be awfully large. Alansplodge (talk) 12:21, 25 August 2014 (UTC)

Repeat years of study

How much are 1 or 2 repeat years of study at college likely to affect job prospects? 94.14.144.125 (talk) 23:17, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

You mean taking longer than the usual 4 years to graduate? Normally it won't matter in the slightest, except maybe for your very first job after graduating (sometimes they ask about your grades in that situation). 50.0.205.237 (talk) 23:20, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

So could it be a challenge getting that first job? If you have relevant experience and still got good grades in the end? Are they likely to ask about it in an interview?

A lot depends on why you took the extra years. A first time employer is going to want to know why you do not fit the norm. If the reason is because you spent so much time partying that it took extra years to earn enough credits to graduate, an employer is going to wonder whether you are reliable and mature enough to be hired ("Hmmm... Is this guy going to reliably show up for work every morning? His tack record at school tells me he won't... I think I will hire the other guy"). On the other hand, if you took the extra years so you could learn more, and truly master a particular specialization, the extra years might be a benefit (Wow... this guy seems really dedicated. He will probably be willing to come in on weekends and work late hours. I think I'll hire him). Blueboar (talk) 23:41, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

What if you just didn't get enough credits because you weren't good at a particular subject though which you had to take for your course? 94.14.144.125 (talk) 23:53, 24 August 2014 (UTC)

Perseverance is usually seen as a good thing by employers. It is a positive that after you had trouble with a subject, you kept at it and eventually passed, instead of dropping out or switching majors as many would do. That is how you should explain it anyway. An employer is not looking to sanction you for what you did in the past; he wants to make sure you'ill perform at an adequate level in the future if he hires you, and having encountered and overcome obstacles is a good thing. --Xuxl (talk) 08:37, 25 August 2014 (UTC)