Chase On Tuesday 10Th

[Paul22118]

During today's Chase there was a 20 year old student female. She was studying geography at university so had presumably passed a GCSE and an A level in Geography. Now she was studying that subject full time so one would assume she would have had a reasonable grasp of world geography.
There was a question that asked which of the following has a coastline in the North Atlantic?
Croatia or Canada or another country i forget which was clearly the wrong one. Answer Croatia!!!
Next question closer to home this time which of the following is closest to Cardiff. Swansea or St Davids or St Asaph. She did not pick Swansea.
It started me thinking. Is this young lady dense or unlucky or nervous. How on earth could a person studying geography at a British University think Croatia was off the North Atlantic.
Is the student quality that bad, is the examination system flawed allowing her to pass enough to get to Uni., or is it too easy to get in these days.
Discuss.

[JimF]

It is a common misconception that geography studies involve countries, locations, capital cities, etc. It's more the physical structure of the earth, and how the human race is affecting the environment, past, present, and future.

[goodgoalie]

Plenty of examples of answers on TV quizzes that bad - have a look each fortnight in Private Eye's 'Dumb Britain'.
What amazes me about some of the people I see, is that they've volunteered to go on a national television general knowledge quiz.

[andy-hughes]

Nerves - with that sort of pressure in a TV studio, I'd forget my own name!

[ToraToraTora]

she was generally dense, leaving aside the actual questions she should have gone for the lower offer 1k instead of 2k, generous Low offer.

[Hopkirk]

The Weish question would be difficult for many people, so I wouldn't criticise her for that.

[goodgoalie]

The worst answers are on Tipping Point in the sections where there is no multiple choice. Ben Shephard usually insists they give an answer rather than just pass - to hilarious effect.
That was the source of the Homer 'doughnuts' instead of 'ambrosia' answer.

[Sqad]

I was going to mention it but criticised a contestant doing a PHd and wanted to do cancer research, but I desisted.

Nerves.........maybe, but in your area of expertise?

Our Geography girl was pleasant but thick.

I agree with your OP Paul.

But really, are you surprised the standard of education has been allowed to fall in the last two to three decades.

[goodgoalie]

[david small]

Education, Education, Education. Lies, Lies, Lies. Many of them come out thicker than they went in. Not fit for purpose springs to mind.

[goodgoalie]

It was drilled in to me before exams: READ THE QUESTION!

William G Stewart told all contestants in his little pep talk before the start to LISTEN TO THE QUESTION!

[Buenchico]

As Jim indicates, the study of geography has very little to do with knowing where places are on maps.

AQA GCSE syllabus:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/gcse/geography-8035/subject-content

AQA A-level syllabus:
https://www.aqa.org.uk/subjects/geography/as-and-a-level/geography-7037/specification-at-a-glance

[ToraToraTora]

GG 23:01, that's unbelievable!

[roopower]

Even when I did geography at school, many moons ago, it was more about meanders and oxbow lakes than countries and coastlines. What I know now is mostly picked up from quiz shows!

[Bazile]

23:01
Easy mistake

[Bazile]

Afterall , it was a bit naughty to set a question about rice pudding