In Swinburne, assignments are a major component of the final score. Usually, the final exam only make up about 60% of the overall marks. The other 40% is allocated to coursework, which could include topical tests, tutorials, lab reports, write-ups and the dreaded major assignments.
But arguing it that way puts Swinburne on the same level as UWA. UWA's final exam constitutes around 70% to the overall score. The other 30% goes to coursework, which also includes tutorials, assignments, etc. That would put it on equal footing with Swinburne, no?
No.
As a student who studied in Swinburne for three years, I dare claim that these things UWA call "assignments" are not worthy to be referred to as such!
Still got time to take pictureI remembered slaving away in the Swinburne library every night, trudging down that Assignment Tunnel with not a sign of the light at the end. The life-sapping assignments (like the infamous CEP) of Swinburne takes up most of the semester to be completed, unlike UWA's assignments that can be completed in one night.
Not that I am being ungrateful or am I asking for more assignments. I am just highlighting the difference.
It was a very different semester for me. Three years in Swinburne has made me accustomed to let the assignments "lead" me to the final exam. But now, with the absence of all that work, I am kinda struggling with finding a direction for my studies. Before, assignments played a major part in preparing me for finals. Now, I don't really know where to go/what to do to start preparing. And this is a very bad thing.
Coulomb Wedges. Fact: Drawing Wedges at night makes one think of KFC. KFC + Hungry = Torture.This is what it is like to switch from Swinburne to UWA. I would love to see a UWA student go to Swinburne. How will they cope with the mountains of reports? Maybe they'll die from stress in the first two weeks. Hahaha!
Side Order: Now that everyone is on Facebook, I wonder if anyone still bothers to blog or read blogs...
9 comments:
QQ here
ask them UWA students to try our current semester, i swear they will fail the subjects because too many time wasted just for research assignments, not including the lab reports and presentations.
drin, mun senang gilak, balik sitok nolong kamek polah assignment la...
ALDRIN WONG!!!!! YOU CAN DO IT!
UWA focuses on self-learning capacity.
Assignments are designed to probe you to the right direction, it should not be the sole propeller in your studies leading to exams.
They emphasize heavily on doing your own research. I was told that a 6 credit hours unit is equivalent to 6 hours in class (lectures + tutorials) + 6 hours more of assignments off class, and an additional 6 hours on top of everything on self studies.
There you go.
I am not saying that the system is not flawed.
But you have stated it yourself, "Now, I don't really know where to go/what to do to start preparing".
If you have been in UWA long enough that would not have popped out.
That is what sets apart a UWA student from a Swinburne student. There is so much more to studying than just completing assignments. UWA is preparing you for something a lot bigger.
Ask your brother, he can testify the rest, especially when a student jumped from uni to a working life.
QQ,
But I tell you aa.. There are some REALLY smart people here! Sik mok tolong. Nyahahaha!
Kacwey,
Thank you thank you.
Robin,
I guess what I am trying to say is that all this while I have used the assignments as a way to assist my understanding of a topic. By completing assignments, I will have done the amount of reading equivalent to that extra 6 hours. I guess, in a sense, UWA expects me to create 'assignments' for myself!
And yeah, I do see the point of this. Swinburne emphasizes on practical knowledge - things to be used when practicing in the real world. UWA hope to strike the balance between practical stuff and theory. So Swinburne graduates might find the research path a bit harder to tread while UWA hopes to open both the option of being a researcher and a practicing engineer.
The whole assignment thing I have no comment on because up until now the only assignments I've had are stupid-add-math-stupid-moral-and-stupid-kh ones which not only not teach you anything at all but are also time-consumingly stupid.
Oops, too many stupids.
BUT. I am here to show you...OF COURSE people still read blogs.
Ie. Me =)
Sam,
You will learn to love your assignments. Hahaha... And yea good to see that people have yet to be brainwashed into mindless slaves by Facebook. And here I thought that I can start dissing everyone in my blog without anyone ever noticing... XP
http://cmo.library.uwa.edu.au/rlms/
Hopefully your unit coordinators have released past year papers here, or on the Engineering website.
That's the easy way to prepare for exams (but not necessarily for work).
Enjoy your first UWA exam season!
very true!!!
lol... the wedges part was funny!!
so now u're having a bit from both sides...
and that will make u perfect!!
damn it,.,...:P
Axfangli,
Thanks for the link! Hahaha.. There's nothing that can be really done to prepare for the real work experience anyways.
Jorzac,
Perfect? Far from it. They say the jack of all trades is a master of none. I find myself being mediocre at everything. Hahaha..
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