I have come to the conclusion that I am physically/mentally incapable of doing well of exams.
How so? Is it your approach or do you type too much to remember how to write fast. Time management inside of the exam? Trade offs between questions?
I'm kind of not sure. I think it mostly comes down to my memory being completely garbage, I do well on homework and projects and then get 65%-70% on the exams.
I don't get why they're testing your memory in CS units. Memory tests are huge in biological fields, you don't even need to be smart to pass. The few American tests I have sat have been way more - "can you remember this insignificant piece of information that you will never use but in the real world just look up in a book".
Versus over here they do more short answer stuff to check if you are problem solving or not.
I use to be very good at sitting exams and then I lost my exam skills by not sitting any for years, coming back to University, exams are mildly stressful but I usually pass units between 70 - 95% based on the final exam as I get 100% on the trivial University assignments.
More importantly companies don't give a shit about your score as long as you're averaging between 60% and higher. Especially with CS units. Everyone has marks but not everyone has a programming portfolio. There was a guy last year who only passed every unit in CS however had a number of paid jobs working for Humble Bundle converting games to play on Linux, turns out he was really good at programming and maths but only liked doing real programming work rather than the bullshit at University. (He works at Mountain View now).
Research is useless unless you are passionate about researching algorithms, machine learning and trying to semi-compete with the private sector.
I have come to the conclusion that I am physically/mentally incapable of doing well of exams.
How so? Is it your approach or do you type too much to remember how to write fast. Time management inside of the exam? Trade offs between questions?
I'm kind of not sure. I think it mostly comes down to my memory being completely garbage, I do well on homework and projects and then get 65%-70% on the exams.
I don't get why they're testing your memory in CS units. Memory tests are huge in biological fields, you don't even need to be smart to pass. The few American tests I have sat have been way more - "can you remember this insignificant piece of information that you will never use but in the real world just look up in a book".
Versus over here they do more short answer stuff to check if you are problem solving or not.
I use to be very good at sitting exams and then I lost my exam skills by not sitting any for years, coming back to University, exams are mildly stressful but I usually pass units between 70 - 95% based on the final exam as I get 100% on the trivial University assignments.
More importantly companies don't give a shit about your score as long as you're averaging between 60% and higher. Especially with CS units. Everyone has marks but not everyone has a programming portfolio. There was a guy last year who only passed every unit in CS however had a number of paid jobs working for Humble Bundle converting games to play on Linux, turns out he was really good at programming and maths but only liked doing real programming work rather than the bullshit at University. (He works at Mountain View now).
Research is useless unless you are passionate about researching algorithms, machine learning and trying to semi-compete with the private sector.
My biggest complaints about college thus far: 1. Memory tests 2. No calculators on calculus exams and only scientific (non-graphing) ones on statistics.
I think we could use calculators in calculus but you don't really need them and we had to show every transformation as a single step when answering questions otherwise you'd just get no credit.
I never used a calculator in college math tests. I don't think I ever had a math test in college where a calculator would have even been useful. Well, excluding statistics.
I majored in CS, taking advanced calc, discrete, linear, and differential equations. Past a certain point, math tests are just symbol manipulation with some easy arithmetic.
I agree there. It's weird to say, but once you get into more advanced math, actual numbers often don't matter. Instead of a numerical answer like "4.312", you might have an answer like "√2 π * r^2", or "these are the 8 steps in my proof". Tests don't even have numbers to solve for.
Just found out that a job I was offered and had signed the contract for is now not available as the guy leaving changed his mind. Kind of fucked a load of stuff as I now don't know when I'm leaving the country.
Just found out that a job I was offered and had signed the contract for is now not available as the guy leaving changed his mind. Kind of fucked a load of stuff as I now don't know when I'm leaving the country.
So you have a signed document that you have a job? Did the employer take the necessary steps to close out your employment according to the contract / British national law?
My biggest complaints about college thus far: 1. Memory tests 2. No calculators on calculus exams and only scientific (non-graphing) ones on statistics.
So when I did Vet, I did memory tests for the entire 6 years and I'm bad at cramming for exams however I got through and was better at everything practical and problem solving and was more successful due the latter skills than getting high exam marks.
I agree that memory tests are bullshit for a maths unit. I'm not doing so well in a unit based on logic and proofs that is being taught very poorly and examined very hard. If you don't include certain words in your answer you can get no marks even though the answer is correct to the point that you need to wrote learn answers when you should just be able to problem solve them with techniques taught (because Maths and logic).
So far through both degrees I haven't needed anything other than a scientific calculator for maths related units.
The main thing is, getting low marks on exams should not worry you as long as you understand the concepts. The people that graduated top of the class in Vet lasted less than 2 years in the profession while the bottom half ended up far more successful.
At University there is this pretend pressure as if your marks matter in the real world when they actually don't. It's what you can do for real, in the real world. In CS that's problem solve, work in a team effectively, write readable code, communicate well enough in a work place. (I can't speak with absolute certainty but people on the forum already working in positions can correct me).
The thing that confuses me in CS job interviews is, here is a random problem, solve it in this time limit so we can categorise you. Which is totally not what is taught at University but is completely something that you encounter in programming competitions. Also being employed by a random employee rather than and owner or partner. I assume after the first job or two these will die away as they did with with as I would just walk out of interviews if they tried to interview me like a new graduate.
I majored in CS, taking advanced calc, discrete, linear, and differential equations. Past a certain point, math tests are just symbol manipulation with some easy arithmetic.
I guess it depends on how you're tested. TI calculators can solve integration and differentiation (maybe not symbolically, I'm not sure what the expensive ones can do) and perform a lot of useful matrix manipulations. Even if they're things you know how to do it can help prevent error. Thinking back though, most of my calculator use has been in engineering classes that built off math classes, not in the math classes themselves.
Just found out that a job I was offered and had signed the contract for is now not available as the guy leaving changed his mind. Kind of fucked a load of stuff as I now don't know when I'm leaving the country.
So you have a signed document that you have a job? Did the employer take the necessary steps to close out your employment according to the contract / British national law?
Its for a job in Korea, my agent just told me that they other guy decided to stay nearly three months after saying he would leave. So yeah don't know where I stand, looks like ill just apply for more and hope that I can get something in Japan.
That's in the same category as those stupid phone cases that look like guns, and concealed carry "Badges" aka impersonating a police officer. All shit you can legally own, but also all shit that could fuck you over.
I was wondering what the fuck that movie was supposed to be about.
Though I find it a lot harder to laugh at the Dumb Informercial People these days with the realization that those products are produced for the disabled, but for whatever reason it would be bad to use disabled people in the ads so instead we get idiots.
So what you just only ever wear that shirt or change in the car? That seems like more work than putting on the seatbelt! The more I think about that, the dumber it becomes.
No no no, you've got to carry on about how you can't say that on TV, how it's atrocious, and then turn to the board and it's like the third most popular answer, then act REAL SHOCKED.
Sorry to hear that. I'm getting close as well. My grandma on my moms side (nana) is the last one. I would like to go see her but getting to Perth is kinda expensive.
Comments
The few American tests I have sat have been way more - "can you remember this insignificant piece of information that you will never use but in the real world just look up in a book".
Versus over here they do more short answer stuff to check if you are problem solving or not.
I use to be very good at sitting exams and then I lost my exam skills by not sitting any for years, coming back to University, exams are mildly stressful but I usually pass units between 70 - 95% based on the final exam as I get 100% on the trivial University assignments.
More importantly companies don't give a shit about your score as long as you're averaging between 60% and higher. Especially with CS units. Everyone has marks but not everyone has a programming portfolio. There was a guy last year who only passed every unit in CS however had a number of paid jobs working for Humble Bundle converting games to play on Linux, turns out he was really good at programming and maths but only liked doing real programming work rather than the bullshit at University. (He works at Mountain View now).
Research is useless unless you are passionate about researching algorithms, machine learning and trying to semi-compete with the private sector.
1. Memory tests
2. No calculators on calculus exams and only scientific (non-graphing) ones on statistics.
Past a certain point, math tests are just symbol manipulation with some easy arithmetic.
Bonus observation:
I agree that memory tests are bullshit for a maths unit. I'm not doing so well in a unit based on logic and proofs that is being taught very poorly and examined very hard. If you don't include certain words in your answer you can get no marks even though the answer is correct to the point that you need to wrote learn answers when you should just be able to problem solve them with techniques taught (because Maths and logic).
So far through both degrees I haven't needed anything other than a scientific calculator for maths related units.
The main thing is, getting low marks on exams should not worry you as long as you understand the concepts. The people that graduated top of the class in Vet lasted less than 2 years in the profession while the bottom half ended up far more successful.
At University there is this pretend pressure as if your marks matter in the real world when they actually don't. It's what you can do for real, in the real world. In CS that's problem solve, work in a team effectively, write readable code, communicate well enough in a work place. (I can't speak with absolute certainty but people on the forum already working in positions can correct me).
The thing that confuses me in CS job interviews is, here is a random problem, solve it in this time limit so we can categorise you. Which is totally not what is taught at University but is completely something that you encounter in programming competitions. Also being employed by a random employee rather than and owner or partner.
I assume after the first job or two these will die away as they did with with as I would just walk out of interviews if they tried to interview me like a new graduate.
Well, 20th Century Fox made a movie out of it. Yes, seriously. (Note how the trailer deliberately hides that fact.)
And the assailant died of gunshot wounds at the hospital.
Though I find it a lot harder to laugh at the Dumb Informercial People these days with the realization that those products are produced for the disabled, but for whatever reason it would be bad to use disabled people in the ads so instead we get idiots.