The totally off-topic thread

[love_the_life]

Yea I thought that perhaps that some were also given offers at other universities maybe closer to home.
The only mystery is that CSU Vet Sci is geared toward large animal production Vet science and not as much dogs cats and budgies. And the interview was to confirm that the applicants had an prior experience and ongoing interest in large animal production. The other university in NSW offering Vrt Sci (Sydney Uni) does not have that emphasis - more small companion animals with some equine.

It's interesting how Universities now give bonus ATAR points for all sorts of things. Duke of Ed gets you bonus points in some Uni, Regional bonus, elite sports (some classify elite sports as Zone swimming), hardship and illness. Some Give a max of 5 , I've heard Syd Uni can give up to 10 depending on circumstances.

Some universities make offers to students before HSC based on school reports

I think you are right about prior offers. CSU did not have Vet Sci when daughter did her course but it would have been exactly up her alley though not sure if it would have panned out. She wanted to specialise in equine performance medicine but found she was not heavy enough to push the big horses around. She didn't enjoy small animal work much and found that farmers were loathe to call out the vet till too late and were inclined not to pay for treatment. She actually enjoyed working with sheep. I didn't know that Syd Uni allocated bonus points as they didn't when she applied. Hope you daughter enjoys the course - it sounds good.

 

[anat0l]

I believe the ATAR can be gamed.

It involves telling certain HSC students to opt out of the HSC if they are at the far left of the statistical bell curve.

OP can be gamed similarly. Rumours always abound, particularly in the schools occupying the upper echelons of the academic curve, of students of "lesser ability" being encouraged not to take the QCS in order to improve the cohort average.

There are numerous other ways to game OP. I would not be surprised if ATAR is the same.

To think I went through high school and was so naive to all these kinds of schemes. Yes, I went to a good school, and yes I would like to think I worked very hard to get my OP 1 (equiv ATAR ~98). We heard the rumours of the private schools playing tricks or conspiracies to lock in a certain number of OP 1s, but for most part we couldn't give a damn.

I suppose the "claim" supporting students to opt out of HSC is that they can be recommended more appropriate pathways that do not involve HSC (e.g. Certificates etc.).

Two years. One number. Used once, and then it's basically useless.

 

[RB]

Some universities make offers to students before HSC based on school reports

Was already in place in the mid 70's

 

[Quickstatus]

I finished the test in 40 minutes, submitted and walked out first. It wasn't until the results came out when everyone's results were shown on a timeline with scores that I realised that apparently the test was rather difficult. The next person who submitted after me took close to the 90 minutes, and the test time had been involuntarily extended so that people could have extra time to at least try and finish the test (plenty of people ended up taking close to 2 hours to finish the exam). In the end, although I "beat" everyone rather mercilessly, I only received an extra 15% uplift. At least it helped cover some of the shortfalls in my theory exam.

I walked out of the 4unit maths paper at my HSC about 20min early. I had not realised there was another question. Still due to the scaling the results did not materially affect my final HSC mark

Two years. One number. Used once, and then it's basically useless.

From big fish in a little pond to a little fish in a bigger pond.

Friend of mine at Uni always tried to only pass with the minimum buffer. Any mark above pass was considered to have been wasted as he could have used that time for other pursuits

 

[straitman]

At the risk of starting a subthread that will be split off, if you were about to face a maths or science test, which of the following kinds of tests would you prefer?

• No calculators, no formula sheet
• Calculators allowed, no formula sheet
• Calculators allowed, personally prepared crib sheet allowed
• Calculators allowed, formula sheet supplied

The idea, of course, is that as you select one of the options lower in the list, the problems on the test would be assumed to be more difficult conceptually. Still, which would you choose?

c. or d. for me.

 

[anat0l]

So who has been through a HSC exam block to tell me (us) what it's like?

What's it like preparing for a set of exams after two years of study that will "decide it all"?

How gruelling is it?

Were the tests diabolically difficult? Were there "tricks" you expected / didn't expect, particularly with respect to how it may have differed to how you were taught the subject through your schooling?

What was the mood and so on like of the cohort around you? Dread? Anxiety? Stress? Sickness? Cool headedness?

 

[KitKat]

Friend of mine at Uni always tried to only pass with the minimum buffer. Any mark above pass was considered to have been wasted as he could have used that time for other pursuits

What do you call a med student who passed the final exam by one mark?...... a doctor!

 

[straitman]

What do you call a med student who passed the final exam by one mark?...... a doctor!

Someone who did exactly the right amount of work.

 

[Pushka]

I used to stress my parents enormously because I pretty much learned everything but in exams you are only questioned on a fraction of the syllabus. Because there was a lot I couldn't answer (as I wasn't asked to) then that was what stuck in my head rather than the questions I'd answered pretty well. So I would tell them I hadn't done well. Poor things. Passed Year 12 (then matric) with the highest mark at school in the Humanities. The school clearly thought differently as they awarded Dux (prior to exam results being released) to someone else. Never did like my school much. MLC Adelaide.

 

[anat0l]

What do you call a med student who passed the final exam by one mark?...... a doctor!

Again another very funny irony.

You go through school being pushed to get an A, which is usually in the vicinity of at least 90%.

Once you get to university, usually you only need to pass everything to qualify for your degree and enter the professional workforce. A pass is often a mere 50%.

That said, it is so surprising how trying to even pass some subjects (i.e. get a "measly" 50%) can be quite difficult at the tertiary level. I remember one subject where my overall course score was clearly under 50% (more like 40% or so); was half messing my pants after knowing I did pretty bad on the final exam. However, since the course appeared so hard for everyone, the grade cutoffs were rescaled and I ended up getting a credit (viz. that's better than a pass!)

The other funny part of this is that you read lots of course profiles and so on for your courses (or subjects, depending on what uni you go to which terminology used) for degrees, and they rattle on about "by the end of this course, you should be able to yada yada yada...". By direct word, that seems to imply that if you pass this course (a definition of "successful completion"), you will have all those skills. But you don't. You only need to demonstrate that you know half of them (or at least know those skills at about half the capacity). Most employers might be terrified if they saw how much a passing student knows, but by the time you get into the workforce, everyone at the graduate level is assumed dumb as a post anyway, and the work / career development is tailored as such.

 

[Katie]

Oh I hate when that happens.

Sunglasss were firmly on at lunch, and I kept seeing colleagues at places.
Things were OK for a bit, but it seems it's time for a change.

 

[cove]

No one asks what marks you achieved once you are qualified and in the workforce.

 

[Milboo]

No one asks what marks you achieved once you are qualified and in the workforce.

In law they did/do. While you are a junior (first few years of practice after admission) majority of job applications require you to provide your academic transcript.

 

[drron]

Someone who did exactly the right amount of work.

A friend of mine in medicine together had that attitude.He knew he was going to take over his father's GP practise so he determined he should do the least amount of work to just pass every subject and have as much fun as he could whilst at Uni.
In 4th year he was visibly and genuinely upset because he got a credit in one subject.

 

[TomVexille]

At the risk of starting a subthread that will be split off, if you were about to face a maths or science test, which of the following kinds of tests would you prefer?

• No calculators, no formula sheet
• Calculators allowed, no formula sheet
• Calculators allowed, personally prepared crib sheet allowed
• Calculators allowed, formula sheet supplied

The idea, of course, is that as you select one of the options lower in the list, the problems on the test would be assumed to be more difficult conceptually. Still, which would you choose?

b. is my preference

 

[cove]

Go with "a" to help shut the flood gates on folks getting to pass exams when they cannot use their brain properly.

 

[Quickstatus]

Universities these days (some at least due to an overseas cohort paying full fees seem to feel pressured into keeping the floodgates open

 

[Denali]

I thought The EY lounge in Sydney would be better. Is there a secret, impressive room im missing?

 

[Quickstatus]

Not really. There is an upstairs but it's just a reception and storage area for carry on as you come in. Downstairs is lounge proper. I've never taken a liking to Arabic coffee in any place.
There is a kids room but that's not impressive.

 

[Denali]

This is Todd. Todd retired in July and he, his wife and their incredibly upset child, Rasputian, have been travelling the world since.

Todd should spend a little less time talking about himself and his wife less time on the phone, to tend to their screaming 4yr that is very upset. Apparently shoving a screaming child in the kids play area so mommy and daddy can have adult time doesn't work.