In-class examinations - handwritten essays? (1 Viewer)

[the_pun]

just wondering - do u have to write in-class essays and get assessed on them in law, or are all ur essays take-home assignments? coz otherwise, u still have to keep up this high school thing of having to be able to write really fast and legibly for examiners?

if not, what kind of in-class exams do u get (if there are any, which i'd imagine there would be)?

Thanks

 

[erawamai]

just wondering - do u have to write in-class essays and get assessed on them in law, or are all ur essays take-home assignments? coz otherwise, u still have to keep up this high school thing of having to be able to write really fast and legibly for examiners?

if not, what kind of in-class exams do u get (if there are any, which i'd imagine there would be)?

Thanks

All law schools have exams in the exam session which require you to write like the HSC but in a less wrote learning way.

Some assingments during session are take home.

 

[the_pun]

...which require you to write like the HSC but in a less wrote learning way.

what do u mean by that?

 

[hfis]

what do u mean by that?

Rather than learning A, B and C and then having to regurgitate A, B and/or C for the exam as per the HSC, you learn legal principles and then have to critically apply them to fact situations. Whilst there are 'formulas' you can follow for some subjects, these are usually limited in their scope, and do not help you get the high marks. Law attempts to teach you how to think on your feet, rather than just mindlessly regurgitate irrelevant doctrines/facts.

 

[BillytheFIsh]

For substantive law subjects there are essays sometimes, but you can generally avoid them by choosing the other questions. (e.g. you might have an exam where you have to do 3/4 questions and 1 is an essay)

Other subjects like intro law, jurisprudence, ethics ect generally have essays that you can't avoid.

I don't think I did a single essay-style questions that wasn't compulsary in my whole degree

 

[MoonlightSonata]

just wondering - do u have to write in-class essays and get assessed on them in law, or are all ur essays take-home assignments? coz otherwise, u still have to keep up this high school thing of having to be able to write really fast and legibly for examiners?

if not, what kind of in-class exams do u get (if there are any, which i'd imagine there would be)?

Thanks

Typically, the assessment structure will involve:

1. Class participation (~10%)
2. An essay or mis-session test (~30%)
3. Final exam (60%)

but sometimes it might be:

1. Class participation (~20%)
2. Final exam (80%)

For most law subjects, you will have a final exam that consists of one or two problem questions. These involve applying principles of law to a fictional fact scenario. (See the attached file for an example). For other subjects the final exam has a problem question and an essay component. (Such subjects might include Legal Ethics, Legal Theory, and possibly Criminal Law.)

Either way, you will have to do essays at some stage during your law degree. Despite the pain commerce students might face you cannot weasel out of extended responses forever. A rough guide would probably be to say that in 1 of every 3 subjects you will have to do an essay.

 

[the_pun]

oh ok thanks...so those exams that are in-class essays, most of u guys would handwrite? do many people laptop it (is it allowed? i think it gives quite an advantage in terms of speed for people if they can type fast)?

 

[MoonlightSonata]

There are not any in-class essays except for in the final exam.

As for hand-writing in the final exam, no you are not permitted to use a computer.

 

[the_pun]

Typically, the assessment structure will involve:

1. Class participation (~10%)
2. An essay or mis-session test (~30%)
3. Final exam (60%)

but sometimes it might be:

1. Class participation (~20%)
2. Final exam (80%)

For most law subjects, you will have a final exam that consists of one or two problem questions. These involve applying principles of law to a fictional fact scenario. (See the attached file for an example). For other subjects the final exam has a problem question and an essay component. (Such subjects might include Legal Ethics, Legal Theory, and possibly Criminal Law.)

Either way, you will have to do essays at some stage during your law degree. Despite the pain commerce students might face you cannot weasel out of extended responses forever. A rough guide would probably be to say that in 1 of every 3 subjects you will have to do an essay.

that exam looks mad - what yr of the course would work of that type be? yeah i dont mind writing essays, i was just wondering whether we still need to be able to write quickly in in-class situations in pen...none of the final exams r take-home?

 

[the_pun]

There are not any in-class essays except for in the final exam.

As for hand-writing in the final exam, no you are not permitted to use a computer.

ok thanks mate...law essays just generally extended responses? or same as the typical english one with topic sentences, intros, conclusion, rigid structure etc?

 

[MoonlightSonata]

ok thanks mate...law essays just generally extended responses? or same as the typical english one with topic sentences, intros, conclusion, rigid structure etc?

No, proper essays

(Exam essays are pretty much extended responses though, as you don't have time to make a flowerly intro, etc.)

 

[erawamai]

No, proper essays

(Exam essays are pretty much extended responses though, as you don't have time to make a flowerly intro, etc.)

No essays for property law or admin law this year however (unless you chose the optional property law essay in first session)...and one small 700 word 'essay' for LLS.

 

[santaslayer]

20% CP marks. That can either work for or against you. In extremes.

But yes, the assessment structure is pretty much what MS pointed out as.

 

[MoonlightSonata]

No essays for property law or admin law this year however (unless you chose the optional property law essay in first session)...and one small 700 word 'essay' for LLS.

I did the "write-a-judgment" question

20% CP marks. That can either work for or against you. In extremes.

But yes, the assessment structure is pretty much what MS pointed out as.

Mmm... really forces you to do the reading

 

[erawamai]

I did the "write-a-judgment" question
Mmm... really forces you to do the reading

..our property teacher picked random people to answer questions this session. Putting people on the spot randomly makes sure you are prepared. So if you had not done your reading there is a good chance you will be asked and you will not know the answer. It was good in that the ones who didn't do the reading are shown up. I also think the CP in property this year was used by the teachers to question those who got high MC exam results. Testing to see whether they are actually as good as the MC said they were.

 

[ManlyChief]

Is it true that UNSW doesn't devote a whole unit of study to equity alone?

 

[erawamai]

Is it true that UNSW doesn't devote a whole unit of study to equity alone?

We do property and equity together since they are clearly related.

Property, equity and trusts 1

Property + equity 2

 

[ManlyChief]

We do property and equity together since they are clearly related.

Property, equity and trusts 1

Property + equity 2

But equity extends well beyond property ...

We do equity as a part of property, contracts, legal ethics etc etc, but also devote an entire unit to it ... it's a philosophical approach to the law that surely deserves it's own dedicated unit??

 

[MoonlightSonata]

I would personally like to see UNSW include a compulsory stand-alone equity course. Though we do the relevant areas in contracts, property, etc -- I agree it would be beneficial to have a complete course for it. That said, there are many elective subjects that cover equitable remedies and doctrines. So those interested (such as myself) can do it in dedicated courses anyway.

 

[011]

Hands up who thinks i should attempt a standard of care essay question against a problem question in an upcoming exam