uni. (1 Viewer)

[laila2010]

Hey,
when I was in year 12 although I had taken plenty of notes of my own I relied on comprehensive textbooks to learn all of the syllabus and found I knew everything really well.

I was wondering for you uni student's (or those of you who know) do you think uni textbooks are just as comprehensive?
Do you think I could basically keep learning out of the textbook???
Are there textbooks that cover the complete uni syllabus?

Thanks. If your wondering I'm doing social science teaching.

 

[mcflystargirl]

depends on the textbook. generally you can get by without them but you have to have good notes. I like using my textbooks to study and i find that that is the first thing i look to when studying

 

[laila2010]

depends on the textbook. generally you can get by without them but you have to have good notes. I like using my textbooks to study and i find that that is the first thing i look to when studying

So you think there are textbooks which are great to study with?
Do you think (not that I plan on doing this) that if you turned up to like no lectures etc but studied a good textbook really well you would knowmost stuff?

 

[Mambomeg]

depends on the course. Some subjects I bought the textbook for and didn't use it at all, some subjects the lecturers would allocate a set amount of reading (say a chapter a week) and then examine you based on the reading from the textbook, so you needed the textbook.

others the textbook is a really good reference in preparing for tutes and pracs, or can be useful after you graduate. But it really depends on your degree - I use some if my vet textbooks nearly daily at work, My sisters marketing textbooks sit in the study at mums place growing dust.

 

[mcflystargirl]

no turn up to lectures often they cover content that is not covered in the textbook. I attend most of my lectures and it does pay off

 

[babikakez]

no way, lectures > textbook/readings, if you're only going to do one.

 

[laila2010]

no way, lectures > textbook/readings, if you're only going to do one.

Oh no I intend on attending every single lecture and tute etc. I just like to know that there are textbooks avaliable in the event I don't understand something.

 

[babikakez]

Textbooks are available, but they more than likely won't be designed for your specific unit in the way that HSC texts often are.

 

[Absolutezero]

Do you think (not that I plan on doing this) that if you turned up to like no lectures etc but studied a good textbook really well you would knowmost stuff?

I got a distinction last semester in one of my classes without going to the lectures, or reading the textbook (I didn't even buy it). However, I did read the online lecture notes. Make sure you do this, if your going to miss lectures.

 

[Andi0390]

I don't know what the NSW HSC is like but in university its not about rote learning things. Its about learning things, understanding them and then critically evaluating them or applying concepts to new things. Also some essays may be on comparisons about two separate ideas, or something. Rarely are you asked to just repeat theory you would have learnt from a text book, or even from lectures.

In my first semester two of my courses didn't have end of unit exams, instead it was all just in take home essay format. There was no situation where we were expected to "regurgitate" knowledge.

The textbooks that were recommended for the course weren't really used much. I remember my sociology one was used for readings, and my other courses had bricks, but these were only really referred to in tutorials. You were expected to have done reading and understood it, and then the lectures would bring you further than the readings.

I've missed heaps of lectures and you can get buy if you do your assessments well, but a textbook is not a substitute for a lecture. Everyone misses some, which is why most universities have recordings available online.

Most of the things you do your essays on will only be touched on briefly in lectures, it is up to you to conduct your own research and construct an argument from that. Its not about reading a set thing, and then responding to that if you know what I mean.

Sorry, I'm not good at explaining things that are in my head.

 

[Absolutezero]

Most of the things you do your essays on will only be touched on briefly in lectures, it is up to you to conduct your own research and construct an argument from that. Its not about reading a set thing, and then responding to that if you know what I mean.

This. Especially for Arts

 

[Trebla]

Lectures/lecture notes should be your number one reference point because this gives you a succinct indication of what is assessible and what is not (which saves you from reading excessively) since they are at the discretion of the lecturer.
In many cases the textbook has stuff that is irrelevant to lectures. There may also be cases where the material covered in lectures is not even covered in prescribed textbooks at all. They are generally most useful if the lecture notes are crap or if you are after more details on a certain topic.

 

[dance2urownbeat]

lecture notes are definitely your best source. just think of them as the textbook.

 

[laila2010]

But do they give us notes or do we have to write them all down really, really fast?
Because I find it hard to comrehend the info if all I am doing is writing because I concentrate on writing too much rather then listening.

 

[Trebla]

Most courses require you to download and print the lecture notes/slides beforehand and you annotate them yourself during the actual lecture.

 

[laila2010]

what uni are you from???? and what course???
what they do that at most unis and for the edu course??

 

[RDX]

I just read the lecture slides and write some brief notes on them. Attended most lectures, let's say 80% attendance last year.

 

[tmahendradatta]

what course are you doing?

If your doing science -> textbooks and review journal articles are the bestway to go because lecturers just recycle this kind of info.