Re: UNSW Chit Chat Thread 2015.
So, course outlines are out for all the subjects I'm doing next semester (ACTL1101, MATH1251, ACCT1511, ECON1102). Just wanted to note some things -
* For MATH1251, I've got Potapov and Tran as my lecturers. Does anyone have any insights into these lecturers? I've had the following insights already:
D Potapov (Algebra) is chill and sometimes a funny guy and can be pretty engaging too, but his way of delivering lectures is not the best, he doesn't really have a neat set of lecture notes to follow, so your best friend will be the yellow book (from the 1251 Course Pack). He does use examples from the tutorial book to demonstrate a few concepts, so sometimes his notes can be helpful. He also likes to take things quite conceptually at times, so it may become hard to follow what he is trying to explain. Overall, he is still pretty good. I don't know about Tran though, never had him and never heard any review about him as a lecturer.
MATH1251 - Thanh Tran is a good lecturer (imo) because he says function as "fanktion", as well as the fact that he can explain concepts very well (I've had him in MATH1151). Don't know anything about Potapov though.
MATH1251 is pretty much same as 1151 with assessments. 64% final, 20% class tests, and the rest is made up of online quizzes and MATLAB lab test.
* For ACTL1101, I have Sherris as my lecturer (no big surprise) and William Liu as my tutor. Does anyone have any insights into Sherris and/or Liu?
As for assessments, midsem quiz held in the lecture is worth 10%, a group assignment (processing, analysing data etc is what I gathered) is worth 20% and the final is worth 70%
* For ACCT1511, I still don't know my 'seminar leader'. But what is interesting is that the final is 70% and the remaining 30% comes from three 20 minute class tests (hence, each worth 10%). What's interesting about these class tests is that they are open-book and are to be completed on a device you bring along (e.g. tablet, laptop). Not sure about the format though - I'm thinking it will probably be MC.
* For ECON1102, first thing that strikes me is an all MC final worth 65%.
10% comes from your best 8 marks out of 9 worksheets that "will be distributed and collected in tutorials". In regard to these worksheets, the course outline says "In the first half of a tutorial, a worksheet will be distributed to all students by your tutor.
Working individually or in small groups you will be able to work on a series of short questions and problems related to the previous week’s lecture material.
Your tutor will be available – if necessary – to provide assistance with the questions. All students will need to complete and submit their own individual worksheet. The worksheets will be collected by your tutor and will be marked; where
your mark will primarily reflect the amount of effort that you have put into completing the worksheet"
It sounds quite dodgy tbh, especially the last part highlighted, but we'll see how it goes.
And then there's two in-class tests, which are all short answers. The first one (in Week 5) is 20 minutes and worth 10%. The second one (in Week 9) is 30 minutes and worth 15%.
I don't know who my tutor is yet, but I've got Glenn Otto as my lecturer. Anyone got any insights about him?
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This semester is going to be interesting. Especially with all my final exams being worth between 64% and 70%
