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Feb. 4th, 2011 04:48 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
vervet_monkey End of the first week of semester 2, and to be honest I really don't feel like I've just come from a week off. My week did start Sunday as I went in to get some dissertation work done, but still, feel like I need a holiday...
Modules this semester haven't really caught my attention. Key topics in ecology and evolution and community ecology are both being taught by a new lecturer, and when I say new, I mean only just got his doctorate new. And he is trying very hard, but it feels like he's trying to make up for his lack of experience by treating us like children. We had an hour long lecture on 'What is science', ummm, third year zoologist, if I haven't worked this out yet something has gone horribly wrong. And he has decided that if we don't answer a question then he's going to pick people out, well done, you have just found the quickest way to make sure people don't come to your lectures.
Geographies of nature however looks like it's going to be interesting, although like demographics last semester is going to require turning thinking upside down. I'm just hoping it isn't marred by complaining about the fact that it isn't hard science, as demographics was last semester. It's all about what 'nature' is and how we interact with it on a day to day basis, so very focused in the general public domain, rather than academic literature. Which too me seems like vitally important if you want to work in conservation, you need to know what it is you are working with/against. But I can see lots of moaning when it doesn't fit our normal learning style.
Also having an argument over marks atm which is driving me slightly insane. Two of the people who normally have the highest marks got below 60% for an assignment. Now, when this happens to anyone else we grumble a little at spending time on something and clearly missing the point, then we move on. No, these two go and demand it is remarked. Which is fine, if they think it hasn't been marked fairly and to the head of course's credit she agreed to remark it. But it's come back with much the same mark, so now the head of course is pandering to the original marker. Because of course they couldn't actually just have written a bad piece of work. No, that could never happen.
I think why this is actually annoying me is because I got 85% on this piece of work, marked by the same marker. And when I said that the response of them both was 'See, it's not been fairly marked' like I couldn't get 85%? I may be sitting on an average of 65% (well into a 2:1 so no complaints here) but I worked damn hard to earn that 85%. Grrrrrrr.
Other than that, has been good to get back into normal term activities, seeing everyone in lectures, Green Action and SUCV starting again on Sunday, which I miss when exams are on. And results out next Friday, but I'm not to nervous about that yet.
Modules this semester haven't really caught my attention. Key topics in ecology and evolution and community ecology are both being taught by a new lecturer, and when I say new, I mean only just got his doctorate new. And he is trying very hard, but it feels like he's trying to make up for his lack of experience by treating us like children. We had an hour long lecture on 'What is science', ummm, third year zoologist, if I haven't worked this out yet something has gone horribly wrong. And he has decided that if we don't answer a question then he's going to pick people out, well done, you have just found the quickest way to make sure people don't come to your lectures.
Geographies of nature however looks like it's going to be interesting, although like demographics last semester is going to require turning thinking upside down. I'm just hoping it isn't marred by complaining about the fact that it isn't hard science, as demographics was last semester. It's all about what 'nature' is and how we interact with it on a day to day basis, so very focused in the general public domain, rather than academic literature. Which too me seems like vitally important if you want to work in conservation, you need to know what it is you are working with/against. But I can see lots of moaning when it doesn't fit our normal learning style.
Also having an argument over marks atm which is driving me slightly insane. Two of the people who normally have the highest marks got below 60% for an assignment. Now, when this happens to anyone else we grumble a little at spending time on something and clearly missing the point, then we move on. No, these two go and demand it is remarked. Which is fine, if they think it hasn't been marked fairly and to the head of course's credit she agreed to remark it. But it's come back with much the same mark, so now the head of course is pandering to the original marker. Because of course they couldn't actually just have written a bad piece of work. No, that could never happen.
I think why this is actually annoying me is because I got 85% on this piece of work, marked by the same marker. And when I said that the response of them both was 'See, it's not been fairly marked' like I couldn't get 85%? I may be sitting on an average of 65% (well into a 2:1 so no complaints here) but I worked damn hard to earn that 85%. Grrrrrrr.
Other than that, has been good to get back into normal term activities, seeing everyone in lectures, Green Action and SUCV starting again on Sunday, which I miss when exams are on. And results out next Friday, but I'm not to nervous about that yet.
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Date: 2011-02-04 09:46 pm (UTC)But that is the point of an AVERAGE. Inevitably you have to have some marks higher and some marks lower than the average. So yes, with an average of 65% of course you're capable of an 85% (which, btw, wow go you!). Bless them, it sounds like it's the first time they've discovered they can't actually be top of everything. They'll get over it... eventually.
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Date: 2011-02-04 10:32 pm (UTC)Also, this reminds me of BBC news last month, which told us that in December we were below the average and now we're nearly as much above the average! Yes, that is why it is called an average...