You would think…

Quoting from todays dynamics lecture (not word for word):

“The real time you are supposed to be learning most of your material is not when you are in class sitting before the lecturer, but whilst you are away struggling with the problems.”

I can agree with this to no end, because for some people (such as myself) I find it almost impossible to keep focused and concentrate while there is someone standing before me talking me though the details.  Also my separately taken notes arent very good because I am just not good at taking notes.  The best way for myself to learn is to have front on experience trying to solve the problem, with pre written notes at hand.

Of course though, its rare for a person to just be able to solve problems just like that without studying first.  However, it is possible to try solving the problems and then when you do get stuck on a problem, going away and looking at the notes, finding what topic you are on, looking for a method to solve the given problem or a similar ’solved example’ to give you a hand or a little push forward to solving the problem.

This will not work if there are no notes to go to.  I will simply get stuck on the problem and dash straight for the text book.  Only to find that there are half a mllion problems with final answer given only, accompanied by 3 or 4 – maybe 5 if I’m lucky – worked examples. 

I often find mysef thinking, ‘It would be nice if they gave more examples.’  Especially when of the many problems given to us, only afew are common to the examples.  The rest have been solved using a method that you have to find out on your own because the text book (being a book written for students to learn from) wants the students to learn by them self.  I like to call these questions, “mystery problems” You need a pretty high level of awesome to be able to solve these by your self.

Back on topic, the lecturers are currently refusing to give us the material required for us to learn what we need to know to be able to pass the exam.  There are two lecturers by the way.  One is for the Statics side, and the other is for the Dynamics side.  Both are jerks, but one is more so.

The Dynamics lecture is pretty tough, but I understand his principals of what he wants.  He -the guy who made the quote back at the start- gives us lecture notes, and he gives us problems.  Fair enough, I say.  With this I can actually get some study done in a decent ammount.   Having the solutions for the problems would be alot more handy, but apparently we would all cheat to do the problems.  Which is exaclt y what we would do, but it isn’t to no avail.  I would look at each of the solutions and see how they were done and learn, rather than working on my own problems and spending the entire semester wondering whether I’ve done it the right way or not.

The Statics lecturer on the other hand is the one who I have issues with.  Not only does this guy refuses to give us solutions to the problems, (well strictly speaking, he does, but you are not going to understand anything from the solution lines cut short so you can only see the answers and remain unsure of just which method was used), he also refuses the students half of the lecture notes.  More than half actually, but the part that counts for the most nonetheless. 

We are given, empty lecture notes, which we are to fill out during class.  He keeps a copy of everythig that needs to fill out, but God forbids the day any student will ever lay eyes on it after he switches the power off, closes his laptop, slides it into its little carry bag and marches out of the room.  I’ve seen him walking about after the lecturers sometimes and I’ve had the mind to want to chop him one on the back of the neck and making a mad dash with the little notes of his.  Of course, this is a University.  Sophisticated and righteous students with principle gather here.  As my friend said, “Someone will want to play hero.”  Being unfit little old me having spent the last two years inseparable with computers I don’t think I have the strength or speed in me to get away.

I approached this ’statics lecturer’ after class early on in the semester.  The problem, you see, was that one of my other classes created a clash on my time table with one of the only two statics lectures.  The other class being a tutorial in which i was to give a demonstration every week worth a percentage each, was the priority.  Being the digilent student I am, I requested he put the notes he was keeping onto the course website in hope that I would be able to study the material still.

The response came quick and ruthlessly with a small hint what I could only assume to be sarcasm.
“You must attend my lectures every week, without fail.  You are not allowed to have clashes at Uni.”

I took the time to explain to him again that the other class would benefit my overall mark much more, if only I had a copy of the notes to learn from.  Also I tried my best to tell him that a clash was not a fault of mine seeing there was only ever one tutorial that ran each week and I couldnt improvise. (and you have to keep the second paragraph of this text in mind while you read this next part)
“There is no use in having the notes if I am not there to explain it to you.  If I don’t explain it, then you will fail.  If I put notes online, all the students will stop studying.”

What?  What now?  Was he telling me to fail?  Its not like that will stop studying.  OF COURSE they will be studying – THE NOTES.  Further convincing was not helping me out.  I restrained myself from losing my temper.  I politely asked him again, pleading, almost.
“If you have a clash, it’s your own fault and not my problem.  If you need notes get it off of a classmate.”

He contradicted himself and walked away, just like that.  I stood there in utmost disgust and disapointment.  Things looked tough.  I’m not the only one who’s had to go through such an idioc conversation either, many people I know have tried.

Say for some terrible reason, such as… say, on your way to uni somebody pushed you on to the road and you were hit by a car.  Injured and unable to go on, you take the rest of your day off to go to hospital; thus missing your lecturer and not getting a copy of the notes.  You confront the lecturer some weeks later with your dillema, asking for a copy of your notes.  I’m about a hundred percent sure he will tell you to rack off.

In conclusion: What a bastard.

UQ St Lucia, 
ENGG1010,
Applied Mechanics,
Statics and Dynamics.

(as expected, last years group of probably 400-500+ students had a 70% failure rate) <– im not actually that certain about this figure.  Its just what I’m told.

Tags: dynamics, statics, lecturer, stupid, study, university, uni, engineering, uq