Posted by alexandra_k on September 22, 2014, at 22:47:26
In reply to Re: not doing particularly well... » pontormo, posted by alexandra_k on September 20, 2014, at 22:59:18
I think that partly my grades don't matter so much because I'm in an institution with a (much) higher world ranking, now. I remember applying for a summer scholarship as an undergrad and even with my grades they asked for a writing sample on very short notice. The other scholar had significantly lower grades than me and wasn't asked for a writing sample - but he was from an institution that was more highly regarded.
And perhaps it is also partly because science simply is fairly different from a subject like philosophy. You can work fairly hard in science but not do very well because you don't have the relevant background. But that your grades pick up over the years as you gain more of the relevant background. So they come to forgive earlier.. F*ck ups... Over time.
I really like physics. Still. And I really like physicists. The people CARE. Their teaching is clear. They try and keep things as simple as possible (things get hard enough all by themselves). The room has good accoustics. More than that. Really great accoustics. We are doing waves at the moment... And I'm learning... I like walls because the sound reflects off and I can hear much more clearly up against the wall. And I like people to keep away (disperse) because they steal my sound waves. Making it harder to hear. It isn't just about their fidgeting etc. Though that comes into play... Just their presence... I suspected as much. And they are good with their lecture recordings. They don't seem to have trouble switching from recording the computer video, their voices, their powerpoints, the camera for their writing / showing something on i-pad or whatever.
In biology... New lecturer... He started out beautifully indeed. Dimming the lights. Yellow text on a black background. Beautiful high resolution pictures of fossils and the like. Then of course someone wanted the lights turned up... Because... Well because of f*ck knows why. No reason was given. But now the lights are turned up. And now the now the picture looks all washed out. And his voice sounds all washed out. Because he isn't microphoned properly. Because of their fidgety masses... Because the room has isles against the walls so I don't get such a reflection off of that... And most of the kids don't notice. Most of the kids probably had glue ear...
And they don't want to record the lectures because of copyright issues. That is what they say. Because they want to babysit us with clips from the Simpsons or whatever. Because they pretend like it is far too hard for them to not record the computer display when they play such clips.
I think bio-med will probably be different. They probably don't try and 'educate' the top science kids by way of childrens cartoons. If it isn't... No more biology for me. Fed up. Honestly.
I might be eligable for a scholarship next year. $2000 that will serve me very well indeed re: books, glasses, dentist, UMAT necessary (honestly!) clothes etc... Only... I don't know that my grades will be strong enough :( ANyway... Seems they changed the criterion on it from last year... Last year... I didn't seem eligible for anything since I have a degree already and am not a (directly from) school leaver... Anyway... I guess I"ll go talk to the scholarships office... I really don't know how I'm going to end up doing in my classes this semester...
I think whatever happens I'll take the physics for science and engineering course that I tried last summer school... Today one of the tutors showed me some algebra rearrangements and i have a bunch of little equivalencies to learn / that will help me out... It is kinda fun. Yeah.\
Then I can do the health science pathway next year (to focus my time on the hard science papers and appreciate the rest as 'load lighteners')... And if I don't get a place in medicine... Hope at least to earn a place in bio-med... In which case... I'll do the functioning in math course over summer... And then I'll have bio-physics that year.
Cell biology might be better... Biochemistry... Fairly sure medsci will be alright... Fairly sure... Otherwise... I guess physics it will have to be. And... F*ck knows whether I'll be able to do well enough to go to grad school :(
poster:alexandra_k
thread:1058481
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20140828/msgs/1071426.html