I need to rant.

[Hilltop Customs]

Well I was typing this out in someone elses thread to vent, and didnt want to cause them the pain of reading it, so here it is for anyone who dares to venture into this thread:

Well, I just got back from my exam........the professor is a....better stop myself now, not enough ***'s in the swear filter to cover up what I have to say about her.

anyway, it was 2 hour exam, normally takes me .5-1.5 hours to finish a 2 hour exam. This one took every minute, and there wasnt even time to go back and answer 2 questions worth 3% each. Only got to do about 1/2 of the model for the final questions which is worth 25%(model is a simulation model, involving multiple part types and several servers with different sevice time distributions based upon customer type and location) so lost another ~15% there. Didnt have any time to go over anything for mistakes, so who knows how many stupid mistakes I made.

This wasnt limited to me, not a single person finished before the 2 hour mark. Everyone worked past her saying stop, and she threatened to walk out.

Her grading is harsh to say the LEAST. Not to mention some of the questions were so broad....like "what causes this"....when there are 1000 things that cause the situation and she is looking for one specific reason to grade for.

I had previous years exams....from outside sources anyway, comparing them, our was about 50% longer than previous years. I'm talking an entire added model, and at least 2 added written response questions. I had these exams to study with its easy to see I had an advantage going into this test, and I still had this much difficulty. I couldnt imagine going into the test without them, because bluntly she hasn't taught us JACK.

I would send her an email to complain, but I have no doubt she would hold it against me. And there is no way in hell I am going to send this lady a nice email and try to get her to emphasize with me, I have more self respect than that.

I think the idea of a time limited test is bull to begin with, but giving a test which has virtually no chance of being completed in the time frame is just morally wrong and should not be done by a respectable professor.

[Avianrave]

Time limit's suck. I swear that grades would go up if people had the comfort knowing they had all the time in the world, and could just focus on the content instead of the time.

If you really want to give people bonus points on the test by completing it in a certain amount of time, then everyone wins. If you prefer being stressed for time, then you could try to get those extra bonus points. If the material is difficult and you need to work through it, then go ahead.

One problem is that I find myself doing some shortcuts, where I would have been much better off actually doing the problem the way your supposed to.

[MANN]

sucks. Gotta hate professors who make test that are impossible to finish.

My thermodynamics teacher was the same way. I never finished more than half of any test throughout the year.

The curve at the end of the semester ended up allowing anyone with a 45 to pass with a B (yes that is out of 100). IIRC 8 of the 50 passed.

Some teachers believe that their role in life is to fail students. Chin up. You will make it, and probably be more productive than the teacher.

Those that can do; do. Those who cant teach.

/wifes a teacher.

[Pneumagger]

As long as you are on-par with the class, you are fine.

Timed exams suck, but it's the only way to separate the entire curve of the class without giving infinite time to finish.

[y0da900]

My rigid body dynamics professor showed up 45 minutes late to our final exam (3 hour limit, set by the school), had no TA to help hand out tests, took another 45 minutes to hand them out, and at least half was stuff that hadn't even remotely been touched on in class or any of the homework. Nobody finished. He also said about the second week of class when someone asked for a better explanation "I have tenure, I don't care".

[teufelhunden]

Sucks.

And to issues with time limits. You don't get infinite time in life, don't expect it on tests.

You're not the first to not finish a test, won't be the last, and yes, I graduated with a technical major as well, so I had my share. Had my share of tests I didn't finish too, I lived. And crappy professors.

[Pneumagger]

Sucks.

And to issues with time limits. You don't get infinite time in life, don't expect it on tests.

You're not the first to not finish a test, won't be the last, and yes, I graduated with a technical major as well, so I had my share. Had my share of tests I didn't finish too, I lived. And crappy professors.

this.

[Hilltop Customs]

might not get infinite time in life, but you can devote more time to what is pertinent to you.....

and that doesnt change the fact that giving/grading on a test which is not completable in the time frame is counterproductive. Kind of like a boss giving you a project which has no chance at being completed in the given time frame, then shortening it even more.

I've had crappy profs before, this one takes the cake thats why I felt the need to rant.

[MoeMag]

...
I just had a midterm this evening. 2 problems. 1.5 hours.
didnt finish.

no one did. one guy walked out so ticked off he gave up as he slamed the door on the way out.

me... i am typing this with my left hand, my index and middle finger because i broke other fingers after giving the door what for on the way out.

stopped by the urgent care on the way home.

i get to have a few pins installed now.



right there with ya

[Ruler_Mark]

There is a class here for Chem-e's 50% failing rate, 35% is a pass.

[maxama10]

sorry man... hang in there



and teufel, I disagree... :|

[MANN]

And to issues with time limits. You don't get infinite time in life, don't expect it on tests.

Yes. And how many jobs throw you out of a plane, and have you determine the velocity of a ball on a car while in movement around a corner on a tuesday.

IMO 50% of college test are not a test of what you understand as it is a teachers personal hurtle. I cannot tell you how many classes I crammed for test just to loose all of the information the day after. You get your real education after you get out of college.

[MANN]

There is a class here for Chem-e's 50% failing rate, 35% is a pass.

That class is at every university. Its called Chem 101.

[neppo1345]

Hmm, sounds like 96% of the engineering classes I've taken.

[Hilltop Customs]

after sleeping on it.....I just see more and more how stupid a test designed to take the full 2 hours is.

Instead of grading on knowledge, your grading on the rate that students can process the test.....knowledge and % correct now come secondary to completeness. Put random crap down for a questions and your likely to get some points for a lot of questions, sit and think about a question and get the full point value and you will likely have many incomplete at the end.



Finally, this is the first exam I've really studied hard for(havent been to class for over 6 weeks so I had to catch up). By the end of studying, I was explaining everything to my 4 study partners. I am good at taking tests, I have not taken the whole 2 hours for an exam EVER, except when I showed up 45 minutes late for a statistics exam....and I still finished that with a 5 minute extension(although it was a first pass through the exam with no review).


This class teaches us that designing a system(taking the test) where a resource(the student) is under full utilization is bad based upon variance in the system and the resources performance.....and then our time is fully utilized on the exam......that is hypocritical and simply doesnt make sense.

Curving to adjust for the lost points because of not finishing(too much work, not enough time) is bad practice to say the least. Then you are not even grading, your just taking students scores, which have no relevance to their knowledge(grading based on completeness) and fitting them to a curve. Curves are a bad idea, usually used by bad professors....I know its great to hear your getting extra points as a student, but why do the students need those extra points to begin with? In this case, not enough time for the test, which could be fixed to begin with, so we would actually be graded on our subject knowledge. Other situations might be more demanding of a curve, but when a simple redesign of the test can create a better grading scheme for the test....I'd take the slightly shorter test over the given points anyday.