Is it easier to get a high GPA at UWS than other unis such as UNSW and USYD? (1 Viewer)

[magnito]

If so, wouldnt it be unfair since it would be easier for UWS graduate to transfer to med or other courses?

 

[rx34]

I don't think it's any easier, the course content should be similar between unis but the students' competitiveness might be different.

For example in Melb Uni, the ATAR to get in arts would be very high but in UNE the ATAR is be much lower. UNE will have more art students with lower ATARs, which also 'could mean' the UNE students didn't work as hard/competitive in their HSC compared to the art students in Melb Uni.

However, the course content would be almost the same. I have heard that law at UWS is not easy even though they are perceived as a lower tier university. They still need to maintain a certain standard and produce good graduates. However, I don't think picking a university based on its student intake should be your determining factor. Rather, it's whether you put in the hard yards, extra effort, blah blah.

 

[jb_nc]

no

 

[melsc]

No, the only way to get a good GPA is to attend lectures and tutes (and participate) do your assignments, study and put in some effort.

While USYD and UNSW may have higher concentrations of higher achieving students university marking is different to high school. If a paper does not deserve a HD it won't be given one just because there is none.

 

[merillem]

UWS uses a standardised grading scale meaning there will generally only be a certain % of HDs, Ds, Cs etc allocated for every course.

There are plenty of smart students at UWS.

Limited no. of high grades to give away + lots of smart students = not that easy to get top marks.

Agree with earlier comment - doesn't matter where you are, you are going to have to work hard anywhere for the marks needed for medicine.

 

[magnito]

Not offending anyone, but generally speaking, wouldnt there be much more smart people at USYD and UNSW compared to UWS? i mean there may well be some smart people at UWS, but compared to those big unis, there percentage is small.

 

[Kalashnikov47]

Not offending anyone, but generally speaking, wouldnt there be much more smart people at USYD and UNSW compared to UWS? i mean there may well be some smart people at UWS, but compared to those big unis, there percentage is small.

Haha, I'd called it the inconvenient truth of UWS~~~ there are simply too many dickheads in outside UWS law and med schools~~~

As a UWS veteran, my suggestion is that you pick out the smart ones in your cohort early in the semester, and stick with them in study groups or assignment groups. This way you can avoid mingling with people who cannot careless about their study.

 

[runnable]

UWS uses a standardised grading scale meaning there will generally only be a certain % of HDs, Ds, Cs etc allocated for every course.

Err.. sounds to me that system means it is indeed easier to get a high WAM/GPA at UWS. Certain precentage of HDs, Ds, Cs... and the cohort...

 

[magnito]

Err.. sounds to me that system means it is indeed easier to get a high WAM/GPA at UWS. Certain precentage of HDs, Ds, Cs... and the cohort...

it sounds to me like so too... and hearing about all the people who got 50-60 UAI getting GPA of 6s ( ive been hearing this alot from not just in bored of studies).It is extremely hard to get GPA of 6 in USYD and UNSW for the same course i hear. So... to transfer to med or other high atar req course, i rekon we shud go for UWS unless GPA for UWS are worth less or something

 

[schtrevey]

lol.

 

[runnable]

it sounds to me like so too... and hearing about all the people who got 50-60 UAI getting GPA of 6s ( ive been hearing this alot from not just in bored of studies).It is extremely hard to get GPA of 6 in USYD and UNSW for the same course i hear. So... to transfer to med or other high atar req course, i rekon we shud go for UWS unless GPA for UWS are worth less or something

Probably. They consider the institution you are applying from. No one can tell me a GPA of 6 is equally hard/easy in Harvard and USyd.

 

[xeuyrawp]

While USYD and UNSW may have higher concentrations of higher achieving students university marking is different to high school.

So you're saying that either UWS has fewer high marks, or that it attracts more students who perform better in university than high school?

 

[melsc]

So you're saying that either UWS has fewer high marks, or that it attracts more students who perform better in university than high school?

All I am saying is its a bit hard to say for sure that just because USYD and UNSW has the most students with the higher ATARs that this will translate directly into a huge number of people who are good at university style assessment, while its an indicator, not all those people may be able to be as successful at uni (i.e. absence to tuition, less spoon feeding, diffrenty teching styles) I am not saying UWS has more students who are better adjusted, I think its not the best way to know what your comptetion is like is all. I did noticed thought that UWS had fewer high marks, it did not seem that there were a heap of HDs or Ds, only the hard working and smart students got them, I didn't find it any easier at UWS to get marks than at MQ. I don't know how much truth in it but I have been told time and time again by lecturers that if a paper doesn't deserve a HD it wont get one, isn't that what those marking bands were for?. I remember in my first year I got two assignments were I got 29.75/40, I said to the academic, why was I so close to a D yet you didn't give me one and he said 'it just wasn't quite a D paper' I would hope that is how it normally works but I guess you would have to ask the markers.

I was told by academic at MQ that in some classes the previous grades of the class had been number crunched and the bell curve adjusted to represent the 'intelligence' of the class to determine how many HDs, Ds, Cs etc should be given...in a 'smarter' class they were able to award more - this sounded a little strange to me and I don't know the truth of it but I can understand why you may, if required to use a bell curve to try and make it suit the needs of the class.

That said I don't believe MQ law uses a bell curve anymore and if that is the case then it shouldn't been any easier at any other uni, if your paper is HD quality it will get an HD regardless of how many others did or did not get one.

I think believing that it is easier at some uni's to get higher marks is dangerous, the UAI/ATAR does not determine someones ability to survive at uni and many people develop their skills later on. Don't underestimate the competition is my warning I guess, I don't think anyone can tell you for sure that it will be easier or harder, all I can give you is the information some lecturers have told me. Basically worry about yourself and work hard, while the competition may have some influence on the grades, if you fail to work hard and do what is required you wont be given an HD on a silver platter

 

[Tabris]

Has anyone compared the standard of assessment between institutions?

e.g. Equity @ Macq law v Equity @ USYD law

I have seen the exam papers for both institutions in the same year and I would say that there is a difference in terms of difficulty.

 

[melsc]

Has anyone compared the standard of assessment between institutions?

e.g. Equity @ Macq law v Equity @ USYD law

I have seen the exam papers for both institutions in the same year and I would say that there is a difference in terms of difficulty.

The only problem I see with that is that sometimes you get a crazy lecturer who wants a super hard exam... i.e. our corp law one was insanely difficult, yet its not the norm. I think you'd have to look into it a bit further than that

 

[xeuyrawp]

I did noticed thought that UWS had fewer high marks, it did not seem that there were a heap of HDs or Ds, only the hard working and smart students got them, I didn't find it any easier at UWS to get marks than at MQ.

Well usually, good marks in high school will translate to good marks in uni. Obviously that's not a rule, but it's generally true.

So one would assume that because people with lower high school marks go to UWS, that either UWS grades more easily and gives out the same amount of higher marks, or that fewer high marks are given out.

I'm not calling you a lier or whatever, but I'd find it hard to believe if they gave out significantly less higher marks.

 

[melsc]

Well usually, good marks in high school will translate to good marks in uni. Obviously that's not a rule, but it's generally true.

So one would assume that because people with lower high school marks go to UWS, that either UWS grades more easily and gives out the same amount of higher marks, or that fewer high marks are given out.

I'm not calling you a lier or whatever, but I'd find it hard to believe if they gave out significantly less higher marks.

I don't have any stats, it seemed like there weren't many but its not in anyway definative, do you feel that MQ gives the same number of higher marks despite the 'less intelligent' cohort.

I hate these types of threads because unless someone has some actual statistics we don't know for sure, its all hearsay I guess the moral is, while the competition may not be a great, that does not mean you'll get an easy pass.

I found this interesting, it was posted re: the difficulty of the USYD law degree , I doubt UWS or MQ would have figures that high for D/HD so either they give out more to account for their cohort or its no harder to get high marks? I just don't understand how you can have so many D's HD's
http://suls.org.au/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=20&Itemid=28

 

[Ethanescence]

I found this interesting, it was posted re: the difficulty of the USYD law degree , I doubt UWS or MQ would have figures that high for D/HD so either they give out more to account for their cohort or its no harder to get high marks? I just don't understand how you can have so many D's HD's
http://suls.org.au/index2.php?option=com_docman&task=doc_view&gid=20&Itemid=28

This is very interesting.

As very few units reach above a 5% High Distinction level, effectively the total Ds and HDs will not exceed 35% unless coordinators are willing to ‘bump up’ students to HDs to give space for more Ds.

This seems inherently flawed to me. It's as if High Distinctions, Distinctions, etc, are given out merely as a ranking system within the cohort - rather than an indication of actual competence in regards the objectives and requirements of the course.

 

[Bananaberry]

I've been in classes where noone got HD's or D's in an assignment. Every assignment I got duirng uni came with a marketing guide that showed what was required of the student in order to achieve a certain grade. It is not a ranking system. If a paper does not deserve a mark, they are not going to get it. It is university not high school - they are not going to pass a student if they think they have not met the set requirements in order to pass.

University degrees are all equal in regards to what the studen has to know in order to successfully be able to have a career in the field.

 

[Bananaberry]

I've been in classes where noone got HD's or D's in an assignment. Every assignment I got duirng uni came with a marketing guide that showed what was required of the student in order to achieve a certain grade. It is not a ranking system. If a paper does not deserve a mark, they are not going to get it. It is university not high school - they are not going to pass a student if they think they have not met the set requirements in order to pass.

University degrees are all equal in regards to what the studen has to know in order to successfully be able to have a career in the field.