The Thread for ALL FIRST YEAR QUESTIONS. (4 Viewers)

[Iruka]

I see quadric surfaces.. (I had the name slightly wrong, too).

If you skewer them with any vector, the vector passes through the surface a maximum of two times...

We had to learn about them in Linear Algebra - sort of the 3D equivalent of conic sections in the HSC, except done from a linear algebra point of view, rather than using calculus. I don't know what use they would be for an engineer, though. (I suppose that's why they chopped them out of the course.)

 

[Tim035]

This is quite weird. In week 1 I only have ~5 lectures, and in week 13 I only have tutes and labs.

 

[missanonymous7]

...isn't it meant to be like that though?

The University has reviewed the structure of the Academic Calendar following feedback from students and staff on the 12-week teaching semester introduced in 2008.

At its September meeting, the Academic Board noted the intention to introduce several changes to the Calendar in 2009 with full implementation from 2010. The Calendar will continue to be based on the 12-week standard teaching period model. The key features and changes are:

1. Adoption of “12 weeks in 13” semester structure. Within a 12-week-based teaching period, classes may be scheduled to run in 12 of 13 weeks. For example, lectures might commence in the first week and run until Week 12, while tutorials might commence and end a week later (see the example below). This will allow courses to have 'sequenced' content in tutorials and laboratories. Schools will determine the offering pattern of classes in their courses within the “12 weeks in 13” framework.

Example of “12 weeks in 13” delivery structure for a course with lectures, laboratories and tutorials
Week 1 - Lectures commence - Prep. Lab. only; no tutes
Week 2 - Lectures continue - Labs, tutes, etc commence
Week 13 - No lectures - Final labs, tutes, etc

from The Low Down | Articles

 

[Omium]

...isn't it meant to be like that though?



from The Low Down | Articles

Ah ok, explains a lot.

Is it just me or is "General UNSW chit-chat" thread stuffed ?

 

[Uncle]

even though i clicked on 'Last Page' it says 102 of 110 it says apparently.
this is becoming quite a problem.
maybe it still counts a certain 'deleted user's posts' even though they are invisible.

my god i wish the 12 week system went back, then longer holidays.
better not lose summer holidays.

 

[hero.]

A 14 week semester only matters to those who actually work consistently throughout the whole semester.

For those who dont, then a shorter semester would be more suitable since there are Less classes to attend. These people also leave assignments and study to the last minute so it wouldnt make any difference if an assignment or test would have been held on later date if they were in a 14 week semester as opposed to as a 12 week one.

But I wish the university made appropriate changes to the fees they charge. Shorter semester should = lower fees. But then again, wasnt the cause of this reduction in semester weeks due to the failed attempt at expanding in Singapore?