UoM General Chat

[tashhhaaa]

I suppose this is a good time to mention that I got the special consideration I mentioned earlier in the thread approved for all my exams so that's pretty good news.

If you've had the opportunity to sit a subject exam twice, how similar are the special/supp exams to the normal ones? Should I expect some questions to be repeated, none, or most? I'm strongly considering redoing Paper B for MCB at the moment. Thanks.

that's great!

in my experience there were no repeated questions at all lol. Same content tested, new questions. I think there was maybe 1 or 2 questions on one I did that were essentially the same style but all values changed etc.
Haven't done MCB so I can't comment on that
but remember your supplementary exam result overrides the original result, even if you do worse

[AbominableMowman]

How do you accept/decline the special exam offer? I got the email saying application had been approved and I got a special exam, but there's no option to accept or decline?

[tashhhaaa]

How do you accept/decline the special exam offer? I got the email saying application had been approved and I got a special exam, but there's no option to accept or decline?

you don't, you just go to the exam
and to decline it, don't turn up

edit: sometimes if you've passed or done well the faculty will email you and ask if you still want to do the special exam, but normal procedure is just go to the special exam if you want to accept the offer

[AbominableMowman]

Oh, easy. Thanks!
When do the special exam timetables come out?

[tashhhaaa]

Oh, easy. Thanks!
When do the special exam timetables come out?

it comes up on my.unimelb a few days before the special exam, not sure when special exams are this semester but you don't get as much notice as you do with the normal exams
just be available for the whole special exam period

[Rod]

Heya guys can anyone recommend me any chilled level 2 breadths for next sem? cheeers

[cameotodd]

Heya guys can anyone recommend me any chilled level 2 breadths for next sem? cheeers

Same, trying hard to find a relaxing breadth subject (level 1 or 2) so any recommendations will be great!!

[auds]

Heya guys can anyone recommend me any chilled level 2 breadths for next sem? cheeers

Same, trying hard to find a relaxing breadth subject (level 1 or 2) so any recommendations will be great!!

I would recommend School Experience as Breadth (Level 2). In the subject you look at the main issues in Victorian education, specifically focusing on the STEM or HASS field, depending on your degree. You also get placed in a primary or secondary school as a tertiary student assistant so you can speak with teachers about these educational issues and gain their insight into teaching, classroom management etc. Strictly speaking, you're not supposed to teach a whole class by yourself but my mentor teacher let me take a Methods class so that was cool.

The only classes you have are 1 tute a week plus school placement (that you organise with the school. There's also 1 Saturday tute for the semester but you can usually leave 1-2 hours earlier. You have a hurdle requirement of 80% tute attendance and a minimum of 20 hours at your school placement. There's 3 assessment tasks:

-1000 word personal essay (20%) on topic of choice (there's 4 prompts to choose from related to your personal/professional development or experiences/observations of school)
-Group project on an educational issue (30%). You get to pick your own group and issue - my group did the use of ATAR in university admissions.
-Final 2000 word essay (50%) on the educational issue which you spoke about in your group project.

The highlight of the subject was the school placement - if you're paired with a great teacher then you'll learn a lot. Tutes are a bit hit/miss. There's lots of assessment support and I have a feeling that marking is fairly "nice", at least in the STEM tute (e.g all our group presentations were "meh" but at least 2/4 groups scored a H1).

[vox nihili]

I would recommend School Experience as Breadth (Level 2). In the subject you look at the main issues in Victorian education, specifically focusing on the STEM or HASS field, depending on your degree. You also get placed in a primary or secondary school as a tertiary student assistant so you can speak with teachers about these educational issues and gain their insight into teaching, classroom management etc. Strictly speaking, you're not supposed to teach a whole class by yourself but my mentor teacher let me take a Methods class so that was cool.

The only classes you have are 1 tute a week plus school placement (that you organise with the school. There's also 1 Saturday tute for the semester but you can usually leave 1-2 hours earlier. You have a hurdle requirement of 80% tute attendance and a minimum of 20 hours at your school placement. There's 3 assessment tasks:

-1000 word personal essay (20%) on topic of choice (there's 4 prompts to choose from related to your personal/professional development or experiences/observations of school)
-Group project on an educational issue (30%). You get to pick your own group and issue - my group did the use of ATAR in university admissions.
-Final 2000 word essay (50%) on the educational issue which you spoke about in your group project.

The highlight of the subject was the school placement - if you're paired with a great teacher then you'll learn a lot. Tutes are a bit hit/miss. There's lots of assessment support and I have a feeling that marking is fairly "nice", at least in the STEM tute (e.g all our group presentations were "meh" but at least 2/4 groups scored a H1).

omg you actually did this subject. That's great! I really wanted to give it a crack, but didn't because I was worried about how I'd fit it in to a busy biomed/science timetable. Any tips?

[Rod]

That sounds really interesting Auds, I'll read up on it, thanks mate!

[auds]

omg you actually did this subject. That's great! I really wanted to give it a crack, but didn't because I was worried about how I'd fit it in to a busy biomed/science timetable. Any tips?

Surprisingly fit in fairly well with my biomed timetable (but that's because it's third year with at total of 9 contact hours across my other subjects). And tips??

That sounds really interesting Auds, I'll read up on it, thanks mate!

No worries! Another one I'd recommend is Body, Mind and Medicine: A Dissection (another level 2 breadth) - looks at the history of "biomedicine" from the very early times to what we know today. Again there's 3 assessments - 2 essays and a group assignment (I don't remember the weighting as it was 2 years ago). Worth a look at if you enjoy learning about history and are interested in biological sciences. Assessment-wise, I'd say it's a bit harsher in marking compared to School Experience as Breadth.

[dankfrank420]

I heard Eng Mech is a bludge 

[tashhhaaa]

Have you guys done any breadths during the summer or winter holidays? Any recommendations???

also if they are 'easy' that would be good lol

ALSO sorry I keep editing but has anyone done fine arts stuff like Painting Techniques or Drawing with Anatomy? I saw the Painting Techniques review but it doesn't mention if beginners would be able to excel (I can't paint or draw anything at this stage lol)

[cameotodd]

Has anyone done principles of property (ABPL20031)? It sounds interesting and am considering it for my breadth but have no idea what to expect haha so any insight would be great!

[vox nihili]

Have you guys done any breadths during the summer or winter holidays? Any recommendations???

also if they are 'easy' that would be good lol

ALSO sorry I keep editing but has anyone done fine arts stuff like Painting Techniques or Drawing with Anatomy? I saw the Painting Techniques review but it doesn't mention if beginners would be able to excel (I can't paint or draw anything at this stage lol)

I did intensive intermediate Spanish during the summer break once (doesn't exist anymore) and intro Ancient Greek during the winter one year. Both were challenging, as they pack a lot of content in a short space of time, but at the same time I really enjoyed being able to focus on one thing really well and smash that. Definitely work hard, but it comes with a real sense of achievement whilst you're doing it, because you do develop skills so quickly.