Enrolling in easy subjects on purpose (1 Viewer)

[filleunique]

I'm doing summer school at the moment - an intensive language course.

One of the people in our course has studied the language for FIVE YEARS already.

The description says:

This unit of study is for absolute beginners or for students who have no substantial prior knowledge of _language_.

We are learning really basic stuff.

They are planning to do the second semester equivalent of the course too. It is pretty obvious that they are in it just to kill the subject and amp up their WAM in as little time as possible (an HD of over 95 in 3 weeks).

I really don't think it's fair, the subject is scaled so it's screwing the rest of us over.

Am I being a bitch or would it be worth at least mentioning it to someone else in the department (the tutor/lecturer doesnt seem to care)???

 

[thesecond]

Yes. I would definately say something.
If it's screwing up your marks, then it must be done.
They are the one in the wrong.
But I would make sure I have some sort of proof first, in case they deny it and then you look like a dumbass.

 

[Alex499]

I had this same problem with beginners french in my first semester of uni. There were people that had lived in france, and studied french, yet did the beginners course because they didn't want to be challenged. I was one of the few beginners in my class and was so far behind everyone else. I ended up dropping it just before the cutoff date because I was so ridiculously disadvantaged.

But yeah I'd say something. It isn't fair to you and the other beginners in your class.

 

[filleunique]

I think I'm going to email the head of the department and ask how strict they are on prior knowledge without any specifics.
Then depending on what they say give some more detail and see.
It's different for summer school though - everything goes so fast as in this course each 5 hour day is equivalent to one week of a normal course. Definitely a good way to increase the wam with minimum effort anyway.

 

[naisAtoN]

I had this same problem with beginners french in my first semester of uni. There were people that had lived in france, and studied french, yet did the beginners course because they didn't want to be challenged. I was one of the few beginners in my class and was so far behind everyone else. I ended up dropping it just before the cutoff date because I was so ridiculously disadvantaged.

But yeah I'd say something. It isn't fair to you and the other beginners in your class.

That's ridiculous. I really don't see what the point is of someone going to uni and doing something they essentially already know - what a waste of time and money. I suppose though, a lot of the people who have had the opportunity to go and live in France probably also have the money to burn.

 

[Charizard]

That's ridiculous. I really don't see what the point is of someone going to uni and doing something they essentially already know - what a waste of time and money. I suppose though, a lot of the people who have had the opportunity to go and live in France probably also have the money to burn.

Most people go to uni to help them get a better job.

Having a distinction average over a credit average, regardless of what easy subjects you were able to fit in, improves that chance at a job.

If i knew a language i would milk it for all it's worth for marks.

 

[jubz]

That's a bit lame that they were let into the course, but I suppose no-one really checks what you've studied before. I did Italian and Extension Italian in the HSC so I enrolled into Senior Italian 3, which is actually a second year course. On enrollment day when I went to get my form checked the ladies there had a bit of a go at me because it's a second year course and I am only first year, but once I explained that I had done those subjects for the HSC they realised that I couldn't start at Beginners 1. Now that I think about it, I probably could have enrolled in a beginner's course without anyone noticing, but damn it would get so boring.

 

[naisAtoN]

Most people go to uni to help them get a better job.

Having a distinction average over a credit average, regardless of what easy subjects you were able to fit in, improves that chance at a job.

If i knew a language i would milk it for all it's worth for marks.

It's one thing to 'milk it for all it's worth', but being dishonest and enrolling into easy subjects to get an unfair advantage over those who haven't had the same opportunities is wrong. It irks me that so many people would be willing to push hard-working others down out of selfishness in the hope that they themselves might look 'better' for it in the end. It annoys me even more that some people feel they 'deserve' this special advantage more than others when in fact they're just a lazy douche who can't be bothered putting in the hard yards to learn something new and do well in it.

It'd be like a HSC student sitting a year 8 exam. They may top the class, but in the end they're a hundred times less deserving than the person who worked hard all year at a new skill. Because of this selfish douche, the year 8 comes out looking second-best and isn't given the recognition he deserves.

Anyway, for these courses I really think the uni should be more proactive in ensuring this type of thing doesn't happen. To the OP, if it's really affecting everyone else and (in your words) 'screwing you over' I think it might at least be worth voicing your concerns to someone else in the department and listening to what they have to say. It's likely that nothing will be done though, unfortunately some arrogant bums like these seem to be able to scrape their way through their whole lives like this.