symple
Member
- Joined
- Jun 15, 2008
- Messages
- 68
- Gender
- Female
- HSC
- 2007
Re: Subject Reviews (PDF updated 17/01/09)
***PHIL 2610 Exploring Nonclassical Logic (Smith)
Ease: 3/10. MUCH more difficult than Introductory Logic. No friendly weekly exercises. Assessments seemed pretty indifferent - 2x 50% assignments, no feedback, just raw marks. No scope for improvement either - each assignment tested a separate half of the course.
Lecturer: 9/10. Beautiful clear explanations, encouraged questions, wrote everything up on the whiteboard at the PERFECT speed (a rare talent!), put up WebCT handouts as well. The negatives: Cancelled the weekly tutorial in favour of making it a 3-hour lecture, so it's harder to ask for help if you're struggling. Also, did I mention the 3 hour lecture.
Interest: 5/10.
Overall: I dunno. Obviously a great course, but in hindsight, not the one for me.
***HPSC 3022 Science & Society (Pols)
Ease: 9/10. The 3 essays were only tangentially related to the lectures, but hey, no exams and lots of scope for creativity, it's all pretty good.
Lecturer: 9/10. Occasionally wandered off topic.
Interest: 9/10. Great stuff. Always entertaining. (You do NOT need the textbook, although you will definitely need the course reader for your essays.)
Overall: 9/10. Very enjoyable.
***HPSC 2100 The Birth of Modern Science (Gal)
Ease: 9/10. Assessment structure very complicated, but all OK, plus no final exam. Essays were based on primary sources and absolutely fascinating, plus no research required. Lectures absolutely fascinating also. The 4x quick multiple choice exams were diabolically difficult, but kinda fun as well - you didn't need to study too hard, just to think on your feet on the day.
Lecturer: 10/10 for the lecture content. 5/10 for repeatedly yelling at us and telling us we were the worst class he'd ever had, and then wondering why we stopped going to his lectures.
Interest: 9/10. Struggled a bit when it started dealing with the Laws of Motion - physics is not my thing.
Overall: 9/10. Very glad I took this subject, despite the lecturer badly needing a holiday.
***PHIL 2645 Philosophy of Law (Reid)
Ease: 7/10. 50% essay was pretty tough - present arguments relating to a Real Academic Article (choice out of 4). Positives: No research required. Negatives: Tricky, required a lot of analysis. 50% exam was fine, they gave us loads of hints about the questions.
Lecturer: 9/10. V enthusiastic, encouraged class discussion, but sometimes talked too fast and didn't record audio on WebCT.
Interest: 7/10. A lot of it was prettty abstract, I wouldn't say 'boring' but it was a bit tough to get through.
Overall: 8/10. I learned a LOT. I guess that's a good thing
***PHIL 2610 Exploring Nonclassical Logic (Smith)
Ease: 3/10. MUCH more difficult than Introductory Logic. No friendly weekly exercises. Assessments seemed pretty indifferent - 2x 50% assignments, no feedback, just raw marks. No scope for improvement either - each assignment tested a separate half of the course.
Lecturer: 9/10. Beautiful clear explanations, encouraged questions, wrote everything up on the whiteboard at the PERFECT speed (a rare talent!), put up WebCT handouts as well. The negatives: Cancelled the weekly tutorial in favour of making it a 3-hour lecture, so it's harder to ask for help if you're struggling. Also, did I mention the 3 hour lecture.
Interest: 5/10.
Overall: I dunno. Obviously a great course, but in hindsight, not the one for me.
***HPSC 3022 Science & Society (Pols)
Ease: 9/10. The 3 essays were only tangentially related to the lectures, but hey, no exams and lots of scope for creativity, it's all pretty good.
Lecturer: 9/10. Occasionally wandered off topic.
Interest: 9/10. Great stuff. Always entertaining. (You do NOT need the textbook, although you will definitely need the course reader for your essays.)
Overall: 9/10. Very enjoyable.
***HPSC 2100 The Birth of Modern Science (Gal)
Ease: 9/10. Assessment structure very complicated, but all OK, plus no final exam. Essays were based on primary sources and absolutely fascinating, plus no research required. Lectures absolutely fascinating also. The 4x quick multiple choice exams were diabolically difficult, but kinda fun as well - you didn't need to study too hard, just to think on your feet on the day.
Lecturer: 10/10 for the lecture content. 5/10 for repeatedly yelling at us and telling us we were the worst class he'd ever had, and then wondering why we stopped going to his lectures.
Interest: 9/10. Struggled a bit when it started dealing with the Laws of Motion - physics is not my thing.
Overall: 9/10. Very glad I took this subject, despite the lecturer badly needing a holiday.
***PHIL 2645 Philosophy of Law (Reid)
Ease: 7/10. 50% essay was pretty tough - present arguments relating to a Real Academic Article (choice out of 4). Positives: No research required. Negatives: Tricky, required a lot of analysis. 50% exam was fine, they gave us loads of hints about the questions.
Lecturer: 9/10. V enthusiastic, encouraged class discussion, but sometimes talked too fast and didn't record audio on WebCT.
Interest: 7/10. A lot of it was prettty abstract, I wouldn't say 'boring' but it was a bit tough to get through.
Overall: 8/10. I learned a LOT. I guess that's a good thing