Who's Going To Uni?

[Zanetti]

Why don't we all just agree that most Glasgow Uni students are c***s and Strathy students are people who wish they were Glasgow Uni c***s.

I got 2 unconditionals for Glasgow but chose Strathclyde because it took less time in the morning to get to from my house.

True story.

[Ad Lib]

The course has probably changed a bit but any recommendations on studying for the comparative politics 1B exam - don't even know where the hell to start with it

They still doing the triad of Germany, Russia and China? Just make sure you have an argument and focus on the differences between them. Talk as much as possible about transition with Russia. The lectures were reasonably satisfactory for 1B so stick to the reading list and you'll be fine.

[xbl]

I'm currently editing a thesis for a student, and I've just caught myself writing "be very specific" in response to an unsupported statement. Damn you P&B.

[vikingTON]

Indeed I looked at the profile views by accident.

My point is now invalid because you don't have under 26,000 posts, it's nearly 47,000. Oh.

The fact that your point was based on post count means it was automatically invalid.

Gutted for you.

[Ad Lib]

I'm currently editing a thesis for a student, and I've just caught myself writing "be very specific" in response to an unsupported statement. Damn you P&B.

^^^

verge of tears

Has become a stock reference of mine.

Also, word to the wise: "evidence please" makes people think you're more of a dick if you use it in person than on the internet. Who knew?

[vikingTON]

Well, no, quite. If I were taking a class and someone was doing all the talking for a group I'd be inclined to start picking on others and getting them to speak up, but maybe that's just common sense.

It shouldn't be the job of a tutor to 'pick' on unresponsive members of the group, which is likely to raise its own problems. So long as the tutorial allocates marks according to contribution, those who do so will earn the reward, while those who don't, will not.

And as you said, contributing will be noted as a good sign by the staff.

[xbl]

It shouldn't be the job of a tutor to 'pick' on unresponsive members of the group, which is likely to raise its own problems. So long as the tutorial allocates marks according to contribution, those who do so will earn the reward, while those who don't, will not.

And as you said, contributing will be noted as a good sign by the staff.

I dunno, I can see that argument, but if you don't 'encourage' them to take part, then they aren't going to learn anything, and they aren't going to improve.

[vikingTON]

They're supposed to be adults. Besides, there are always those who don't feel comfortable contributing but actually know the material well. They shouldn't be hammered for it.

[JamboMikey]

My tutorials are usually quite good in that everyone usually gets assigned an item off the reading list and then the tutorials are structured so that everyone's perspective from the different reading's get brought in as it goes along.

Nothing worse than the awkward silence when someone's blatantly not done any reading though.

[Ad Lib]

I dunno, I can see that argument, but if you don't 'encourage' them to take part, then they aren't going to learn anything, and they aren't going to improve.

Worth pointing out as well that a lot of courses don't have a seminar contribution/participation grade. In my 4 years of Law, only one course had a seminar participation grade, and it was worth 10%. It had literally no effect on anyone's grade band unless it was something like 5 or 6 grade bands out from the average of the rest of their stuff. In Politics, we had a participation grade for first and second year (again 10%, again totally inconsequential unless it was ridiculously good and you were sitting on a grade boundary).

Unsurprisingly, I am one of the few active participants in the seminars for both of my subjects. At times it gets reduced to a dialogue between me and the tutor, simply because no one else volunteers information. I hate the 20 second silence, especially when I know that other people in the room know the answer. I sometimes deliberately don't contribute to force others to volunteer an answer. It's painful.

Tutors should do what they can to illicit answers from quieter people in groups. There are typically two types of people who participate eagerly: those who actually know their stuff and those who bullshit. Everyone else, annoyingly, is mute. That completely defeats the point of seminars, which is to discuss ideas and test them against other people's understandings of the same material.

[xbl]

They're supposed to be adults. Besides, there are always those who don't feel comfortable contributing but actually know the material well. They shouldn't be hammered for it.

Yeah, and you can treat them as adults while doing this. Its no different to divvying out tasks in the workplace. The point of university education is to learn and develop. If you know the material but don't feel comfortable contributing, then you have to draw it out of them and show them that it isn't so bad. You don't have to "hammer" them for this, but you do need to get them out of their comfort zone.

[Supras]

In my experience, the people who are more likely to contribute are European students.

The overwhelming majority of Scottish students have a weird phobia of it. Almost as much as the Chinese students who steadfastly refuse to say anything.

I haven't had tutorials in years, but I used to contribute. I'm pretty sure I was in the "bullshitter" category but it was only politics so nobody noticed.

[xbl]

Unsurprisingly, I am one of the few active participants in the seminars for both of my subjects. At times it gets reduced to a dialogue between me and the tutor, simply because no one else volunteers information. I hate the 20 second silence, especially when I know that other people in the room know the answer. I sometimes deliberately don't contribute to force others to volunteer an answer. It's painful.

Tutors should do what they can to illicit answers from quieter people in groups. There are typically two types of people who participate eagerly: those who actually know their stuff and those who bullshit. Everyone else, annoyingly, is mute. That completely defeats the point of seminars, which is to discuss ideas and test them against other people's understandings of the same material.

Elicit, surely?

But seriously, I adjust my style depending on the class, but I tend to run quite relaxed classes (in some ways) so that people don't feel quite so unwilling to contribute. That tends to help things, as well as letting people answer what they can, and able to say that they don't know something. Of course, the flip side is that I expect people to have done at least a minimum of work in advance.

Edited to add, Supras, the expression you're looking for is "Scotch cringe".

Edited March 27, 2013 by xbl

[loserkidd89]

I got an unsuccessful for Adult Nursing from Glasgow Caledonian University today. Saying I lack experience though so do the majority of my class and most of them got in.

[Supras]

Scottish people fucking suck. I wouldn't be surprised if their drop out rate was higher too, their attendances at lectures is noticeably poor.

[Spiders For Life]

I'm in Aberdeen doing Economics and Real Estate...the Real Estate department is top drawer but Economics...a mixed bag to say the least!

Love Aberdeen Uni but its a catch-22 as its obviously the last place you want to spend your time but coincidentally its the nicest place in Aberdeen by a landslide so you have no choice!

Never applied to Glasgow...still don't know why! Glasgow would have been a shout. I met the Strathclyde economics lecturer (the irish dude?) when I visited and he seemed top-bin...still never swayed me in that direction though!

Colin Jennings that'll be. Very good lecturer. I can only think of a couple of lecturers I've had which I've actually disliked within the department now that I think about it.

[Ad Lib]

Elicit, surely? :PBut seriously, I adjust my style depending on the class, but I tend to run quite relaxed classes (in some ways) so that people don't feel quite so unwilling to contribute. That tends to help things, as well as letting people answer what they can, and able to say that they don't know something. Of course, the flip side is that I expect people to have done at least a minimum of work in advance.Edited to add, Supras, the expression you're looking for is "Scotch cringe".

I dunno. They seem to think it's a crime to speak...

I find it is particularly bad in law classes. These people have almost ALWAYS done the reading, and I can see the answer in their notes. But they won't speak. And when the tutor gets visibly annoyed that no one has answered even his opening question of the tutorial like "so what's the context of case x?" that they're just not trying.

[Guest]

Scottish people fucking suck. I wouldn't be surprised if their drop out rate was higher too, their attendances at lectures is noticeably poor.

People who use the phrase suck, well, suck. They're the same type of weirdo's who say things like lame.

Edited March 27, 2013 by Guest

[xbl]

Scottish people fucking suck. I wouldn't be surprised if their drop out rate was higher too, their attendances at lectures is noticeably poor.

I dunno. They seem to think it's a crime to speak...

I find it is particularly bad in law classes. These people have almost ALWAYS done the reading, and I can see the answer in their notes. But they won't speak. And when the tutor gets visibly annoyed that no one has answered even his opening question of the tutorial like "so what's the context of case x?" that they're just not trying.

Scotch students then? Supras is right, they're aye the worst. In my experience, scathing banter with the right students seems to get a positive response. Only with the right students though. Its a surgical job.

[Supras]

People who use the phrase suck, well, suck. They're the same type of weirdo's who say things like lame.

You suck and blow at the same time.