Cambridge Chat (previously New Cambridge Students Entry 2004)

Willa

shuai what order of preference did you put for head of class report today!? i'm hoping i dont have to do optics, i didnt even finish the damn thing after me and my lab partners spent over an hour arguing with our dimwitted demonstrator about the first damn part and the ray diagrams...and in the end it took another demonstrator 2 minutes to give us an answer we felt happy with! GRRRRRRRR my first 3 of this term :frown:

maybe even a 2!!!

Hey, I did the optics write up, it's a piece of piss, did it on the evening before and morning before it was due in and beat my friends who'd spent most of easter doing theirs on a stupid other one. It's just a load of ray diagrams, it's piss!!

A.

Reply 14542

Perfect score? - must be pretty hard to get, surely? (as in to have 4s consistently) - lol it is out of 4 isn't it?

Hehe I can imagine you arguing with your demonstrator Willa.

Reply 14543

it wasnt hard to argue with her...all the other students on my desk were doing it to. I'm sorry but if there was a complaints system, I'd make one. She's sweet and everything and wants to help, but it's just not good enough that she doesnt know answers to questions that I ask her!

Reply 14544

Willa

it wasnt hard to argue with her...all the other students on my desk were doing it to. I'm sorry but if there was a complaints system, I'd make one. She's sweet and everything and wants to help, but it's just not good enough that she doesnt know answers to questions that I ask her!

Awww bless her! You guys probably asked loads of hard questions. Must be sorta intimidating working with Cambridge students come to think of it... a bunch of really intelligent people/genius all staring at you... :rolleyes:

Although yes it is annoying when teachers etc don't know how to teach :frown:

She must've really annoyed you guys if everyone on the desk were arguing with her LOL! What was wrong anyway?

I can actually picture you guys doing that... scary.

Reply 14545

Camford

12

Willa

it wasnt hard to argue with her...all the other students on my desk were doing it to. I'm sorry but if there was a complaints system, I'd make one. She's sweet and everything and wants to help, but it's just not good enough that she doesnt know answers to questions that I ask her!

Chill out man. Everyone falls short at some point.

Reply 14546

I really would be scared if I were studying at Cambridge... :p:

too intimidating. Still not stopping me wanting to go there but hey *shrug*

Reply 14547

Camford

Chill out man. Everyone falls short at some point.

yeah but she shouldnt fall short EVERY DAMN WEEK. The demonstrators are supposed to be physics graduates or something arent they!? well I just get the impression she isnt...and she's just "helping out" - she gets explained the theory behind the practical before we turn up but beyond that she doesnt seem to have a clue!

Reply 14548

Squishy

irisng

Perfect score? - must be pretty hard to get, surely? (as in to have 4s consistently) - lol it is out of 4 isn't it?

Hehe I can imagine you arguing with your demonstrator Willa.

Yeah, most people get 3/4 I think. I've enjoyed the experiments this year actually...well, it's easy to say that, knowing I only have two more left to do...ever. :biggrin:

Well one really, since Spreadsheet Physics for a CompSci doesn't count as much of an experiment.

Willa

yeah but she shouldnt fall short EVERY DAMN WEEK. The demonstrators are supposed to be physics graduates or something arent they!? well I just get the impression she isnt...and she's just "helping out" - she gets explained the theory behind the practical before we turn up but beyond that she doesnt seem to have a clue!

My demonstrator kept disappearing for sandwich or fag breaks during our sessions. And Rahul came to my optics practical because he missed his, and he took up all the demonstrator's time!

Reply 14549

Willa

it wasnt hard to argue with her...all the other students on my desk were doing it to. I'm sorry but if there was a complaints system, I'd make one. She's sweet and everything and wants to help, but it's just not good enough that she doesnt know answers to questions that I ask her!

That's what the head of class is there for, if you can't get a succinct immediate answer out of the demonstrator you go straight to the HoC.

A.

Reply 14550

Alaric

That's what the head of class is there for, if you can't get a succinct immediate answer out of the demonstrator you go straight to the HoC.

A.

well that's what has happened in the past few practicals: the HoC sees that she isnt giving me an answer I'm happy with, wonders over and answers my question.

But yesterday we had a different HoC....one i really didnt like tbh (he was a bit annoying and wouldnt let me finish my practical at 6pm!)...and he just sat at the front of the room and didnt help out at all!

I guess I made the mistake of trying to give my demonstrator a chance to redeem herself!

Reply 14551

well hopefully everyone wanting to do the optics one will mean i get my first choice from the other 2.....i just generally prefer electronics to optics!

Reply 14552

Willa

well that's what has happened in the past few practicals: the HoC sees that she isnt giving me an answer I'm happy with, wonders over and answers my question.

But yesterday we had a different HoC....one i really didnt like tbh (he was a bit annoying and wouldnt let me finish my practical at 6pm!)...and he just sat at the front of the room and didnt help out at all!

I guess I made the mistake of trying to give my demonstrator a chance to redeem herself!

Be more proactive, they don't know you want help unless you go and ask fgs! Just walk over to them and ask, you don't have to say the demonstrator is rubbish or anything, it's what they're there for!

A.

Reply 14553

Immortal Wombat

whoot! 1B field trip location: half an hour from my house.

Reply 14554

Camford

12

Immortal Wombat

whoot! 1B field trip location: half an hour from my house.

Wow! That's rather nice.

Reply 14555

crana9

2

i cant imagine they do trips to mansfield for...well... aything..

although we have like.. some parks n stuff..

Reply 14556

Willa

well hopefully everyone wanting to do the optics one will mean i get my first choice from the other 2.....i just generally prefer electronics to optics!

Electronics and optics both sound... fun? But then again I've never done any proper electronics or optics, given I don't even know the exact meaning of those titles!

Electronics just remind me of DT when I made a circuit... which doubtless is not what you're on about here lol!

And don't get so annoyed, not much you can do anyway, and surely a crappy demonstrator can't affect much? - seeing as you have your HoC there, whoever that is (although to my understanding someone else who could help!).

Teaching a bunch of Cambridge students must be so intimidating - sorry can't help but think that... too many geniuii (sp?) in one room :p:

Reply 14557

irisng

Electronics and optics both sound... fun? But then again I've never done any proper electronics or optics, given I don't even know the exact meaning of those titles!

Electronics just remind me of DT when I made a circuit... which doubtless is not what you're on about here lol!

And don't get so annoyed, not much you can do anyway, and surely a crappy demonstrator can't affect much? - seeing as you have your HoC there, whoever that is (although to my understanding someone else who could help!).

Teaching a bunch of Cambridge students must be so intimidating - sorry can't help but think that... too many geniuii (sp?) in one room :p:

Well you do make circuits, trivial ones compared to compsci practicals, so that was an easy one. It's more to do with analogue circuits and hi/low pass filtering iirc.

The HoC (Head of Class) is a proper academic of lecturer type standing who is supposed to actually know the material and the demonstrators are hapless phd students wanting a quick buck.

Cambridge students aren't intimidating, they're cute and cuddly and stuff, honest. No, seriously, you're probably right, but it also depends on their style. If a supervisor is really laid back and discusses lots I get on with them a lot better and don't argue as much, if they're too rigid or formal then I tend to be much more likely to shoot down what they're saying. It's just an attitude thing really, if they pedestool themselves like they're on some superior 'teacher' plane then they get harsher treatment imo.

A.

PS: it's genii

Reply 14558

Camford

12

Oh hell... I will never get drunk again. It's awful after you are all sobered up and trying to sleep and find yourself wide awake. Bah! Curse the alcohol.

Reply 14559

minimo