Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Course Instructors

Course instructors. I use this term in this post because whoever is teaching the course will not always hold a Ph.D (a.k.a. be Doctor such and such of whatever subject). Your instructor could be a grad student who is a candidate for either the Ph.D or a masters degree and in the case of some language courses your instructor could be someone who has completed a undergraduate course or obtained a certificate that allows them to teach whatever language.

Instructors come various ages and backgrounds. I personally find that the older the instructor the more likely their teaching methods are similar to what mom and dad might have experienced at our ages and still use chalk/the white board while teaching. That's not the case for all old geezer instructors as I have seen them using PowerPoint as well newer teaching methods. I can't really vouch for that as personally one of my parents went to university in another country and the other parent went to a different, Canadian university back in the 70's.

New instructors depending on how long they've been teaching vary in their styles as I think that they're still exploring how to connect with the students. You might get someone who constantly reads off his or her notes to someone who makes frequent eye contact. Since these guys are new try not to give them a hard time and this is where I find those instructor feedback forms coming in handy. That way if they actually use the advice off of them it can help in improving their teaching skills.

Universities hire instructors from everywhere. If there's life on other planets my guess is that they would do the same to extraterrestrials too. Your instructor may speak English as their first language but at the same time carry an accent just as those who speak English as their second, third, fourth fifth, etc. language. Yes sometimes their accents can be funny at times but out of respect try not to make fun of it. If you have a hard time trying to understand what the instructor is saying don't be afraid to ask to repeat something.

The same applies to T.A,'s or teaching assistants though the majority of T.A.'s are grad students. T.A.'s are there usually running the tutorial classes, assisting you in labs (though some senior undergrads can do this too) and marking your assignments. So if you ever get something marked wrong on an assignment it's not always the instructor's fault but hey, they're still human.

Not sure what else I can say about instructors. It's really a hit or miss in terms of getting an instructor that's really enjoyable (unless you read stuff off of ratemyprofessors.com). I should also mention some instructors are visiting instructors from other universities. They're there either to temporary fill in a position when the regular instructor is away on something (sabbatical or doing a research position at another university) or are looking to apply for a position at your university. These ones may not turn up on the site so unless you know someone who had the instructor before it's a hit or miss.

Your instructors are usually experts in their field may have written your course's textbook.

Other than that if there's anything that I've missed or something you want to say, be my guest.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Instructor feedback and the final exam

Last week of classes brings about two things:

• Exams are coming up
• Instructor feedback forms

The instructor feedback forms (called CEQ's at my university which stands for Course Evaluation Questionnaire) are meant to be use to gather information on how the course you are taking is being taught. From these things the instructor can either change the way the course is taught (like changing the textbook which changes how the course will be taught in the future) or continue on teaching the way he or she has been for the past who knows how many years (I will be saying something on instructors in my next post related to this series).

Be careful what you write on these forms. The instructor may recognize your handwriting so if you have something negative to say about the teacher do not write it down and keep it to yourself. As for funny comments . . . I guess I could leave it up to you but I suggest that you keep your comments to the point or don't comment at all and just rate the course.

Just for fun some students at a university in Singapore wrote comments for some instructor. I'm not sure if any other instructor does this:


Now for the final exam. Not all courses have final exams but out of all the first year courses I've been through there is a final exam. I could say the final exam is like the midterm where you might have a closed book, take home or an essay. Depending on what courses you take there might be other components that are set before the exam period like interviews or dictations for language related courses, but there are some things that make the final exam different than a midterm:

• the final lasts between 2 to 3 hours whereas the midterm is completed during class time
• the final is scheduled some time between the exam period so you might have to write it either on a Saturday morning or a Wednesday evening whereas the midterm is usually completed on a day where you normally have a lecture
• the final covers the major things you have learned over the semester whereas the midterm only covers thing learned up to that point
• finals tend to be worth more than midterms, it could even be worth the whole course if no midterm was ever given in the first place
• the final may or may not be held in a classroom. Most first year finals I've encountered are usually held in some large auditorium or gymnasium while the higher level courses are usually held in classrooms. You will most likely be in a classroom if your class is the only class that is there or if the combined number of people from more than 1 section is small. Also if your class had lectures in a lecture hall it will most likely not be in a classroom.

Like high school you pretty much show up to campus when you have an exam. There will also be other reasons you may show up on campus such as you're still working on that essay that counts for your final mark or you want to get away from some distractions and study at the library. Also you want to keep note of when your exam takes place and where it's located because the exam proctor may or may not be your course instructor and may not be lenient in giving you extra time. If for some reason you cannot make your exam on the scheduled date and time consult the instructor and university regulations as there you can get information on deferring an exam.

Just because the final is worth a lot and can be the make it or break it to passing your course, try not to worry too much. It's okay to feel nervous but just don't let fear take control of you (in the famous words of the bene gesserit: fear is the mind-killer). Same as the midterm don't overexert yourself with studying and do take breaks in between. Try to get enough sleep and eat something too as you don't want your mind to be thinking about sleep or what you want for lunch.

Hopefully this has been of some help. Good Luck! Bonne Chance! Ни Пуха Ни Пера!

Note: I've only seen the Dune movies and may have played some old DOS game so my Dune knowledge is quite limited.

Advice for the young grasshopper attending first year university -- the midterm

About now-ish as this is published midterm tests/exams/whatever you want to call them are going on. A semester lasts between 14-16 weeks and around week 7 or 8 the midterm usually pops up. Depending on your course you may not have a midterm or may have one that hasn't come up yet as some courses may like to have 2 tests and have one each month or you only have 1 test and that comes up in November. Whatever the case is here's some advice.

Have you been keeping on top of things? That is you do set aside some time to read whatever notes you have or make your own from the textbook? The midterm usually covers whatever has been covered in class or whatever your instructor says it covers. This is why you shouldn't skip out on classes as there could be valuable information given out. If you tend to skip classes be sure to have someone reliable who can take notes or tell you what you've been missing. Also you don't want to put off they studying till the last minute unless you somehow can remember things in the past 12 hours.

• Don't overexert yourself

Take a break from studying once in a while. Stretch those legs, have a snack, walk the dog, but don't take too long of a break. Time flies when your having fun so if you decide to take a 1 hour break don't make it a 2 or 3 hour break. Also have plenty of rest the night before. If your midterm is in the morning you wouldn't want to feel exhausted from the night before or sleep past your alarm to end up missing writing the midterm. Even if your midterm is not in the morning you'll probably feel tired the whole day. You might want to have some sort of breakfast that's not just coffee in the morning or some sort of lunch at noon time. Writing on an empty stomach will make you think about food unless somehow you can do things on an empty stomach or depending on how the calendar works you're fasting for religious reasons (yet something is still eaten beforehand) or medical if some sort of appointment comes up after your test.

• YOU CANNOT AND MUST NOT SKIP OUT ON A MIDTERM

The only way you can get out of it is if someone in your family dies and have to be there for the funeral or have a medical reason with a doctor's note. Your university should have something outlined along the lines of "if the student misses a test without a valid reason for missing it the student will receive a mark of zero" so if you really care about passing then you cannot miss out on a midterm.

The kinds of midterms you may encounter are as follows:

• closed book 
• open book
• take home
• essay
• online
• interview (a component for a second language course)

Closed book is pretty straightforward: no textbooks or notebooks present. Open book and take home can be the same as you're allowed to look at the textbook or your notes but with the take home you're not sitting in a classroom and your test period lasts 3-7 days. The essay you'll most likely encounter in English where you have to write and essay based on some topics based on whatever material is covered in class. Some other courses may offer the essay exam too but again it's pretty straightforward. Online is also like the take home that you're not in a classroom with other people but the time window for taking this midterm is much shorter so if the midterm lasts from 9am to 9pm on a Saturday and only takes about 2 hours to complete you can complete the midterm anytime during that period (I haven't had any midterms online, this is just from what I hear). The interview is usually part of a language course. Pretty much you're either reading some sort of site passage or answering some questions.

That's all I have to say for now. Any questions, comments, feel free to leave them below.

Good Luck!

Just because it's a first year course doesn't mean it's going to be easy

It's been over a week since I started my fourth year so I'm somewhat settled in now. So one of the courses I'm taking this semester is a first year level history course (courses at my university are usually listed as 1XXX, 2XXX, etc.). The reason I need one is because in order for me to get my BA degree I need some electives in research/writing and a humanities type course. With the rest of my courses being third year level I'm hoping this would be one of the easiest but I'm no so sure on that.

The majority of people taking first year level courses are either fresh out of high school or fresh out of their long break out taking the year off before starting post-secondary education. Then you have people like me who have been in university for some time (at least a year or two) who need some sort of elective or finally have the time to take the course because the other needed courses got in the way. There are also some grad students and adults way into their late 40's and early 50's there two depending on what class you take.

There are three types of first year courses: the first one is no experience required, the second one is hoping that you've done related courses in high school but still okay if you didn't do them, and the third one is you needed to have done theses courses or else you're screwed.

Type one I would put in there the foreign language courses. If someone has taken it in high school before hand it may pose as an advantage but the majority of people taking the course either need it for a language other than English requirement or majoring in it so there shouldn't be anything too hard. Depending on what language you take you will already know some words as they are loaned or mean the same in English (for example кот in Russian means cat, компьютер is computer) or borrowed from the language itself (like apparatchik, vodka). I'm not sure if psychology, sociology, anthropology and archaeology would fit in there two as I haven't taken those courses. Religious studies would go in here too.

Type two would be anything that requires you to write an essay and some science courses. There are science courses that are designed for those who couldn't get into the advanced level first year courses (which are usually required if you're going into the heavy stuff like engineering or physics or chemistry) and for those that need a science credit. Something like history if you have taken it in high school would be very helpful as you can understand what's going on otherwise you have some serious catching up to do.

Type three would be math, sciences, computer programming and music. Though there may be some music courses that don't require you to know anything about music it goes in this category as majors are most likely doing a degree in vocals or an instrument. Math like calculus would require that you've taken a course in it before in high school or a prerequisite university course. I think there usually is a math course specific for those who don't need calculus or some form of advanced trigonometry.  Science courses like chemistry and physics if they are the advanced first year level ones.

So anyways I mentioned that one of the courses I'm taking this semester is a first year history. It's been almost 4 years since I did a history course. Though not much has been going on except for being slapped with an essay due in 2 months I'm starting to think that this course will not be as easy as it looks. Advice/lesson learned from this:

• Try completing your electives not related to your course early or find an elective that fits the categories you need but hopefully it doesn't require knowledge you gave up 4 years ago.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Adjusting to campus life (and a little blurb on textbooks)

Roommates
Student Residences
Making Connections

One thing I like about university is how some days you don't have to get up early. This is of course depending on what one's schedule is like. Also depending on what type of degree you're heading off for you may have all your classes in one day to having one day free with no classes. You may have classes all morning but have some sort of 1.5 to 3 hour lecture at 7pm. Whatever your schedule is like one thing less to worry is being sent to detention for arriving late or skipping lectures and you don't need permission to leave the room while someone is talking. But still . . .

• Be respectful to both the instructor and the other students.

Even though you may be bored with the lecture and start talking to your buddy the lecturer has the right to kick you out of the room for being disruptive. Also if you do decide to leave early or come in late do it discreetly as some in the room may be bothered the constant opening and closing of the door. A course may count participation as part of the course so whether you ask a lot of questions in class or sit quietly in the corner showing up for class may count towards that.

Although attendance is not necessarily taken every day there are certain days which you CANNOT and MUST NOT miss UNLESS YOU ARE ILL OR HAVE A DEATH IN THE FAMILY:

• Labs
• Midterms, quizzes and tests
• Giving a presentation

A doctor's note or a death certificate will excuse you from these things. Not sure if any other university has this policy but missing/skipping out on labs could mean failing the lab portion of a course. Sometimes when a lab isn't scheduled it may become a help session for assignments. If these sessions don't count for grades it's up to you to attend them or not but at least here people from the help centre will cater specifically to your course whereas at the help centre they cater to all levels.

Speaking of help centres these places are useful when you're stuck on a problem or need help understanding something like why the derivative of x^5 is 5x^4 (it's been a while since I touched calculus and probably would not touch it with a 10 foot pole (Edit January 2012: A semantics course I took during the Winter 2011 semester involved something called lambda calculus. My 10 foot pole must've been too short. Mind you this is a 3rd year level linguistics course and not a beginner calculus course.)). Having trouble with <insert language here>? Unless your friend speaks that language and is willing to help go to a help centre! Some language courses have conversation classes which are free (and may be counting towards your grade just for attending them). Help centres may also have books that the library may not have. I don't think first year labs require too much research for the questions but if they do the help centre is one place to go. Help centres don't run 24/7 so instead of heading off for a 4-hour nap use those breaks between classes to try to visit the help centres.

Some courses require books. Some books you can get after the first class like a textbook but some books, like lab manuals, you need before the first class or lab session. Now some instructors on the first day jump right into the textbook so if you're the type who wants to keep up on things you can buy the book. Some teachers say that the book is optional so if you really feel the need to get the textbook then get it, otherwise save your money.

Textbook are expensive brand new. Unlike secondary school (I am assuming it's the same for all secondary school otherwise tell me) the books are provided for you as they are paid for by the school and the only time you have to pay for the text is if the book is lost or damaged. So if you are strapped for cash:

• Share of borrow from a friend or sibling
• Buy it used

With the first option if you have a relative that has taken the course or is taking the same course at the same you can share and probably won't cost you a thing. Your friend may or may not charge you but that too is an option but if your friend lives in another part of town or in a different dorm room you may end up getting any work done that involves the book. The library may also carry a copy of the book (even older editions) but there is the lending period to consider and the number of copies available so your best bet is to have your own copy.

If you're someone who is concerned about the environment getting a used book is one of those benefits. The drawback to getting a used book is either one of two things:

• The book came out with a new edition in which all older editions are deemed useless
• The department decided to change the textbook this year and are basing the course on said textbook

Sometimes instructors may allow you to use an older edition or the old book but double check with them first. When buying used you can either go to a used book store (whether it's the one on campus or around the city) or from other students. The difference is that buy from other students you're not paying any tax (unless the person you're buying from decides to but I haven't encountered anyone who does that) but usually cash only.

That's all I have to say now that you should be fully integrated into campus life. Anything missing just mention it.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- making connections

Roommates
Dorm Life
Campus Life and textbooks

Out of my friends whom I haven't seen in ages I was one of the few that moved out of my hometown to go to university. Even though my hometown has 2 universities and a bunch of colleges the advantage I find for those remaining there is you at least know someone whether you're taking the same courses or not. Going away to another city or country can have an advantage if you have relatives or a friend or two there. Other than that you're pretty much starting at square one. Whether or not you're a stranger or someone who is known to a lot of people connect with others.

One place to start is within your own residence. Attend a bunch of activities planned by the house or your housemates and who knows you might make a friend or two. Not everyone you meet will be a social butterfly or hang out with the housemates. Also you can't stay in your room all the time and spend all your time studying. So if the people in your residence are not the type of people you hang out with then get out there!

There are sports teams you can try out but if you don't make it or it's not your thing attend one of those clubs and society fairs. It might be paired up as part of the orientation events or have its own day. Here you can find clubs and activities that may interest you. Every campus usually has some sort of religious society, student versions of groups like Amnesty International and Oxfam, geekdom, watching films, and many more. It was during one of these fairs I discovered fencing. I knew the sport existed but had no knowledge of places where these things could be done and through a clubs and societies fair I was introduced to it. So even if you are a beginner at some sort of activity or never had any experience join up. Who knows, you may find something you like and even meet someone who has connections. If none of the clubs and societies interest you, try to make your own or contribute to finding one.

Then there are the societies formed by the various departments on campus. Let's say you're studying chemistry you can probably join up and learn from others taking the same courses or who have been through the same situations as you and may give you help or advice as you go through your studies. Again if you can't find a society that suits you try to make one or help in the creation of one.

Maybe your interests lie off campus. If you have the means (and the funds) to get there and the time, go for it. Take caution though if you are in unfamiliar territory. Even if you are adventurous play it safe. Other than that look at the message boards around campus and who know, you might find something that interests you or whatever it is that you usually do back home.

Don't really have anything more to say on this topic. Not sure who reads these things but if someone happens upon this and wishes to leave a comment, feel free to do so.

Next up: Campus life and comparing it to high school.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Dorm Life

Introduction and Roommates
Connecting with others
Campus life and textbooks 

Every University should have on-campus student residences. Some may choose to live off-campus or have someone they know living in the city providing a room for them, others, like me, chose to live in the student residences. The university I attend has two different types of student residences: dormitory and apartment. I'll mention those when I go through some things. Some student residences have single gendered housing while some are co-ed but all usually participate in the same activities.

Each student residence has proctors and resident assistants (R.A.'s). Proctors are like the landlord/landlady of the residence. The only time I've ever seen the proctor for proctor related business was for room arrangements (whether I was getting a new roommate or have to change rooms or whether I was returning to the residence next year) or if I was having some problems with a roommate or people on the floor. R.A. are just like their title says, they're there to assist you. Both share the same roles in a way. Houses have certain hours when you can blast your stereo and make sorts of loud noises but once quiet hours settle in they are wandering the halls warning you or slapping a fine that you have to pay. Other than providing a sense of security they sometimes organize various activities.

Each residence has an academic don (A.D.) or some sort of advisor that deals with academic stuff. Say you're failing your courses or need to know something like dropping out of a course the A.D. is one to turn to when the campus offices are closed. The A.D. also organizes some various activities as well.

The various activities organized can range from trips to a museum, bowling, bingo and trivia, pub crawls, scavenger hunts, some sort of party to some sort of movie night. Not all of the activities mentioned are organized by the house staff but also other people living in the house too. This is one way you can meet the others in your house as well at the same time score some free food.

• If you are planning to return to the same residence next year participate in some of these activities

Some residences not only require that you have a certain grade point average (GPA) to remain but also how much you are involved in school/residence life. Usually the dry events, the ones that don't include alcohol, count towards your involvement.

Another thing to add to that involvement is intramural sports. The sports I have encountered are soccer, basketball, t-ball/baseball, volleyball, Ultimate Frisbees, badminton, water polo, hockey, road race/some running activity and bowling. Depending on how many people sign up your house might have either a single gendered team or a co-ed team.

• You don't have to be good at any of these sports in order to participate

I am not very athletic and I wasn't into sports when I was a kid but if you do sign up for, let's say soccer, but aren't very good at it or haven't played before you will be placed in a team of people with the same experience. Eventually you will have to play against the more experienced teams but whether or not you win the games at least you will be scoring points for your house. If you can't play due to injury or not really interested in playing sports you can show up for support and that may count towards participation points. Want to join in on the action but not sure if it fits into your schedule? You can be a back-up team player so if someone decides to go home on the weekend his or her team is playing a game you know what to do, or someone can find you.

Now that you're all sweaty from playing a game it's time to hit the showers. Living in the apartment style residence it's usually one bathroom per 2-4 people living there while in the dorms if the one on your floor is full or broken you can go to another floor. Some may have the stalls, some may have the one attached to a bathtub, and some may have both. Whether you use the stalls or the bathtub:

• Wear some foot protection
• Don't leave anything behind

Who knows when was the last time the floors have been cleaned and sometimes you might encounter sharp objects, people might have spat in there, gum, and probably some gross unmentionables.

The last thing I'll mention is initiation. Usually this is planned by the senior students as they have (unless someone went home for the weekend) gone through it. I'm not going to say what exactly happens but it can involve some silly crazy things, but nothing too defiling but if it something that makes you feel uncomfortable or for some medical reason can't do whatever activity it is they'll probably won't let you do it or find some sort of alternative. At the end you get a "Congratulations! You are now a member of <insert house name here>"

That's all for now. Next up: clubs, societies and meeting people.

Advice for the young grasshopper starting university -- Intro & Roommates

So starting in September it will be my fourth year attending university. Four years is what it takes to obtain a degree? Not for everyone and not for me.

University may be a big step for some. I have seen people drop out halfway through the first year because they feel unprepared or it's not right for them. Another reason may be that they're not fitting in. Later on they either resurface whether it is the same university they attended or switch to another university, even take things down a notch by going to college, or eventually they found a job somewhere and are on the road to becoming a manager of something of that sort. Others are okay with the transition and still continue with everyday life.

Whether people read this or not here will be some advice from my experiences dealing with:

1. Roommates
2. Dorm Life
3. Connecting with others
4. Campus stuff (includes info on textbooks)
5. Mid-Terms and Exams

Everyone experiences university or the college life differently. For me I chose to attend a university that is not in my hometown so this will be based on one who traveled to another part of the country to get an education. I guess I can put it halfway between the experience of someone who has stayed in their hometown as I haven't left the country and an international student as I have sort of entered a strange new world.

I haven't watched a lot of TV shows or movies that revolve around the university lifestyle but as you know a lot of things on TV are exaggerations of real life, except for Harry Potter which I can make a comparison to in terms of the houses. Though there is no magic involved the houses on campus compete in intramural sports and various activities that win the house either free pizza or money that goes towards purchasing furniture for the TV room. The dining hall even has separate tables for the houses.

So if you chose the path of living in the on-campus residences, chances are you're stuck in one room with another boy or girl who is around the same age as you are, or you may have your own little room and have to share a bathroom. In this days and age of e-mail and Facebook you can get to know your future roommate(s) or you can wait until you meet for the first time. Will you get along the first time? It's hit and miss. Some advice:

• If you have a sick roommate who is non-stop coughing, understand that they're just as annoyed as you, possibly even more because he/she has the bug.

From personal experience, at the start my first year I had a really bad cold. I was given penicillin before I started my first year and that wasn't working. I eventually got better meds and still I was coughing but getting better. The coughing was not only keeping me awake but my roommate too. She complained the whole time I was sick and every time I coughed violently she would think I was getting sick. My advice to you is to wait it out and sooner or later (provided that the meds are working) you may get some peace and quiet.

• If possible, take your phone calls elsewhere

This mostly applies to the roommate that communicates by cell phone, and possibly webcam. If your buddy says to take it outside, then take it outside. Unless your roommate's family is halfway around the world, if you have to talk to someone at 2 in the morning and your roommate wants to get some sleep take your phone call out of the room. Speaking of activity at 2 in the morning . . .

• Earphones are your best friends

Even if you and your roommate(s) like it loud you may want some quiet time. If you want to listen to music or watch a movie on the laptop at 2 in the morning while your roommate wants some shut-eye just plug in some earphones, whether they're from your mp3 player or the cheap ones from the airplane. If for some reason your earphone jack is busted, you can always go for the USB headsets. They may cost more but at least you can live it loud while the others around you can get some sleep.

• Do your share of cleaning the room.

You may have requested the roommate that doesn't really care about cleanliness and ended up with one that does, do your share of sweeping the floor every . . . well often. Maybe then your roommate(s) won't complain that they're always doing the work.

• Make sure that your roommate(s) are okay with you bringing in people and certain items

You may not be sexually active but if you feel uncomfortable with your roommate bringing in someone, tell him or her that you feel uncomfortable. Chances are they probably won't be screwing each other while you're in the room but if it gets too far and the roommate goes "it's my room too you know", take it to the proctor, saying that you have problems with your roommate. Same goes with bringing in items that you may not want in the room.

• Respect your roommate(s)' religious views and cultural stuff

Disclosing your religious beliefs can help you match up with someone who has the same religious beliefs. Again with the cleanliness point there could be the chance that you may be matched up with someone who may hold different beliefs. Also if you're with someone from another part of the world, whether English is their first or second (maybe even third) don't disrespect them. So what if they're different than you, you can probably learn a lot of what you don't know from them, just don't shove your beliefs down their throats.


My third and most recent year I moved to the apartment style residences where instead of having 2 people in 1 room it is 4 individual rooms in 1 room sharing bathroom and kitchen. All 4 of us got along well and I am looking forward to seeing 2 of them and a new roommate this coming September.

Next up: What's it like in a dorm