Test? Test… TEST!

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If you can’t tell by the title. I had a test this week. 😭 I had one last week too, but let’s just say they ended … very differently… 😭 But, more about that later. I’m going to take a stab in the dark here and assume that you, like me last year, have no idea how UoA’s testing system works? So maybe a little background first.

Now before I start, I want to tell you guys that every class is different, very different, to each other in the ways they test you. From a single end of semester exam to having a gazillion little tasks that all count toward your grade, it really depends on your class and your lecturer/course coordinator.

For me personally, my classes lie closer to the gazillion little tasks end of the spectrum, and not going to lie there is a fair bit of pressure because EVERYTHING counts for marks, whether it be 1% or 8% of your final grade. 😱
I guess it’s kind of like NCEA internals, but on steroids, because often NCEA internals were essays, and even if they were tests you had ample time to prepare for them. However, at university, these ‘internals’ often come in the form of weekly quizzes (some with a time limit too!) so you actually have to know your stuff (shocking!)

The best way to explain this would be to show you so:

ENGGEN 140: Engineering Biology and Chemistry

• Weekly feedback quizzes: Online three question multi choice quiz on last week’s topic. Not as easy as it sounds. 😢
• Research Skills Resource: A big part of ENGGEN140 is report writing. The research skills quiz tests you on the proper way/format to write.
• Assignment: Report on one of 3 given topics using proper report format. Something I need to start working on soon 😅
• SUPER TIP: Engineers in the industry spend MOST of their time writing, so if you’re thinking of taking engineering so you don’t have to write… guess what? XD
• Mid semester test and exam: Self-explanatory.

 

ENGGEN115: Principles of Engineering Design

• Assignment: Online multi choice quiz about CAD: Autodesk inventor, how to use it and basic functions.
• Homework 1&2: Follow instructions to make objects and parts and assembly drawings in Autodesk Inventor.
• Design Project 1&2&3: I’m doing DP1 right now and it is using Autodesk Inventor to make LEGO accessories. Fun stuff! 👌 Not up to 2,3 yet but group work and truss building involved.
• Test and Exam: Self explanatory. Involves drawing/graphics.

 

 

ENGGEN150: Advanced Mechanics and Mathematical Modelling (Combination of ENGGEN121 AND ENGSCI111 for conjoint students):

• ENGSCI111 Weekly Quizzes: Worksheet on each topic that you complete in your own time and answer questions about it online. I actually find these quite useful as it forces me to review thoroughly.
• (Non-conjoint students have to do peer review for ENGGEN121 completing a tutorial worksheet each week, marks for participation and peer marking)
• ENGGEN 121 Tests: Statics and Dynamics are part of ENGGEN121. Statics corresponds to Civil Engineering and Dynamics to Mechanical, semester split into two parts and have tests after each.
• ENGSCI111 Tests: Single topic split into two course books. Tested after each set.
• Exam: Combined exam for all learnt topics.

 

INFOSYS110: Business Systems.

• Learning Journals: Answer questions about your progress and self evaluation. Assess your classmates’ journals.
• Practical: Excel 2016: Test and training modules on how to use Excel.
• Excel projects: Use your excel knowledge to follow instructions and modify/analyse spreadsheets.
• Practical: Code avengers. Going on Code Avengers program learning the basics of programming.
• Tutorials: Quizzes every week on class content during tutorial times.
• Project: Group project (not too sure on details yet)
• Test and exam: Self-explanatory.
• Bonus marks: Because instructors are creative (and slightly cheeky) give rewards for class participation. Gave out free textbooks on the first day to people who put their hands up fastest?!? 😮🙋
• This is an example of a course that has a lot of little things to do and you really have to manage your time well to cram all this in.

 

Hopefully that cleared things up and you have a better idea of what to expect? Engineering is quite a quantitative subject and I reckon it involves quite a lot of doing and applying what you have learnt instead of memorizing like many other degrees. *cough biomed* jk I love biomed, but engineering more 😉 So the weekly quizzes, even though sometimes they can be rather annoying, are there for us to see whether we are on track. Personally, I quite like the format of the ENGSCI111 quizzes in the form of worksheets, as it forces me to actually review thoroughly, instead of yoloing the multi-choice quizzes (…um not that I actually do that that of course…🤔)

So yeah! That’s it guys. Pretty long. Pretty boring. But hey. Pretty useful hopefully? No time to rant about my test today, so maybe I’ll save that for next time. Thinking of alternating between serious blogs with useful stuff and then onto more entertaining (hopefully?) blogs next time so that you guys will still read my stuff *sweats*.

Oh, by the way, did you guys enjoy my video up there? I’m not going to lie I’m pretty proud of it haha! It’s a way of me showing you some of the cool (or not so cool) stuff I got up to without you guys having to see my cringeworthy self rant into the camera! I really enjoyed making it, except for the times I looked like a total tourist but psh 🤷✌️, so I think I’ll include one at the start of every blog! One second is a bit short so maybe I’ll try make it a bit longer next time 😊

Until we meet again~

Cecilia