HSFY 2019

[jaejoong]

Yep, and lecturers will be limited to a certain number of lecture slides per lecture (I think it's 26 slides...). There will be massive changes; the only disadvantage for you guys is that your tutors aren't really going to know what you've been taught because it'll have changed from their health sci year.

do you know if they are just cutting down some of the content instead of replacing the content with new stuff? (ofc with the exception of HUBS as it is having changes to its content).. lecture slide restrictions will probably be a bother to the lecturers though :/

 

[academedical]

do you know if they are just cutting down some of the content instead of replacing the content with new stuff? (ofc with the exception of HUBS as it is having changes to its content).. lecture slide restrictions will probably be a bother to the lecturers though :/

It's hard to tell; the idea of all the changes is that they'll be cutting down the amount of content but there's a risk that the lecturers will simply cram more into each slide. Honestly cutting down the content will really just mean that the stakes are raised because people will start getting higher grades and more 100% marks... so who knows how helpful the changes will be.
I'm not 100% sure exactly what's going on at the moment but I'll update y'all when I receive the email about all the proposed changes from the college I tutor for.

 

[jaejoong]

It's hard to tell; the idea of all the changes is that they'll be cutting down the amount of content but there's a risk that the lecturers will simply cram more into each slide. Honestly cutting down the content will really just mean that the stakes are raised because people will start getting higher grades and more 100% marks... so who knows how helpful the changes will be.
I'm not 100% sure exactly what's going on at the moment but I'll update y'all when I receive the email about all the proposed changes from the college I tutor for.

that would be awesome if you could update us! and yea definitely, the competitiveness wouldn't really change...

 

[Junhyung Park]

Hello, Does any admins or the current otago med/dentistry students know how many people get academic of excellence scholarships and the leaders of tomorrow each year?? This is because I have been offered the 8k leaders of tomorrow scholarship, but I am not too sure if this is good. (I am extremely grateful with the 8k scholarship, but I want to know how far off I was from the academic excellence and how many of them)

 

[Croissant155]

Hi there, does anyone know when we can add an optional 8th paper? Is it possible to do this between Semester 1 and Semester 2? Cheers

 

[Bootleg]

Hi there, does anyone know when we can add an optional 8th paper? Is it possible to do this between Semester 1 and Semester 2? Cheers

Hi,
Looking at the otago website (Health Sciences First Year (HSFY) papers, Health Sciences First Year, University of Otago, New Zealand) you can only do the 8th paper during Semester 2. So I am guessing you also add your 8th paper during semester 2 paper selection.

 

[frootloop]

Guarantee they aren't cutting content. People already get ludicrously high marks in HSFY, it'd be impossible to sift through the candidates if everyone was getting like 95+ averages haha.

They'll expect you to use the extra 4 hours a week to study all the content they brushed over at a million miles an hour in lectures.

My guess is that it means that rote-learning the lecture slides will no longer be enough. Because it's hilariously unlikely that most lecturers will use those 26 slides efficiently.

 

[Stuart]

Hi,

I think they are planning on cutting some content and including something new. I guess we will find out soon!




Hi MatchaLava23,

Yes, you can add the eighth paper between the semesters. Do not stress about the deadline just yet. They will let you know when the time comes.

 

[cashew]

Hi, I'm a student doing HSFY in 2019 and I'm looking to learn some of the paper content during the holidays, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what to focus on. I figured I should start on the UCAT. I know there are going to be changes to HSFY next year but there are still things that will be guaranteed right?
I'm also looking for a slightly more detailed syllabus than what they have on the Otago website.
Cheers

 

[Clav]

Hi, I'm a student doing HSFY in 2019 and I'm looking to learn some of the paper content during the holidays, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what to focus on. I figured I should start on the UCAT. I know there are going to be changes to HSFY next year but there are still things that will be guaranteed right?
I'm also looking for a slightly more detailed syllabus than what they have on the Otago website.
Cheers

focus on having a wonderful break. Next year will be one of the worst you'll experience academically..... just chill

 

[rustyedges]

Don't worry about learning content in the holidays. There will be plenty of time for that when you start, and you'll likely not learn much for how much time you'll put in. Instead, if you did feel like you need to do something, try figuring out how you will study next year and what will motivate you when you don't want to. It's a stressful year, don't burnout before it starts!

 

[Stuart]

Hi,

I also recommend using the break wisely - by taking a break. I really don't think it's worth the effort. It's much better to work on yourself or study habits/skills.

Good luck.

 

[Jwadawdas]

Hi, I'm a student doing HSFY in 2019 and I'm looking to learn some of the paper content during the holidays, I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on what to focus on. I figured I should start on the UCAT. I know there are going to be changes to HSFY next year but there are still things that will be guaranteed right?
I'm also looking for a slightly more detailed syllabus than what they have on the Otago website.
Cheers

Yeah nah I agree with rusty. Did HSFY this year. I definitely recommend having the break as a break and do zero study, you're definitely gonna need that break. HSFY is full-on but by no means impossible. I did zero biology in high school and just went into HSFY with no 'holiday study', this probably actually helped reduce my stress more when the semester started than just studying and stressing about uni the holidays.

Soo... don't focus on studying just relax and go hard out next year. Gl.

 

[Bootleg]

Hey people, just a quick question. If you take ENGL126 as your 8th paper (since you failed the english diagnostic test), can the grade you obtain form ENGL126 be included in your average? ie: your ENGL126 grade is higher than one of the 7 prescribed HSFY papers.

 

[Loggz]

Hey people, just a quick question. If you take ENGL126 as your 8th paper (since you failed the english diagnostic test), can the grade you obtain form ENGL126 be included in your average? ie: your ENGL126 grade is higher than one of the 7 prescribed HSFY papers.

This is what the emailed me when I enquired:


Thanks for your email. ENGL126 is marked as Pass or Fail, and P or F only appears on the transcript. So it can't help or hurt GPA. This is mainly a function of a Health Sciences regulation, as the course is required for many of their first year students.

The course rates highly among students, who tend to find the material and the professional practice more than worthwhile. I'd be more than happy to talk with you in person about whether the course would be right for you.

All the best

Dave
____________________

Dr. David Ciccoricco
Department of English and Linguistics
University of Otago
PO Box 56
Dunedin 9054
New Zealand

 

[hopefulgal]

Hey people, just a quick question. If you take ENGL126 as your 8th paper (since you failed the english diagnostic test), can the grade you obtain form ENGL126 be included in your average? ie: your ENGL126 grade is higher than one of the 7 prescribed HSFY papers.

Hi bootleg, you can still take an 8th paper (on top of ENGL126) in the event that you fail the diagnostic tests. The 8th paper can be used to replace an HSFY grade, but as explained by Loggz above, ENGL126 is only pass-fail so can’t be used for that purpose. There is more info about this here: HSFY optional eighth paper FAQs, Health Sciences First Year, University of Otago, New Zealand

 

[Bootleg]

Hey people, just another quick question. Apart from HSFY textbooks, all other course related materials such as lab manuals etc will be given to us when we attend the relevant labs/lectures?

 

[hopefulgal]

Hey people, just another quick question. Apart from HSFY textbooks, all other course related materials such as lab manuals etc will be given to us when we attend the relevant labs/lectures?

You get your lab manuals at the first lab for that course, and any other course-related materials are usually on Blackboard

 

[Bootleg]

Good luck to all 2019 HSFYers. who are getting there NCEA results tomorrow

 

[toastisgood]

hi all,
When you apply to Med, Dent or any of the professional programmes, do you need a CV or write a personal statement like Auckland?
And also, how does a dentistry interview look like, is it like MMI or just a couple of questions about why you want to do dentistry etc?