Otago HSFY chat - archive

[greenglacier]

At the Otago open day, are you allowed to look around as many Residential Colleges as you like?

Yes, provided you manage your time well.

Also, if you think St. Margaret's is the only hall that is mainly HSFY, you underestimate just how many HSFY students there are! EVERY hall has a SIGNIFICANT number of HSFYers, and some (not just St. Margaret's) do have a majority of students doing HSFY. I really wouldn't let that factor into your choice.

 

[greenglacier]

Personally I think that most of the questions in the practice booklet give a reasonable idea of the difficultly of the actual UMAT, but you have to remember that the stressful nature of the actual exam makes the questions in it seem harder than they are.

I would definitely advise taking UMAT the year before HSFY - that way you can take it again in HSFY and so get two shots at a good mark.

I would suggest having a look around the UMAT section of this forum - you'll find that the questions you've raised have already been discussed in depth there.

 

[mango101]

Oh okay, thanks. I think looking around the halls would definitely be a good idea then!
One question about the Physics paper in HSFY...is it significantly harder than Levels 2 & 3 Physics? And is level 3 physics good prep for the paper?

 

[greenglacier]

One question about the Physics paper in HSFY...is it significantly harder than Levels 2 & 3 Physics? And is level 3 physics good prep for the paper?

No. Most of the time it's conceptually easier.

If you've done L2 physics, L3 will help, but not by a huge amount. Honestly though, I wouldn't worry about your subject choice at this stage (provided you're doing L3 chem and have done L2 physics).

 

[mango101]

That is great that it's conceptually easier. Yes, I am taking Eng, Stats, Chem, Physics and Bio all at L3. I have recently heard that some of the HSFY papers are multichoice which I didn't know as I presumed they would be like the long answer NCEA questions. Is it true that there are multi choice questions in the papers? And thank you very much for all the information.

 

[greenglacier]

There are lots of multichoice questions in the HSFY papers. HSFY tests and exams are very different to NCEA exams, in focus (they predominantly test how much you know, rather than how well you know it) and question style.

For example, the final exams are:

HUBS191/192 - 50% multi choice (MCQ), 25% short answer, 25% long answer
CELS191 - around 1/3rd MCQ, 2/3rds short answer
CHEM191 - 40% MCQ, 60% short answer
PHSI191 - 100% MCQ
BIOC192 - 100% short answer
HEAL192 - a few MCQ, mostly short answer, with one long answer question

That sounds like an excellent set of year 13 subjects by the way.


Oh, and everything you've asked so far has been asked many times before on this forum. If you can't find it, by all means ask away, but you'll probably get better/more complete answers if you have a search around before asking.

 

[Cathay]

I'm not nearly as qualified to talk about HSFY as gg or skyglow (being a current HSFY), but personally, I would worry about chemistry before worrying about physics - the chemistry can be a bit of a jump, at least in terms of thermodynamics (the first module). I think there's more content overlap with school after that though...

And yes, past exam papers and the introductory information given to us health scis do indicate that there will be substantial usage of Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs) in assessments, and HSFY will be nothing like NCEA. Only HUBS has three (or so) mini-essay questions, everything else is either MCQ or SAQ (short answer question) - refer to the information below, quoted from gg (from the HSFY 2011 thread with a minor modification for HUBS, which changed things slightly in 2011)

HUBS191/192 - 72% final exam (60 mcqs, 30 marks short answer, 30 marks extended answer), 2 x terms tests worth 7% each (and each with 25 mcqs), 6% from lab tests (mcq), 8% from online tests (mcq, occasional fill-in-the-blank).
CELS191 - 60% final exam (25 mcqs, 50-60 marks short answer), 20% final exam (10 mcqs, 15-20 marks short answer), 20% online tests
CHEM191 - 70% final exam (40 mcqs, 60 marks short answer), 15% mid-semester exam (30 mcqs), 15% lab tests (short answer)
PHSI191 - 88% from final + mid-semester exam (both 100% mcq), 6% for online tests, 6% for lab attendance
BIOC192 - 70% final exam (100 marks short answer), 20% mid-semester exam (50 mcq), 10% online tests
HEAL192 - 60% final exam (format for last 2 years was ~20-30 marks mcq, ~100-120 marks short answer, ~15 marks for one extended answer question), 2 x terms tests worth 15% each (both mcq), 10% tutorial tests (mcq)

Also unlike NCEA, it's not the depth, but the pure rate at which information is thrown at us (large volume in short time) - we'll have to keep on top of everything, because if we fall behind, it *will* be a nightmare to catch up - I'm currently acceptably up-to-date, but I'm finding that I would struggle to do two day's work in one - which means if you fall behind by one day, you will spend more than just the next day trying to catch up...

 

[skyglow1]

I'm not nearly as qualified to talk about HSFY as gg or skyglow (being a current HSFY), but personally, I would worry about chemistry before worrying about physics - the chemistry can be a bit of a jump, at least in terms of thermodynamics (the first module). I think there's more content overlap with school after that though...

Kinetics is your next topic which has 0 overlap with NCEA chem!

 

[mango101]

Thank you for the very informative and helpful responses! It is awesome to hear that HSFY questions are completely different to NCEA and that there are MCQs. HSFY sounds like an incredibly full on course, so good luck with getting into Med or which ever course you are aiming to gain a place in cathay808 . I think I will probably sit the UMAT test this year to hopefully take a little bit of pressure off things during HSFY

 

[greenglacier]

Kinetics is your next topic which has 0 overlap with NCEA chem!

Indeed. I hate to break it to you cathay, but the first module of CHEM191 is the module with the greatest NCEA overlap.

 

[skyglow1]

Indeed. I hate to break it to you cathay, but the first module of CHEM191 is the module with the greatest NCEA overlap.

Wait till you get to reaction mechanisms in organic chem. I know GG found them relatively straightforward but that is by FAR the exception!!!

 

[Cathay]

Indeed. I hate to break it to you cathay, but the first module of CHEM191 is the module with the greatest NCEA overlap.

Lol that's fine, NCEA-overlap doesn't mean that much to me since 191 seems to be overlapping nicely with some of the material I was given to self-learn when I (in the least motivated state) was semi-forced into some chemistry olympiad "training" (of course my lack of motivation and effort scrapped any hope of me making the team)... Nevertheless, I learned just enough to not be thrown off by the jump (and to feel somewhat at home in the lab the other day)

I bet more than 5 people out there figured out who I am when I mentioned ChO >.< ah well

EDIT: Meh, even my Y13 chem teacher taught reaction mechanisms in organics (although he was teaching the extension chem class at a pretty big school so...), and I did enjoy the reaction mechanism bestchoice (olympiad) module more than the rest of organics (yeah, I'm weird, lol).

 

[mango101]

Once you get into Med School does the work load pressure ease off in any way, or is it still as incredibly full on like HSFY?

 

[Cathay]

Once you get into Med School does the work load pressure ease off in any way, or is it still as incredibly full on like HSFY?

What I've heard (mainly from GG and skyglow) is that "real" assessment is only in the form of an exam at the end of the year, and there's a pass-fail system where it's reasonably easy to pass, so for med students it is up to themselves how hard they want to work - I know it sounds crazy but it appears that the work load pressure is self-applied in med school, where learning is for the sake of learning. So, those who want distinction will have to work hard, and those who just want to pass can relax a bit. Again, I'm not qualified to speak on this matter, so if GG or skyglow says different things then ignore me.

 

[skyglow1]

Once you get into Med School does the work load pressure ease off in any way, or is it still as incredibly full on like HSFY?

It is definitely more chilled out. Lots of tutorials where you do group work rather than sitting in a lecture all day. The pressure of getting into med is off. It's pass/fail and relatively easy to pass (but of course you still have to do work if you want to pass) which makes things easier. The schedule is I believe the lightest compared to all of the professional courses: only 22 hours a week ish.

 

[mango101]

Can anyone explain how UMAT is actually scored? I really don't understand the overall and percentile stuff etc? Thanks!

 

[skyglow1]

Have a search on the forums. It's been answered a billion times.

 

[AmyT]

Do anyone know where we can look at HUBS multi choice questions other than the ones on the Peerwise site?
Thanks

 

[smile]

Do anyone know where we can look at HUBS multi choice questions other than the ones on the Peerwise site?
Thanks

I don't think you can. HUBS doesn't release any of their MCQ's.

 

[airuniverse]

Hey guys, I have a question here!! I've just finished HUBS GLM1 today, and I was wondering if those contents can be examinable or not.
The lecturer said the GLM1 can be examinable for the HUBS 1st term test, but do we have to know all those contents in the two extra files(Cells and Tissues Powerpoint, Body Water and Osmosis Powerpoint) of powerpoint slides which were given to us via blackboard related to GLM1 test? Those extra files include new materials we haven't learnt during the lectures, so I'm pretty keen to know how previous year of HUBS term tests were. Thank you