Otago HSFY chat - archive

[frootloop]

Yeah, my commerce grades have been shocking over the last couple years, I wouldn't really stand a living hope in hell of getting into med the post-grad route..Therefore I just wanna get my degree here first then try OLY1 at Aucks if I enjoy/do well in some of the HSFY papers

Hmmm, thanks for the advice about HEAL..I'll definately give it some thought

P.s Froot congrats for making it into med..I've naturally stalked your blogs etc and it's truly inspirational to see what you've been through and achieved..

Any particular reason you don't want to do the whole HSFY course here next year? (Says froot, while wrapped in 2 duvets, with the fan-heater on full-blast, watching it pour with rain outside... Actually, I think I may have just answered my own question )
Oh, and I'm not saying you'd enjoy HEAL, most people I know hated it with a passion, although that might have had a lot to do with them being health-scis who were used to cut-and-dry facts, rather than more abstract 'arts' papers (personally I loved HEAL).
[offtopic] Thanks! Means a lot [/offtopic]

 

[greenglacier]

Any particular reason you don't want to do the whole HSFY course here next year?

Um, do you realise that sunny123 is ineligible for HSFY (you know, with that prior uni study)?

 

[frootloop]

Um, do you realise that sunny123 is ineligible for HSFY (you know, with that prior uni study)?

*self-facepalm*. Pathology took up the space in my brain I'd previously been using to store my common sense, lol.

 

[sunny123]

Man, thanks again for the quick reply. Yeah, I can't do it at all as I've already completed more than one year of study here at Otago..I have no idea why this policy is enforced but I guess it's the way it is....Therefore my best chance would just be doing OLY1 @ Auckland after I finish my degree here and I'll get a taste of the HSFY papers which will be similar in a lot of aspects I guess.

Doing HEAL would mean my most hectic semester ever(does HEAL have a big workload?) and I'd end up doing 4/7 HSFY papers if I followed through my plan of doing CHEM191 next year(this is sooo frustrating in a way as id be doing more than half of a HSFY course with absolutely no contribution towards med)..Do you think HUBS191/92 and CHEM191 is a good starting point anyway?

Also, is maor102 worth taking? I've heard it's just a really good paper to up your GPA with but if i did HEAL id have a choice of that or tour101 and I can't imagine either being too difficult/strenuous.

 

[Profiterole]

Does Otago make exceptions regarding HSFY and allow mature students do it under certain circumstances?

 

[frootloop]

Man, thanks again for the quick reply. Yeah, I can't do it at all as I've already completed more than one year of study here at Otago..I have no idea why this policy is enforced but I guess it's the way it is....Therefore my best chance would just be doing OLY1 @ Auckland after I finish my degree here and I'll get a taste of the HSFY papers which will be similar in a lot of aspects I guess.

Doing HEAL would mean my most hectic semester ever(does HEAL have a big workload?) and I'd end up doing 4/7 HSFY papers if I followed through my plan of doing CHEM191 next year(this is sooo frustrating in a way as id be doing more than half of a HSFY course with absolutely no contribution towards med)..Do you think HUBS191/92 and CHEM191 is a good starting point anyway?

Also, is maor102 worth taking? I've heard it's just a really good paper to up your GPA with but if i did HEAL id have a choice of that or tour101 and I can't imagine either being too difficult/strenuous.

Good plan, I'd say.
Erm, I didn't find HEAL too strenuous in terms of workload personally, but that's just me/in comparison to HUBS/BIOC (which are reasonably full-on), and also I wouldn't expect too high a mark in it, it tends to be lower scoring... But yes, I'd say HUBS and CHEM would be a good start, they're pretty integral to HSFY (and so perhaps to OLY1 as well?).
MAOR102 was by far my easiest paper of last year, 3 hours of study just before the final exam got me an A+ So if you want a GPA boost+a reasonably interesting paper, it'd have to be pretty high on the list IMO (not that I know what the likes of TOUR are like, so I'd take my opinion there with a grain of salt).

 

[sunny123]

Does Otago make exceptions regarding HSFY and allow mature students do it under certain circumstances?

Not that I know of, I've inquired about this with no success, even set up a meeting with someone from the HS department

 

[Profiterole]

does anyone know what actually happens in preliminary lectures (my definition of house-keeping as they refer to it is a bit vague?)

 

[Cathay]

They tell you a lot of administrative stuff like where labs are, what you should bring, what textbooks you should use, where you can find the department staff, etc...

 

[sunny123]

Also, no need to show up to the 9am prelim, just go to one of the later ones, no-ones checking names in prelims lol

 

[Cathay]

Also, no need to show up to the 9am prelim, just go to one of the later ones, no-ones checking names in prelims lol

Uhhhh, either I'm confusing this with memories of the English test, or they do actually make a slight effort to check...

 

[frootloop]

Uhhhh, either I'm confusing this with memories of the English test, or they do actually make a slight effort to check...

Did they? Pretty sure there were like 500 people at each prelim lecture, would've been pretty hard to check. Don't think there was, but I might be wrong. Just go to the one you're streamed for, at least for your first ever lecture of HSFY

 

[Bluerock]

Yeah, they checked names at the english exam. Or at least they did at the 9am test. Which was a bit weird.. who would want to jump into the early test?

 

[frootloop]

Yeah, they checked names at the english exam. Or at least they did at the 9am test. Which was a bit weird.. who would want to jump into the early test?

They like you to go to the right test streams because otherwise it's a logistical nightmare to get scores and whatnot loaded into the system when it's not in some kind of order, I'd imagine. There being 1300-odd of you there's a lot of papers to read.

 

[Cathay]

Either way, I do recommend at least trying to stick with your allotted time.. Whatever you do just don't take stream-jumping for granted, especially if you happen to end up in a course with usingle-stream lectures (e.g. Med)...

 

[Nimbus2000]

yes, i just fudged over the last couple of posts, so excuse me if someone's already answered, but yes they did check our names as we went in. At least they did in the 11am one

 

[Profiterole]

During the prelim- lectures, we were told that some papers (i.e Cels, phsi, heal, and bioc) only uses a specific edition as the textbook. Is this actually enforced or do we also get the page numbers for older editions?

 

[Cathay]

During the prelim- lectures, we were told that some papers (i.e Cels, phsi, heal, and bioc) only uses a specific edition as the textbook. Is this actually enforced or do we also get the page numbers for older editions?

They can't enforce it per se because no one can control what book you choose to read from, but if you use a non-designated textbook or an older edition of the designated textbook, you'll be responsible for finding the correct information yourself (as page references will not be provided), and if the actual information in the text has been updated it is your responsibility to find the latest information.

Also, I wouldn't call the lack of page references a method of 'enforcement' on what book you read - the objectives tell you the information you should be finding, and really as long as you learn the right stuff they don't care where you learned it. The page numbers listed and the textbook listed are for your convenience, so if they don't provide page references for older editions, it's not because you're not supposed to read it, it's because they don't have the time to find all that extra information for you - they've given you an official source where you can find the right information, but if you choose to try and find it elsewhere, you should do it yourself.

As far as I know, HUBS gave references to 6E of Patton & Thibodeau, but that's as far as any paper would go - the current edition and the previous edition, and most of them (i.e Cels, phsi, heal, and bioc) don't even bother providing references for the previous edition. Last year CELS gave page references to both the 8th edition and the 9th edition of Campbell Biology, but I guess that was because Campbell Biology 9E was coming out after the course started...

PS: I know I just gave a lecture nitpicking on your phraseology, and I'm sorry, but here's your short answer: if they say they'll only use a particular edition, then that's the only edition they'll bother finding page numbers for you.

 

[Profiterole]

All good! I don't mind nitpicking so long as the question gets answered Cheers for the info!

 

[Profiterole]

Does anyone know whether next week is week 9 or week 10?