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Otago HSFY chat - archive
- Thread starter jeavey
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SASOL
Regular Member
[OFFTOPIC] Yeah I'm of the exact same opinion. It definitely has better hours, and I guess for a lot of people it's a lifestyle choice for them to choose it over med. It still involves a lot of knowledge and skill. Also you can specialise as well, which is quite good. Would be my 2nd choice if I never got into med.[/OFFTOPIC]
Did you guys have a session where everyone got to use their own remote to input their answer onto the screen for CELS? I remember that was pretty early on in the course, and the questions tested very small details. I ended up getting a couple of the questions wrong and that freaked me out enough to learn every minute detail in CELS haha.
There was a lecture about the mid-semester exam in the week leading up to it, with some practice MCQs in it. I didn't go (future health sci students - I had a good excuse! Definately would not advise missing lectures otherwise!) but listened to the recording and they didn't use remotes (I don't think).
Anyway, the MCQs there were pretty easy.
What I do remember is doing about a third of the 1st study question sheet, marking myself against the model answers and schedule given, and only getting 80%. That was when I started to learn all the details in CELS (along with HUBS and later BIOC), as is required. I didn't actually find this that difficult (two weeks later, in the actual CELS mid-semester exam, I got 94%), I just needed the realisation that the tests demanded this. Looking back, one of the things that really caught me out was a "compare and contrast" question on that study sheet. Under NCEA, a full scoring answer to a compare and contrast question involves just that - comparing (pointing out 3 similarities) and contrasting (pointing out 3 differences) with no further development - the hard part being that you often had to work out the similarities and differences yourself, and sometimes they had to get quite abstract. In those CELS study sheets (based heavily on past exam questions) the perfect answer was pointing out 1 difference and/or similarity (which were generally quite simplistic, such as "chloroplasts have 3 membranes and mitochondria have 2") and then elaborating from that difference or similarity by covering all the related details (such as "the inner membrane of the mitochondrion is folded into cristae"), the hard part being covering those details. It was a relatively minor point, but one that cost me a couple of marks. Having said that, only some of the SAQs in CELS require you to mention minor points (those are mainly tested in MCQs). The problem is you can't really tell which questions will be marked harshly so have to approach them all as though they will...
Anyway, the MCQs there were pretty easy.
What I do remember is doing about a third of the 1st study question sheet, marking myself against the model answers and schedule given, and only getting 80%. That was when I started to learn all the details in CELS (along with HUBS and later BIOC), as is required. I didn't actually find this that difficult (two weeks later, in the actual CELS mid-semester exam, I got 94%), I just needed the realisation that the tests demanded this. Looking back, one of the things that really caught me out was a "compare and contrast" question on that study sheet. Under NCEA, a full scoring answer to a compare and contrast question involves just that - comparing (pointing out 3 similarities) and contrasting (pointing out 3 differences) with no further development - the hard part being that you often had to work out the similarities and differences yourself, and sometimes they had to get quite abstract. In those CELS study sheets (based heavily on past exam questions) the perfect answer was pointing out 1 difference and/or similarity (which were generally quite simplistic, such as "chloroplasts have 3 membranes and mitochondria have 2") and then elaborating from that difference or similarity by covering all the related details (such as "the inner membrane of the mitochondrion is folded into cristae"), the hard part being covering those details. It was a relatively minor point, but one that cost me a couple of marks. Having said that, only some of the SAQs in CELS require you to mention minor points (those are mainly tested in MCQs). The problem is you can't really tell which questions will be marked harshly so have to approach them all as though they will...
SASOL
Regular Member
Lol you are evil HealthSci!! Those poor HSFYers of 2010 don't know what they are in for^_^
I hated CELS, but I guess it was due to a bad test result and random irrelevant stuff like cheese and that that we were made to learn. Some lecturers were cool, like the genetics guy who always said 'we've been waiting for you' to everyone who came in late lol, Tony Zaharic, and well thats about all really. John Tagg got a bit annoying really and the others I can't remember. Most of the content was tedious to learn, like knockout mice! Gahh that was terrible. So much to remember, it wasn't hard to understand just sheer amount made it hard. But thats HSFYs trademark.
I did those practice sheets, and I always found them pretty easy. So I approached the mid sem test in similar fashion. That didn't work.....Lol greenglacier naughty, naughty for not going to the lecture (just joking). But nah we didn't have remote controls for that. I hated all the questions on e- transport chain in the test, I didn't realise we needed to know so much about it. Oh well, I learnt my lesson and made sure I didn't screw up BIOC mid sem test like I did with CELS...and that paid off.
Lol and remember when like 2 people fainted in HUBS on the same day? That was weird.
Who were your guys fave land worst lecturers for each paper?
I hated CELS, but I guess it was due to a bad test result and random irrelevant stuff like cheese and that that we were made to learn. Some lecturers were cool, like the genetics guy who always said 'we've been waiting for you' to everyone who came in late lol, Tony Zaharic, and well thats about all really. John Tagg got a bit annoying really and the others I can't remember. Most of the content was tedious to learn, like knockout mice! Gahh that was terrible. So much to remember, it wasn't hard to understand just sheer amount made it hard. But thats HSFYs trademark.
I did those practice sheets, and I always found them pretty easy. So I approached the mid sem test in similar fashion. That didn't work.....Lol greenglacier naughty, naughty for not going to the lecture (just joking). But nah we didn't have remote controls for that. I hated all the questions on e- transport chain in the test, I didn't realise we needed to know so much about it. Oh well, I learnt my lesson and made sure I didn't screw up BIOC mid sem test like I did with CELS...and that paid off.
Lol and remember when like 2 people fainted in HUBS on the same day? That was weird.
Who were your guys fave land worst lecturers for each paper?
i studied very hard for cels mid term and dropped 1% only..when u first come to uni ur very motivated but will inevitably loose some drive as the year progresses..especially if ur umat mark isnt favorable. I pretty much felt like i was only working to a third of my potential (in terms of time spent studying) in 2nd semester (compared to 1st semeseter where i was probably 70%) but the stressful all nighters pulled me thru..trust me if ur a last minute man ur gonna really hate hsfy. in hindsight its a lot better to study throughout the whole year instead of just cramming around test/exam time...ull feel more energized and less stressed. there are a lot of distractions @ the residential halls/in uni life especially since theres no family around.
if u havent studied a significant amount of the content in hsfy in school you will have to work your butt off and put in the hard yards. that means going of lecture content before the lecture, and writing summary notes straight after..then revising all the stuff uve learnt at the end of the week.
good luck and try and have fun
if u havent studied a significant amount of the content in hsfy in school you will have to work your butt off and put in the hard yards. that means going of lecture content before the lecture, and writing summary notes straight after..then revising all the stuff uve learnt at the end of the week.
good luck and try and have fun
SASOL
Regular Member
Yeah motivation is a big thing.
I found myself being really studious in the first few weeks of semester 1, keeping on top of notes and readings, but once the tests piled up I would only study for the next test and neglect everything else. Then I'd get behind and lose motivation to catch up on notes and it became a never ending cycle.
In semester 2 I pretty much only studied before a test, though no all nighters or panic stricken moments of 'oh crap I don't know this', but I found all my mates were saying 'oh I've only got a few lectures to write up and I'm up to date', while heres me weeks behind. Then again I found I could cover lots in short amounts of time and also it didn't take long to understand/remember the content, so I guess that worked for me. However, I can't say I knew anyone who consistently kept up to date with study all year, and I don't know if it's possible with HSFY. I think its all about finding what works for you as an individual. Not promoting cramming or anything lol, but it did kinda work for me.
That was always my biggest regret, leaving things to the last minute. If I did HSFY again that would be the first thing I would change. Though I bet I will be saying that a week out from exams in October this year!
I found myself being really studious in the first few weeks of semester 1, keeping on top of notes and readings, but once the tests piled up I would only study for the next test and neglect everything else. Then I'd get behind and lose motivation to catch up on notes and it became a never ending cycle.
In semester 2 I pretty much only studied before a test, though no all nighters or panic stricken moments of 'oh crap I don't know this', but I found all my mates were saying 'oh I've only got a few lectures to write up and I'm up to date', while heres me weeks behind. Then again I found I could cover lots in short amounts of time and also it didn't take long to understand/remember the content, so I guess that worked for me. However, I can't say I knew anyone who consistently kept up to date with study all year, and I don't know if it's possible with HSFY. I think its all about finding what works for you as an individual. Not promoting cramming or anything lol, but it did kinda work for me.
That was always my biggest regret, leaving things to the last minute. If I did HSFY again that would be the first thing I would change. Though I bet I will be saying that a week out from exams in October this year!
hell SASOL i skipped countless number of lectures, if i had a test coming up in a week id often skip all my lectures except for the one i had a test for and fall behind in everything else..then catch up for the next test...horrible cycle. i went to 1 repro lecture in hubs =(. Go to all lectures healthscis, theyre not long and you're not gonna get much done in that hour you "gain" from not going. thats probably the 1st thing id change/essential advice i wud give.
SASOL
Regular Member
Oh yeah I never saw the point in missing lectures when an exam was coming up. It was only an hour and generally I would consider it a 'break' from study if you know what I mean, and usually I wanted valid ways to procrastinate lol. But yeah, may as well go because the hour spent missing it probably isn't going to involve much study anyway and you miss content you are gunna have to study some point in time anyway. Unless it was an epi lecture the same day as an epi test lol, they were pointless and repetitive anyway.
And I don't really get why everyone rushed to early lectures the day before a test.:wacko:
And I don't really get why everyone rushed to early lectures the day before a test.:wacko:
haha yeah i was the king of missing lectures especially maori went to 2 lectures the whole year. For hubs i missed modules of lectures (especially reproduction) same goes for biochemistry and physics. It wasnt like I was being lazy i just thought it would be more helpful to self study instead. But as I came to tests/exams i realised that the things they wanted us to cover is VERY specefic and you MUST go to the lectures to know what these are. This is probaly the biggest regret of the year for me.
It's AUD160 so ~NZD200.
Check out this link for more info: https://umat.acer.edu.au/images/infobook/UMAT_InfoBook.pdf
<_<
hamlock
Regular Member
GAMSAT is for aussie graduates
SASOL
Regular Member
Hahahahahahahahahahaha, it was a very loooooong walk!:lols:
Post graduate med entry in NZ involves UMAT only
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