Ok lets talk about...... repeat exams

Sangre

Well if falied I'd have to fly home from America to repeat and other people would have similar dilemmas so maybe to a chronic under-achiever like your self failing an exam isn't the end of the world but some people actually care about their summer and/or future.

arbeitsscheuer

Off-Topic: Hey Zane, I'm listenin to the song in your sig! F**kin brilliant

Anyway, I'm sorry, but there's just so many of you moaning b*stards, and it's not like you say anythin I haven't heard before - And I'm only in 2nd yr for Christ's sake.

It wouldn't matter if you lived up to your moaniness and failed, but that's the thing: You DON'T! :mad: I remember people in my yr last yr doing the same whiny act you guys do, and who failed? JUST ME. And had I moaned? No. Because it's not yours or anyone else's problem if I fail or pass. Why waste energy stressing or worrying about whether you failed or passed anyway? You go in, you do your best, you leave. That's it. Just chill til the results, don't moan about how you did or didn't do ffs...

Jonny Arson

Did I ask anyone for comfort? No. I stated what happened today and asked anyone for a bit of advice about how I can prevent something like that happening in my other exams. Is there something wrong with that? Read my post again. Its my responsiblity in how I do in my exams not anyone elses and I don't want anyone to come on here giving me sympathy or whatnot. If you've got a problem with my posts don't respond to me arsehole manner again please.

Sangre

Stop whining

Jonny Arson

Seb don't take that personally I'm quite stressed out.... i need beer!

Jonny Arson

Sangre wrote:

Stop whining

Hey you had ''fiesty'' there a second ago..... didn't like it???

arbeitsscheuer

Ah, you're probably right Zane; sure, nobody seems to think I have a point anyway. (Well, no-one on boards at least). So I'll just shut up and try to avoid such posts as best I can...

It'll be much more difficult avoiding similar ppl (I'll reiterate; there are LOADS of ppl like you) in "real" life durin the exams.

God give me strength.


P.S. When's ya next exam mate?

Jonny Arson

I have a nice 6 day gap to my next exam on Friday which is Info Studies paper 2. With time to study i should be properly prepared for the rest of the exmas. I think today was probably the rocket launcher I needed to be shoved up my ass in order to get me to work.

arbeitsscheuer

There ya go then, this little blip served its purpose: Twas a Warning Sign to wake ya up before the rest of the b*stard exams!

Me, I should be studying since my next exam is on Tuesday, but Sangre called it right on: I am a chronic under-achiever. And that is my place.

I exist so that people can say "Well, I screwed up that paper, but did ya see Seb? He wrote two lines and then tried to leave after half an hour. Thank cr*p I ain't that bad..."

I ain't lookin for sympathy, I know I f**ked myself up the ass on this one. I always do. Meh.

Mr.Nice Guy

Zane from MTV2 wrote:

Does anyone know how I can prevent this because if this happens again in any of my other exams i will be f**ked.

I always spend a good bit of time writing in the Rough Work paper before I start an exam. Today I had my third and final philosophy paper and I had done very little study for it. The second section of the paper was daunting enough as far as I was concerned but I didn't actually begin writing in my exam book until five past three! Even so, the 35 minutes I'd spent scribbling down what I could remember really helped me out. I see people in the exams who start writing in the answer book straight away the minute they get the paper. I never do this. I would recommend writing down some notes and making out a plan as a guideline for the whole exam. It works well for me anyway. I think if you plan what you're going to write beforehand, you won't blank out.

arbeitsscheuer

That sounds like good advice MrNiceGuy... I'll try to remember that.

It's somethin I really should do anyway, cos I'm always finished early anyway, be it 15 mins or 90 mins early! So it makes sense that I should adopt your strategy....

chebe

Not really much you can do about avoiding the mind going blank situation expect by being really prepared and knowing it. It's sheer blind panic. If you are really worried about repeated go talk to one of the student advisors. I did just to blow off steam, but she ended up putting a note in my mysterious 'file' that let me resit in August for free.

arbeitsscheuer

chebe wrote:

If you are really worried about repeated go talk to one of the student advisors. I did just to blow off steam, but she ended up putting a note in my mysterious 'file' that let me resit in August for free.

You jammy b*stard!

Bri

chebe wrote:

Not really much you can do about avoiding the mind going blank situation expect by being really prepared and knowing it. It's sheer blind panic. If you are really worried about repeated go talk to one of the student advisors. I did just to blow off steam, but she ended up putting a note in my mysterious 'file' that let me resit in August for free.

Out of interest how long did it take to see one of these? I know there's quite a few but given the size of UCD I figured we were talking weeks -> months. Am I wrong?

m1ke

What I do to stop my mind from going blank is: write the first sentence of my essay before i even enter the exam hall. Ya know' something classy but making a totally obvious point. This can be done nps - just a general statement about the particular subjects importance. My second sentence (and maybe 3rd n 4th) is usually some general commentary on the specific question being asked - essentially re-writing the question and linking it to my first sentence. Then I do 3 lines introducing the structure of my essay (i make 3 bullet points of the general shyte ill be writing about stuff and then work them into sentences). All this means within 5 minutes of having the exam paper put infront of you, you can have a solid intro written. It's a great way to start. Then you can relax and think more about the rest of what you're going to write. Remember it's your duty to keep writing no matter how little you know - getting over the first paragraph is a great way to get into the zone.

chebe

SebtheBum wrote:

You jammy b*stard!

Yeah, but there was an actual good reason, trauma and the like. And it didn't do much good, repeated the year anyway.

Bri wrote:

Out of interest how long did it take to see one of these? I know there's quite a few but given the size of UCD I figured we were talking weeks -> months. Am I wrong?

Well I went to one in Science, and basically all it took was actually finding her office during opening hours! She was lovely. Very few students every go to them. I hear psychologists are a completely different story however. Says alot about our college!

arbeitsscheuer

chebe wrote:

And it didn't do much good, repeated the year anyway.

Ouch. My bruv was an even jammier one, he got to repeat a year (2nd yr I think) on medical grounds and thus paid the same as first time around. Did you have to pay the 3-4 grand? Or did ya get away wit it like my bruv?

I need to know cos I might be in a similar position come September...

chebe

The saga that is my second year in UCD. When is a year not? When it's three years long! I got into second year easily, then failed, failed Autumn repeats (by 3.5%). Repeated externally. Whole load of badness happened. I found out that if you merely show up and write your name on maths papers you get 0.4%. Got to sit the repeats for free. Failed by 1.5%. But I got one exemption. So I repeated internally (and changed one of the two subjects I was taking) for about 2,700 or something like that. Probably no help at all but there it is.

Mr.Nice Guy

chebe wrote:

The saga that is my second year in UCD. When is a year not? When it's three years long! I got into second year easily, then failed, failed Autumn repeats (by 3.5%). Repeated externally. Whole load of badness happened. I found out that if you merely show up and write your name on maths papers you get 0.4%. Got to sit the repeats for free. Failed by 1.5%. But I got one exemption. So I repeated internally (and changed one of the two subjects I was taking) for about 2,700 or something like that. Probably no help at all but there it is.

What does it mean to repeat "externally" and "internally"?

chebe

Externally means you are banished from the college (ie to do something like work) and you basically pay to be allowed resit the exams the following summer. Internally is doing the entire year over, including tutorials and practicals. Internally when I did it was only 1,200 for 3 subjects including registration, but I know it has gone up. It's also a horrible idea, you are disconnected from everything and unless you are really dedicated you develop the 'what's the point' attitude. Internally is around 3-4 grand including registration.

arbeitsscheuer

This may seem like a dumb question, but...

If you repeat externally, are you still allowed use the UCD library? (My initial thought would be NO as you require a student card which you wouldn't get, but I wanna be sure...)

You would be able to use the computing services tho, contradictorially enuff, as the profile and password you get in 1st yr never changes. Huzzah.

chebe

Okay, so when external you get a new student card (but instead of the green strip that says undergraduate there's a bright pink strip that says repeat, just to embarass you!) so that you can use the library, your computer account is kept active. But you can't attend the lectures or anything because you haven't paid the tutition for them. But with no motivation you lose track. Everyone thinks it's a great option, working at your own pace, able to work or do other things, as well as cheaper. But it's actual a kind of limbo. Talk to the college, they are quite helpful when it's got nothing to do with admiristration.

arbeitsscheuer

If ya don't mind all these pesky questions...

Who would I talk to at the college? Are they helpful really?

Oh, and also, you could go to lectures, surely. It's not like they check cards on the doors :rolleyes: . Why not just go anyway. Tutorials and essays seem to be all I'm really missin...

But you did it, was it really worse than repeating internally (with all the horrendous financial cost that that entails)?

chebe

Firstly Science and Arts are two completely different kettle of fish. Nearly half my grade at the end of the year comes from practical work, so you miss alot by being external. Maths (huge failure rate) actually encouraged me to sit in on lectures (though I don't think I was supposed to tell anyone, oops), whereas my other classes where alot smaller, 20-odd and 60-odd respectively, so I would have been noticed. And in some Science lectures they do check cards! Personally I didn't fail for any other reason than I didn't put the work in when I should have, so I really needed to a do-over. And the new semesterisation is so fantastically wonderful, I've pretty much passed the year already! And if you do repeat externally you have to sit the old-regulation exam papers (you might have seen these mentioned on the timetable). Which means if the course changes you will be still doing the old one, and possibly at a disadvantage when you get into the next year.

Now that I think about it most of this information came from other students that were older than me, great support network. But other than that the student advisors (http://www.ucd.ie/advisers/) can tell you nearly everything you need to know. The dean of your faculty/year might be of some help as well. As is the fees page on the ucd website, and the form they mail out to you if you fail.

blondie83

SebtheBum wrote:

If ya don't mind all these pesky questions...

Who would I talk to at the college? Are they helpful really?

Oh, and also, you could go to lectures, surely. It's not like they check cards on the doors :rolleyes: . Why not just go anyway. Tutorials and essays seem to be all I'm really missin...

But you did it, was it really worse than repeating internally (with all the horrendous financial cost that that entails)?

Hey Seb if you're really worried about it go see the student advisor - if the Arts one is too busy come and see ours - seriously I reckon she'd just love the chance to see anyone - she actually chases people down to try and talk to them and see if they need anything! They'll give you the best advice on how to go about repeating the year and all that if you ever have to. I'd say repeat externally, we've always had a few repeating externally in eng, and they just turn up at all the lectures like everyone else. The lecturers don't care - why would they sure, they want as many ppl as possible to pass their course and its nothing to them whether a person has paid a grand or 5 grand to repeat!

Ed

SebtheBum wrote:

Oh, and also, you could go to lectures, surely. It's not like they check cards on the doors :rolleyes: . Why not just go anyway. Tutorials and essays seem to be all I'm really missin...

In arts there'd be no problem in going to your lectures when repeating externally. However, as mentioned above it's very easy to get into a rut of simply not caring about it at all because you don't have the day to day contact that comes with having to do essays and tutorial work. People dramatically underestimate how important your essays and tutorials are.

I repeated externtally and just got really apathetic and ended up doing nothing. Not saying we're all the same, and you could be an incredibly motivated person, but when you're repeating externally it's very easy to just stay home or find something better to do (record shopping was mine). I didn't have the luxury of being able to use the library when i was repeating, so at least you'll actyally be able to get the books.

So what i'd suggest if you're going to repeat externally (as i said the other day, don't assume you'll fail) my suggestion would be to set yourself homework, by either writing the essays or writing synopsis' of whatever readings you're supposed to be doing.

arbeitsscheuer

Cheers for the info chebe.
And thanks blondie83 and Ed for the advice - Tis much appreciated.

Slash/ED

It's probably been mentioned and I'm just being blind or something but how much is it to repeat internally vs repeating externally?

kittenkiller

Slash/ED wrote:

It's probably been mentioned and I'm just being blind or something but how much is it to repeat internally vs repeating externally?

Erm... as far as i can remember it's something like a couple hundred more than registration to repeat externally & about a grand on top of that to repeat internally. www.ucd.ie/fees should be helpful.

Slash/ED

Thanks, I didn't even know you could do that, could prove very helpful.