I'll say it in advance - Thanks Ryker, Mal4mac, I love being challenged ;)
So just listen to him!
Why should he give you example exam questions? Maybe he's trying to see how well you will do in a 'real world' situation.
There are no nice problem sets in industry or research.
We're in our 1st year of college now, not in industry or research.
There is no community that is going to give you lots of specific help in problems you encounter in your career. Why should the lecturer encourage you to all work on example problems until you all have the exam beat?
Because that's how I can truly gain the most knowledge, by practicing. Practice leads to perfection.
Then you'll all get top grades - at least the hard workers. If he springs the exam on you, that could be far more revealing - it will highlight the potential Feynman's - those who can *really* think on their feet in difficult situations.
We're not playing games here. We're in a college for a practical engineers degree where people are trying to get by with jobs and kids, this is not a high-level university to start playing some sort of academic "who's the genius" competition-- in fact, if any of us were genius, we wouldn't be in this college studying for practical engineer. We would be at a university starting for a 1st degree.
We're practical, we want to know what we can and study our best, we don't have time for such silliness. Trust me, no one cares enough to "test us" like that to see what we're made of... more likely, they just don't want to spend the extra energy to give us more material.
Perhaps he has a higher standard, certainly he has a valid one - that's why the dean is happy with him. Why should he think more about the class and care more? That doesn't happen in the real world - he's just preparing you for it.
A) Who said the dean is happy with him? Maybe he realizes there is a problem. I haven't spoken to the dean yet, though I've considered speaking with him today as I'm going to be at the college.
B) And to answer why should he care-- that's his job to teach us.
You can't force someone to care, and if you don't, maybe you should pick another career.
Fact are, there are bad teachers and good teachers, why can't you accept the fact he might be a bad teacher? Have you seen him? Talked to him? All those I spoek to in my class have graded our other teachers best marks, he has the only teacher that's practically been unanimously down-graded.
With your approach everyone will pass, everyone will be happy, but your lecturer will have no idea who will make a really tough, innovative, fast-thinking materials science researcher - and that's what he wants.
He's not our lecturer, he's our "one-time" spring trimester introductory material science teacher who we will never see again. Our lecturer himself is amazingly brilliant, and I have no complaints about him. He's been helping us out in the same way which you said he shouldn't. Actually giving us examples and caring. Do you want to complain that he's been overhelping and overcaring about us, maybe? I'll send them a letter in the mail
"he's an incredibly overcaring, amazingly helful teacher and the best in the world. I think you should fire him as he's 'not going to prepare me for the industry'"... *rolls eyes*
He's told you that to pass you will have to come to class and listen to him! That's the point of coming to class.
I am able to study tons better from the book, and seems to be way ahead of class when I do.
He actually sounds more involved than many lecturers, some give big hints that it's all in the textbook - then they have less people to bother with at lecturers, and no one pursuing them for problem sets or hand-holding.
That's fine, I'm not after tricks and tips, I actually want to "learn" not just pass a test- but I do want my test to represent my knowledge. How can I truly have confidence in my knowledge without a mock test/trying past tests?
He wants most people to do badly, then those that are likely to be *really* good will shine out. If you don't really have a first class mind for materials science, can't really pass this guys class, then its best to find out now and go and teach in a community college or something.
Haha! Yes, I'm sure he has this ulterior motive. He also has a secret lab at home and he's secretly been a really terrible teacher so he sees who can triumph despite his terrible teaching so he would be worthy to join his lab experiments as partner.
But seriously, seeing how teachers get the heat if students do badly, I seriously doubt he wants us (even secretly) to do badly!
Ask around, there will be some people (maybe only one or two) who have got an A from this guy. Ask them how they did it.
(Warning: Bravado and ego ahead)
I don't think anyone would get a higher grade than me. I said that in our first semester and that was true. I can tell just by questioning students that I'm much more advanced than everyone and ahead of the material (except the few who are actually working in the field-- most of our class haven't heard of an atom though, or really now what 'hardness' means. I did have some background in chemistry before getting into the class and the teacher was even impressed with me [even remarked that it's nice to have a girl in class for a change lol]). The question is how much I'll get in the test, not how much someone else will. I may have given you the impression that I'm a poor girl sobbing for the teacher to babystep me through anything. NOT the case. I've been a teacher myself in the pass and I'm currently on scholarship teaching other people in my class mechanics. In fact, in our last mechanics class, because our teacher has been so splendid to show us our goals, our aim, and past tests (he gave us a file with all the past tests), I've set at the back of the class with my laptop solving problems that we're only going to touch in a few weeks. The only reason I was in class was to help other students (they know I'm good for help). I already solved over 150 mechanics questions from these past tests.
P.S. This grappling with the situation tooth and nail, as you are doing in this thread, is a good sign - keep it up, 18hrs a day, and you might make it...
I'm not sure if you're mocking me or not, in this case I'd point you to my history in this forum which speaks for itself. If you say that I'm spending too much time in this thread, compare it to the time I spend solving problems in this forum, you'll find this thread is no match.
There are several classic texts on the subject - e.g., Callister:
Problem with referrences such as Callister (which I've had downlloaded before the course started) is the fact that there is tons of material that's unrelated to our minor introductory course that's VERY specific.
Obviously we don't know the detailed contents of your courses, but part of the problem could be you are expecting the wrong thing from the course. As you said, in mechanics etc you are meant to be learning how to apply some general principles to solving problems, and the way you learn that is mostly by practising solving problems.
But an introductory materials course could be much more about "learning facts about commonliy used materials". At a beginning level, there isn't much theory or problem solving involved. Of course there is a lot of theory involved if you want to know how bulk properties of a material liike its thermal or electrical conductivity are related to quantum mechanics, for example, but that is the difference between a first materials course for engineers, and an advanced course for physicists.
Maybe you should be approaching it more like a med student learning human anatomy. You can't do much "problem solving" about the human skeleton - you just have to learn what all the bones are called and how they fit together, because in real life situations finding a computer and getting the infomation from Google is not an option.
Best reply in this thread :) Esp. since I've studied anatomy. Thanks.
Again, this seems like high school thinking to me. Sure, he could do all of that, but that doesn't mean he needs or should do that if his goal is to make you learn the material best.
I'd say he's countering his goals, then.
Besides, we're studying stuff less pro than high-school as of now. This is an amazing college that's been baby-stepping this class in everything.
I agree, but you seem to think he conforms to a lower standard, whereas I think (from your description, at least) he merely conforms to a different one, one that isn't necessarily lower.
To me it appears you're giving him an excuse for every teacher in the world who doesn't care about teaching.
"He's just giving you a hard time so you'll do it on your own"
Heck, if he really want to give me a hard time, he shouldn't even bother come to class!
but I don't find them necessary if the course material is explained well.
Most students in my class say it isn't. (few has background in materials science and I know one of them is working at that field. Not fair to count them!)
which I think at university level one shouldn't take as granted.
College! We're college!
I can relate with her experience, as well, and hope that in the future her professors will be more to her liking. And while learning ultimately is our own responsibility, I don't actually think this relieves professors from being good teachers. It's just that their duty is to actually teach to the best of their abilities, not to the best liking of their students.
Fair enough and thank you. Though I will refer you to some text above relating to my ability to self-study if that's in question. But I think I will drop the issue for now, take a breather, and just see how it goes next class and next time I talk to him.I appreciate everyone for your replies. It definitely helped sooth me. :)
and teaching.
