Latest revision as of 06:41, 21 March 2009

Exam before or after spring break?

This poll is now closed. By a majority vote (8-3-19) it has been decided that the second test will be Friday March 27, 2009. --Mboutin 15:32, 2 March 2009 (UTC)

I suggest everybody goes back and edit their posts to remove all the offensive words. It's a wiki after all! --Mboutin 12:21, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

• There was some discussion during class of having our second exam before or after spring break.
• Sign your name below the time you would like to have the exam.
• DO NOT sign your name more than once!

Friday Before Spring Break

--Ghadley 21:47, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Boon Shern Chng

-- Jaewoo Choi

-- Shao-Fu Shih

-- Mreeder 19:30, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Chen Yaxi

--Jmazzei 15:32, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Do Hyoung Kim

Wednesday After Spring Break (March 25th)

--Babaumga 13:23, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Meenal Patel

--Bjcarter 14:18, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

Friday After Spring Break (March 27th)

--Ekavurma 14:29, 1 March 2009 (UTC)

--Jwromine 17:35, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Huimin Huang

-- Carlos Leon

--Pjcannon 19:56, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Sungyong Kim

--Joon Young Kim 20:46, 23 February 2009 (UTC)

--Vhsieh

--Rodrigaa 10:58, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

--Chanw 11:34, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Li-Sheng Chiang

--Kkapoor 14:17, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

--Geng Tian

--cg49me 13:15, 26 February 2009 (UTC) (yes yes, I changed my vote)

--Daniel Sandberg --Dsandber 13:17, 26 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Cztan 19:30, 22 February 2009 (UTC)

-- Dennis Lee

--Sowmya Alur

-- Abdallah Ashi

No Opinion

Doesn't Matter, go with the flow. Though I can be persuaded (lunch)...--Mlo 11:51, 27 February 2009 (UTC)

Opinion

• Exam 2 Time Discussion

I couldn't help but notice that Professor Boutin voted on the exam time...is that valid? I was of the opinion that this was a poll for students and that Mimi would then go along with the outcome. She left the decision up to us, so should she not be an impartial third party, in spite of what some overgeneralizing, narrow-minded class members might think and/or write? --Ghadley 21:53, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

Everyone who voted has a reason for voting the way they did. Just because they did not describe it vividly in a 'plea' does not mean that they have less valid reasons. To call everyone who doesn't do things the way you like it 'a douche bag that doesn't care about his grades' is rather immature. --Hhuang 21:10, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

There would a two week break between the time we finish covering the exam material and the actual exam if the exam is after spring break. This could hurt students who are keeping up-to-date with the material since they would have to go back and do additional studying to stay on top of everything. It would help students who want to cram before the exam since they would have more time to do that. I figure the class is probably split evenly into these two groups. Personally, I have an academic study abroad in France during spring break. I am not partying in Florida or laying around during spring break. I will have little or possibly no free time during which I can study (we do not return to Purdue until late Sunday night). It is also likely I will be jetlagged for the week after spring break. This is why a pre-spring break exam works better for me. --Rodrigaa 19:37, 24 February 2009 (UTC)

You know what? The test should be after the spring break. Do you guys really have the time to prepare mid-term 2 before spring break? The spring break is 1 week which is enough time to study. If you don't want to mess up your precious grade, think one more time. --Kim415

Exam 2 Time Discussion by --Vhsieh

Ghadley - I'll admit a lot of what I said was narrow-minded. I was speaking out of anger. However, Mimi should have the right to vote, considering she is the instructor, and the time of the exam could affect her too. In most classes, I am pretty sure, if the instructor wants to move an exam, they just do it and tell the students it has been moved. Mimi, in a sense, is actually giving us quite a bit of power. Hhuang - I don't call everyone that doesn't do things the way I like "a douche bag that doesn't care about his grades". However, like I said in my notorious "plea", the only reason for wanting the exam before the break is that you want to enjoy break more and, thus, made a conscious decision to give yourself less time to study for the exam in order to ensure a quality break, sacrificing academics for enjoyment. Since this is a defining characteristic of the stereotypical "My New Haircut" douche bag, it seems only fitting that I refer to such people as douche bags that don't care about grades. Last, but certainly not least, Rodrigaa - If you like to keep up-to-date with the material, it should not matter when you take the exam, as you will need to understand this material for the latter third of the course anyways. If you are more hazy after break about the material than you are before (which is, if I am not mistaken, the claim you make in your defense for voting before-the-break) you are, point and fact, not keeping up-to-date with the material, and, with that being said, the foundation of your entire argument is, simply put, self-contradicting. Way to not make sense. --Vhsieh

Remind me how I could stay up-to-date over spring break if I have no opportunity to study? If I am up-to-date and well-studied prior to spring break and then I am unable to review material for 9 days, it seems only natural that I would become hazy. Regardless, I never even said I wanted to do it that. I would prefer to do the bulk of my studying during spring break, but I will be unable to do that. I completely understand why you want the test after spring break--if I was in your situation I would too. The two choices are going to work differently for each person in the class. It's not a "one size fits all" situation. I am not trying to convince anyone to vote for either, they should vote for the choice that makes the most sense for them personally. I was merely trying to show that people have legitimate reasons for wanting the exam before spring break (just like you have a legitimate reason for wanting it after). --Rodrigaa 00:44, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

It seems to me that you're generalizing the people who voted for the test to be held before the spring break a douche bag. I would like to point out that not the whole class will be as free as you during and after the spring break. Some of us had go overseas for academic study abroad program, some of us had research to do over spring break and some might had exams after spring break. You might be free, but not all of us. One more thing, please refrain from flaming and degrading people in your post.This is a academic discussion board, and not a typical forum where you can say what you like--Chanw 16:19, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Guys/gals, how about you try to find a compromise? If I understand correctly, the problem is that some people will be gone during Spring break and thus will not be studying. These people may feel they will be at a disadvantage if the exam is the Wednesday after Spring break, as other people will have spent Spring break studying. Or perhaps there is a feeling that the exam will be harder if it is given after Spring break. (I can assure that this will not be the case. Moreover, in case you are still wondering, I do not 'curve'. In particular, I do not lower the expectations if a large fraction of the class does poorly on an exam. Similarly, I do not raise the expectations if a large fraction of the class does well.) On the other hand, other people think that they already have too many exams on the Friday before Spring break to be able to adequately prepare for another exam. I voted for "after Spring break" because I DO want you to adequately prepare for this exam, and I do not think you will be able to do this given what I now know about the situation. I thought adding my vote would encourage more people to voice their opinion, and hopefully come up with a consensus. But be assured that I will NOT use my vote as a tie breaker. I would much prefer to be able to get a consensus. So I am challenging you to find a compromise that would satisfy a clear majority of students: any suggestions? --Mboutin 12:45, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

Hmm...no exam? --Pjcannon 14:04, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

As a matter of fact that people have different things to do with their own schedule, the change of the exam date would probably effect some people's schedule in a way that they have to rearrange their schedule for the exam. In other words, someone might have to add additional work load on the week after the break for exam preparation. In addition, personally, I usually find myself can't focus on studying within a break period. For those reasons, I suggest to put the exam as where it was. BTW, just for the heads up, I have 3 exams last week and 2 the week before that. I would assume if I survived through it, as an unintellgent person as I am, people that constantly keep up with the material should be able to handle it, too.

Hey all,

What do you think about this?

We could have the exam the Friday after we return from spring break (March 27th). This way those who do not want to/cannot study over spring break do not have to (because honestly who started studying for the last exam a week before). Also it would not conflict with all the exams people have before spring break. I have added a section above so people can vote on this time.--Jwromine 17:35, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

• I would be fine with that. --Mboutin 18:08, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

As what was mentioned earlier, people might already have a todo list after spring break; that's said, its probably not a good time.

With all due respect, when does a EE/CompE not have a to-do list? There is never any time that will be "good" because we all have an endless list of things to do at any given time. The harsh reality of the situation is that we have to take an exam, and no matter when we have it we will have to rearrange our "to-do" list to make time to study for it. That is the way exams work. In my opinion everyone is making far to big of a deal about this. How many times have we been through this scenario already? How many times have we had 4 exams in a week, or one exam and 3 projects? All of us that are in this class now have been through this before and somehow we managed to get through it. Besides worse case scenario: you fail this test and drop it. --Jwromine 23:07, 25 February 2009 (UTC)

For what you just said, how about we can just take it at when it was originally? Then nobody really have to change anything on their schedule?

Dude, the whole reason for the poll is so that everyone can compromise and find a time that may not be great for them, but doesn't suck for anyone. Friday before break would suck for many (myself included). Wednesday after break would suck for many (as clearly indicated by the above poll). Friday after break is an attempt at a compromise. It may not be great for me, and it may not be great for the before-break advocates, but, if it doesn't completely suck for anybody, maybe it is the best solution. Being dogmatic about a time and an unwillingness to try to reach a compromise doesn't help us progress any further. --Vhsieh