I'm screwed!

[Muusers]

And with me every first-years Mechanical Engineering student at the TU Delft!

Short story: The professor hasn't specified what to study for the midterm.

Long story: So this wednesday is my last midterm, projectskills. The project was about creating a landvehicle that runs on compressed air. With it we had to calculate torque, power, transmission and the likes. So we designed one and all was good. Now this wednesday is the written test. It's 50 percent of your end grade, and you have to at least get a 4.5/10 to make it count. The professor who gave the lectures though hasn't specified the exact pages we have to study for the midterm, not even any pages really. He only posted about that we should make midterms from past years. Here it comes: the subject from past years was a pole-climber (so not dancer you pervs). So how are we supposed to study for OUR midterm that's about a landvehicle that runs on compressed air when we have to practice on tests that are about a bloody pole-climber.

[Trevorus]

Yay, mechanical engineering! Probably, you need to study the aspects of the design, I would think. Look at what kind of questions were asked about the pole climber, and see what those questions would be if they were talking about your air-car.

[Vorago]

Can't you email him?

I'm assuming that in The Netherlands it's pretty easy to contact your professors...

Whether or not he'll reply in time is a different question though.

Or you could phone him and ask him directly.

[MakiSupaStar]

You need to go to the strip club for research and inspiration. Hop on it.

[Jared Lash]

Yep, sounds like you're screwed.

Change your major to sociology. It won't be as impressive on a resume, but you'll have cuter chicks in your classes and more free time for binge drinking.

Does your professor have office hours before the midterm? If so, problem solved. Just go ask him directly what you should study.

If not, I can only assume that by "look at old midterms" he meant (a) look at the old midterms to see the kinds of questions we asked about the pole climbing project and you can imagine what kinds of questions I'd ask about this years project or (2) he's old and senile and doesn't realize that the old midterms are focused on a completely different topic. In that case, yes you are screwed.

[Muusers]

Originally Posted by Vorago

Can't you email him?

I'm assuming that in The Netherlands it's pretty easy to contact your professors...

Whether or not he'll reply in time is a different question though.

Or you could phone him and ask him directly.

several students already did that, here's what he posted on the school's forums:

"Some students have asked what pages to study from the book. This question isn't weird because you are used to that kind of studying for a test.

It's a conscious decision to not specify the exact pages which should be studied. We want to stimulate the students to look up the information themselves, which is what's expected of you when you leave the TU.

There are midterms of previous years on Blackboard (program we use) with which you can study for the exam.

There's an updated version of the formula sheet on Blackboard which you can use during the exam."

Do you guys need explanation, because I do! Oh, the formula sheet is no good too, half of the formulas on there we've never even used

[Scarlet Fire]

That actually sounds very straightforward to me. What have you been working on all semester? That's the material the test will cover. What kinds of questions are on the old exams? Those are the questions you'll have to answer, just adapted to a different subject. What kinds of equations are on the formula sheet? Those are the ones you'll need to know like the back of your hand.

[Vorago]

Blackboard...*shivers*

Like the others said, try to figure out the way the questions from last year relate to the subject and the answers of last year, and try to 'extrapolate' this to this years assignment.

I'm making this up, but bear with me;

'What kind of production/practical issues are you likely to run into when fabricating a xxxxxxxxxxx (pole climber/compressed air vehicle)'

Answer on the pole climber > is there maybe a parallel with the compressed air vehicle?

Yes, how so? No, why not?



Etc..

[Muusers]

Originally Posted by Scarlet Fire

That actually sounds very straightforward to me. What have you been working on all semester? That's the material the test will cover. What kinds of questions are on the old exams? Those are the questions you'll have to answer, just adapted to a different subject. What kinds of equations are on the formula sheet? Those are the ones you'll need to know like the back of your hand.

About 3 of 20 questions of the old exams are adaptable to the subject we studied (since all old exams have similar build-up). We can use the formula-sheet during the exam, but about half of the formulas aren't applicable to our subject. AND some complicated formulas we have used aren't on the sheet.

[armywalaby]

Sounds like this guy is teaching you how to learn instead of just teaching you how to pass the class. Bravo to him.

[Vorago]

No pity here for you Muusers


Sorry mate, good luck.

[Muusers]

Originally Posted by Vorago

Blackboard...*shivers*

Like the others said, try to figure out the way the questions from last year relate to the subject and the answers of last year, and try to 'extrapolate' this to this years assignment.

I'm making this up, but bear with me;

'What kind of production/practical issues are you likely to run into when fabricating a xxxxxxxxxxx (pole climber/compressed air vehicle)'

Answer on the pole climber > is there maybe a parallel with the compressed air vehicle?

Yes, how so? No, why not?



Etc..

The pole-climber was mainly focussed on how much torque the engine should deliver, what kind of force should be exerted on the pole by the wheels and how much friction was needed. The air-compressed vehicle was mainly focussed about compressing air, the workings of the engine and the power air can supply...

[DudeistMonk]

Change your major to sociology. It won't be as impressive on a resume, but you'll have cuter chicks in your classes and more free time for binge drinking.

Lol or Communication Arts.

[Vorago]

Can't you ask the same questions about the car?

Torque delivered by the engine on the aandrijfas, forces exerted on the mechanics by the aandrijfas, and so on?

I'm sorry if I'm not making sense, this waaaaay out of my ballpark.

[etoncrow]

Engineering studies teach you a certain way of thinking more than memorizing information. They also teach you how to work under stress. The best you can do is not get stressed out and remember that you are in the same situation as all of your peers. Keep your head and compete.

- Gregory M. Harman, BSME, PE

[MakiSupaStar]

Without being a mechanical engineering student, I would bet that you're going to have to figure out how to apply an air-compressed engine in different situations. You've done the model for a car, but how would you use this engine for a pole climber, or other types of applications used in past mid terms.

[machine gewehr]

If you are not sure where to focus,
knowing your stuff from the beginning to the end perfectly is kinda the only way.

But this sounds too harsh to me however its a great way to make you learn.If you're really screwed at the end of the cemester,write a paper to the dean or whomever you can.I was screwed in the summer school and a paper made my F into a D.

Not the best way to solve the problem but I couldn't care less about that economics class.I'm a CSE student btw.

[Fontaine]

so whats wrong with the prof not telling u every page u have to read? that sounds like high school to me. Welcome to college.

[MakiSupaStar]

Originally Posted by Fontaine

so whats wrong with the prof not telling u every page u have to read? that sounds like high school to me. Welcome to college.

How did that "u" instead of "you" help you out in college?

[DudeistMonk]

How did that "u" instead of "you" help you out in college?

One day written language will evolve for efficiency and then it will be u who is wrong!