The Exam Equation

dunechaser @ Flickr

Just off the back of the last post, I thought it might be useful to upload this. It's a spread sheet I nabbed off a physics student and modified to work out what you need to get in exams to get a certain classification knowing what your coursework marks are.

Basically, it takes your coursework marks and calculates that as a percentage of the unit. It then works out the number of extra unit percent you need to get up to 2.2, 2.1 and First. It then works out what this extra unit percent translates into for an exam. I am not so hot on the various cut off points for 2.2. and 2.1 are, so I added a box where you can tweak these factors.

I am pretty sure the maths in there is sound but if you see an error in the equations please do hurl abuse my way (via the comment box below or email) and I will get it changed.

If anyone knows the equation to work out overall mark then do pop it in the comments or email me. I think Level 2 is 1/3rd of the degree and Level 3 is 2/3rds, with coursework and exams in Level 3 making up 2/3rds (of the overall Level 3 2/3rds) and projects making up the remaining 1/3rd (of the overall Level 3 2/3rds). Ergh, complicated. I think that's how it works but not entirely sure.

(For those curious about the spreadsheet, I didn't get 10 in everything; I just changed all the marks to 10)

Project uncertainty

96dpi @ Flickr

Someone emailed wondering when you get your project marks, which means lots of you will be wondering about when you get your project marks.

If last year is anything to go on, you will find out your project mark around the time you find out your exam marks, which is early-mid June. So as not to be working on the assumption that last year is correct for this year, you should pop into reception to confirm.

One thing this does mean is that a large portion of your marks remain unspecified, which makes guessing your overall standing more difficult, which, in turn, makes assigning the amount of effort to revision a tricky thing. In this fog of this uncertainty the best thing to do is simply revise hard and do the best you can do in the exams, giving yourself the benefit of doubt should your project fall short.

While it may seem obvious to do this, there is an attitude that if you are in 2.1 territory anyway it makes little difference what mark you get within this. '2.1 comfort', I call this. This is fine but also be aware that employers frequently look at marks and clearly a high 2.1 is more attractive than a low 2.1.

Nothing makes any sense!

He's confused too. You are not the only one.

The more you read the more confused you become. Areas start out fairly straight-forward and rapidly become mired in dizzying confusion; one research group thinks black, another says white, a third seems to be saying grey but you aren't quite sure. Then some old goat says that actually there is no colour at all. Argh! Nothing makes any sense!

This is one of the most annoying feelings in the world. An arresting dissatisfaction with your understanding, like being stuck inside a David Lynch film. I am confident that it will be horribly familiar to most of you from researching essays.

The bad news is that it's only going to get worse as you attempt to make sense of whole courses (effectively the same work you did for an essay multiplied by the number of different areas you revise multiplied by your number of courses.)

At school (and with many other degrees) the information you need to learn is well set out, the conclusions have been arrived at already and you just need to soak them up. With this degree things are a bit tougher and it doesn't feel good. You need to research heavily and then try and make sense of it all.

The result of all this fishing with no fish to show for it is the 'whatever effect'; so overwhelmed are you by conflicting, theories, evidence and conclusions that you throw your hands up and say 'Whatever. I am off to the pub.'

I think the 'whatever effect' is one of the principle sources of grit in the resentment-of-psychology oyster, which in addition to being an unpleasant state to be in is not conducive to good marks. Being excited is good.

Throwing in the towel, also holds people back from higher marks because of the barrier it presents to understanding. The 'whatever effect' begets poor essays.

If you are happy to settle for a muddied picture of material then you don't deserve more marks but if you are hungry for those shiny extra prizes, you will need to work through confusion and learn to tolerate ambiguity until the fog clears (and it will clear if you are determined enough). It's a change in mindset: from being defensive and quitting to persisting when everything seems negative. It sounds a bit new agey, like you should be air punching when you get out of bed in the morning, but this is an idea with empirical support and cognitive benefits.

It will be tough. You'll have to hang up your party heels and put down your pint. However, beyond the unpleasant time spent grappling with the literature is a nirvana of clarity, where high scoring skills like critical thinking and creativity can flourish.

The other thing to remember is that you are not alone in this. Sometimes work is desperately lonely but it need not be: active discussion with others is often a shortcut to better understanding.

So if you are feeling confused - and the degree is deliberately designed to engender a bit of bafflement - don't give up. If you are willing to sweat a little, chew it over with friends and try and make sense of this confusion, higher marks and more more enjoyment await you.

Hitting the top of the net

For some people the top of net can be the difference between a First and a 2.1. With a little luck you make it over in to hallowed First territory. Or maybe you don't and you only wish luck had been more affectionate with you. After all, luck is what separates the highest 2.1s and lowest Firsts, isn't it? I am not so sure.

Like much of psychological research, this is a matter of averages. All other things being equal, if you increase the number of participants in a study the more reliable the data become; the chance of chance messing up your numbers is reduced with each new person through the door.

Your final degree classification does not suffer from too few participants. In fact, by the time you reach the end of your degree, your classification won't hang on the whim of the occasional marker or odd piece of alcohol-infused work you hand in. It will hang on the aggregated quality of your plentiful work.

Match Point is Woody Allen's most satisfying and chilly film in a long time and I think the fable about luck is appropriate in many situations - it is scary to think how big a role luck plays. However, with your degree classification luck is not the biggest player: consistently good work is.

Those of you who discover you are on the wrong side of 70% in June may feel unlucky but really you have not worked hard enough. You know the division is there. If you sense you are close, now is the time to make sure you start hitting the ball a little bit harder.