In-class Assignments

Individual In-Class Assignments

• You will be assigned a total of 15 problems related to specific subject areas in the course. Assignments are designed to balance three learning components: basic skill development, understanding lecture concepts, and practicing real work done by hydrologists. You may discuss the problems with other students in the class, but you cannot share anything and you must submit your own homework. Do not share spreadsheets, graphs, tables, text, etc. Homeworks will be graded on a scale of 100 and they will be returned to you promptly after all students have submitted them. Each homework is given equal weight in computing the overall homework grade.

• You are required by UC Davis to have your own personal computer and the required software to do the assignemnts. In this class you will use MS Excel spreadsheet program extensively. LAWR has a few computers available to students. Although some homeworks can be done with equivalent programs such as the freeware OpenOffice, I cannot guarantee that the high-end tools and add-ons in Excel are equally available in other programs, so my advice is to get a copy of MS Excel (cheaper at the campus bookstore?). Further, some homeworks will require at least the 2007/2008 iteration of Excel, because later in the quarter you will learn how to use a special, powerful feature called array formulas.
  
  Please be sure that the following add-ons are available on your copy of MS Excel: Data Analysis toolpak and Solver. In the PC 2010 version of Excel, click on the Data tab and look for both items. If you do not see it, go to the help menu and look up how to add the "add-ins". In the Mac 2011 version, there is no Data Analysis toolpak any more, so you must add the freeware program StatPlus. Search online for instructions to load that up.
  
  Finally, if you have never used Excel before, then I encourage you to do some kind of beginner tutorial to get yourself started in the basics of using a spreadsheet. I am available in my office help with some tutoring, but you will need to supplement that with practice on your own. The use MS Office as a whole is simply one of the basic skill sets you need to be employable in the 21st century. I guarantee that this class will help you reach a higher level of usage.