Exams
Exams
- The purpose of exams in this course is to test your understanding of the content covered in the video lectures.
- Based on several years of student evaluations, some students learn more and better from video lectures, while some learn better from in-person lectures; each has pros and cons. Lectures delivered by any method are inherently difficult ways to learn, because they are not interactive and they do not put the ideas into practice. Neveretheless, lectures are the most efficient way to convey a lot of information, and then students have to study that, including some memorization.
- To demonstrate your understanding of the lecture content, you will take 2 one-hour tests and a two-hour final exam, all in the regular assigned classroom. I recommend that you review all course materials before each test. To be successful on the exam, you ought to be able to look at each powerpoint slide from the video podcast and explain to yourself or another person what that slide shows and what it means. You should also understand what each assignment was about and what it means. Try to integrate what you have learned into a coherent structure.
- Study tip 1: Try making a glossary of all the scientific jargon in all the lecutres. Words like "transmission losses" or "Hortonian overland flow" are not something one can just reaosn out what they mean- you have to memorize their meaning if you wish to have them at your command in your career.
- Study tip 2: Look at all the scientific plots on the slides and try to reproduce them, talking yourself through what each one means. Drawing is a helpful study method.
- The first in-class test is scheduled for Friday, February 06, 2026.
- The second in-class test is scheduled for Monday, March 02, 2026.
- The final exam is scheduled for Thursday, March 19, 2026 at 10:30 am - 12:30 pm.
