Exams

Exam Dates

• 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. 

Exam Purpose

• The purpose of exams in this course is to test your understanding of the content covered in the video lectures.
• Exams are in-person and "closed-book".
• 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.

Info Sheet Option

• You are allowed to prepare a single piece of paper, double-sided to bring into the exam as an aid.
• No magnification devises or other such aides allowed in the exam, apart from normal glasses.
• Write your name at the top left of the sheet, as you'll have to turn it in with your exam. It will be returned afterwards.
• If the goal is to assess a student's learning of lecture content, then why allow a "cheet sheet" at all?
  • Constructing a cheat sheet can be a powerful learning activity in its own right. To decide what to include, students must review the full scope of the material, distinguish core concepts from details, organize information meaningfully, and translate ideas into their own shorthand or representations.
  • This aligns with well-established cognitive principles: elaboration, synthesis, and organization are far more effective for learning than rereading or memorization alone. In many cases, students who create good cheat sheets learn as much as they would by traditional studying—even if they barely use the sheet during the exam.
  • Allowing a cheat sheet implicitly signals that the exam is not about recalling isolated facts, but about applying concepts, interpreting data or scenarios, making reasoned arguments, and solving problems using appropriate tools.
  • For students, this reduces cognitive load and test anxiety.
• Keep in mind that dense, poorly organized sheets are frequently less useful during an exam than sparse, well-structured ones.