avg. day @ cornell - Page 6

lucifer11287 · 01-31-2006, 01:06 AM

Just to put it out there, for a LOT of classes you can get away without going to lecture - especially in engineering/big lecture classes, since most everything you need is on the internet (i.e. lecture notes, homework assignments, etc).

gomestar · 01-31-2006, 09:28 AM

i didn't go to the last half of the lectures for my statistics class.

My prof wrote the book and it was alot clearer than his lectures. I got more from reading a chapter for an hour than going to his lecture for 75 minutes.

i got an A- in the course, i didnt miss out by skipping lecture.

lucifer11287 · 01-31-2006, 11:34 AM

Exactly, I got an A in two classes I didn't go to after early October last semester - a lot of time lecture is simply reading the book/writing it on the board, or maybe going through a powerpoint presentation that you can likely download and go through yourself. Obviously, I doubt that not oging to class would be a good idea in the smaller, upper level classes (where you're less likely to have a nice friendly course webpage, or may want to actually get to know the prof. so you can get a recommendation), but for any large lecture class you can probably get away with it.

fudgemaster · 01-31-2006, 12:39 PM

Not going to class...I wouldn't advise it for classes that grade on a harsh curve. Why not go to lecture when the professor usually writes exams that are mostly based on lecture? I remember Chirik who taught chem 207 last year even told us exactly what some of the answers for his prelims and final.

abike11 · 01-31-2006, 12:54 PM

What do you mean by harsh curve?

lucifer11287 · 01-31-2006, 01:25 PM

If they put lecture notes online, you aren't at that much of a disadvantage by not going to lecture. And why not go to lecture? Not wanting to get up early, etc... are all reasons why people wouldn't want to go.

fudgemaster · 01-31-2006, 02:45 PM

By choosing to go to sleep, the opportunity cost would be to miss lecture and to waste the tuition money that you or your parents pay.

And by harsh curve, I mean if the class' average is a B- or a C+ or lower, you probably won't do well if you skip lecture. In those classes, you really need to be about the top 10% to get an A.

sparticus800 · 01-31-2006, 02:59 PM

there are 2 perspectives on that fudge. One is that you're not wasting the money as long as you get your degree and a decent GPA. The other is that you are wasting the money because you're not learning as much. Neither is more correct IMO; it just depends on the primary reason you're attending college.

lucifer11287 · 01-31-2006, 03:06 PM

If I can get an A and not go to class, then why bother going? So I can be bored in class and read ESPN on my laptop while using maybe half my brain to take notes that I could just download later? It's one thing to say you're wasting your parents money if you skip class and get a 2.0 and barely graduate; if you have a good/great GPA and can get away without going to class then why bother? After college no one is going to know whether you went to class; all they'll know is a)what your GPA was, b) what the profs you ask for recs write, and c)possibly any trouble you got into; attendence doesn't enter the equation.

stonecold23 · 02-01-2006, 02:44 PM

is their wireless for internet access over the entire campus?

gomestar · 02-01-2006, 02:47 PM

pretty much, at least on central campus where all of your classes will be

jason2811 · 02-01-2006, 02:48 PM

at registration time for classes, do you get to pick your own teachers and times or is everything just given to you? like is it possible to pick the easiest teacher?

gomestar · 02-01-2006, 02:52 PM

it is possible. though, this is cornell and most teachers like to challenge the students.

also, some of the hardest teachers are also known to be among the best on campus. Many students would gladly put up with the extra work. Being a GPA whore is one way to not enjoy your time at cornell.

sparticus800 · 02-01-2006, 04:20 PM

Wireless is in many buildings, most importantly the libraries. In the next few years you can probably expect wireless on every inch of campus, maybe even in the gorges

elevenblanks · 02-01-2006, 06:48 PM

Today was one of my more challenging days. This is when I start class each day.

MW 8:40am
T 1:25pm
ThF 12:20pm

Today was Wednesday, so my schedule was like this:

(shower before bed)
7:50- wake up, check email, swaddle myself in sweaters, scarves, and a parka (it was like 30 today, but its supposed to be about 48 tomorrow!)

8:40- comparative politics lecture

9:55- had a bagle at a cafe and tried to work the soduko puzzle in the school newspaper

11:15- Music 108: "Mozart to minimalists" lecture. I just sit and listen to my professor play the piano as i follow along in a score

12:05- i have sushi and potato salad for lunch. with nowhere to sit in the ivy room, my friend and I sit in the empty Willard Straight Art Gallery and eat.

1:25- French section

2:30- Game Theory lecture

3:40- This will usually be yoga, but it doesn't start until next week

Instead, I took the bus back up to North campus.

I've just been checking my email an stuff, watching LOST, and procrastinating homework. Since I don't have class until 12:20 tomorrow, i'm not really that worried about it. I'm just going to read some Bosnian literature and a few articles on why socialism didn't reign victorious in America. Cornell is generally only painful around prelims and finals. The rest is just about managing time. You have to go to all your classes, but there's still time to go out on thursday, friday, and saturday, and still maintain a 3.8.