Astronomy 161: Professor Weinberg
Makeup Policy and Advice
Makeup for Quizzes and Midterm
If you will be absent for a quiz or for the midterm, you must let me
know in advance, in class or (preferably) by email to
dhw@astronomy.ohio-state.edu, or bring a doctor's note if you were
taken ill the day of the exam.
You may then take a makeup quiz or midterm the following week.
It is up to you to contact the TA, Jerry Yoo,
(jaiyul@astronomy.ohio-state.edu, 292-2076) to arrange to take the
makeup. If you do not arrange to take it within a week of the
original exam date, you will get zero for that quiz or midterm.
Although the quizzes and midterm in class will be multiple choice,
any makeup quizzes and midterm will be short answer/essay.
Broadly speaking, they will cover the same material at a similar level.
In averaging your four quiz scores, I will give the lowest score
half the weight of the other three, so your worst quiz performance
will count less, but it will still count.
In Class Questions
The "in class questions" are questions that I will pose in class
and to which you will turn in an answer on an index card, after
having some opportunity to discuss your thinking with some of
your classmates. They will range from mildly challenging to
quite challenging, and I don't expect people to get all of them right.
You get 100% credit for a correct answer, 50% credit for an
incorrect answer, and no credit for no answer (i.e., because
you are absent).
For the in class question score, I will drop your lowest three results
before computing the average score. For example, if there are 28
in class questions during the quarter (one every day except for the
midterm), I will compute the average of the 25 highest scores.
Thus, if you are absent for three classes, the zeros that you get
for those questions won't be averaged into your score.
If you are present for all classes but get three questions wrong,
those three questions (for which you get 50% credit) won't be
averaged into your score.
Please note that dropping the three low scores is the
makeup policy for in class questions. Since someone in a class of 200
has an excused absence essentially every day of the quarter,
there is no practical alternative, nor do I think one is merited.
If you have an illness
that will cause you to miss more than three classes during the
quarter, you should consult with me about how to make up for what
you are missing; the in class questions will be a minor part
of the problem.
Extra Credit Assignment
There will be one optional, 3-page essay assignment for extra credit.
I will describe it after the midterm, and it will be due during
the last week of class.
How To Do Well In This Class
Here is my advice for how to do well in this class:
- Come to class. While the web lecture notes will
provide an outline of what is covered, you should pay attention to
what I emphasize and to how I explain things, and you should try
to identify the key points for yourself during class.
Figure out whatever
strategy is most effective for you to stay tuned in and keep thinking
for 78 minutes.
- Once-a-week: Do the reading from the textbook. Review the lecture
notes and try to summarize for yourself the overall point of each
subsection. Review the answers to the in class problems and be
sure you understand them. It is probably best to set aside time on
Wednesday afternoon/evening or Thursday for this review, since
quizzes and the midterm are on Friday.
- I think it is probably more effective to make additions to my printed
notes rather than take your own from scratch, but it's your choice.
Make notes on in class questions and on things that come up in lecture
and are not on the web notes.
- If you are unclear on something, ask a question during or after class,
or come to office hours. If you can't make the regularly scheduled
office hours, make an appointment.
- I will allow you to bring one page of handwritten notes to each
quiz, to the midterm, and to the final. Preparing these notes should
be a useful part of your review for the tests. It is usually more
effective to identify and write down the key points rather than
squeeze as much as you can onto a piece of paper.
- Pay attention to the review guides that I provide for the
quizzes, midterm, and final.
- Attend one of the review sessions before the midterm and the final.
- When you take the tests, read the questions carefully and review
your answers. You should be able to tell yourself why the answer
you picked is correct and is better than any of the alternatives.
- If you find that you are doing less well in the course than you
want or expect, come to my office hours and discuss strategies for
improving your performance. If you can't make my scheduled office
hours, make an appointment.
- Did I mention, Come to Class?
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Updated: 2005 March 25[dhw]