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Mid-Term Grades

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 I've now received all of my mid-term grades and considering how poorly I've been going just keeping up I'm not too displeased with the results.  I wasn't expecting anything fantastic as, unfortunately, all of my assessment has been written the day before submission. Anyhow, my grades to date are:

PHIL2400: Ethics and the Passions.
Tutorial Seminar - High Distinction
Mid-Term Essay - Distinction

PHI350: Philosophy and Cinema.
Film Review - Distinction
Mid-Term Essay - Distinction

REL22: Buddhist Meditation Traditions.
Mid-Term Essay - High Distinction

ABT31: Comparative Indigenous Studies.
Mid-Term Essay - Credit

This last grade, the Credit, is the only one I'm not that happy with.  Nothing personal against my tutor but I found the comments not very helpful and the criticism was not relevant.  Further, as both my wife and I are taking this course together I've had the chance to compare the comments for we both received the same grade.  As it turns out the comments are identical, save specific reference to where my wife and I differed.  Anyhow, at least I know where my tutor wants me to focus for the final assessment.

What I dislike about this situation is that I'm getting pushed into a particular perspective of research (specifically as it relates to Indigenous peoples).  I find it sad when your tutors just want a regurgitation of the course material.  Fair enough my research was wrong (it wasn't in this case) but if I forego a particular perspective that was presented in the course material should I be penalised when I present an alternative?

 

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Comments

Forced Research.

Submitted by nathan on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 16:04.

Firstly, congrats on the marks. Secondly, I'm finding myself in the same situation with my units. I have been communicating with my tutor about a particluar line of research that I want to pursue with an essay I have due, and until this point I thought I had the go ahead. Unfortunately, I have wasted a whole bunch of research time as I have just found out that I'm not to write about what I want to write about. Furthermore I have ultimately rejected the original essay question and have focused on another available question. Thankfully Nietzsche was my back-up plan.It is quite discouraging when you have tutors that take away any creative spark you may have, or when they quash any notion that you may have the ability to present something a little extra, focusing on some other issue that is not the common hum-drum that is, by and large, the undergraduate norm.    

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Thanks

Submitted by simon on Wed, 04/30/2008 - 19:51.

Thanks Nath.

This is a really frustrating issue isn't it.  Perhaps the tutors are just trying to direct us in the 'right' direction but I doubt that's the case.  I have had this issue with most of the non-philosophy courses that I've taken.  Tutors just don't seem to like any originality nor much criticism.  In fact, the only other subject area that I've been encouraged to be original and/or critical is religion believe it or not.  Bit strange that religion desires more criticism and original theoretical development than Sociology etc.

Good luck with Nietzsche Nath, I'm sure you'll be fine with it.

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