Hi,
Seems Biophysics mid-semester grades drive everyone
crazy.
Let's make it clear:
"mid-semester grades" are to express a students
overall achievements during the instruction period.
It is given as a kind of average (the exact method is
determined by the department) of your tests and
assignments and presentations you had to complete
during the instruction period.
Actually this type of grade was called "progress
grade" in the old Code of Studies, but in the new one
it was given this name which I find very unfortunate.
Mid-semester grades are to be entered into
the gradebook (contrary to the above mentioned
assignments, presentations and test that really
happen in the instruction period = "mid
semester"...).
Everything happens to be entered into your gradebook
should be entered into the ETR as well. To make it
possible, for grades we create "exam sheets" (list of
students’ name on one exam date in one subject, where
the examiners can write in the grades given). So eg.
in Chemistry those General medicine students who wish
take their semester exams on the 19th January will
sign up to the exam sheet for Chemistry January 19.
This sheet is available for the students to sign up
(using the ETR), and for the examiners to download
it. At the exam the examiner will fill in the grade
not only into your gradebook but on the printed exam
sheet as well, as a duplicate or a minutes of the
exam. The grades given at the exam and written also
on the exam sheet will be entered into the ETR until
the next working day by the department, so you and
the Office and the department can see it in the
system. The department keeps a copy of this sheet and
sends the original sheet to the Registrar's Office.
At the end of the exam period the Registrar’s Office
(=RO) collects the gradebooks back from the students
and matches the gradebook entries and the exam
sheets.
department gives exam
dates – RO enters them into ETR – students sign up
for exam in ETR – department download exam sheet from
ETR – student takes exam – examiner gives grade and
writes it to gradebook at the end of the exam –
department enters results to ETR – student can sign
up for the next exam date (retake) if needed
A student can sign up for only one exam date at a
time in one subject. That means if you signed up for
the 17th, you can only sign up for the next exam date
only if the grade given at the 17th exam is entered
into the computer. It is important in case of retake
exams.
Ok, let's get back to Biophysics and the other
mid-semester grade subjects.
Mid-semester exams are special grades. They evaluate
the semester's achievement just like semester exams
and final exams, so they differ from the test etc.
taken in the instruction period. They should be given
on the last day of the instruction period (that will
be the exam date). They are the A chance in that
subject, and - at least in this semester - retakes
can be taken during the exam period if the
departments gave dates.
In case of mid-semester
exams:
RO creates an exam sheet for the last day of the
instruction period (15 Dec.) – RO puts everyone’s
name (who took up the subject in the ETR at the
beginning of semester) on this exam sheet: no one can
sign off this sheet! – department fills in the
results in the ETR – students can sign up for retake
exams (if dates are given by department)
The specific Biophysics
problem:
I talked to the Dept. of Biophysics, and
they said that the problem is that they discuss the
grades with you on your last practice. And you have
practices even on Friday. So they planned to enter
the grades to the ETR only on Monday morning. But in
this case those intending to take their B chance on
18th of December wouldn't be able to sign up for this
date (you know the deadline is 2 WORKING DAYS before,
until 9 o'clock!). So we agreed with the department
on the following:
- they enter the grades known at the moment into the
ETR on Thursday morning, and if any of the grades
changes they will correct it until Monday
- since you gave Marius a list of the exam
applications in Biophysics, we can use them as a list
of B chances. So after the department entered the
mid-semester grades (A chances) - probably Thursday
morning - I'll be able to put all the names to the
desired exam date. Those
satisfied with their A chance grades simply have to
cancel the B chance date then, and the rest still can
change their B chance dates if needed.
Do not expect to find any material released by the departments. That material is copyrighted (not by the departments, but by the books from where the material was taken from) - at least that was what was communicated to me by the university's administration. So, I'm terribly sorry, but you will have to continue exchanging this "illegal" material the same good old fashioned way, at the least for now.
All notes posted on this website were written by students. Funny enough, even though most of the students based their notes on copyrighted books, it is ok to have them online (there goes their argument down the drain - but we don't want any trouble, now do we?!?). However, and here is the catch, these notes are only accessible by a password system. Each year and its corresponding notes will have an individual password (trust me, once you've gotten one of them, you'll have them all figured out), and this password can be obtained from your group leader.
Up to know, notes have been posted for 1st year (Anatomy and Biophysics), 3rd year (Microbiology), 3rd/4th years (Pharmacology, Public Health) and 4th year (Derma, ENT and Hema - last 2 probably from Budapest, haven't looked at them, maybe interesting).
Hope you find some of them useful. It's basically whatever has been typed on computer. We are now in negotiations with a photocopy place that might be willing to scan written notes for a reasonable price. But that will (maybe, only maybe) come next semester.
If you have any notes in a digital format that you want to share with your year, please e-mail them to jmvinagre@gmail.com, and I'll have them posted. But please try and do it over the next week or so. Exams are coming.... and 4th year is not what it used to be.
ETR: Everyone may sign up for themselves on ETR starting Monday of the 14th week at 08:00. Please be respectful of others' dates in Pathology. Be sure there's an extra space if you want a date in the first two weeks to avoid any fist fights. I do not foresee any problems, though.
Roles of the new English Program Administrators:
Klara (Student Service Administrator) is the person to see if you're sick and in need of a doctor. Don't trod down to the Military Hospital. Call/see Klara and she will guide you in the right direction since she has several doctor contacts who are willing to help us. Or if you need to translate something, need to know how to get somewhere, have any issues outside of school go to her! She is the go-to person for anything pertaining to your social or personal life. In fact, she helped me with ordering a white board for my apartment and translated my Christmas cards.
Her office is just opposite of the English Office in the empty yellow hallway; go to the left for the Registration Office, and to the right for Klara's office. She is the 2nd to last door.
Mr. Beck (Registrar) is for anything pertaining to school. If your prof. doesn't speak English, there's a problem with your grade book, or anything like this then see him! He welcomes any student to come talk to him.
His office is in the new Registration Office, which is located in the second to last door in the pink/punch colored hallway.
Livia may also assist you with matters pertaining to school for she works with Mr. Beck. But if you really need to b**ch, by all means, see the Beck-meister.
Note: the English Program Office is no longer like it was as a single entity for just the English students. It has combined forces with the Hungarian and German office to become one big, bloody, bureaucratic office. So it is now the Registration office for all 1900 students of the faculty. They are there to help any student who darkens their doorway, so please do not hesitate to go there if you have any school-related problems.
