What is it Like to Attend The University of Victoria

What is it Like to Attend The University of Victoria The tutors behind Varsity Tutors are not just here to teach theyre sharing their college experiences as well. Roderick is a St. Louis tutor who specializes in Calculus tutoring, Physics tutoring, Computer Science tutoring, and more. He graduated from the University of Victoria in Canada in 2010 with a degree in Electrical Engineering. See what he had to say about his alma mater: VT: How easy or difficult is it to get around on your campus? Is it hilly, do lots of people bike, are there buses, etc. Roderick:This was a big bonus for pedestrian/non-drivers. Several buses run every 3 minutes at many stops all around the city that have final destination at UVic. The city itself isn't very large and with some scenic routes, it makes it ideal for bikers to/from campus. The campus itself has the main road which is a circle that goes around the campus so it's very easy to figure out where to go.VT: How helpful are the academic advisors? Roderick:In my experience advisers were not very helpful (I only dealt with the engineering department, it could be totally different in other departments). My main complaint was that engineering students had to switch on and off each semester between full course load and co-op/internship terms (each term is 4 months). So this basically made it possible to be moving every 4 months which was a huge hassle to be in classes and also worrying about trying to find a job at the same time. This puts a ton of students in a state of panic with overloaded schedule, serious financial issues (moving around is not easy) and everything else that can come with troubles of moving (many students don't have vehicles...). Advisers did not come up with any good ways to figure out schedules to get around this, so I ended up just taking a longer time in the program.VT: How would you describe the dorm life? Roderick:Iwas only in dorms my first year. This is probably pretty typical; orientation, meet and greet ice breakers, etc. I'd also like toadd that there is the possibility of living in a 'family dorm' for people with children. It's basically an apartment complex on campus but more remote from the rest of the dorm buildings. This might be something worth mentioning for students with families that are looking to stay on campus. I never stayed at one of these places myself but some fellow students I know had stayed there during their degree and from what I've seen they do appear to have all the amenities as well as private areas to live.VT: Which majors/programs are best represented and supported? Roderick:I would think that the most supported programs are environmental studies and geology. Iwouldlike to add engineering to that list but from '2' I think the organization of co-ops was a total mess. Co-op is mandatory in engineering which makes the whole issue unavoidable. If more jobs were available for engineering students at the school, this would have cleared up a lot of problems, but pretty much all the positions were to be held off campus and potentially anywhere else in the country. Also, making something *mandatory* for adults is a big no-no in my books.VT: How easy or difficult was it for you to meet people and make friends as a freshman? Roderick:This is easy enough, people in this area are very friendly and there is always some sort of party/event going on. Finding people with vehicles are a plus for road trips or just renting a vehicle. There is a lot to explore in the natural surroundings.VT: How helpful is the Career Center? Roderick:I never dealt with Career Center since this is separate from the engineering department.VT: How are the various study areas? Libraries? The Student Union? Dorm lounges? Roderick:Study areas are very nice. I am 100% happy with what was available.VT: What is the surrounding town like? What are the best local attractions that make it unique? Roderick:For people from big cities, this may be a bit of a challenge to get used to. The city is fairly small and compact but the exploring is more in the natural world side (beaches, mountains, etc). For city people, Vancouver is a ferry ride away. In general B.C. is an expensive place to live but doable if you can find cheap rent.VT: How big or small is the student body and how does that affect your experience? Roderick:I am not too aware of how the student body operated so I can't comment on this question.VT: Describe one memorable experience with a professor and/or class. Perhaps one you loved the most or one you dreaded the most. Roderick:Profs are hit or miss for the first 2 years in the engineering department since most of the classes are to get students up to speed on math/chemistry/physics/computer science. Once you get into the actual engineering classes though, it's a big/fun challenge if that is what you are looking for. I personally favored Signal Analysis classes since this was mostly conceptual and did not require too much mathematical mechanics but more critical thinking.VT: Anything else a prospective student should know? Roderick:Overall I'd rate my time at school pretty high, however it did have its draw backs. I think the area helped me with my schooling as it isn't really a party school but more a laid back society with lots to explore when you aren't hitting the books. There is some world class skiing, surfing, scuba diving and mountain/rock climbing all close by which is a rare combination to have accessible. Check out Roderickstutor profile. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent the views of Varsity Tutors.

Hyperbola Solver

Hyperbola Solver Characteristic of different types of hyperbolas are given in the following table: x^2/a^2 y^2/b^2 = 1 y^2/a^2 x^2/b^2 =1 Transverse axis x- axis y- axis Conjugate axis y- axis x- axis Equation of transverse axis Y =0 X = 0 Equation of conjugate axis X = 0 Y = 0 Length of transverse axis 2 a unit 2 a unit Length of conjugate axis 2 b unit 2 b unit Coordinates of Centre (0, 0) (0, 0) Coordinate of vertices (a, 0) (0, a) Coordinates of foci (a e, 0) (0, ae) Distance between two foci 2 a e unit 2 a e unit Length of latus rectum 2 b^2 / a unit 2 b^2 / a unit Equations of latera recta x = a e y = a e Equations of directrices x = a / e Y = a / e Distance between two directrices 2 a / e unit 2 a / e unit Question1: - Find the length of the latus rectum of the hyperbola 9 y ^2 4 x^2 = 36. Solution: - 9 y ^2 4 x^2 = 36 Or, y^2/4 x^2/9 = 1 Comparing the above equation with the equation of hyperbola y^2/a^2 x^2/b^2 =1 we get, A^2= 24, therefore a =2 And b^2=9, therefore b =3 Length of its latus rectum: 2 b^2 / a = 2*3^2 / 2 = 9. Question 2: - For the same above parabola find the axes. Solution: -Transverse axis = 2a= 2*2=4 Conjugate axis = 2b= 2*3 = 6

Famous Russians

Famous Russians Who Are the Most Famous People in Russia? ChaptersFamous RussiansThe Great Russian Political FiguresEssential Russian ArtistsOther Famous Russian Figures“I love your country, Russia, its people, its historyc, its writer. My father was a communist at the time, he listened to Radio Moscow! It’s my culture, too.” - Gérard DepardieuAre you completely lost when we mention the Soviet Union, communism, or Leningrad?We’re talking about famous Russians, of course.Did you know that there were only 28 Tsars in charge of Imperial Russia from 1547 and 4 Presidents since the creation of the Russian Federation in 1991?While Vladimir Putin has spent over 5,000 days in charge of the country, political figures aren’t the only famous Russians worth talking about.In this article, we're going to look at famous Russian political figures, historical figures, artists, and the Russians that everyone should know if they're studying Russian culture or learning the Russian language. LavaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £25/h1st lesson free!Discove r all our tutors LarisaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors InaRussian Teacher 4.88 (8) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors IrynaRussian Teacher 5.00 (8) £12/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors EvgeniaRussian Teacher £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors AnastassiaRussian Teacher 5.00 (2) £30/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors NikolaRussian Teacher 5.00 (4) £20/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutors MargaritaRussian Teacher 5.00 (3) £18/h1st lesson free!Discover all our tutorsFamous RussiansIvan the Terrible, The First Russian TsarIvan IV Vasilyevich was commonly known as Ivan the Terrible because of the regime he put into place during the 1560s. He led military campaigns against the Tatars, the Polish, and the Swedish. He remained head of Russia for nearly after that.Ivan the Terrible appears regularly in the arts, even in the West. He’s appeared in everything from a painting by Ilya Repin to the video gam e Age of Empires.  He’s an important figure who's responsible for starting the Tsarism in Russia.Peter I or Peter the Great, the Emperor of All RussiasThen there was Peter I (or Peter the Great), who became the Tsar of Russia in 1682, then the Emperor of all the Russias in 1721. He is famous for wanting to bring together the clergy and nobility.Saint Petersburg was named after Peter I. (Source: fitzgeraldbc)The name of the city of Saint Petersburg was inspired by this leader who founded the city and made it the capital in 1703.To show off his power, he tried to get closer to the West. Following the Great Northern War, which ended with the Treaty of Nystad, Peter gained control of the Baltic Sea and the title of Imperator.Learn more about Russia with Russian language lessons.Russian Empress Catherine the GreatCatherine II, nicknamed “Catherine the Great” was Empress of all the Russias from 1762 and was part of the Romanov Dynasty. She was married to Peter III of Russia and is o ne of the most famous women in Russian history.Did you know that Catherine II was raised by a French Huguenot, Babette Cardel, who taught her the customs of the French court?She’s known for both her foreign and domestic policies as well as all the things she mentioned in her memoirs.Nicholas II of Russia, the Last Imperial Head of StateThe last Tsar in Russia history, Nicholas II, or Nikolai Aleksandrovich Romanov, reigned from 1894 to 1917. While the Soviets have a negative view of the tsar (owing to his opposition against the Bolsheviks), he was nicknamed Saint Nicholas the Passion-Bearer.In the animated Anastasia film from 1997, the protagonist's father is Nicholas II. Of course, the story is completely romanticised but there are several theories that Anastasia survived despite the other Romanovs being murdered in 1918.Under his reign, Russia grew economically, politically, and culturally.The Great Russian Political FiguresLenin, the Creator of Soviet RussiaVladimir Ilyich Ulya nov, also known as “Lenin”, was the most famous revolutionary in Russian history. He was one of the leaders who created a Soviet Russia founded on socialism, an evolution of communism. The Marxist theorist became famous following the October Revolution in 1917 that overturned the imperial regime.Lenin played a huge role in Russian history. (Source: Niko_Shogol)Lenin was also famous for his skills as an orator. In 1918, when he was on a train that was stuck in the snow, he gave a speech about the proletariat that motivated the passengers to dig the train out of the snow.Pretty convincing, right?The bloody events of the resulted in Lenin taking the role of head of state of the new Soviet Russia. He created the communist block in 1919 and installed a single-party dictatorship. He died in 1924 following an illness.Stalin, the “Dear Father” of RussiaStalin was the ideological (and elected) successor to Lenin. However, Stalinism was different to Leninism, especially with the arriv al of Gulags, the Soviet forced-labour camps. Joseph Stalin had many affectionate nicknames, including “Dear Father”.The term “Destalinisation” came about following his deaths.  He is well known for a dark period in Russian history owing to the nationalisation of land and the Great Purge (also known as the Great Terror). That said, he is still a hugely influential and famous figure.Mikhail Gorbachev, the USSR’s Last PresidentGorbachev was the leader behind the end of the Cold War as well as responsible for ending the Leninist and Stalinist communist regime in the USSR. He created economic, cultural, political programmes dubbed Perestroika and Glasnost.  Somewhat paradoxically, the Russian people hold a generally negative view of one of their most democratic leaders...He was a philanthropist, pacifist, environmentalist, and a staunch critic of the Kremlin.You should know that we won’t be talking about Putin in this article. We’ll probably have to save that for another a rticle.Find out more about Russian TV.Essential Russian ArtistsAlexander Pushkin, the Franco-Russian PoetA 19th-century Romantic poet, playwright, and novelist, Pushkin is famous for the following works:The Fountain of BakhchisarayPoltava, 1828.Mozart and Salieri, 1830.The Captain's Daughter, 1838.The Russian language and civilisation institute is called the Pushkin State Russian Language Institute.Dostoevsky was also one of Russia's most famous artists. (Source: jackmac34)Nikolai Gogol, a Russian-Speaking WriterNikolai Gogol was a Russian writer of Ukranian origin who often wrote about Saint Petersburg.The Tale of How Ivan Ivanovich Quarreled with Ivan Nikiforovich, 1832.Nevsky Prospekt, 1835.The Portrait, 1835.Mirgorod, 1835.His earlier works were signed under the pseudonym V. Alov.  His work Revizor (18360) brought him literary fame.The Countess of Ségur, a Writer of Russian OriginBorn Sophie Rostopchine, the Countess of Ségur was her literary name. She was from a noble family and she spent her youth in Russia before marrying a French ambassador.  Her works reflect her ideology of “write what you know”.Her works help us to see the links between Russian and Western European culture.Other Famous Russian FiguresThe Myths Surrounding RasputinRasputin was a Russian mystic and is famous for influencing the Russian court.  He commonly appears as a character in the arts, be it in cinema, music, or video games.However, a lot of his life is shrouded in mystery. This has led to myths including one that claims he was the Devil in human form sent to kill the Tsars.Take a Russian course London.Olga Khokhlova, an Influential Russian ballerina.Khokhlova was one of the most influential Russians of the 20th century. She was the star dancer of the Ballets Russes directed by Sergei Diaghilev.Did you know that she was Picasso’s mistress and then his wife and had two children with him?She also inspired the painting Olga Khokhlova in the Mantilla, one of Picasso’s most famous paintings.Yuri Gagarin was also huge celebrity in Russia and is still famous today. (Source: snow-dog)Andrei Sakharov, the Most Famous Russian ScientistBorn in 1921, Andrei Sakharov was a Russian nuclear physicist who was famous for having worked on the atomic bomb. He received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1975 for his work in fighting for human rights in the USSR (a prize that he was not allowed to go and collect so his wife had to go in his place).Did you know that the Sakharov Prize was created in 1988 by the European Union for organisations that promote human rights?For one reason or another, you should know of these famous Russians.Did you know them all? Who are the most famous?Learn more about Russian radio.If you're interested in learning more about Russian culture, you should learn more about the Russian language. Since Russian isn't the most commonly taught language in British schools, you should consider learning it through private tutorials.With private tutorials, you can get bespoke tuition and learn about all the aspects of the Russian language, culture, and history. There are three main types of private tutorials offered on Superprof: one on one private tutorials, online tutorials, and group tutorials.Private tutorials are usually the most expensive option but they also offer a bespoke service. Online tutorials are cheaper because the tutor has fewer overheads in terms of travel and can schedule more tutorials throughout the day. Finally, group tutorials are cheaper because the cost is divided between the students. However, this final option won't give you a completely tailored service.If you speak Russian and would like to tutor, it's very easy to create your profile on Superprof. Many tutors on the platform also offer the first hour of tutoring for free to entice students.

Become an Economics Tutor

Become an Economics Tutor Steps to Becoming an Economics Tutor ChaptersHow to Set Your Prices for Economics LessonsFinding Students for Your Economics LessonsPlanning Your Economics LessonsSurely you have a love for numbers, statistics and analysis; otherwise, you might not have selected economics as your major, nor would you anticipate building your career around economic principles.Whether you abide by them in your computations for a company or teach them to eager minds, you, more so than most, would be keenly aware of the laws of supply and demand, and consumer habits.Or, you may turn to the academic side of the subject you hold most dear, as these economists in India did, to discover heretofore unseen patterns that reveal inequality.Who knows? You might even win the Nobel Prize in Economics for your work, one day!The world of economics: markets and trade, behavioural economics; financial economics or even environmental economics â€" the study of environmental policies' financial impact...This world is indeed fascinating and complex... and, f or some with absolutely no head for figures, a real snoozefest!Obviously, that is not you. You have mastered the econ, written your graduate thesis, perhaps on economic development in postwar Germany...You are now looking to promote your vast stores of knowledge with the intent of gaining a solid reputation â€" and, through your work, a satisfying income as a tutor of Economics.Unfortunately these days, it is not as easy as hanging out a shingle and waiting for passersby to knock on your door.In this digital age, when commodities and futures can fluctuate more furiously than a frenzied feathered flock, there is veritable competition among tutors for students of economics (and other subjects).Likewise, every undergraduate studying economic theory endeavours to retain the very best tutoring services that provide them the greatest satisfaction for their incomes and the prices they face.According to George Mankiw, that would be the third principle of economics... right?From your perspec tive, you are most likely looking to embrace the fifth principle: equitable trade.Let Superprof now lay out the steps to becoming an economics teacher of merit, as recommended by our most successful tutors, so that you too can join their ranks. Those are obvious ways to find and retain students. But, have you thought of volunteering at your local Council or library?True, volunteering runs counter to the principle of earning a living, but on the other hand: doing so gives you exposure to a broader client base.Economics students don't only haunt college campuses.You may find a  richer teaching experience by instructing a more diverse student body, perhaps consisting of:senior citizens looking for an education on investment and mortgage prior to retiringcivil service hopefuls who need a better grasp on economic analysis for their examadventurous world travellers looking to learn more about their future home country's economics, or the global economy in general.You could also create a S uperprof tutor profile free of charge, wherein you list your teaching and learning experience. You may even opt to teach online or at clients' homes!One demographic is strangely lacking from the world of economics, and may particularly benefit from your mentoring.In spite of the controversy surrounding the Nobel Prize in Economics â€" most notably the snub of economist Joan Robinson, the award has been distributed 48 times... but only once to a female.Find some online tutoring jobs here.Perhaps you could make it your mission to recruit more females into the world of economics!Planning your lessons can take any form, as long as it remains flexible Source: Pixabay Credit: RayedigitaldesignsPlanning Your Economics LessonsThanks to your competitive pricing and aggressive canvassing for students, you now have most of your nights and all of your weekends booked.Perhaps you will host a seminar for all of your macroeconomics and microeconomics students.Or, you might consider workshops for g roups learning about one specific aspect of the discipline: labour economics perhaps, or international economics.Although these are great ideas to plunge yourself into the lucrative world of private tutoring, most likely, the bulk of your work will be as a one to one instructor.Should that be the case, the most reliable tool you will have to organize your teaching and mark quantitative progress would be by drafting lesson plans for each of your charges.Perhaps the best aspect of formulating lesson plans is that they incorporate time within the lesson for flexibility and spontaneity.Because Economics is not the most spirited of subjects, it is important to render it interesting, perhaps through debate or an energetic QA session, all of which should fit within the framework of the lesson at hand.Any experienced teacher will tell you that it is so easy to be thrown off-track by a theme parallel to the topic you should be discussing.A lesson plan focuses your time in such a way that suc h discussions are permitted, as long as you keep an eye on the clock.The organized teacher structures his/her lessons the same way:Warm-up: around 5 minutes to greet your student, exploring retention of last week's materialIntroduction of new materialPractice what has just been learned, perhaps using worksheetsProduction: this is where your student works on his/her ownReview: the last few minutes of the lesson; you may discuss just-learned concepts or preview next week's lessonIf you, like most tutors, instruct in hourly increments, you may find this breakdown easy to follow and adjust for each of your students.If you have never created a lesson plan, there are several approaches to it, as well as several templates available for download.Becoming a tutor of Economics is a multi-faceted endeavour that requires a lot of knowledge, planning, skill and ability.You are most surely up to the task; we hope to have provided you with additional information to help you succeed in your venture .

Building Self-Confidence in Academic Tutoring

Building Self-Confidence in Academic Tutoring “I’m stupid.”Nothing brings my lessons to a halt quicker than hearing a student say those two words. It breaks my heart to hear a student say that, and it is something that I have to address before the lesson continues. I have had many different students utter these words: some who were not doing the best in the class and who were just trying to catch up, some who are nearly at the top of the class and beating themselves up for not being the top person, and everywhere in between. Click here to read up on our approach to math tutoring!To the students who are trying to catch up: my job is to help you. I want you to succeed in your class. I understand that there are many reasons you could be either behind in your academics, or just not where you wanted to be: illness, stress, home-life, or just the class being a bit more difficult than what you imagined it would be. No matter the situation, I am not going to judge you. My job is to help you get through your class. I (nor anyone at AJ Tutoring) will think any less of you because you ask a question, or because you don’t know the solution right away, or because you don’t know the entire process. You are here to learn and practice just like everyone else. The more you ask, the better we understand where you are coming from, and the easier it is to help you through your class.To students near the top: stop comparing yourselves. Some of my students are actually great at math, but they don’t believe it because others in class are doing better. There will always be people who understand the material quicker than you, people who do better on tests, and people who get better grades. By constantly comparing yourself to someone else, you’re only seeing the things you don’t know, and you’re turning a blind eye to everything you do know and everything you got correct. It is good to challenge yourself and to try to be better, but simply focusing on the negative is not the way to do it. To everyone: your grade d oes not show how smart you are, whether you understand integrals the first or the twenty first time you see it does not determine if you’re intelligent or stupid. Everyone processes things at their own rate and how long it takes to process is not a direct correlation to your intelligence.The 1-on-1 environment at AJ Tutoring is ideal for building academic confidence in a supportive environment where students feel comfortable asking questions and working at their own pace. If you’d like to learn more about how we can help, give us a call.

Teacher Rejuvenation During the Summer

Teacher Rejuvenation During the Summer Students need a break after an intense school year, and so do you! Even if you have professional development plans or other education goals while youre not in school, it is essential that you take time to rejuvenate your mind and recharge your batteries. Here are a few tips: Make a summer reading list. Just like you tell your students, summer is the best time to rediscover your love for reading for the fun of it. Make a list of pool reads and commit to unplugging and reading a little bit each day. Exercise. We all know that exercise is good for the body, but study after study shows that it is good for the mind and the soul, too. Start walking, hiking, or practicing yoga. Youll feel better and be glad that you did. Reflect on the year. Within a week or two of school ending, take a notebook and head to your favorite coffee shop for some reflection. What worked well last year? What didnt? Set goals when your mind is fresh. After reflecting on the year, set a few goals. What would you like to improve or change next year? How will you make those changes and what milestones can you set to ensure you do? Summer is your chance to breathe in between school years and give yourself a much-needed mental break! Use the time well so that when the next school year comes, you feel excited and ready to make it a great year.

italki Language Challenge Week 5 Goal

italki Language Challenge Week 5 Goal Lindsaydoeslanguages is blogging about her World Cup Language Challenge and we’re reposting here to share with the entire italki Community. This blog post  originally was posted  on  Lindsaydoeslanguages.com  website. Over half way through the italki World Cup Language Challenge! When did this happen? Now, apparently. This week I’ve been having fun with Danza Kuduro! I’ve been in my garden again because it’s far too hot to stand under lights for half an hour. Not quite a heatwave but by British standards we’re not far off. Then the camera decided to stop filming after a minute. I noticed after I’d done the whole video. Go team. Also, I’m very pleased to announce that the Live Broadcast of my on the spot Portuguese Commentary is all set up and ready on YouTube! You can bookmark the link right here! I’ve never done anything like this before and I’m have no idea how it’s going to pan out!! I’ve opted to commentate the play off match (for 3rd and 4th place) on Saturday 12th July rather than the final on the 13th because I’m sure you’ll all want to watch that one without me chatting away in Portuguese! I also don’t know if I’ll commentate the whole match. What I’m thinking at the moment is to commentate the first half and then invite you to share your thoughts about the World Cup (and my attempt at commentary!) during half time and the second half. What do you think? Would you like a chance to join in? It will be broadcast on my YouTube channel via Google Hangouts On Air and, who knows, if this works, we could make it a regular thing! The link is here again if you’re ready to bookmark it. 9 days to go, 3785 Portuguese football words to learn, 1 chance not to mess it up. I should write film trailers, no? Oh, and exciting news! Despite my love for Silverstone, me and Ashley are heading off to Slovakia tomorrow (another reason I filmed in the garden â€" I normally edit on Friday!). This means another Mini Mission coming a lot sooner than planned and more stuff over on Mundo Trundle very soon. Fingers crossed that week 6 of the Challenge will be just as exciting! How is you World Cup Language Challenge going? Share your progress in the comments and let’s support each other with it!

A-Level Results Day Looms - Tutor Hunt Blog

A-Level Results Day Looms A-Level Results Day Looms A-Level Results Day LoomsSecondary SchoolsA-level Results day looms, but is the predicted grade system hopelessly out of date? All around the UK tens of thousands of students are eagerly awaiting the results of their A-Levels. After months of study, they are going to be presented with grades that will have a decisive impact upon the rest of their lives. I certainly don`t envy them - the trepidation they feel around this time must be overwhelming. For some the results will mean getting into their first choice university, and securing a place on a course, which will hopefully guide them towards their chosen career. For others who don`t achieve the required grades for their 2 preferred universities, results day may well be a time when they have to reappraise their options, and make different plans for the future. The `clearing` system is designed for students who don`t achieve their required grades, and are looking for another university to apply to. Clearing can be accessed via UCAS website, but students may find it easier to contact preferred universities directly, in order to see if they have any places, and will accept you with your grades. Many people advocate preparing in advance - before you receive your results you should have a contingency plan in place, with alternate universities and courses you would be interested in applying to if you don`t get your required grades. This will help save time when competing with many other students going through the clearing system. There are many teachers who support a radical change in the university application system, being of the opinion that predicted grades should not even be part of the process, and students should only decide where they wish to go after they get their results. Britain is actually the only nation that uses predicted grades as part of the university application system - as a UCU study, which investigated the processes in more than 30 countries revealed -and there are calls for this forecasting system to be scrapped completely. The University and College Union (UCU), a trade union that represents university staff, has said the UK is `out of step` with the rest of the world, and says an `urgent overhaul` of the application process is desperately needed. Research conduced by the UCU revelled an astonishing statistic: only 16 per cent of A-level grade predictions are correct. I can`t imagine any business would continue using a predictive system with such a low accuracy rate - and it may well be unduly stressful for students, not to mention an administration nightmare for universities, for degree applications to be based on such a fallible process. UCU general secretary Sally Hunt was quite clear in her disapproval of the predicted grades method of university application: `We are alone in the world in using a system where students are offered university places based on highly inaccurate predicted grades. Unconditional offers have made a mockery of exams and led to inflated grade predictions, while putting students under enormous pressure to make a snap decision about their future.` `The simplest and fairest way to deal with these problems is for us to adopt a system of post-qualification admissions, where offers are based on actual achievement rather than estimated potential, as the rest of the world does. It`s time for the government to give the system the urgent overhaul it needs.` Her opinion chimes with my own: courses should be chosen, and universities selected and applied for only after students have received their results. It seems plainly obvious that you should only make decisions based on what is available to you - predicted grades do just that, they predict what will be available to the student; as UCU`s research has shown though, the predictions they make rarely come true. The deputy general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders Malcolm Trobe voiced a similar opinion, citing the archaic nature of the predicted grades system: `Out of date and no longer fit for purpose, it is a historical quirk which is not mirrored in other countries and creates unnecessary problems. In particular, we are extremely concerned about the rising number of unconditional offers made to students before they have taken their A-levels.` A-Level results will be released on the 16th of august. Long gone are the days when the whole family would wait expectantly for the postman to deliver the letter containing the grades - nowadays students can `track` their university status in real time on the UCAS website. This will inform them if they have got into their university of choice - but it won`t actually tell them their grades. For this information they will need to travel into their school or college. By this time of course they will already know if the results are good or bad. 18 months ago0Add a Comment