econ203holden

[EDM]

has anyone appealed a grade before because they didnt get enough time for the exam? i did pretty bad on the final because it wasnt enough time :( It was 150 questions, 120 minutes.

Anyone else have this problem or is it just me? :(

[Weapon_R]

The only way they will consider your application is if there is a large number of students who file a similar complaint. Unfortunately, it seems as though that test is fair game. I remember my Econ201/203 tests were all similar in length and time.

[EDM]

And you had no problem finishing on time?

[Weapon_R]

None whatsoever. Mind you, if you and several other students see the same problem (I took it 3 years ago), then file a complaint and see what happens. The problem is that all econ 203 tests are that long, and thousands of students take them each year.

[sdubz]

yeah it was a bit of a rush, but i thought it was a lot harder than the sample on the net.

what exactly does appealing your grade do?

[EDM]

i have no idea. Never done it before

[Ajay]

I remember Econ 203 with Holden and it was roughly the same thing. If I remember it right he had something like 130 questions to do in 120 mins. In a filler class like Econ 201/203 they often scale the grades as well but I wouldn't count on that to give you an amazing grade anyway.

Can always appeal that you didn't have enough time but the only way that will fly with the Registar is if others have the same complaint like Weapon_R said.

Good luck either way

[Chim]

The test was pretty intense. But the class average before the final looks like its in the 70's, I think prof's are required to keep the class average at around 68%

[EDM]

The test was insane. I wonder what the other sections are like.

But 150 Q's is a bit much.

I guess no one really has any problems? Goddam its probably cause im a slow reader :banghead: I blame having to read questions in order to answer questions :(

[20incheyes]

man if you think you did pretty bad and want to upgrade your grade get a medical note(if you don't know how to do this I have written articles on it from my UNI days), go to whoever deals with rewriting exams and tell them you thought you'd be fine and wanted to get the exam over but you were all dazed during the exam and weren't 50% yoruself

you'll get a rewrite but there is no way an appeal will work in this case
econ 203 was proabably the 2nd easiest exam I encountered (after econ 201) so obviously your multiple choice skills are not up to par. With multiple choice you really gotta practice the practice tests like 3 times each, I remember on that exam I answered quite a few questions before reading the end of it, MC is the easiest exam mode but only if you review those Q's

[kaput]

.

[RiCE-DaDDy]

I thought it was long too but I finished and did well so :dunno:

[20incheyes]

EDM here is the way to get a note and it dosen't have to be from your family doctor, just any doctor in Canada, so if one fails go to another (this is normally for before the exam but it will work after too, especially if you write it)

article:

Didn't Study Enough? How to Fool the Dean and a Doctor



Its not easy, but this is almost bulletproof. My wisdom stems from 6 years of undergraduate slacking. Achieve this feat in two steps:



1) Dupe the Doc. Difficulty level: 6/10 (Decreases with experience)

2) Cry to the Dean. Difficulty level: 2/10


Time frame: 24-48 hours prior to exam. The closer the better.



1) Get the Note



Preparation:

· Make an appointment early in the morning.

· Get almost no sleep, pale faced and baggy eyes help.

· Don’t shower, leave your hair the way it is.

· Drink 2 cups of coffee 15-20 min prior to the appointment.

· Not a coffee drinker? Ephedra or caffeine pills work as well.

· The trick is to get your heart rate up when the doctor puts a stethoscope on you. This is an indication of dehydration.



Your monologue:

“I think I have food poisoning. I could not sleep last night because I was making trips to the bathroom every 2 hours. The first few times it was diarrhea and after that, it was mostly liquid. I feel like throwing up, I’m weak and dehydrated. I even woke up feeling slightly feverish. I don’t think I’ll be able to write my exam tonight.”



(For more info, see the symptoms of food poisoning at WebMD)



Additional tips: Keep your arms loosely tucked by your stomach, slouching over a little. Try to speak normally, overplaying it doesn’t help. Make eye contact, don’t touch your face, or blink more than normal. Recent meds grads at university hospitals are always more compassionate.



When the doctor refuses to excuse you from an exam: Don’t fret. Just ask him for a note to say that you’ve been to see the doctor, and would like to disclose the fact that you have been diagnosed with food poisoning.



2) Get the Pardon from the Dean



You have a doctor’s note. Its ironclad. There’s not much more to it.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Disclaimers:

1) I am not getting out of any exams this time around. F-that, I’m graduating.

2) All my reasons for getting out of previous exams are legitimate. Sure.

3) If your prof is a dick, makeup exams can be harder.

[Shaolin]

wow, people are complaining about Holden's tests? back when I took Econ with Holden it was easy as hell.. I guess he made them harder now :dunno:

[Weapon_R]

Originally posted by Shaolin
wow, people are complaining about Holden's tests? back when I took Econ with Holden it was easy as hell.. I guess he made them harder now :dunno:

They are different. I know this because the econ department has re-evaluated these entry level courses. They have become considerably more difficult.

[RiCE-DaDDy]

Originally posted by Weapon_R


They are different. I know this because the econ department has re-evaluated these entry level courses. They have become considerably more difficult.

But they are still quite easy

[KELSTAR]

A friend of mine took this final.. (I took it 2 years ago and finished on time, but it was 150 questions and he said it wouldbe intense!) Anyways, my friend had 30 questions left when they said ten minutes left!

Ouch!
But.... Holden has been giving these tests for years and while I don't think an appeal would work, complaining may lighten the tests for the next class but not really anything for your section.
Good Luck! it is worth it to take it to someone.. it's worth the shot!


Did you have a problem finishing the midterms? Cause if I remember correctly they were 75 questions in 50 minutes

[MM99lude]

I felt pretty rushed, but i managed to finish with about 5 minutes to spare. It wasn't exactly an easy exam but i do think 150 questions in a 120 min is a bit much.

Oh ya and if any of you saw a curley haird kid being escorted our of the red gym that was me:D ... I sat in the wrong gym by accident and Holden had to escort me to the Gold gym... looked like i got caught cheating... hahah

marks went up today... what did u all finish with?

[EDM]

C+ :( goddamit :thumbsdow

[RiCE-DaDDy]

B+ :( goddamit :thumbsdow

[EDM]

a B+ is good dude. I was sitting at a B+ before the final

[sexualbanana]

The Final is typically harder for Econ201/203 in my opinion. I think it's just that during the semester, we get access to old midterms, which we all know contain the same questions and answers as the one you're currently writing. So as a result, you don't really learn anything except to memorize the questions and answers on the old midterms. We ace the midterms and then we start to believe we know it all.
When the final rolls around, we don't get access to old Finals, so as a result we realize that we actually know dick all from the entire semester. So you study up and come to another realization that this stuff is harder than you thought.

So really, I think the final is just there to balance out your mark since the midterm(s) were so easy to write, and that your final mark is the true reflection of what you should get in the class.

[EDM]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
The Final is typically harder for Econ201/203 in my opinion. I think it's just that during the semester, we get access to old midterms, which we all know contain the same questions and answers as the one you're currently writing. So as a result, you don't really learn anything except to memorize the questions and answers on the old midterms. We ace the midterms and then we start to believe we know it all.
When the final rolls around, we don't get access to old Finals, so as a result we realize that we actually know dick all from the entire semester. So you study up and come to another realization that this stuff is harder than you thought.

So really, I think the final is just there to balance out your mark since the midterm(s) were so easy to write, and that your final mark is the true reflection of what you should get in the class.

i dont think its the difficulty, i think its the length. 48seconds per question is kinda rushed. I dunno when you took econ, but the midterms wernt just memorize the answers from the one he posts. I say 2-4 questions are from the previous midterm.

[KELSTAR]

Originally posted by EDM


i dont think its the difficulty, i think its the length. 48seconds per question is kinda rushed. I dunno when you took econ, but the midterms wernt just memorize the answers from the one he posts. I say 2-4 questions are from the previous midterm.


Agree! When I took the midterms there were available copies in the copy centre but Holden doesn't post up answers with them.. He says that kind of takes away from the point of practice exams..
(at least that is what he told my section).. It was definitely not just memorizing the midterms..

[Chim]

B-
I had 88% going into the test....

[Orbie]

Wow, when I took Holden's 201 class way back 4 years ago, I remember it was the easiest test ever, also Holden was usually very sympathetic towards students. I believe he's going for a PhD himself. The final was the same 150 questions in 120 minutes, but it was very manageable. If you knew the answer then you just marked the correct bubble (keep in mind Holden didn't agree with computational questions on his tests back then). That takes a matter of 20 seconds...technically you could finish three a minute. I always found it very hard to do just 1 multiple choice question in 1 minute.

But if what everyone is saying is true and Holden made his tests harder...then I could understand how this would be hard to complete. Introductory Econ could always yield a harder final, but in a Holden test you knew he would make it easy.

Anyways, just wanted to tell you to be aware that not all tests are made to be completed in the allotted time period, especially at the University level. During my final years I remember a new set of tests that professors would give that you could not finish in the given time. This was done on purpose so that you would have to allocate your time to answer only those questions you knew or the prof strategically wanted you to answer. It was also to ensure that those who knew the material well would excel compared to those that didn't. The grading would thus be done in relation to the highest achieved mark in class...not necessarily 100%.

[eb0i]

I recently took this class too. The final was 150 questions but mind you he repeats A LOT of his questions. So really you don't have to do that much reading.

[7thgenvic]

Originally posted by eb0i
I recently took this class too. The final was 150 questions but mind you he repeats A LOT of his questions. So really you don't have to do that much reading.

i dunno about that one, you still have to know your shit! if you don't do a damn thing then your going to get fucked over, because all that banking stuff is easy to confuse if you don't have a clue and that was a majority of the test! i still say boooooo holden, what an ass!

[Gainsbarre]

Tracey's 203 final was only 100 questions back when I took ECON 203 in Winter 2002. He mentioned several times in our class that we were lucky to be in his class and not Holden's, who's final exam would have an extra 50 questions. Now I understand why.

[BebeAphrodite]

lol, I took Tracey's classes too.. they were a joke! I loved them!
:D

[Skyline_Addict]

go for tracey if you want easy papers.
His is not cummulative, so u won't be tested on every topic for finals.
I thought holden's tests were harder, but not difficult.
if ya really know ur stuff it takes about 20 seconds per question. for the ones that appeared on past exams, and u remembered, 1 second.
more than enough time to finish 150 questions....
he's a decent prof though, pretty funny and keeps class sorta interesting when he behaves like an ass.

Anyways, just wanted to tell you to be aware that not all tests are made to be completed in the allotted time period, especially at the University level. During my final years I remember a new set of tests that professors would give that you could not finish in the given time. This was done on purpose so that you would have to allocate your time to answer only those questions you knew or the prof strategically wanted you to answer. It was also to ensure that those who knew the material well would excel compared to those that didn't. The grading would thus be done in relation to the highest achieved mark in class...not necessarily 100%
isn't that called curving? =)

[MM99lude]

anybody taking this class in the spring term from holden?