Assignment Types


EXAMS - 65% of your grade

Your lowest exam grade will be dropped. The remaining 3 will be averaged to give 65% toward your final grade. All four of the scheduled exams will be given during class on the given dates: 2/9, 3/9, 4/6, and 4/27 in WEL 1.308. An exam cannot be rescheduled any time AFTER the regularly scheduled time. If you miss an exam for any reason, you will receive a zero for that exam. Remember, we will not accept any excuses for missing an exam. Yes, this includes illness, family emergencies, traffic accidents, funerals, over-sleeping, forgetting, etc... After the exam is over NO STUDENT will take the exam late. Any student can logon to the homework service after the exam and view the entire exam plus the key, so there is no way anyone will take the exam late for any credit. If you have a VALID reason to miss a given exam, you MIGHT be able to take the exam EARLY. Check with me on valid reasons - most are for official UT sporting events that athletes must attend. Not valid are your scheduling mistakes with work, airlines, etc...

The exams will be timed from 1-1:50 PM. All exams must be turned in when the time is up. Further work on an exam after time is called may result in a zero for that exam. The answer key for the exam will be available via the homework server soon after the exam and the results (your score) will be posted shortly after the exam also. Usually by 3:00 PM.

Each EXAM COPY will be unique and have its own KEY. We will provide you with the exam AND the answer sheet (aka bubblesheet). You MUST bubble into the bubblesheet the VERSION NUMBER that is printed at the top of each exam copy (a 3-digit number, not 50820). No two are alike and if you copy another person, you will definitely get a ZERO. All version numbers must be bubbled into the appropriate spaces on the bubblesheet. Always bubble in the version number for the exam or you will get a really bad grade. Also bubble in your name and student ID number (that 10-digit number you have MEMORIZED, remember???) in the spaces provided on the answer sheets. YES, we provide both the exams AND the bubblesheets. You provide the pencils, calculators, and brain power.

Here are some policies regarding examinations:

  1. You must bring a valid UT ID CARD. No other ID card will be accepted (including drivers licenses).
  2. You may use a calculator during an exam with the following restrictions.
    1. You cannot use a calculator that has a QWERTY keyboard on it. (this means no laptops, PDA's, pagers, or cell phones)
    2. You cannot share a calculator.
    3. Noisy calculators, cases, and instructions are not permitted.
    4. Calculator must be battery-powered (no plugging in to an AC outlet).
    5. If you have a calculator failure (dead batteries, broken key, etc.), you are on your own.
  3. You must bring (at least) one sharpened number 2 pencil to each exam.
  4. You may not leave the exam room during an exam and then re-enter the room to finish exam.
  5. If you arrive 15 minutes late or more, you may not be permitted to take that exam and thus receive a score of zero. If you are allowed to take the exam late, you will STILL have to turn in the exam at the regular ENDING time like the rest of the class.
  6. You must keep your exam copy for verification if needed!!! (This is VERY important)
    I can ask you to show me your exam copy and go over your work before I validate your grade.
  7. Proper attire is also required. No hats or caps. Please put these away. If the room isn't cold then you don't need a giant parka to take the exam in.

Also, keep your head pointed at your paper during an exam. Do not "look suspicious" of cheating. If you do, we will most likely stare at you through the entire exam time - most students would rather we not stare at them. All notes and books must be completely secured inside a zipped up backpack. AND, once again BRING YOUR OWN SCIENTIFIC CALCULATOR!!! We do NOT provide calculators.


FINAL EXAM - 30% of your grade

The final examination will be on Saturday, May 14th, from 9 to 12 noon in a room TBA. Sorry, I don't pick the times. The room assignments for the final exam will be made prior to the exam (could be a different room than normal, find out!). The final exam will count 30% towards your final grade. The final exam will be comprehensive (about 75-80% Chapters 1-11, and 20-25% from Chapter 12) and cannot be dropped. Your best source for preparing for the final will be your previous homework assignments, quizzes, and exams. The same policies about exams also apply toward the final exam.

I will absolutely NOT allow any student to take the FINAL at any time other than the time that is scheduled for this section of CH301 (MWF classes from 1-2 PM) as stated in the course schedule (Sat, 5/14, 9-12 PM).

If you've got 3 finals on the same day that is your own scheduling problem, not mine. And there IS no rule at UT about this, contrary to what anyone has told you. You WILL take the exam when it is scheduled. 

QUIZZES - 5% of your grade

Quizzes can be given in class (classquiz) or on the web (webquiz) and are relatively short (just a few questions). Quizzes could be given ANYTIME I want during class time. If you show up late, you might miss a quiz. So be on time and prepared for the occasional quiz. Quizzes MAY or MAY NOT be announced. If you aren't in class and I give a classquiz, you will get a zero for that quiz. The same rules apply to classquizzes that apply to EXAMS.

Most of the quizzes I give, will be via the web. Webquizzes are found on the homework server - just like the homework. However, webquizs will have short availability. This means that I can tell you in class that a web quiz is posted and the quiz will be due that night at midnight which means you must download the quiz and get it done all in one evening. We will let you know in class when the quiz is due.

Your quiz average will count 5% toward your final grade. Just like exams, you can't make-up a quiz for any reason. However, IF (note the big IF here) you have completed ALL the quizzes and you have a passing average on them, I will also offer the following: If your 4-exam average is higher than your quiz average, I will substitute your 4-exam average for your quiz average.


ADD-ONs

I can give "add-on" quizzes in class or on the web also. An add-on quiz will count as I see fit. Add-on quizzes will count as ADD-ON points to your exam scores. Say you made a 78 on exam 2 and I give an add-on quiz worth 3 points. Your 78 could potentially go up to an 81. This quizzes can be at ANY TIME during class or even via the homwork service. If you show up late or leave early, you might miss a quiz. So be on time and prepared for the occasional quiz. Quizzes MAY or MAY NOT be announced. If you aren't in class and I give an add-on quiz, you will get a zero for that quiz (no make-ups). If you miss one of these quizzes for a legitimate reason - come see me in an office hour and I'll listen and make a note of your misfortune.


HOMEWORK - 0% (yes ZERO) of your grade

Homeworks will be 0% of your final course grade - I only look at your scores on homework when you are on the bubble (see "On the Bubble" below). Homeworks will be available via the homework server. If you want to know what the exams will LOOK like, you will do the homeworks. Although the scores that you get on the homework don't really matter, the experience and skill that you gain from doing them is PARAMOUNT. Homework will absolutely not be accepted after the deadline that is posted on the homework assignment. Homework must be turned in (submitted via the web) before this deadline in order to receive any credit. Late homework will not be graded and a score of zero will be recorded.

Although the graded homework is only what I assign via the web and the homework service, it is very important that you also work the problems in the textbook at the end of each chapter. You must discipline yourself to do the problems in the book. You should at least work the even problems - answers are in the back of the book and the student solutions manual is available for you to see HOW the problem is worked.

Another part of homework and the course is that you try your best to read the book. It works much better if you can read AHEAD of where I am in class. Even a quick skimming of the chapter is better than nothing. Please try to do this before each class meeting and you will find that lecture makes far more sense.