ADDITIONAL INFORMATION |
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| Reading Assignments: |
Reading the assigned text and studying
figures and vocabulary before class will help you understand the material in class.
Reading or rereading the assigned text after lectures will reinforce concepts and help
clarify difficult points. Note that for several lectures no pertinent reading assignments are available. |
| Lectures: |
The class schedule gives the order of topics
to be covered and indicates the appropriate lecture outlines (available on
this website). The lecture
outlines are not a substitute for taking your own lecture notes. They provide many of the
figures used and much of the detailed information, but they are insufficient by
themselves. They provide a good outline for organizing your own notes. Some outlines are
more detailed than others, and the amount of additional notes that need
to be taken will vary between lectures. Printing the lecture
outlines with space left for notes may help. |
| Hour Exams: |
There will be three exams given on class
days, and you may drop one of these exam grades. The fourth exam will
be given during the scheduled final exam time and cannot be dropped. The dates of
each exam and the material to be covered on the exams are listed in the class schedule. Any changes will be
announced well in advance. |
| Hour Exam Content: |
Each exam will be worth 100 points. Exams
will consist of 50 multiple choice questions. Tests will be based largely on material
covered during the lecture periods, but may also cover material presented in the textbook,
lecture outlines, slides, labs and possibly movies. Along with the reading assignments,
anything presented in lecture, including material discussed in slides and movies, is fair
game on the exams. Much of the lecture material on which you will be tested, for example,
that dealing with local geology or with current research, may not be specifically
discussed in the text. IF YOU MISS A
LECTURE, BE SURE TO BORROW THE NOTES OF SOMEONE WHO ATTENDED THE CLASS SO THAT YOUR NOTES
ARE COMPLETE. As a general rule, if you completely miss a lecture you will lose 7-10
points on the next exam. |
| What to bring to exams: |
Pencils must be brought to the exam.
We will provide all necessary test forms.
Students must bring, and be prepared to present at the time of each exam, a signed photo
identification card (driver's license or UT ID).
All notes, books, or other materials must be secured beneath the seats or left in the
front of the lecture room.
No hats may be worn during an exam. |
| Make-up Exams: |
NO MAKE UP EXAMS WILL BE GIVEN without prior approval, and then only
for official excused absences,
such participation in a required university event documented by an official
university letter and documented emergencies such as hospitalization. We are
giving four lecture exams and allowing you to drop the lowest one of the
first three given in class. If you miss one of these exams, it
counts as your dropped grade. If your anticipated plans will not permit you to take three
exams as they have been scheduled in the syllabus, please consult with the professor
before the add/drop deadline. It may be advisable for you to drop this course.
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| Course Grade: |
YOU ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE EACH OF THE HOUR
EXAMS AND TO ATTEND ALL LABS. The final grade for the course will be decided on the
basis of your lab grade (25%) and the scores of three in-class lecture exams (25% each).
The lowest score of the three, in-class lecture exams will be dropped. (Be aware that lab
grades may be curved up or down slightly before calculation of final, overall averages). It
is not wise to miss a lecture exam unless absolutely necessary because you may need to
drop a different exam. |
| Labs: |
The labs for this course meet in
Geo 2.308. Check the course schedule and your fee bill carefully to determine
which lab time you are registered for and attend that lab. Students
must attend at the lab time (corresponding to the unique number) for which they
registered. There is not enough room in lab for students to attend at
other times. |
| Scholastic Dishonesty: |
The General Information Catalog
states : "...the value of a university degree depends on the absolute integrity of
the work done by each student for that degree...". If the instructors discover any
type of scholastic dishonesty they WILL pursue disciplinary action
according to the procedures outlined in the catalog. See the General Information
Catalog. |
| Study Sheets: |
We will provide study sheets on the web
prior to lecture exams to help you determine what information is the most important to
study. Go through the questions to be sure you know the answers and study the
relevant material. See the professor or teaching assistant for help. |
| Study Hints: |
Don't fall behind in your reading
assignments or in keeping your notes up to date. If you miss classes, have incomplete
notes, or wait until the last minute to begin studying, you will probably not do well on
the exams.
When you study, remember that most of the material on the exam comes from the lecture. DO
NOT rely solely on the lecture notes posted on the website for the lecture material. GO TO
CLASS and take additional notes.
If you have any questions about the lectures, the readings, the class lecture outlines, or
the grading of your exams, see the professors or teaching assistants right away.
Go over the study sheets and make sure you know the answers to all
questions. |
