In general, classes at Uni Adelaide are conducted the same way that they are at NC State. All of the lectures are held in bigger auditoriums and labs, which are called practicals, are held in smaller groups with a lab administrator. I have noticed that lectures have a much lower attendance rate here, likely because attendance does not affect grades. Also, all of the lectures are automatically recorded so that students who live farther away from campus do not have to commute back and forth everyday.
The four classes that I am taking here are Statics, Circuits, Materials Science and Engineering, and Art History and Visual Composition. Statics and Circuits are both considered first-year classes here, so the professors explain concepts really well and try to increase student interaction during lectures. Materials Science and Engineering is a third-year class here and the professor definitely moves onto new concepts faster. I am taking an art history class both to fulfill a GEP requirement and to branch out my interests. It is not a class I would normally take at NC State so I am interested to see what the seminar portion of the class is like.
Probably the biggest difference in academics here is that final exams are worth much more and there are not as many day-to-day assignments. We get weekly online assignments, but they barely affect our grade and are mostly just intended to gauge our understanding of the material. Final exams our worth up to 70 percent of the final grade in some of my classes, which definitely adds more pressure.
My first few weeks of classes have gone by quickly and mid-semester break is already coming up next month!
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