Written by Gimmy
09 Nov 2015
I rant once a year. That is during November, when daylight is getting shorter with each passing day. Complain about everything.
I often ask fellow European students how Chalmers compared to their home university. Typical responses are:
- It is good here. The professors-student relationships are good. Some professors try to get to know your name.
- The lectures and group projects are much better than a mono-toned professor clicking through 200 slides of PowerPoint every lecture… for 6 months with an impossible exam at the end.
- It is so much work during the semester! I have deadlines every week.
- I like it here. I don’t know how to explain it to you.
The truth is – Swedish higher education isn’t exactly paradise hotel. If you are thinking of studying here, it is still really good. But remember, teaching is no easy task. I can’t teach. Some professors at Chalmers can’t teach either!
Recently I took an elective course – Modelling and Simulation. It is a very useful subject. But the course was badly delivered. The professor clicked through 30 slides of equations every lecture. The audience – 100 puzzled students. I really did not learn anything during the lectures. I felt stressed, anxious, and almost teary, because I can’t understand a damn thing.
Chalmers takes pride in its course evaluation system. At the end of each study period, surveys are collected from students. Most professors DO take note and try to improve the courses. But some professors just don’t know how to teach a course, no matter how much constructive your feedbacks are.
Typically, every course project is really good. However, this course work was equally confusing. During the robot arm lab we captured blah! data… yet, we are suppose to draw correlations from it. (Sarcastic tone) This project really caught my imaginations. Overall, I was very stressed out. I spent many days and nights arguing with my Matlab codes. But that was the only way I learned something.
Sorry for the angry post! Förlåt!
To be fair, most of the courses at Chalmers are good. Some courses are fantastic! But this course, ESS101 Modelling and Simulation, I would advice caution to anyone taking it.
Löv,
Gimmygöteborg
