Quote:
Originally Posted by AstralTraveller
OK, this conversation has raised a few questions (which you can answer after a nice sleep).
What is the course and who runs it?
It sounds to me like distance education (one of you in Townsville and one in Sydney). So, how do they make sure you do the exam under exam conditions? I'm not suggesting you would do anything underhand but you must know not all students have such scruples. What's to stop you having a famous astrophysicist by your side, or at least someone who did the course last year? (FWIW students who do cheat are only fooling themselves and eventually, I would hope, everyone else sees them for a fool too).
Moving to something nicer, do you have a thesis topic for next year?
Now what does that mean in lay terms? 
How did you get the topic? Assigned, chosen, consultation, pick-from-list?
Will you get your own instrument time or do you use data already collected?
And, fall in love with the topic; it's the only way. |
OK...here's the course....
Astronomy at JCU
And yes, I had Carl Sagan, Stephen Hawking, Ed Witten and Uncle Al sitting in the living room with me whilst I was doing the exam
(I wish!!!
)
The exam is open book and we're given 24hrs to do it in, so basically we can use all the resources at hand to complete it. Still doesn't mean you're going to pass. That depends on whether you answer the questions correctly, which means knowing how to use the information you have.
As for myself, I haven't thought of a specific topic, yet. We choose our own topics within the purview of the overall aspects of the course, but they can range the full gamut of astronomy/astrophysics, including the education side of the subject. If we have to use instruments, then that would be discussed with our supervisor and the faculty. We may even use our own, if we have one and it's appropriate. Or we could do it primarily from written sources and databases, if that is the way to go. Depends on what you choose to do.
And quite frankly, sitting an exam setup by those guys would be scary!!! I would feel like a pale blue dot slowly evaporating away whilst being strung out in curved space