[Amber-Nicole]

I'll be out of here in two more years. I hate the whole not being 18 thing..

[Chyld]

Odds are that I'll leave for uni in just over a month. If I stuff up my results however, that's not an option. In such a case, I'm moving out into my own pad.

*realises that this involves planning and money*

Hang on...

[Jane Sherwood]

A month? I'm heading out on the seventeenth, but then again, band members have to come a few days earlier than everyone else.

[Chyld]

Technically, I leave for my first-choice uni on 9/11. I've no idea when I leave for my second-choice, but if I muff up my exams worse than that, its ASAP.

[Jane Sherwood]

How do exam results determine whether or not you go to college (or however it's set up)? I don't get it.

[Chyld]

Short version: My university place is dependant on my exam results.

Long version: Not worth the bother...

[SimeSublime]

As far as I understand it, you Americans have a weird system of getting into uni(or college, as you persistantly call it)that involves essays and interviews. In Australia, your postion is dependant only on your school marks.

[Jane Sherwood]

I never had to do anything like that, maybe it depends on what college a person wants to go to. With me, it was just between my high school GPA, and my ACT score. I screwed up my GPA because I basically slept through my first two years, but my ACT scores made up for it. Apparently the higher the score, the lower your GPA can be. I got a composite of 26* the last time I took it, which is pretty damn good considering the average score around here is only about 18 or 19** at best, and I never took any of the major science or math classes.




*I think the highest score one can get is a 36.

**All of my best friends are smarter than I am. They got 28s and 29s... Then again, they took all the classes I didn't and didn't screw up their freshman and sophomore years as well...

This post has been edited by Jane Sherwood: 03 August 2004 - 07:01 AM

[Chyld]

Sounds complicated, but I think we can shorten it to: it depends on how well you did at exams.

Grading here is based on an A-E system, with A being super duper, C being a low pass, anything less being not-a-pass, and U being a fail below all that. For university, there's an elaborate system involving points for every grade you get (10 per grade per year taking the course, in short). And I need to get about 280 points for my first choice uni. Lovely.

[SimeSublime]

So, just some questions I've been thinking about. Just what is a Grade Point Average, and why is 4.0 good?

Also, why is uni always called College over the Pacific? Here, a college is usually a private high school, or occaisionally a boadring house thing near a uni. For example, my highschool was named St Norbert College, as it was founded and owned by a group of Norbertine priests/brothers.

[Jane Sherwood]

Well, let's see if I can explain this properly...

A GPA is basically putting numbers to the five grades you can get – A, B, C, D, and F – an A is four, B is three, C two, D one, and an F is just zero. I think the overall grades you make in your classes are added up to get a final GPA. Basically a 4.0 is about the highest A you can get. I think I pulled off a 2.0 because of afore-mentioned screw-ups...

As for why we call universities "college", I don't really know. They're all called "university" in the actual names, like I'm going to Northwestern State University, but I think "college" is just a more generic term.

Chyld: I think I'm getting it now...

[Chyld]

And so do I. Sounds similar to what I was on about, only yours seems to use one digit instead of about three

[Mist]

Nice job explaining, both of you. I'm glad someone finally did. I was really confused as to what the other systems were like. This is just a guess, but perhaps the whole college/uni meaning thing is the same over here. Maybe, over time, the two terms simply became synonymous in the US through misunderstandings, exaggerations, or what have you.

Janey: I'm having to do the college choosing/applying junk now. It sucks.

Rhubarb: I sometimes don't live with my parents, but it's technically illegal since I'm a minor.

[Jane Sherwood]

Janey:  I'm having to do the college choosing/applying junk now.  It sucks.

Tell me about, plus there's all that junk mail to wade through...you would not believe how many Christian colleges tried to get at me!

What I did was I originally planned to follow one of my closest friends up to Northwestern (because I was very silly and she was one of the very few friends I had at the times), but she changed her mind and decided to go to another. Since I know sod all about picking colleges (except for the local one and the really popular one, both of which are very obnoxious and overrated), I decided to stick with it anyway.

I this I only got lucky with the fact that it kicks ass anyway, the campus is beautiful, they have a good selection of classes to choose from, and a few other friends are going there as well. Besides, they accepted me right off and gave me credit for the first semester of English because of my scores.

This post has been edited by Jane Sherwood: 04 August 2004 - 07:23 AM

[SimeSublime]

Nice. I didnt really know anyone when I went to uni, but I found that was good as it forced me to meet new people, rather then just hand out with those I already know.