Went into university today to discuss a mark i received for one of my last subjects. It was 68, by some measures this is a fair mark, not too good but its better then a P right? Well, excuse my arrogance and lack of modesty but i KNEW i deserved more. I don't pride myself on intelligence or hard working but when i put my mind to something i do it, and do it well. I also have a particular ethical conflict with the current head lecturer and there was no way in hell i was going to let him get away giving me such a disproportionate mark without a detailed explanation.

I'm not often outraged, but this really gets me going. He opens up a paper, and starts laying into it and saying this wrong and that is wrong and he could only give me 5 extra marks max. Well, it wasn't my paper, so after finding my paper he proceeds to do the same thing, just picks a question and says this and that to justify his marking. I then point to the first word in the question "Design" , i.e. make up my own parameters to the solution, "Oh" he says. While he ponders on the accuracy of my solution, i look around the room. It is the pinnacle of messiness, not only that it seemed more like the scene in star wars when they fall into the rubbish compactor, the walls were coming in and the rubbish was getting higher and higher.

5 minutes later, "well, yes you are correct, how about you i just remark the paper and email you later on in the week?" HELL NO BIATCH! I only had till Friday to sort this out and this guy was the flakiest guy i know, even worse then 1st year uni students. I demanded that if he was to get back to me, why shouldn't we mark it right now, what the advantage in waiting? Truly i didn't trust this guy, possibly the most stupid smart person that i know. EVERY BLOODY question he would look at it for 5 minutes and point at one mistake and say that's why u got 1/6 as if i would just sit there and accept it for truth. Then i systematically rip his logic apart and present his stupidity on a plate whilst showing how my solution was 100% valid and accurate. Still he would only give me say 5/6 or 3/4 and i would demand why? "Because other people answered better". *stun mullet*

So i look at him right in the eye, while my brain thinks "SO BLOODY WHAT!!!!!  DO I CARE THAT MR SMARTY PANTS ANSWERED A ONE MARK QUESTION WITH A 5 PAGE ESSAY? NO. SHOULD MY MARK BE DECREASED BECAUSE OF HIS ANSWER? NO. DOES THAT MEAN IF I TOOK A TEST WITH EINSTEIN ON RELATIVITY I SHOULD GET ZERO? NO. MARK ME ON ACCORDING TO THE MARKING SCHEME THAT YOU SET OUT ON THE EXAM."

"Whatever, next question"

After about 45 minutes I really couldn't believe this guy has been teaching for so long and no-one has said anything about this guy total lack of ethics and morals. I was marked with 11/35 for the final exam, after 45 minutes of explaining my answers to him I was sitting on 30/35. I let 3 marks go, because he simply refused to admit that even though my answers were technically right they didn't match what he envisioned to be the answer. Now my mark is 87, Credit to High Distinction, how can the marking be so erroneous?

Maybe it's just those one off things? My lab partner was also unhappy about his marks and he also discussed his mark with the Head Lecturer, he went from 73 to 85. Off the record, he made a reference to how the marks were "fake marks" and how he "marked all the papers in one night before he went on leave". And the most atrocious statement of them all, "I didn't really mark the papers, i just gave everyone about the same mark so everyone was around the 65 mark".

what a total outrage.

This weekend I attended the RTA Pre-learner's Motorcycle course run by the RTA and Honda (St. Ives) and its was very awesome. I strongly recommend it to every one whose never been on a motorcycle before and was always curious what it would feel like. At a cost of 60 dollars for two separate 3hr courses with all the gear supplied (helmet, gloves and bike), so all you need to do is show up.

Over the two days they start from the VERY VERY basics of safety and riding technique, and slowly build it up and including more and more fundamentals. There's a significant amount of talking, but all of it is very important information, stuff that you forget and then once you ride and make a mistake, you think "oh he told me i would do that".

You start on a basketball sized court with witch's hats around. The first day you don't get a lot of time on a bike but the course moves fast enough that you dont have enough time to be bored. You cover mounting, dismounting, walking, starting, rolling, starting, and then finally riding and shifting gears. Eaach activity has like 6 key things to remember, which basically get thrown out the window once your on the bike and all your natural reflexes take over. Once you get your confidence though its a totally unique feeling to be truly riding.

The second day you spend much more time on the bike basically going around turning, stopping, emergency stopping and lastly road simulation with the instructor jumping infront of you while your riding to test your stopping abilities.

It's safe, it's challenging, it's fun and its super cheap.