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My first year 2003/04 - Physics
This was my favorite subject (along with Chemistry, actually) in the first year.
My teacher was Professor Csík Gabriella.
The first part of the first semester was statistics.
Since I had studied (and taught) math, stats, and economics for five years
before coming to Budapest, this part of the semester wasn't too much of a challange. The irony is that Physics was my favorite subject and by far my strongest subject this year, still I ended up arguing with the Department over wrongful census at the final exam and got a '2'.
The department had a book we could buy and they also had excellent lectures!
By far the most useful lectures of all the first year subjects! Everything they expected on the exam was covered in either lecture or practice.
My midterms can be found in My Notes.
At the semifinal I got a question about various microscopes (among others).
I was absent the day we looked at the fluorescent microscope and therefore I lacked some details in my answer, which cost me the 5. I did end up with a 4, though, and I feel it was fair.
On the final exam before the Summer (I was sick during the week of both the physics and chemistry competition - sucked), I was first told that I had failed the written part (48 points), but it turned out that I had been given zero points on two questions - both regarding statistics. I had also been given 2 out 12 points on a question regarding Snell's Law - I felt robbed on that, too.
I have studied mathematics and statistics for five years and I have taught other university students the same material, and I know that a sound mathematical proof, clearly naming the variables, would even make the late Willebrord Snellius himself accept it as knowledge worthy more than 2 out of 12.
But, what made me really upset was the fact that I had answered both the question on statistics correctly, but the professor that corrected the exam refused to even hear me out. I presented my argument, referring to the textbook and lab manual (both from the Department of Physics). This is what the professor did: He completely ignored my request to discuss it as educated human beings. Instead, he looked over my test and added 1 point here and there, making it exactly 60 points, the amount needed to pass.
So, instead of giving me the 30+ points
I actually deserved, he ended up giving me eight points I clearly deserved (on the Snell's Law question) and four points that I didn't deserve (I had sloppy answers that didn't deserve 10 out of 10 on some of the others).
Anyway, this gave me the chance to go on to the oral exam.
The lady that examined me was extremely condecending and kept commenting on the fact that 'I clearly did not understand physics because I only got 60 points on the written exam - after corrections!'
On two questions (Brehmsstrahlung, and Attenuation and Lambert-Beer law) I had written down all the mathematics I needed, so her response was 'Wait, I'm reading it. Ok.' and went on to the next question.
At the end of the exam she said 'I want to give you a two, but I understand you feel you deserve better. Do you want a better grade?'
If an examinor ever asks you that question, just say 'yes' and smile!
Being that I was sick and tired of taking shit that day, I was stupid enough to blurt out: 'I don't care. I have gotten fives on just about everything in this subject and if I don't get a five on this final exam, I'm gonna retake it'.
After all, the way I understood it, she had accepted the notes I made for the first two questions as a 'he knows his stuff here' and thus making me eligable for a three, four or five, depending on how I answered the last two questions (I got four topics on the oral part). And saying I deserved a three or even a two was just an insult. But I realized that she had judged me based on the 60 points from the written exam (actually, it was a 60 with a crossed-out 48 next to it and some comment from the professor that had corrected it).
'Then I'm giving you a two'.
Overall had a great time in biophysics.
I liked my practice teacher and I had a great experience at the semifinal exam, where I do feel I wasn't precise enough to deserve a five.
The material I have learned in this subject has been very helpful in both radiology and in my clinical work, and that's all that matters.
I was disappointed at the arrogance and disrespect I encountered at the final exam, but I'm not here to please the professors - I'm here to help my future patients.
I never retook the exam.