STAB22 Frequently Asked Questions

To save you asking us questions, and to save us having to answer them, here are some frequently-asked questions and our answers to them.

Where to look:

Problem sets
Exams and quizzes
Tutorials
Course material
Final grades

Problem sets

Which problems should I do, and where are the solutions?
In any mathematical course, the only good way to see whether you truly understand the material is to do problems. The text has an enormous number of problems, any of which will be helpful to you. On the Course Schedule page, there are some suggested problems to work on, and fully worked-out solutions to these problems. Also, at the back of the text are answers to the odd-numbered problems.

Exams and quizzes

When is the midterm/final exam?
If we knew, we'd tell you. We'll announce dates in class and put them on the course homepage (look under News on the main page) as soon as we know what they are.
What if I can't make the midterm/final exam?
University policy is that you should be available for exams on any date within the exam periods. There are no makeup exams.
What if I get sick for the midterm exam?
Go to your doctor, and complete a medical certificate with your doctor. Get the certificate to your professor as soon as possible after the missed exam. If you miss the midterm with a valid medical certificate, your final exam is worth 80% of the course grade instead of 50% (that is, the weight for the midterm is transferred to the final).
What if I get sick for the final exam?
Go to your doctor and complete a medical certificate. Take this to the Registrar's office and petition for a deferred final exam (which is usually written at the end of the next semester).
What material is on the exam?
You are responsible for what appears in lectures, plus all of the material in all of the exercises in the sections of the textbook that we cover. In the case of the term test, this means all of the above for all the material covered in lectures up until the test, unless we say otherwise. We will mention any sections of the text that you are not responsible for. The final exam covers the whole course.
What can I bring to the exam?
You will need a #2 pencil for the Scantron (multiple choice) sheet. A pen may work, but is not guaranteed. You will need a non-communicating, non-programmable calculator (a simple one is fine, but a square root key will be useful). You will also want to bring your "cheat sheet(s)", which can contain any notes or formulas you wish. This is one sheet (midterm) or two sheets (final) of 8.5" x 11" letter-size paper. You can use both sides. This should be handwritten by you. We provide any statistical tables (such as Table A) that you might need.

If you need paper for calculations during the exam, you can use the question paper (the backs of the pages are blank). At the end of the exam, you can take away the question paper. The only material that is graded is your Scantron sheet. You are responsible for ensuring that the answers marked on there are the ones you intended. It is therefore essential that you bubble in your name and student number on your Scantron sheet before you hand it in. If you don't, you risk getting a grade of zero.
What are the tutorials for?
The tutorials are to review the previous week's material and to have that week's quiz (at the end). You can expect that the TA will answer questions (about the previous week's material) and work through some example problems, to help you prepare for the quiz.
When are the quizzes?
In the tutorial for which you are registered. Tutorials and quizzes start in week 2 of classes. There is a tutorial, but no quiz, in week 12 (the last week of classes). The marked quizzes are returned in the tutorial after they are written.
What can I expect on the quizzes?
There will be about 2 short questions (worth about 5 points each) on a single sheet of paper, with space for you to write your answers. (You can use the back of the sheet if you run out of room.) Your answers will need to include a complete but concise explanation of your answer. If you write too much or too little you risk losing marks; in particular, if you end up with the wrong answer, having an explanation containing some plausible ideas will probably get you partial credit. The quizzes are designed to take less than 10 minutes to complete, but we will try to give you 15 minutes at least.
What if I have questions about a returned quiz?
You can ask your TA, either after the tutorial or in the TA's office hours. If talking to your TA does not resolve the issue, bring the quiz to your professor's office hours. Professors, however, cannot change the mark awarded by the TA.
What if I get sick for a quiz?
Same procedure as for an exam. Give the medical certificate to your TA or one of the professors, and your overall quiz mark will be determined from your other quizzes.
What if I miss a quiz for some other reason?
There are no makeup quizzes. You get a mark of 0 for any missed quizzes.
How is the quiz mark determined?
There are 10 quizzes. The worst mark is dropped, and the other marks are averaged. If you missed any quizzes and submitted to us a medical certificate, that quiz is not counted in the average. (For example, if you missed 2 quizzes for documented medical reasons and wrote the other 8, the worst of these 8 marks is dropped, and your quiz mark is the sum of the other 7 divided by 7.)
Is there a time limit for submitting medical documentation for the quiz or midterm?
Yes: the last day of classes. Any later than that and you will interfere with the grade calculation process.
I joined the course late. What can I do about the quizzes I missed?
Nothing. Sorry.

Tutorials

I'm enrolled in the course, but all the tutorials appear to be full. What do I do?
Wait. The registrar's office opens up more tutorials depending on the enrollment in the course. By the second week of classes, when the tutorials start, you will be able to enrol in one. (If you are registered in the course but are unable to get into a tutorial by then, you have a legitimate complaint which you can take up with the Registrar's office.)
When do the tutorials start?

The second week of classes.

How do I switch tutorials?
This has to be done through ROSI. We can't help you with this.
I can't make my tutorial this week, but I can make one of the other tutorials. What should I do?
Ask the TA of the tutorial you wish to go to whether you can attend that tutorial for one week only. The TA has the right to say no, but will try to help you. (You can do this by asking the TA in person right before the tutorial is due to start; you don't need to do it in advance.) If you can't attend the tutorial you are registered in for more than one week, you should consider switching tutorials.

Course material

What course material are we going to cover?
Look at the course schedule, which is our best estimation of the material that will be covered in the course, arranged by section in the text.
What's on the quizzes?
Each quiz covers the previous week's lectures.
How can I practice for the quizzes?
Do problems. The course schedule page gives problems with full solutions for the various sections of the text.
Do I have to learn Minitab?
Doing so will make your life easier. You will be able to tackle all the suggested problems, even the ones with big data sets, and you will get practice at interpreting output, which you will have to do on the exams.
Will I be asked to describe how to do something in Minitab?
No.
There's a lot of stuff in the textbook that wasn't mentioned in the lectures. Am I responsible for that on the exams?
Maybe. There is not time to cover everything in the lectures. You need to know enough to be able to do the exercises at the end of each section. We have made a selection of exercises that are especially useful, and full solutions to those exercises are available. (Go to the course schedule page and click on the list of problems.)
How can I judge how I'm doing?
The quizzes are intended to be straightforward. If you can't manage a passing grade for the quizzes and the midterm, ask yourself whether it is useful to continue with the course. Be aware that the final exam covers material from the whole course, so you will probably find it more difficult than the midterm.
How can I get help?
Both professors and all the TAs have office hours every week. You have a good chance of getting the help you need if you avoid the times right before exams, which are busier. The other TAs in the Math and Stats Aid Room (AC320) may also be able to help you.

Final grades

How do I find out my final grade?
The final grades are submitted according to standard university procedures and approved by the department. They are then available in ROSI.
Can I see my final exam?
You may request a copy of your final exam, within 90 days of writing it, through the Registrar's office.
What if I disagree with the mark on my final exam?
You may request, through the Registrar's office, that the final exam be re-read.
I think my grade was calculated incorrectly. What can I do?
Request a clerical check of your mark through the Registrar's office. An amended grade will stand, whether it is higher or lower.
I need an extra 1% to win a scholarship/graduate/get out of academic probation.
Don't even think about asking the professor for special consideration of this kind. Your grade in a course is based only on the work you have done in that course, and it is your responsibility to ensure that your work meets the standard required.