woot python for a test

[Isaac]

I just used python in a statistics, open book, open notes, open computer, open everything, test.

The test mostly required writing, but I loved using python while everyone else was using excel.

Later I'll have to post my script with my custom functions that make python a better general calculator.
The script is called with from calc import *. I also have a better rounding function that returns strings, so 3.6 actually returns 3.6.

[fliptw]

you know the amazing thing about open book tests? People still fail them.

[Isaac]

The teacher said most of the class did fail. He was not happy with us. But I got an A+. Muahaha!

[snoopy]

you know the amazing thing about open book tests? People still fail them.

The vast majority of my engineering tests were open book. Most of them were during the class period, and the professor warned us: if you don't know the material, you won't finish the test. The key to doing well was to walk into the test with your textbook bookmarked for all of the equations/formulas that you expected to have to use.... and to know how to use them without the book.

The teachers usually compensated for the lack of memorization by adding length and difficulty.

I even had open book take-home tests over the weekend.... ugh.... it's quite the way for a professor to ruin your weekend for you... "here's your test, it's due at the beginning of class on Monday, that only rule is that you're not allow to collaborate with each other." Those were that tests where you knew that you weren't going to get any answers... you just had to make a valiant effort and be on the right track to score well. Every once in a while: "You have to have someone proctor the test for you, and there's a three hour time limit. Trust me, the time is for your sake, not for mine."

If you think about it, it's really a quality way to prepare you for the real world. In the real world, you don't need to have things memorized. You do need to be able to slog through non-trivial situations and get yourself some sort of an approximate answer, though.

[Thenior]

I took a biz math class recently, all open book. What was difficult, though, was every quiz had a 30 minute cap, and had 10 questions. Each question was a Word problem. Very hard to get each problem done in 3 minutes.

The final and mid term were worse - you had like 2.5 minutes per question, and had to like 50 problems. Like snoopy said, the only way I survived was by creating an outline of each chapter with key formulas and concepts, and marking what page number I could find information if I needed it.