I spent three hours this afternoon trying to understand the study material about power supply systems, the last part of the “Energy: Basics” course. I didn’t even try to understand all of it, I limited it down to the stuff I needed to understand to solve the last few tasks of the term paper. Without success though. And it’s sooo frustrating. How can anyone write study material which doesn’t explain anything? I thought this course’s aim was to get knowledge about electrical engineering and power supply systems. I never thought I already had to have that knowledge. What’s the point in taking the course then? Argh!
I guess that’s the downside of distant education and rather flexible study system: You can study with your own schedule and on your own pace, but if you need some guidance and assistence, it’s not that simple. After all I can’t ask the person who wrote the study material to give me some private lectures to explain the stuff to me. Although he should, because his study material is crap! And nowhere was mentioned that previous knowledge of trigonometry, physics or even electrical engineering is required, although it obviously is.
I’m afraid I’ll have to turn in the paper only half completed and keep my fingers crossed that I’ve answered the first tasks correctly and got enough points to not fail. I doubt it though. But I won’t repeat writing that term paper, because different tasks won’t change the fact that the study material is totally useless. I guess the tution fees I paid for that course was a waste of money, which really makes me mad. And it frustrates me. I only have to take three science courses and I thought Energy woul be the least difficult, but I guess I was wrong. Taking chemistry or chemical engineering was totally out of question though. I’m looking forward to taking some courses from the social studies, politics, psychology and all that interesting stuff next. At least for these term paper I don’t have to use arithmetics or physics and don’t have to draw graphics of some sort. I just have to think and put my thoughts into words. That’s something I can handle whatever the course is about :-)