jet
Banned
- Joined
- Jan 4, 2007
- Messages
- 3,148
- Gender
- Male
- HSC
- 2009
You may have noticed that some people get given their timetables with clashes and some people don't. That's because there are two 'types' of clashes.From what I hear from people, it seems to have gotten much better than it previously was.
However, one thing I've always disliked about timetabling at USYD (and still do now) is that if you get difficult clashes, you need someone to set the timetable up for you. This is very inconvenient and somewhat stupid because when there are difficult clashes they usually result from classes having only a single stream available and having staff to assist with timetabling won't do any good on making that timetable better. Why not allow individuals take care of their own timetable? Or if this is not possible due to programming matters or whatever, at least show them their timetable with those difficult clashes?
and yes, you can tell that I've got difficult clashes lol. PCOL+STAT isn't too good a combination.
The first type happens when there are two classes which don't have any alternate times. There's no choice with these classes and so the system knows it can't do anything about it. When this sort of clash happens, it gives the student their timetable.
The second type happens when there is a choice for a class in a unit of study, but every choice has a clash. This is what we call "difficult clashes". Difficult clashes are a problem for the system because it doesn't know anything about the student apart from what they're enrolled in. It doesn't know whether you'd prefer to have a lecture clash with a tute, or a practical clash with a tute, etc etc. So instead, it plays it safe and doesn't pick. The problem is that a large number of the difficult clashes I've seen are much more complicated than you usually expect. Some students have timetables where all 4 subjects clash in every combination of class possible, and it's probably going to be very, very confusing for them to try to sort it out themselves. That's the main reason why we get them to come in.