Timetable Nightmare
<rant>
Anyone who's survived a semester at Melbourne Uni will know what a nightmare the timetable system is. Timetables were opened for editing last night at midnight and there was such a tremendous flurry of users that the entire system went down in the first ten minutes and only blipped up intermittently (for a few seconds) until 2am, when everyone obviously gave up and went to bed.
Now I don't mind this... obviously the server is going to strain if its opened at midnight and everyone is in a hurry to get on and change their times before all the classes fill up. (See quote at bottom). (Although this idea in itself could use some work).
What I do mind, is when some stupid person or subject or computer somewhere decides it'll be fun to see what happens if we create an utterly immovable timeslot, and see what sorts of hell it unleashes on one's timetable when it blocks you from moving all sorts of other things around.
I'm referring to the subject 433253 - Algorithms and Data Structures, which has a one-hour prac. This prac has NINE, (count 'em) NINE different time slots. Pretty damn flexible. The only problem is, for some stupid reason, every single one of them is completely filled up. And has been since midnight. (Note: For outsiders, we don't "sign up" for classes, we are automatically assigned them and then have to change if we want to. So this problem ISN'T a result of being too slow to sign up.) Therefore, no matter what anybody wants or does, nobody can change or swap from their automatically-assigned one to another.
For me, this means I can't move a lecture stream into that position and will have to suffer a four-hour gap every monday. (Yay). I've emailed the damn alloc8 system but haven't got a response. And frankly I'm getting more pissed off with this system every time I use it. Its no wonder, when you read the date stamp:
Created: 2 November 1995Yay. This thing almost predates the Internet. Stay tuned later this year when we celebrate its TENTH ANNIVERSARY! And hopefully its LAST. Stupid thing.
Last Modified: 15 July 2004
</rant>
"Attention, students. It's time once again to choose a gym class for the coming term, so let's all prove how adult we can be by filing to the gym in a calm and orderly manner... even though it's first-come, first-served, and the most popular sports fill up fast."
- Principal Seymour Skinner
(The school is then flooded by a wave of rioting students swarming their way to the gym)
posted by Eat_My_Shortz @ 4:33 pm
9 comments
9 Comments:
It sounds like a bureaucratic nightmare. I suppose it's supposed to be better than the old system where you had to physically show up at the uni and register. But it sure failed it's purpose. I hope you can get it straightened out. Meanwhile it's time for the horror movie "Timetable Nightmare" where the hero is trapped in a timetable of immovable objects and there's no way out. :( Not much fun.
Aww man, that sucks.
I believe if you go and talk to the folks at the eng building they are capable of moving you into streams regardless of weather they're full. the question is weather they'll be assholes about it and not let you :/
Lol can I write the script?
I was going to say (but forgot in all the rantiness), that although I am usually a proponent of technology and using it for management, etc, I really prefer good old fashioned beurocracy over dodgy 1995 web-enabled timetabling.
This timetable is a big deal. It runs your life for 4 months. Thx Tim, do u think it'd be too late to go down on monday?
I cant believe these guys havent written back to me yet. Whats the point of having an email address to solve alloc8 problems, when they are on vacation on alloc8 day?
Oh and Tim did u notice I properly opened and closed the >rant< tags! It's fully formed XML :D (except for the lack of XML header, and the blockquote outside the root element. I shaddup now).
Oops i got my < and >'s mixed up. Heh. The tribulations of trying to write HTML code within HTML code.
hahaha nice rant matt. Yeah from previous experience i'll vouch that as much as we hate the system, its treated with little respect by the people who have to actually get things working. You go in and they'll put you where you need to go. Probably, in the case of elective timetable surgery. Im going in tomorrow to do some stuff, we could all meet there and join some clubs.
Hrmn... perhaps you can offer to work on the timetabling system? :P And get paid for it in the process? :P
That was actually my thesis project - to create a new timetabling system for my university... :P
Wow really? My parents said "well, why don't you offer to fix it up!"
Personally, I wouldn't know where to start. Although this sounds like therefore I have no grounds to complain, my argument is simple: If I were in charge, and couldn't design a good system, I'd make people write it on paper and send it in, or go in in person. I wouldn't force them to use a dodgy system.
Who is Anonymous anyway? Can I ask that people who post anonymous please leave their name? (Or choose Other and type it there).
With our system, we are allocated Tutorial groups and then attend 'that groups' timetabled sessions. So group one may have a tutorial from 8-10am each day and group 2 from 10am-12pm etc. We are allowed to submit tutorial group requests (via email during O Week) and it is usually first come best dressed. I have been lucky enough to get my desired Tutorial group each year, thankfully. Goodluck with everything.
"well, why don't you offer to fix it up!"
Some monash friends of mine, an engineer and a law student, are in the process of doing so - and have something of a working beta.
that said, my timtable had so few variations i didn't really have any concerns...
Im sure everything will sort itself out
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