So it appears, after more than two years of uptime, that the various teachers of RHHS have caught on to this site.
What I write here will pertain to the teachers for which I have the utmost respect for, but apparently do not understand the idea that embodies “Freedom of Information”, and also to the students (but also teachers) who do not quite grasp the concept of what education should be.
The tests and assignments which I have put up, on the “School” section of this website, are all from my various years of high school. They have been scanned and made available to students everywhere to see. This practice is not new. I have been in school long enough, and I am sure all of you have seen enough with your own eyes to know that old tests have been passed along for years. Students often have siblings, or older friends who have taken a course that they are currently taking. Thus, past tests and assignments such as those which are found on this site are quite readily available to them. Furthermore, I have been to several paid “tutorial” classes run by private organizations, who also seem to have repositories of old test and exam papers from various schools and various years. This information is not unique, nor is it a secret. If you must consider it an advantage to the students who have access to this material, then you must also consider it an unfair advantage, because not all students will have access to such material. Don’t pretend like it’s never happened before, because everyone IS aware of it.
What I have done is simply to level the playing field. This site is not only available to me, to my friends, to my classmates, but to the world. This information is something which I have shared with many people, regardless of whether or not I have shown my tests. The information in itself is free. If I am asked a specific question for a specific test or assignment, I will repeat almost exactly what I have written on said test or assignment. Why should I repeat myself dozens of times, when I have the facilities to make such information free?
Now, I mean no offense to any teacher who has found this availability disturbing. Anyone who has had a decent conversation with me will know that I don’t think these tests will help a student learn. And isn’t learning what school is about? The marks, the assignments, those are all just subjective obstacles that monitor (albeit very poorly) the progress of such education. A teacher who has done his or her job should not have any qualms about their tests being available. I, like many others who have gone through high school, can just as well tell the difference between a good and a bad teacher – and I am blessed to have had classes with some of whom I think are the best high school teachers in the region (a few weeks of university has shown me that quite vividly). A good teacher won’t mind, because it simply won’t matter. If the concepts are taught well enough, then any test question should be a walk in the park. It shouldn’t matter if the class average becomes artificially high, as long as the students have learned. And perhaps, too, it is time for an exercise in thinking – a creative problem is a hundred times more satisfying to do and solve, and when designed properly, a solution cannot simply be memorized. It must be understood. [Specifically, if math teachers are able to create problems that are unique and creative every year, then science teachers ought to be able to do the same thing, such is the expanse of the field.]
Likewise, to the students who have used these tests – understand that tests, assignments, and examinations are in no way any indication of what you have learned, it is simply an indication of what you can regurgitate. You want to learn the material? Don’t just read it, don’t just memorize the questions and solutions I have posted (and will explain by request), but be able to explain it yourself. I’ve spent a good portion of my time in high school explaining problems to others, not necessarily because I knew the ideas better than others, but because that truly is the only one way to learn. If you’ve learned it enough to teach it, you’ve truly mastered it, and the matter of tests and evaluations become trivial. Only by necessity must I care about marks. The purpose of school is to learn, and learn how to learn. I’ve been asked once or twice how I can be so nonchalant about marks. Why is it? It’s that I realize it doesn’t matter how others evaluate you subjectively, so long as you know you’ve learned from everything you’ve done.
Students – here’s a word of advice. I’ve never studied from past tests and assignments. I find it a useless endeavour. I daresay that in fact, many of the top students at RHHS also find this to be useless. Questions on tests and assignments can, and will be changed. Using this as your only resource is a sure path to disaster and failure. You’ve failed as a student if you haven’t learned. So get studying if you still don’t understand. Use the tests, but only to test yourself – not so you can memorize the formulas and methods. Otherwise, you’ve only wasted your time.
This isn’t meant to be inspiring, or even meant to be of any use in guidance. This is simply the facts, as they are, from my point of view. It is an opinion, and it is a freedom (of speech and of information), which I choose to share with the world.
I’ve said the same thing for over two years, and I’m not about to change. Got comments? Hit the comment button right below here.
Comments (18)
RHHS loves you kevin =).
I agree completly, and if people think memorizing everything will get them through, they are going to crash and burn the moment they step out of high school. Just LEARN the material, isn’t that the whole point? Sure it can be hard sometimes, but its the only way.
p.s – you’re the coolest person ever, i miss you
Get used to studying kids… won’t be time for much else come university =)! And universities have libraries with all exams for each course for the past like 10 years to help you study. Not only knowing the material is good, but if you truly wish to affect those marks that – however a poor indicator of your aptitude in the information – you should probably know how to get them. It also doesn’t help that every teacher has a unique way of marking and sometimes just knowing how to do the question isn’t enough, but you must learn to do it *their* way. This is of course not meant to offend anyone as it is simply the truth again, and I do not blame teachers in any way for having a preferred method to get the answer. These tests help determine the style of said teacher, and while I disagree with studying just from tests, it really can help a lot to see a bit of how the teacher WANTS the questions done even though you many know to do it your way, since if you can’t communicate the idea to them, how do you expect the marks?
Of course, in High School, most teachers will explain their style to you enough times and how exactly they want everything done, but better start looking at those last year’s finals next year boys and girls =). Cuz my profs sometimes annoy me quite the bit when they lecture about a banal example like a simple 1-D motion kinematic in class, and then assign (for marks) questions that involve a 3-D fly moving in a 3-D non-linear trajectory and its shadow on a tilted plane. Gah.
Point is… in uni it doesn’t seem you get much time to discover your teacher’s style, and bombing your first quiz/test/exam to learn that style will handicap you so =). As for high school… you really don’t need to use these test, but if it helps you go ahead I say. I’m sure if we’re expected to be creative and innovative and come up with new ideas and methods then the teachers will surely lead by example and perhaps come up with new questions every year. Isn’t the idea that they’re supposed to be able to do the questions they’re making us do? Because the it should be pretty easy to come up with a few questions for a test every month or so. (I’ve done it too so I’m not just speaking completely out of my range of expertise) Seriously, if the teachers are so worried about this site, then change your tests to not use these questions anymore… not *too* difficult. Either way, the tests will leak out, and this is – like Kevin said – just evening out the playing tables.
All’s fair in love and marks ladies and gentlemen. =)
~Peter
Quite frankly I was surprised that many teachers did not change their tests every year or semestre to semestre. Some did but only marginally. If you don’t want students using old tests for some sort of advantage then take away said advantage by rewiting your tests. Its really quite simple.
The other thing that bothered me was that some teachers insisted on keeping all tests so that they could not be passed around. This meant that even the students who wrote the tests could not learn from their own mistakes.
Seems kind of rediculous all for the sake of laziness. But hey what do I know, I’m just a student. Well, not really.
Chris Wheeler
I’d like to point out that what Kevin is doing is much like how teachers handle AP exams. They teach students from old AP exams so we can suceed. So why can’t old tests be used in a similar fashion? If teachers believe that the ‘distribution’ of these tests really will change any student’s marks, then they’re mistaken because not all students have the determination to be able to actually sit and do old tests. The ones who wanted old tests so badly, would have gotten hold of them regardless if Kevin had posted them online or not. If these tests were inaccessible to everyone, then yes, there would be a problem with posting all these previous tests. But they aren’t, and for that reason, it’s completely fair that Kevin posted these as to ‘level the playing field’.
- – Have not graduated, therefore will hide identity.
cool, cool =) this is genius
I’m not worried about any of those courses… only worried about AP Calc… but since it’s Brar, I doubt he’d care… he can make questions up in a snap, and we can help each other in assignments anyways
lol.this is kind of an interesting situations…pretty funny…damn ur awesome Kevin
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I’d like to see someone try to “memorize,” assignment solutions and do well on an AP Calc test. It just won’t happen.
Seriously, I think Kevin’s got a point. Hey you know what, people get so caught up in marks that they no longer take a breather to sit down and learn the stuff. In my opinion this just gives you a chance to sit and enjoy what’s being studied. Marks, in gr. 12 are basically like bread, and you need them to do anything with your life. Should the teachers get this oportunity to gamble with your life just because they can not properly teach or take time to make sure you understand instead of rushing through the course. I am more then exited to be able to learn at a higher level, but give me a break, we’re rushing through the material like superman. And in the end, (i dont know of many who ask themselves this), how much have you truly learned. And for goodness sake, what’s it to you teachers out there if you give us higher marks. Should highschool be a battle ground where you are the beast masters and we are the beasts, and thus we must sacrifice our year to survive. A test should be a review of what you have studied durring the unit, and not an opportunity to do research and look for stuff in the book that was not covered in class and thus you are responsible for it. Like many have said, tests are passed down, and this is one of the reasons what probably a maj. of the students get to do so well. Brar so far seems to make Calculus AP pretty fun, and his challenge problems are a good way to stress your mind over, but hey,other teachers seem to enjoy dodeling on pointless questions that have no relevance to the unit. I think that teachers no longer use a lesson plan because they feel that they are well prepared to “wing it”, and thus at the beg. of the AP semester, they warn us that, “We will not be able to finish the course in time”, maybe if you cut the useless crap out of the course and tried to structurize the course, maybe, who knows, we could finish the course by the end of the semester.
What Kevin has done is amazing. A majority of the people who come to this school help eachother by giving eachother the notes not durring the certain course but well before. If you are not able to recieve this, then you are certainly at a disadvantage compared to the other kids who do. In the end, no matter how much you study and how much you cover, this is basically based on luck and not as much in skill. You could be acing calculus AP and make 1 silly mistake in every question, and thus you would have a beautiful 20% on your first test. These tests are not so much as illegal as so many find it to be. They narrow down the fields of study and they give you a rough idea on how to prepare and what sort of things you still need to cover. I dont know if it’s just me, but the review sheet after every unit is basically a way of saying: “There I gave you something to review, the rest do on your own. Learn all the other crap that you do not need to know and kill yourself with a headache”. Maybe if the review sheets were more thorough and the teachers less of a hypocrytes, maybe, we would no longer need to pass these tests around.
…I have not graduated, thus i shall not reveal my identity. But obviously i have said too much. Btw, to Kevin if he reads this, Brar was mad at the beggining but then he realized that he did not challenge you enough and he sort of regrets what he did for you. I don’t know if he has read these comments, but i hope that someday he will.
Reply to above:
Did Brar not challenge me enough? That’s doubtful. I thought AP Calc was a challenge. I still think it’s a challenge. But it’s a challenge that I would take, no questions asked. I’d do it again, even if I got a 60. I encourage everyone still in the AP Calc class to stay in the class. And tell Brar that if you want. I’m quite thankful for Brar, and the class, regardless of what he may think. What he and I believe in are perhaps different, but that class was the highlight of my high school academic career. Anyone else from that class will say the same thing.
The point is, with the course as it was being taught, it was so much of a challenge, that I think even if you have past tests and problems, that it is impossible to learn by just studying those. You actually have to THINK about it. That’s why I put up certain assignments and tests. They’re good practice, to boot. I don’t believe it will make any difference. The people who do well will still do well. The people who don’t do well will perhaps realize where they were lacking – more than likely, it’s a need for the use of the brain rather than just rote memorization.
You can memorize all you want from all my AP Calc tests, but it’s impossible to learn Calculus that way.
In any case, I do hope the certain teachers from Richmond Hill do read this some time soon, rather than trying to hide it. If they want me, they can come talk to me.
AP Clac was probably the most usefull course i ever took in high school. despite getting not the best mark, i can now pretty much pay minimal attention in class and am getting a high 90 average. stay in the class! i probably had the lowest mark there, but damn i loved it. its a challege DEFINITELY worth taking, and youll be all the better for it. stay in the class if youre thinking of dropping, and dont worry about the mark too much. just learn and take it all in. it’ll come in useful if you plan on doing math later, which im assuming you (collectively) are since you took AP in the first place.
man, i miss that class.
~Anna Loza
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yeh guys, take AP calculus, if you plan to go into any sciences either than life science =)
you’ll have a hard time without it
(oops i didn’t take AP =(.. big mistake)
Replies:
“I am more then exited to be able to learn at a higher level, but give me a break, we’re rushing through the material like superman”
learning at a higher level means a lot more learning on your own, taking initiative and not understanding what the prof is talking about.
“A test should be a review of what you have studied durring the unit”
But, a math test should test your knowledge in general, not just what you were taught in about 2 weeks. math is a pyramid. my favourite test question in high school was a non-covered-in-the-course-or-text-specifically, by M. Shim .. something to do with the number of equations with a certain sol’n in data management. =)
other teachers seem to enjoy dodeling on pointless questions that have no relevance to the unit. I think that teachers no longer use a lesson plan because they feel that they are well prepared to “wing it”, and thus at the beg. of the AP semester, they warn us that, “We will not be able to finish the course in time”,
A)when teachers “dodel” on pointless questions –> 1) it was asked by another student
2) it’s a sign they know their subject and enjoy it.. to ponder random Qs..
therefore be thankful those kinds of teachers.
B) no longer have lesson plans? yeh, teaching the course for 5+ years would allow that, no?… and most teachers do know what they’re talking about. even better they are not clinging to a piece of paper to be able to talk!
C) most importantly.. you don’t finish the course material because high school accomodates needs of students and slows down when the class has no clue what’s going on. that’s why you don’t finish.
you cover university topics in AP courses, they are meant to be challanging and all. so… don’t blame things on the teachers and go study!!
in university, no one slows down..
so maybe high school should not slow down either and then marks should be adjusted…. but some people don’t want to study in high school. and the point it a general education.. so i guess teaches *should* slow down when the students are lost..
but those who chose AP, chose it for a reason, so we don’t have to stop for AP, and then allow mark adjustments. which was the case several years back, but no more =(
ah, well, await university.
Give me a break. The students who take the AP courses are amazingly well prepared and if you don’t understand something, get ready to learn it on your own. This isn’t kindergarden. The reason why i took the AP was to have a maximum understanding of the material, which will once again be covered in university. If i felt that i need to slow down, i would have taken academic, although AP doesn’t seem so hard compared to academic. I have enough AP courses to keep me on my toes, and i do not back down from a challenge. If you cannot understand, you shouldn’t be in this class. AP is slowly being degraded by those who just come in to feel the rush of superiority over the academic. Others are there to learn. Maybe the reason we’re going like superman is possibly because we might just cover the whole curiculum. To tell you the truth, Calculus is the only class which tests your lateral thinking. I bet you will forget 99.9% of the stuff we learn in these AP courses. But you know what, im sure lateral thinking will stay with you for at least a little while and it will come in useful. About the dodeling, well, i dont know about you, but keep in mind that some people are lost and some people are not. Should they accomodate all the students? I think not. The pace should remain constant because i don’t see why teachers should slow down. As Brar said, its not AP who defines you, it is you who define AP, and those who get lost degrade this title. I am not against the people who do get lost, but they accepted the challenge, they recieve the fame, but it is to their own interest to figure out what to do in their own time. And between, we’re rushing like superman is a comment which only applies to canadians. Go to Europian countries, and get mezmarized at the speed at which they learn and what they learn. Canada is a disgrace to education over the world. That is, until the univesity, where it ranks pretty good. Do realize that to have the scars which get you through life, you got to bleed first. There is not easy way, and sooner or later you will bang your head on a challenge where no one tells you what to do. I believe the AP curiculum does a pretty good job in enforcing this theme. Although i believe physics does go as insane as Bio or Calc, OR ENG AP especially. Darn, that man gives homework so fast that u can never take a breather. You know what, you came to AP for this reason and it’s time to get down to business and mirk the courses or get mirked by them.
Sucks to be year 07-08 just because we couldn’t take AP Calculus (xxxxing noobs who are too scared to take AP calc)
and the increase in school size (apparently)
It’s like saying you can’t get old SAT’s to practice, yet College Board publishes them. So I don’t see how this is not reasonable