Conor Fallon, Macquarie University Spring 2024
At Macquarie, the academic culture leans towards a more laid-back and informal approach compared to Pitt. There was a strong emphasis on critical thinking and independent study, with less reliance on memorization. Each class I was enrolled in contained a critical thinking project. Both engineering classes I took were highly hands on, often requiring frequent work in the engineering laboratory frequently. One of the classes even took me on a field trip to a local manufacturing company called PrimoPlastics. The other focused entirely on designing and manufacturing a gearbox, which I found notably challenging compared to Pitt’s typical engineering courses.
Alternatively, at Pitt, the academic culture felt more competitive and grade oriented. Personally, I’m a fan of the competitive environment, but I prefer the emphasis on critical thinking from Macquarie. Within the engineering curriculum at Pitt there is still a focus on critical thinking and independent study, but to excel in GPA, one must rely more heavily on memorization of academic content. Some, but not many of my classes contained projects at Pitt. I’ve done some laboratory work for chemistry related courses, but nothing related to machinery. At Macquarie, I learned how to use a lathe, drill press, mill, and perform sand casting. To learn these kinds of skills at Pitt, I had to join an engineering club. Pitt certainly offers more engineering related clubs than Macquarie.
Every class that I was enrolled in at Macquarie only held one 2-hour long lecture per week. The lectures were always recorded and made accessible online. If I ever decided to attend a lecture in person, the professors tended to be very approachable and encouraged open dialogue in the classroom. Each course also offered small group teaching activities weekly (the equivalent of a recitation at Pitt). The teacher assistants were quite informal. This, however, proved to be one of my favorite aspects of Macquarie. Due to the informal teaching style, students felt more comfortable with asking questions and seeking assistance.
Additionally, the grading system at Macquarie was based on “marks” and ranged from HD (High Distinction) to Fail. To pass a class at Macquarie, one needs to obtain at least 50 marks, or in other words, a 50% in the class.
For my past courses at Pitt, most held 2-3 50-minute lectures per week. Recorded lectures depended entirely on the professor. Professors at Pitt seemed more adamant about in-person learning and were usually willing to enforce that style by not posting lectures online. I personally prefer watching the online recorded lectures, but it seems that other students tend to be less successful when that option is made available to them.
I found teacher assistants and recitations to be much less useful at Pitt, as the teacher assistants would sometimes be out of touch with what academic content students were struggling with. The grading system at Pitt is based on letters. To pass a course, one needs a C- or better, which is the equivalent of 70 marks, or a 70%.
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