college life

Overheard at Office Hours

Some great things I heard today while at office hours. Who knew getting help on a problem set could be so much fun?

1. (This one is second-hand, about a student’s matlab code of a learning algorithm)

Student: Can I still get most of the points if I’m not getting the right results?

TA: If you don’t get the right results, you can only get up to half credit

Student: Well, my code is conceptually correct.

TA: If your code is conceptually correct, you should get the right results

2. (Project group working on their code)

Student: Why is it that nothing we were given in class works?

3. (same group)

Student: The matlab SVM code works, but ours doesn’t (repeated multiple times over the course of OH)

TA: Well, have you tried debugging your code?

4. (us trying to get help)

Student: That’s not what the TA said yesterday. (some explanation about what the other TA said)

TA: (thinks and agrees). So I haven’t actually done the derivation myself. It’s too much work (everyone laughs). I just look at the solution and agree that it’s correct

5. (still us)

Student: Is that the solution you have in your hand? (TA is holding papers) Can you just look at those to see what’s supposed to happen?

TA: Oh, these are all wrong. It’s correct until here, and the rest is crap.


TA: I think this was just a printing mistake or something.

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