Maximising your coursework practical score

Since you're working with real world image data (unlike theorem proving or solving a math problem), it is often impossible to get your practical assignment program to work perfectly. So, when do you stop?

Options:

1. You like to get things to work properly: When your program works mostly correctly on a lot of test cases. I don't set impossible assignments (except accidentally).
2. You are Homo economicus: Let's put this in perspective. This course is worth something like 10% of your assessment for the year. This assignment is worth 50% of the assessment for this course. You think that you have done enough for a 70% (A) after 20 hours of work. Should you do another all-nighter (20 hours) to get that up to 80%?

   Let's do the maths. Each 1% on the assignment is worth 0.01 * 0.50 * (10/120) = 0.0004 on your final average for the year. You earned the first 70% at 0.0015 per hour. You will earn the next 10% at 0.0002 per hour. You've got to ask yourself: is this worth enough? Maybe it is.

Bob Fisher
January 18, 2021