So in my calc class, i keep getting a C on my midterms. I get B’s on the quiz and an A for homework. I’’ taking calc 2 and linear algebra along with physics next semester.
Up until now, trig is the highest level class i’ve taken.
If I can’t even get a B< in a calc class then should I just quit engineering?
I wouldn’t say you should quit engineering. Instead you should figure out why your study habits in calculus aren’t producing the sorts of grades on the exams that you are getting on the homework.
Did you take Calc 1 after Trig and before Calc 2? What about precalculus or some similar class with conic sections and other topics?
I took trig before calc. I did not take calculus in high school
My dilemma is that i do everything right. I go to class, office hours, tutoring. I put in maybe 15+ hrs studying for just this class.
15 hours over what period? Per week? Is that including time spent in class? Either way, that’s a lot, mean implies you are not studying efficiently in a way that helps you actually learn. In other words, I wouldn’t call what you are doing “right.” You have to change it up.
As @boneh3ad is saying, time spent is not the only important metric. In fact, it might not be very meaningful at all. It’s what you do with your time that matters. I’d start by incorporating a few changes. What you’re studying, you’re studying and doing NOTHING else. That means, no Facebook, no texting, no bathroom breaks, no talking with friends, no email, no browsing, just studying. How does one accomplish such intense focus? By doing it in small chunks. Set your phone to airplane mode and turn your computer off. Set a timer. Your phone works great for this. Start with a minimum of 25 minutes and as your stamina builds, shoot for 35 or more minutes, but never more than 50. Then take a 5-10 minute break between blocks to text, take a bathroom break, get a drink. Etc. it’s not that Facebook, texting, email, etc. are bad per se. It’s the anticipation that something might have changed that keeps you distracted. The timer removes that. Good luck.
Eh, my whole life and career has been built off of distracted studying. It can be done. Is it the most efficient way to do it? Probably not, but there is no real reason for everyone to go completely radio silent while studying. Some people might need that and other may not. The important thing is learning how to study in terms of what method works best for learning material, and the best way generally does not involve spending massive amounts of time on the same or similar problems over and over again. That’s one of the least efficient study methods. You are better mixing up studying for different subjects in shorter bursts and then taking some time off and coming back to it a few days later and forcing yourself to remember it after you’ve started to forget some of it. By mixing up topics a bit it helps your brain make connections between topics better, and by letting yourself forget a little bit and then having to work a bit harder to remember it, you will actually enhance memory.