Calculus is ruining my senior year transcript, COLLEGES WILL DENY ME?!!

Applying to College
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<p>So we just got our first test back in AP Calc BC and I got a 53......53%.....F...</p>

<p>My current grade in the class is a 73% and I DON'T KNOWWWWWW WHAT TO DO I STUDIED UNTIL LATE AT NIGHT FOR THAT TEST AND AT THIS RATE I'LL END UP WITH LIKE A D BY THE END UP FIRST QUARTER AND THEN COLLEGES WILL SAY "HAHA NO YOU'RE DONE WE DON'T WANT YOU" HOW CAN I BE BETTER AT CALCULUS STYLED PROBLEMS LIKE MY TEACHER IS GREAT IT'S JUST SO CUMULATIVE WHERE CAN I GET EXTRA PRACTICE?!</p>

<p>CALCULUS IS RUINING MY LIFE</p>

2

<p>First of all. Calm down. Many colleges are lenient about senior grades, to an extent. Especially calculus. You do not have to get a 99% for Harvard to even consider you. From what I heard, as long as you’re not getting a D or failing the class, you should be fine. For extra help, Khanacademy.org, or solve problems in your textbook until you get the hang of stuff. And go for help if you don’t get something, suffering late into the night by yourself won’t help one bit if you don’t understand. And especially if all your other grades are As, they will look for an explanation as to why this one is so low. Admissions counselors are people. Not your worst nightmares.</p>

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<p>Thanks I really just needed to hear this…I hope I do substantially better next time.</p>

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<p>I’m in a similar to situation to you right now. I’ve never struggled in math, but I failed my first quiz and didn’t do very well on the first test, either. I was told that that happens to most people, and a lot of them are still able to get As because it gets better once you learn the basics. I’m sure you’ll be fine!</p>

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<p>Try Khan academy! It will help you understand some math concepts very well.</p>

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<p>Thank you and you too! Good luck to the both of us</p>

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<p>you can get more practice by buying the “Problem Solver” guide to calculus. It’s like a SAT review book but focused on calculus. They have them for most technical subjects, BTW. Work practice problems in the book and you will improve.</p>

<p>I’m going to give you 4 links to articles that you ought to read to understand what you need to do, and why you need to do it. To summarize, the problem is probably that you are confusing recognition with recall. This is a common problem with students in all fields. When you do the homework you have the book right there and can thumb back to see how similar problems were solved. After a while the approaches become familiar, and then when you review the book before the test they may seem even more so, but as you’ve discovered once you face a test and can’t refer back you can’t recall what you need.</p>

<p>here are the links to read: </p>

<p>[Why</a> Students Think They Understand—When They Don’t](<a href=“http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/winter0304/willingham.cfm]Why”>Ask the Cognitive Scientist: Why Students Think They Understand—When They Don't) </p>

<p>[Practice</a> Makes Perfect—but Only If You Practice Beyond the Point of Perfection](<a href=“http://www.aft.org/newspubs/periodicals/ae/spring2004/willingham.cfm]Practice”>Ask the Cognitive Scientist: Practice Makes Perfect—But Only If You Practice beyond the Point of Perfection)</p>

<p>[How</a> to Ace Calculus: The Art of Doing Well in Technical Courses](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2008/11/14/how-to-ace-calculus-the-art-of-doing-well-in-technical-courses/]How”>How to Ace Calculus: The Art of Doing Well in Technical Courses - Cal Newport)</p>

<p>[On</a> Becoming a Math Whiz: My Advice to a New MIT Student](<a href=“http://calnewport.com/blog/2011/04/28/on-becoming-a-math-whiz-my-advice-to-a-new-mit-student/]On”>On Becoming a Math Whiz: My Advice to a New MIT Student - Cal Newport)</p>

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<p>Most schools will have made their decision before they see your first semester transcript.</p>

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<p>barrk: i think you’re trying to calm the OP but what you said isn’t the case. Unless the OP applies EA or ED only (which will look at the 1st six semesters of HS work), then all his/her Regular Decision apps will include 1st semester senior year grades (seven semesters).</p>

<p>Most schools make their decisions with those grades in hand, not the opposite.</p>

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<p>OP, what school are you trying to apply to? Just one quiz, clam down. Not need to freak out right now. I agree barrk. Admission decision is base on grades that were in your 9th (some schools doesn’t even count that), 10th and 11th. However, the admission offer is also conditional only (provide you don’t screw up your grades in your senior year). If you seriously think you will get a “D”. Get help now. Good Luck.</p>

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<p>My High school didn’t release first semester transcripts until March.</p>

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<p>Wow. What an annoyance to the colleges. But even still, I’m sure that 7th semester was part of the evaluation – the colleges probably held off deciding on many of your school’s applicant. March release of transcripts is NOT the norm – whereas evaluation of 7 semesters of grades by colleges is.</p>

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<p>Same boat as you. I’ve never not gotten an A in a class before, and right now I have a D in the class as a result of our first test. Doubt I’ll be able to get it up past a C</p>

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<p>Your school is the exception, most HSs submit mid year reports in Jan/Feb. It’s fine to cite your personal situation, but you should state that in your post, rather than make it a generality.</p>

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<p>Thank god for this post I am having the same problem with Calculus myself… My teacher is amazing and all but the concepts seem almost impossible to grape!</p>