<p>Has anyone had Professor Clote before? I have her for Calculus 1 and I’m having trouble doing the Homework. She seems to expect that the students already know the material and (given that it is a big lecture hall) she never lets us ask questions. Is this common among all MT100 professors? How helpful are the Discussion classes?</p>
<p>@askjeeves I did not have Clote for Calc, but I would highly suggest you go to all discussions, especially if you’re struggling. A lot of people won’t even show up so you get a chance to learn the material with less people in the room, and questions were usually taken in my discussions as well.</p>
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<p>I doubt that is the Professor’s expectation, but the fact is that many students do “already know the material”. They are premeds who took aced Calc AB/BC in high school, but are repeating the course for the ‘easy’ A.</p>
<p>Dear askjeeves : Off the record - if you have not taken Calculus I previously, I would have recommended anyone in the department aside from Clote. Her teaching abilities are among the weakest in the department (apologies to you on this) and the pressure that this will place on the discussion sessions will increase.</p>
<p>I have actually taken Calc AB in high school (I missed the exam due to sickness), but my teacher was not particularly effective (his grading was very lenient and I managed to ace the class anyways). </p>
<p>The problem with Calc I seems to be that the only two non-first year professors/adjunct professors were Reed and Clote. Reed’s class was at 8 AM which was way too early for me (I live on Newton). I guess I preferred Clote over the other unknown professors. I still have the opportunity to transfer into another section, but its taught by a new professor, so I have no idea about his teaching abilities.</p>
<p>@askjeeves I just checked on BC UIS and there seem to be several alternatives to Clote still available. Teachers not on peps can be a risk but sometimes they actually turn out to be pretty good.</p>
<p>Bronovan,</p>
<p>I just switched into another class after today’s lecture with Clote, which was simply unbearable. 75% the class literally went “huh?” when she started blazing through her review of trigonometry. I sat in one of my new Calc professor’s classes (he is a visiting Asst Professor), and while he isn’t amazing, he at least encourages class participation and pauses for a second to allow us to process information. Speaking without a thick French accent also definitely helps.</p>
<p>Unfortunately this means I have to redo my problem set for this week, but it’s probably worth it.</p>
<p>Dear askjeeves : Please see your private messages on this topic.</p>
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<p>Huh (I say)? Why would 3/4ths of a class of college calculus students NOT already know trig, since it is a precalc subject?</p>
<p>Created a thread for this, but figured i’d post in here too:</p>
<p>Has anyone heard about the following:</p>
<p>4Boston, First Year Service Program, Loyola Volunteers, Students in Free Enterprise</p>
<p>I’ve gone to an info session for 4Boston (working on essays right now in case since they’re due Friday at noon) and I went to the volunteer fair and got information on the other three, along with reading up on them online. Does anyone know anything about them/have experiences as part of one of these organizations? </p>
<p>I’m only looking to join 1 (maybe 2 if I really want too) and I’m kind of torn between 4Boston, FYSP, and SiFE.</p>
<p>My freshman D’s MT100 calc class and discussion session appears to be a complete joke - although at $60,000 per year I’m not amused. </p>
<p>She actually had one of her classmates storm out of their discussion session yesterday describing it as “f<strong><em>ing b</em></strong>s**t” [probably an inappropriate expression - but evidently heartfelt]. </p>
<p>Apparently the TA lacks competence, is beyond awkward and impossible to understand. </p>
<p>The professor apparently only covers the “easy” stuff and nothing that’s on the homework and the grading rubric is incomprehensible.</p>
<p>The professor is new, so PEPS was no help.</p>
<p>Any suggestions as to what she ought to do at this somewhat late date?</p>
<p>head over to the tutoring center?</p>
<p>I’m a little surprised to see a parent involved in this level of problem. This won’t be the last time your D won’t be in an ideal fit in a situation, at BC or even beyond. </p>
<p>What process to resolving it or learning how to deal with it, is in the best interest of your daughter?</p>
<p>Dear stanford78 : Please share the names of the professor and teaching assistant involved. With access to the Mathematics Department, we can check on this one for you. That will allow the department to review the situation.</p>
<p>However, jpm50 has hit on a critical point here. Your daughter should now have transitioned from High School Senior to paying “College Freshman” - and should recognize that a lack of value-for-money is an issue that should be taken to the Mathematics Department Chair for immediate investigation.</p>
<p>start studying for the exam on your own</p>
<p>JPM and Scottj - Thanks for your replies. That’s exactly what’s she’s planning to do…talk to the Math Dept and see if they have a solution. My experience, however, is that the academic wagons will mostly likely be drawn into a circle. So I thought I’d see if I could get an extra data point.</p>
<p>And I have 60,000 reasons for wanting to be involved “in this level of problem.”</p>
<p>Jacob - thanks for your suggestion. But she could’ve stayed home and done that at far less expense.</p>
<p>@stanford</p>
<p>Prof. Mustopa and TA Kulkarni? Neither are very impressive.</p>
<p>I have gone to the Math Lab recently for assistance and have to say that the individualized help is much better. The discussions thus far have been more or less useless and a waste of time save for handing in the homework. </p>
<p>I’ll be going to my first tutoring session next Monday.</p>
<p>@askjeeves</p>
<p>Bingo! She said several students were actually applauding when that one student stormed out of the discussion section.</p>
<p>I hadn’t heard of Math Lab - I’ll mention that to her. And she plans on giving the tutoring a try.</p>
<p>Thanks for the input.</p>
<p>Stanford78:</p>
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<p>If your daughter is at BC to only learn the academic material she needs to get decent grades, then you are indeed wasting your money. She could easily learn those raw facts at any college near your home for far less money. </p>
<p>BC is an amazing place, inspiring students to grow in ways they never imagined before they got there. All that growth and strength comes with learning how to build their own support network for dealing with all the “life” problems they’ll surely encounter.</p>
<p>If you’re going to be at arms-length with every hiccup your daughter has for the next 4 years, you’re guaranteed to waste your money and more importantly, you’ll deprive her of being the amazing person BC is ready to help her discover she is.</p>
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<p>Ouch! The OP asked for suggestions/advice from those more knowledgeable just two weeks into the first semester. </p>
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<p>Absolutely true, but IMO, getting the academics down pat first, frees up a bunch of hours to go be ‘inspired’ in other ways. </p>
<p>Of course, others may disagree with this, and a bunch of other stuff related to college. For example, in an earlier post, jpm, you seem to indicate that a ‘TV’ is/was a de facto dorm requirement. Perhaps that works for your family because you live an hour from campus. Perhaps it works for your family because you have a son attending college. But, living ~2600 miles away, on financial aid, with a girl, I can assure you that a TV is a nice-to-have.</p>