<p>In cornell, specifically CAS and CHE, are there regular tests and quizzes in each class like there are in high school, or do the grades come from only mid terms and final exams?</p>
<p>also, what exactly are preliminary exams?</p>
<p>prelims are simply tests don't worry about them...wait do worry about them but only next semester. and u will freak out for prelims, but it depends on the class. but don't worry about it until u start classes there is no use inviting anxiety when when it is not yet needed.
oh and in most questions most of ur grade will come from tests</p>
<p>In most classes, your grade will be determined from two/three prelims (Cornell's term for tests) and the final!</p>
<p>most classes will have 2-3 prelims and a final which will be most of your grade, with possibly a small portion also being homework or an essay (depending on the class)</p>
<p>some classes will have the grade based on mostly papers/essays or projects.</p>
<p>It's probably going to the the hardest experience in your life. Don't feel bad if you get an average grade, which might be a B- :).</p>
<p>fudge are you serious?</p>
<p>He's serious. Some people don't blink - they tend to be the ones who had a strong high school background. But a lot of smart kids come to Cornell from places where they haven't been challenged at all, and so it can be a rough adjustment. </p>
<p>Part of the fun at Cornell is learning that there is always probably going to be a lot of people better at what you want to do than you are. I'm pretty sure it builds character :)</p>
<p>im starting to shake....</p>
<p>how much time do u spend studying for prelims?</p>
<p>ur whole life in fact ive already started for the fall semester lol sike let me not freak u out u spend like the whole semester preparing for it. If u are a good student and keep up in class then u shouldn't have a problem, unless u take chem which i heard ur destined to fail lol sike again. but at prelim time ull have other classes to worry about and other prelims so u won't be able to cram the whole time. i would say ull pull an allnighter the night before the test but isn't that what college is all about :)</p>
<p>like everyone said, prelims are just another word for a test and you can expect about 2 per semester and then one final at the end. prelims aren't that bad as long as you stay on top of your work and do the required reading or homework during the semester. Then when prelim week comes you can just review your notes and lectures in the library. The only good part about prelim week is that you'll run into all your friends that you haven't seen in a while at the library.</p>
<p>It's definitely an adjustment from high school. In HS, I never read the textbook and usually just studied an hour or two for the tests. In college, I typically spend at least 3-4 days studying for a prelim and only studying for the prelim (meaning I drop everything else that isn't urgent in my other classes).</p>
<p>It also depends on your major and the courses you take. Some courses will challenge you more than others!</p>
<p>mm.......i'm getting a little more terrified than I already was.</p>
<p>social science classes have 1-2 papers, 1 mid-term, and a final...</p>
<p>the standard cornell class has 2 prelims, and a final...</p>
<p>make sure you read the syllabus for each class (most professors go over this extensively on the first day of class)...drop it if you fear a class...</p>
<p>its always best to drop a class instead of getting a D (D for pity)...in a class</p>
<p>I feel Cornell's difficulty is somewhat exaggerated. My GPA at Cornell was only a couple of points lower than my HS GPA.</p>
<p>agreed with norcal.. studying is a must but I wouldnt say its "the hardest experience of your life" or whatever. the first semester is an adjustment though.</p>
<p>it is the hardest experience of your life if you went through a texas public education all of your life... </p>
<p>though i do thank my high school teachers for trying their best to fix what was broken (at a very early age)</p>
<p>Does participation help? I got lots of my As from participation at my 1st year college LOL. </p>
<p>You guys are even getting me nervous. Since ILR is lots of reading how are you graded reading wise? Does the reading just come out on the tests or something? cuz I pictured lots of essays. Yikes...</p>
<p>It is also NEVER comforting when norcalguy attempts to be comforting :) :) . Poor norcal only has a 3.9 gpa now or watever. Ya jerk makin people like us look bad. Haha jp u know I respect u bein a genius n all lol</p>
<p>Participation is factored in some classes (particularly small classes that hold discussions) but I've never found it to be a huge part of the grade (I think the most participation has ever been worth in a class of mine is 15%). You typically get a reasonable participation grade simply by attending class so the difference in participation grade between someone who talks a lot and someone who doesn't isn't great. I tend to fall into the latter category since I never get the reading done in time for discussion.</p>
<p>College is tough but fair. A lot less BS than HS.</p>