<p>Okay, I'm doing something no one else on this board has probably ever done...I'm failing calculus...by 17%. Yeah, I got a 44/104 on my first test. My question isn't about my grade, but rather about my future. I just had trouble understanding chapter 1. Chapter 2 is a peice of cake, but I just really struggled with this test. So I'll have an F on my interim. So 1. How do I deal with my parents? I thought about lying...saying I was at a college rep visit at my school and I haven't made up the test yet (I know this would be wrong, but...). What would you do? 2.Is my future in chemistry/pharmacy done? Is there hope for me? I'm getting help from my teacher (an hour after school today, and every tuesday, thursday, and every other friday during 2nd period), but I feel stupid. What would you suggest I do (my real weakness is parametrics btw)? Is a career in pharmacy still possible if I work hard, or do I need to switch to the humanities?</p>
<p>First off, calm down. Your career in pharmacy is not doomed. I assure you, my grade on my first college organic chem exam wasn't nearly that high, but I still cherish hopes of a career in biology. Also, be honest with your parents. If you have any specific questions about calc, post them on the SAT board. ABlestmom, optimizerdad, or other posters are very helpful with math. </p>
<p>Ask the teacher for a re-test. The worst (s)he can do is say no. Do NOT be ashamed to stay after school. Last year I took AP Physics C after never having physics before. I was completely lost, worried, and confused. I ended up staying after school almost every day except Wednesday (staff meeting) because I was so lost. Jeez, that was my second home. I started grasping concepts fairly soon (e.g. second semester) and didn't have to stay nearly as often. </p>
<p>Parametrics are often difficult to understand, and I really don't understand why you're learning them this early. We covered parametrics and polar equations at the end of Calc BC. :confused:</p>
<p>Don't worry; Calculus is a huge change for most high school students. I mean, you're probably used to having math come easily for you and not having to study much for each test. This was definitely the case for me before I entered Calc this year. I would do the following to improve in Calc:</p>
<p>(1) Pay close attention in class.
(2) Read over the section in your book after your math teacher explains it in class. Re-processing everything at your own pace definitely helps your comprehension.
(3) Do your math homework first when you get home. Don't put it off until midnight, when you're tired and just feel like BSing it all. Practicing is crucial in Calculus, and you have to gain all you can from doing the homework.
(4) Get the contact information for a couple friendly, reliable students in your class. If you ever have trouble understanding something on a homework assignment, you can call/IM them and get help.
(5) Set aside time during the weekend to go over the lessons from that week and make sure that you understand all the concepts.
(6) Be organized-- make sure that you have readable notes in chronological order.
(7) Before a test, ask your teacher about the format and specific material on the test, especially "types" of problems are going to appear. That way, you'll know what to focus on when studying (although you should study everything that was covered). </p>
<p>Your future in chemistry is definitely not "done." Adversity shouldn't stop you from pursuing what you're interested in.</p>
<p>Oh right, and as for your parents, just explain the situation to them, and tell them that you did poorly on the first test because you're still adapting to the difficulty of the course. Explain to them that you're getting extra help and look toward improvement. I'm sure that they'd understand.</p>
<p>My parents would be really angry after something like that (as I'm sure yours will), but like savoirfaire said, just explain it to them. Then next marking period/interim report, hopefully you'll have understood the subject enough to be getting grades you are used to, and that will make them happy.</p>
<p>idk what to do with parents since my parents havent asked me about my grades since 6th grade but with calculus dont worry about it. I got a 60 on my first test and thought i was screwed but im doing ok now (78%) basically in cal their are some concepts that i couldnt get and then their are some concepts(applying derivs into real life situations) that i totally master. I dont really know what parametrics are (were not doing them yet) but a good thing to do for calc is to do your homework around the same time everyday. Some study helper guy told me to do this and it actually helps me remember stuff. And if it helps me it will probably help anybody. And if you feel bad about making a C just remember its senior year and who cares :) As far as pharmacy goes, I plan on being an engineering major and posted the exact same post you did (except the parents part) and current engineer majors just told me not to worry about it b/c right now being in calc will help you better understand it in college and pretty much everyone struggles in higher level classes... when cc makes you feel stupid remember that a lot of these ppl live in books and are in like the top 3% of the nation academically</p>
<p>explaining would be better. Imagine if they found out. that would a double bad(the F and the lying)</p>
<p><a href="3">quote</a> Do your math homework first when you get home. Don't put it off until midnight, when you're tired and just feel like BSing it all. Practicing is crucial in Calculus, and you have to gain all you can from doing the homework.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>this is VERY important!
whenever I do math hw late at night, I end up with a truckload of idiotic mistakes and not a lot of information retained in my head. Do the hw wheneever you're most alert - for some that's early in the morning, for others it's right afterschool...but it's rarely late at night when you're functioning on caffeine.</p>
<p>Also, try doing the saamee problems more than once. Even if you think you get it, doing the hw problems over can really help.</p>
<p>Get in your car and drive, drive, drive, until you run out of gas. Then fill up the tank and drive some more. Seriously though Calc blows nard. I am decently smart when it comes to math, but I admit that even I freeze up when it comes to Calc tests. (That was my only 'D' in college, Calculus) Just come clean with los padres and move on. The only way to do good in math is practice, practice, and practice some more. I still don't know why math profs are so intent on giving story problems.</p>
<p>Is AP Calc not the easiest AP?</p>
<p>
[quote]
Is AP Calc not the easiest AP?
[/quote]
No, that would be Psychology :).</p>
<p>Anyways, back to the topic. Calculus is pretty simple once you get the gist of it (At least BC was). I self studied last year, and lemme tell ya, the book is your best friend (at least it was mine). I got everything from the book. Just take your time, and make sure you understand everything. Don't be afraid to ask for help if you need it.</p>
<p>By the way, joev, I think story problems show that you can actually apply what you've learned in Calculus to a real-life situation. And I find that it's really exciting and gratifying (okay, I'm a nerd ;)) in a way, to solve a huge, complex word problem.</p>
<p>Oh yeah, and definitely be honest with your parents.</p>
<p>I don't have like one of those parents who get really angry with a B or a C but if you have one, I kinda suggest you not telling them.. I mean, imagine if they went all psycho at you, pushing down your self esteem and everything.. I've heard weird stories on angus parents on cc and those students sounded pretty bogged down with low self esteem and too much pressure. Maybe you should just say you are going kinda ok but you'd much prefer it if you got tuition or help from your parents.</p>
<p>If you have normal supportive parents, be honest. And they'll offer help. Maybe they'll get you a tutor.. And they will end up definetly supporting you (because supportive parents are like that)</p>
<p>Wow, you must have a good book. Most Cal books are wriiten by professors that seem to want to impress other professors. Very cryptic and crapply written. On top of that, your teacher is fresh from India, has a very thick accent, and thinks you are inferior to him. At my school Cal 2 was the hardest of the three. Get help now so you don't get behind later.</p>
<p>Don't worry about it too much, just move on. Personally I don't think that the occasional bad grade (though in most cases a C or a low B will get the job done) is such a bad thing. It's a good way to remind us all that we are human, and that not everything comes to us easily.</p>
<p>Didn't Pastuer flunk chemistry in college? And Darwin's teacher said he had no future in biology? And Einstein never could do math--my favorite story is that he would call neighborhood kids to sit with him as he theorized, and would randomly yell out basic multiplication problems and the kids would give him the answer.</p>
<p>Even if worst comes to worst, and you completely flunk Calc and get a 1 on the AP test... isn't it better to do that HS, where no one will ever care, than in college, where your GPA will follow you?</p>
<p>***?</p>
<p>we are hauling ass. We had some hard tests and are on Chapter 4.</p>
<p>it is insane. wait until chapter 3... chapter 1 was super easy.</p>
<p>if you fail the class, you could get rescinded from the college, so it's pretty bad.</p>
<p>I self-studied AB and BC last year as a sophomore. Here is my advice:</p>
<p>1) Get Arcos Master the AP Calculus Exam
2) Read it
3) Understand</p>
<p>Once you understand how calculus works, and how it applies to the world you and I live in, you'll see that is by far the most beautiful form of mathematics you have accross. It literally holds a vast majority of scientific disciplines together.</p>
<p>Can you spend some time talking with the instructor & asking for extra help after class, when it's convenient for him/her? This shows that you care & really WANT to improve & often the instructor can explain in different ways when you're one-on-one. Are there any brilliant kids in your class who can work on your calculus with you? Sometimes that's a win-win situation as well. Classmates sometimes can translate what the instructor said in ways that no one else can.
Good luck!</p>
<p>Practice, practice, practice: That's what math is all about! When you learned to multiply, you did tons of multiplication exercises. Now you do the same thing, except with calculus problems. Don't understand something? Re-read. Re-think. Ask others. Make sure you're capable of all the problems (examples and practice) in the chapter you're on.</p>
<p>Re: parents. Is coming clean the best option? Maybe. Can lying be a good thing? Maybe - maybe you will restore your grade in the near future, and you avoid making your parents unhappy while still dealing with your own problem. But only you (and your conscience) can decide.</p>