<p>Sigh....here we go again you guys. I think I posted this problem int he College Life section last year but here is a rundown of the situation. Last year I took this awful science course that I thought owuld be easy to fulfill my req. took it, struggled, got a C, pulled down my GPA.</p>
<p>Well, this term, I had to take another class and it's just killin me you guys. I am finally caught up with the reading for my upcomign test and even did the practice exam....most of it, though I had some problems with some of it. I have absolutely no clue what's going on. I am beyond lost. Y'all I am just stupid when it comes to science....it's like Greek to me, htough I would probably have an easier time with Greek than this crap. :(</p>
<p>I have been given the option to take the course for pass/fail, BUT I woudl ahve to get no lower than a C (which means, no C-) in order to get credit for it. If I take it for a letter grade, it will count as long as I don't fail, BUT it will also affect my grade. I could possibly take a W but I don't want another W on my transcript (withdrew from another class last spring due to unforseen stressful circumstances).</p>
<p>Anyway, I'm really worried about this now because of hte fact that I will need to send in my fall grades to the schools I apply to....should I risk taking the class pass/fail and just hope fot a C? Should I bite the bullet and take it for a letter grade though it will affect my GPA? Should I get a W only to have to take it or another science in the spring to insure graduation on time and just hope none of them conflict with the 3 courses i need for my major and my two language courses that I'll need to take as well as my internship?</p>
<p>I actually didn't think this class would be that bad...it's Physics and I tell you it all goes over my head and my TA is the the worst I've ever had in any subject ever. :(</p>
<p>Have you explained your situation to the instructor and asked for his/her advice? And TA competency is a crapshoot, IMO.
On the positive, I really doubt that a couple of lower grades in a subject that is unrelated to your proposed Graduate field will have a huge impact on your chances for admission.</p>
<p>Yeah TAs are a crapshoot but I have yet to have one this bad. :(</p>
<p>I have not spoken to the prof. I can shoot him an email about it I suppose but I have an idea what he will say. He'll simply say to go to the peer help sessions, which I will be, btw. Unfortunatley, these sessions are only an hour long 2x/week and I need much more time than that on these homework problems. When I took a pre-calc class here, there was a similar help meeting type thing set up but I believe that the times were longer and more often....I went to those every week to help me with my math and I did well in the class...but with that, I at least had a clue from the begining. With this physics stuff I have no earthly idea whats going on...its all like gibberish to me and I get a headache jus thtinking about it.</p>
<p>But yeah, hopefully this won't affect me so bad since I am not doing anything that has anything to do with this subject anyway.</p>
<p>Well, I emailed the prof and all he said was that there is in fact extra help throughout the week and that many students have gotten this extra help confused with something else....so now that I know that I will have more help, I will make use of it and see if my grades improve. </p>
<p>I did go to the "help" session today with about 40 or 50 others and the entire period was spent on one problem from a homework of about 20 (with multiple parts).....so I am glad to know that I am not the only one who is lost.....lol.</p>
<p>My approach: Read the book. Don't go onto a chapter subsection until you understood the previous section. Make sure you get all the example problems, make sure you can do them and explain why, not just do them after seeing the solutions (don't lie to yourself.) Understand the formulas and where they came from.
Reading like this takes hours (this is not a history paper, you don't just read through it and take notes, understanding some of this stuff requires time. Two to three hours per chapter is not a lot.) Then do the homework problems, do them with friends if you can in a study group (try them by yourself first, though) as the year progresses you should be getting better and the time per homework will become more reasonable.</p>
<p>If it makes you feel any better as a freshman in college I took Physics I, Chem I, Calc I, Chem Lab, Physics Lab, and 2 other courses. So I know how you feel.</p>
<p>WOW, what torture! Thanks for the advice and words of encouragement. I just took the first test.....I don't even want to know what I got.....lol. But I'll find out next week I guess. We are taking I think three tests plus a final or something like that....and he is dropping the lowest test score so hopefully that might sorta help me a little.</p>
<p>well....completely bombed the midterm....I did sorta okay ont he practice test, which I attempted, but when I did the actual exam, I was clueless. Notecards I had were worthless dispite having all the suggested formulas written on it and then some. I've been going to get help with my homework which has improved my homework grades...however, I still dont get whats going on. The book is like Chinese to me. I have no idea what I am doing on quizzes either but I seem to pass those :/ . IN class we do "concept" tests which aren't based on calculations but more so on intuition...I actually go okay on those too...its just the insanely difficult homeworks and the exams are killing me.</p>
<p>The last day to withdraw from the course and take...yet another W...would be the end of October, which is also after the second exam. He drops the lowest exam grade. Maybe I can wait to see how I do on the second test and if I fail that one too, I'll just drop the class and take a W. I'd just have to take another science int he spring which would stink because I wont have any time to take other classes i need or th einternship i was going to do but at least I wouldn't screw up my GPA :/</p>