<p>So I have a quick question. I got a 5 on Calculus AB test so that means I could skip to 408D, but when I went to orientation, the counselors still encouraged I picked 408C. Do you think it's wise to stick to 408C or should I jump right into 408D the series/sequences. I'm not sure how difficult math courses at UT are so I'm contemplating on changing classes to 408D!</p>
<p>Oh I'm a mechanical engineering major too!</p>
<p>If you feel as though you got around a 95% on the AP test then you should go ahead and take 408D. Advisers are programmed to encourage students to take the more conservative routes. I, for one, got persuaded to do so and soon regretted it. However, by now the best professors probably don’t have any more seats left so assuming that you are confident with your Cal I skills, I would only switch if A) Your 408C professor is already reviewed badly or B) You can grab a highly rated professor this Friday. And by ratings, I am referring to percentage A’s, A-'s, etc.</p>
<p>@frever</p>
<p>Do you have any recommendations for a 408d professor? I currently am signed up for Frank Shirley’s class but am thinking of switching to either Cepparo or Rodin</p>
<p>geegeet: entirely depends on your preference. Would you like to reinforce your knowledge of calculus before moving on or would you be bored and disengaged? </p>
<p>I have heard that math classes at UT are unbelievably hard. Did you take ALEKS? If yes, then check your score in the logarithms section. If its not high, then consider 408C.</p>
<p>I’ve heard bad things about Shirley and nothing about Cepparo or Rodin. A quick check on myedu.com (highly recommended if you don’t have a free account yet) shows that Cepparo gives out 38% A’s while Rodin sits at 18% and Shirley 11%. Going off of this alone, I would definitely take Cepparo. 38% A’s is very high. Most professors only give out about 15% A’s.</p>
<p>@Frever: Oh I see…so on Friday ,registration opens up again? Is there a notice about this…like what time it opens?</p>
<p>@eaglemom10: I think I got a 98 on the Aleks and I’m pretty confident I did really well on the AB exam.
(90% + is what I would think). On the Aleks logs section, I missed 2 questions out of I think 14.</p>
<p>geegeet, wow! Congrats. If I were your Mom, I’d say take the easy A, sandbag and tutor your classmates. Quick way to make friends… Your choice.</p>
<p>@frever: give out A’s? I assume you mean that professors LIMIT the A’s to a certain distribution of the grading curve. Don’t professors have to provide up front their policy on grade distribution (what score will be considered an A) ? Or are they allowed to set a policy of only the top 20% of the class will earn an A, and so on?</p>
<p>Sorry, I apologize for the slang. Those numbers on myEdu are just statistics. The sample size isn’t too large but the grade distribution generally reflects what percentage of students complete the course with which grades. No one can really assume cause and effect from the numbers alone so “give out” was bad wording on my part. The 38% A’s from Cepparo, for example, may simply be high because his tests are easy or because he adjusts each grade’s cutoff so that about a third of his class gets A’s. However, I think in Cepparo’s case the tests must just be easy enough to the point that 38% of the class actually have an A in the class before some kind of manipulation. I have not heard of any professors who manipulate the curve to increase the frequency of A’s to such a high level.
In short, not all professors present explicit cutoffs for each grade letter though many do. Others present flexible cutoffs and adjust them so that an arbitrary number of students get each letter grade.</p>
<p>@geetgeet
check your Registration Information Sheet (RIS) page for any questions you ever have about registration times. You can find it by logging into utDirect and searching for “RIS” or googling “UT RIS”. Once you’re on the page, your registration times will be towards the bottom of the page.</p>