I am currently attending community college in Southern California. My current GPA is 4.0, and after this current semester, I will have completed all but 2 of my GE courses, one science, and one college-level math. I plan to complete the articulated courses for my major within the next year and transfer in Fall, 2020. However, I am concerned that I may get a B in the algebra class that I am currently taking (which is non-transferrable). Will this affect my chances of getting into a top UC, like say UCLA, UCSD, or UCB? I am also interested in CPP, USC, and UCR. I am seriously considering dropping this class with a “W” to maintain my 4.0 GPA. My current grade in this class is a low B, and although it is possible that I can still get an A in the class, I’d have to get at least an 80 in a couple of exams, and 90 on a few others.
It is my understanding that most UCs do not look at non-transferrable courses to calculate the GPA, but I’m still worried that it may make me less competitive. Should I drop it or should I take my chances with very likely getting a B, and worse-case scenario getting a C?
If it helps, I plan to major in accounting or economics when I transfer.
If this course is along the prerequisites to calculus and statistics, you need to take it, since economics and business (accounting) majors generally require calculus and statistics. But passed / not-passed grading should be fine for transfer purposes since it is a non transferable course. Make sure that your CC is ok with passed / not-passed grading for prerequisite purposes.
I don’t believe this class is a pass/no pass, but rather a letter grade course. Also, should I be concerned about getting a B in math class that isn’t even college-level? I honestly feel great about my math skills, I’d like to think that I have a good number sense. I help my fellow classmates with their hw and lab work. However, what has caused me headaches in this class, besides the ineffective (in my opinion) teaching style of the professor, has been the word problems. Everything else I feel supremely confident about. The reason I got an 80 in my most recent exam is that I left to word problems blank. I would’ve eventually solved them, but I ran out of time. What does this spell for me in future, more advanced math courses? I’m certainly going to study the heck out of word problems.
Most colleges give the option of taking normally letter-graded courses passed / not-passed, but may limit the option for specific courses or prerequisites. Check your CC on this.
Being able to handle word problems is necessary in order to apply math to other subjects like economics.
Thank you. I will check with my college on Monday. I guess what I am trying to say is that I do struggle a bit with word problems, but that doesn’t mean that I cannot comprehend them outright. I think I just need to study and practice a bit more. Math is one of those subjects that I don’t really study for, as long as I understand the concept I can focus on other classes and do relatively well on exams. Nevertheless, what would you suggest to improve my word problem-solving skills? A tutor? More intensive studying? And, is getting a B in algebra indicative of impending failure in future math courses?