Prelims are seriously killing me

<p>Just felt like I'd complain. Did the math 191 one hurt anyone elses feelings like it did mine?</p>

<p>Meh. Get used to it. =D. Most everyone gets raped by a prelim every once in a while.</p>

<p>Math 191-192 are difficult courses, even if you have scored a 5 on AP Calc BC.<br>
You'll be fine though. Try to go to the extra help sessions - it really helps. You might want to form your own study group. I'm sure you know about this, but here are some extra help opps that Cornell offers. Trust me, you'll be happy if you take advantage of some of them. </p>

<p>Math Support Center
Room: 256 Malott
Phone: 5-4658
Hours: M-F 10:00am-5:00pm, Sunday 1:30pm-5:30pm</p>

<p>Cooperative Workshops: Can sign up for ENGRG 191 (S/U only, one credit)</p>

<p>Math Tutoring
-Engineering advising office, room OH 167
-Tau Beta Pi, phone 5-3312
-SHPE and NSBE at Ujamma</p>

<p>get used to it.</p>

<p>To the OP - take the advise of the some of the students lightly. Only of them is in fact an engineering student, and truly understands how challenging engineering math courses are. You'll get through it though...don't worry!</p>

<p>i tend to agree with all that's been said so far. Here's why:</p>

<p>Tahoe points out some fantastic resources and I urge you to take advantage of them. The study group idea is also great, it's what I did to survive some of my tougher classes. They'll also 'teach' you how to study and the best way to sort through the material. </p>

<p>Buuuut I also agree with the bluntly put "get used to it". I'd rephrase it a little into something along the lines of "prelims will be a challenge until the day you graduate ... learn how to study now and know how/where to seek the extra help before it's too late."</p>

<p>Ya prelims are so much fun! My next week is hell lol.</p>

<p>I'm so excited for fall break tho! </p>

<p>and everyone not yet at Cornell reading this don't get discouraged! This place is great!</p>

<p>I was at Uris yesterday, and I was sitting near two (who I assumed to be) freshmen girls "studying" general chemistry ... I honestly don't think the two of them stopped whispering/talking/giggling for the full 4 hours they were there; when they weren't talking, they were texting and playing tetris on their cell phones - at least for the times that me and my friend asked them to be quiet. Obviously, little to no chemistry was learned.</p>

<p>Bottom line: you're a freshmen - learning how to study and learning the right ways TO study. A lot of people are in your boat. Utilize the resources around you, find the right classmates with whom to study (if group studying is for you), and you'll eventually find an optimal rhythm that works for you. Good luck!</p>

<p>My daughter took her first prelim last week. It was a 200 level math with very few freshmen. She said, "My life is depending on it." A bit dramatic, but I heard about the prelim for 5 days straight(at one pt I was accused of not being supportive). To her credit, she planned it all out - she did all of her other homework for the week 5 days before her math prelim. She then camped out at the math lab for 3 days, no partying the weekend before (that was the hardest part), and attended 2 study groups. She got her test back this Fri and it was the grade she hoped for.</p>

<p>It is important to learn how to study and manage your time. My daughter went to a school (K-12th) that taught study skill and time management in 5th grade. She is taught to work efficiently (seek help whenever necessary) and how to work in a group (split up work to maximize output). Even though she got a good grade on her first test, she understands she is "not in Kansas" any more. It is going to be much harder to get As at Cornell. She emailed her writing professor her first paper. The professor gave her feedback in a few hours (over a weekend). It saved her a lot of guess work in terms what the professor was looking for. If your HS didn't focus on study skill, now is the time to learn. As mentioned by many upperclassmen, take advantage of the resources at Cornell. Study group is not an opportunity to socialize.</p>

<p>how to work in a group (split up work to maximize output).</p>

<p>Heh, that's actually disallowed by the professors I have.</p>

<p>My daughter's HS encouraged team work. A group would get one grade for their homework. It appears Cornell grades by curve - it's not how bad/good you do, it's how you do relative to others.</p>

<p>Go to the help sessions. But don't try to radically change the amount of work you're doing <em>immediately</em> or else you'll overwhelm yourself and you'll get discouraged and depressed and things will just be bad. Just try gradually adding a bit more study time onto your schedule.</p>

<p>But don't have high expectations. In fact, try to lower them a little. Prelims suck and always will suck, it's a universal truth.</p>

<p>Practically all colleges grade on a curve (esp. in the science courses).</p>

<p>ILR doesn't seem to use the curve too much...at least so far. So go ILRies! haha</p>

<p>figgy are you in OB122??
if yes...pre-lim on wednesday!!!!!
readings are killing me right now!!</p>

<p>How are grades curved at Cornell? Is it like take the top score and add X to get 100 and add X to all the absolute scores or is it a bell curve with only the top 10% receiving A's, 20% receiving B's... etc.</p>

<p>"Is it like take the top score and add X to get 100 and add X to all the absolute scores"</p>

<p>lol You wish.</p>

<p>It's a bell curve. In most intro science as well as organic chem classes, around 15% get A's. The majority get B's. And some get C's and lower. It's not unusual to have to beat the mean by 15-20% before the curve just to beat the mean grade by 5% after the curve.</p>

<p>For example, the mean on an orgo exam could be 60%. That mean would be curved to a B (85%). You'd have to score 75% before the curve in order to get an A- (90%) because one std. dev on a hard test is typically 15-20%.</p>

<p>prelims are killing me too, esp. the physics 207 i'm taking on Tuesday b/c it's not graded on a curve but rather, with the so called "prescribed grades" so if I get 65% correct, it's like a D. Does anyone have past prelims? I know some frats may have them but i'm not a member.</p>

<p>haha it's so funny cuz it's such simple concepts but it suxxxxx to study for! HR was so much better to study for...way more structured. This week is going to be intense! I feel like everyone will do well on it tho hopefully...I mean all of our teachers reallllly want us to do well (esp in ob and hr). gl!</p>

<p>I have a big mid-term exam next Wednesday. Yes, that's right, the Wednesday after fall break. At 9 AM. Why do you torture me, Cornell? Why even give me a break in the first place?</p>