Likely 7 more weeks of class, so still time to figure out how to solve this issue. Most college classes are heavily weighted towards the end of the semester, with higher % tests, assignments, projects, presentations, and often somewhat easier grading (more Ds on test 1 then will ever be given out as final grades). You are also catching up and finding more resources. it is normal to panic, but not really helpful.
If you can figure out the social and administrative structures and how to solve problems and get a B or C, it is a victory by any criteria. Time management, including ECs and the inevitable time-hog class or two, is also something one has to figure out freshman year. I would say even finding a friendly face in some academic advising office or an on-line resource could be handy … the goal is have all your tools ready for junior year overloading and difficulties.
Um…has she tried youtube? I’m serious. If Matlab is the problem, there are hundreds of tutorials available on youtube. (I searched matlab for beginners.) Maybe watching a few to get some background will help. One has 100 videos starting with the basics and going from there. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLG4WfqoDFRvkPdujlErCsGjjvKTfOyF0A I don’t know if it’s the best “on offer” but it does seem to cover a lot of topics.
She should “sample” a few different tutorials until she finds one that works for her. There are comments after them, so skim through and find a few that others have found helpful.
I’d suggest she set aside at least one full day and begin at the beginning. At the very least it might help her understand which concepts she “doesn’ t get” so she can ask more intelligent questions.
MATLAB is a bit different and takes some getting used to, even for people who know other languages like Python or C. All the matrix stuff is handled differently (and MATLAB is all about the matrices), the syntax is a little surprising, and the debugger is not that great. What she needs, probably, is someone to sit down with her a few times while she is at the keyboard programming, to point her in the right direction.
But also, if this is a programming course she needs to face the fact that programming courses often take a whole lot of time, like 20 hours a week, especially if the student not only has to do the programs, but has to learn a new programming language to do them in.
Stack Overflow is her friend. When I had to learn Octave (the freeware version of MATLAB) for a MOOC from Stanford, I’d be sitting at my computer, trying to figure out why my stupid &*%%^$$ program wasn’t working, and often I’d be able to Google the answer from Stack Overflow.
I think part of the issue may be the EC’s that take up all her time, and not living near her peers. I think this just has to hurt her so much, some of which are showing up already with this seminar.
If it were one of my daughters (STEM-y like yours), I’d tell them get a tutor asap, then take the W as late as possible if they can’t squeak it out, drop down to 1 EC (at most), and move into the dorms.
I would want my kids to have as much support as humanly possible, and I think it’s going to come from their peers in college, not the administration.