<p>The final day for dropping a class is tomorrow. My son is taking an upper level math class and his TA has 6 homeworks and 2 quizes to grade. He told my son that he didnt know if would be able to get them graded before the deadline, but that he would see what he could do.</p>
<p>My son has a low C in this very difficult class where over 1/2 the class has already dropped out.</p>
<p>So he has no idea where he stands.</p>
<p>Have any of you current students had an experience like this?</p>
<p>For you newcomers get ready to put up with a lot BS. Budget cuts have the teachers and Teacher Assistants spread too thin. And you the student will pay for it.</p>
<p>I had no experience like that and I hope I never do. I’m sorry your son has to go through that. IMO, I’d go to a counselor like TOMORROW. First thing. Talk to any counselor and just see what options there are. It’s hard to say if your son should drop or stay. I guess if he feels confident in his recent homeworks and quizzes, like I mean REALLY confident, then he just stay in the class. If not, then definately seek a counselor and consider withdrawal. I don’t want to give advice if your son should or shouldn’t withdraw should the case be he isn’t confident in his ungraded work, so it’s best to see a counselor.</p>
<p>And yeah, the budget cuts I think affect the Fall mainly (this is speculation) because of just how packed and stuffed it is. Spring (and Summer, but that’s a no brainer) are going to be better. If your son does choose to drop in the Fall, perhaps he can see to take it in Summer? IMO, that semester is amazing for doing school work. Resources are all available, connecting with faculty and professors is easier, movement around campus is easier…albeit, it’s not as social, it’s still pretty social and UF is more “academically friendly” so to speak in the Summer. That’s just from my knowledge lol</p>
<p>Firstly, cut the umbilical cord. Your son is an adult and should be able to defend for himself.
Secondly, don’t kid yourself. Your son should have a strong idea of what his current aggregate grade should be including his recent test without the TA providing this information to him. I am certain that your son has a general idea by now if he is able to complete the class with a passing grade. I am certain your son knows where he stands. Possibly he is scared to tell you that he will have to drop the class.
FYI- Dropping a course is not the end of the world.</p>
<p>I hear you and agree with you. He probably does need to drop the class and I am fine with that. What I am not fine with is the Universities lack of control with this situation.</p>
<p>The assignments that are not graded date back to mid September. He is waiting on 6 grades which could swing his gpa considerably.</p>
<p>The math department should monitor situations like this so they dont happen every semested. The TA claims that the budget cuts has him spread too thin to properly do his job.</p>
<p>My rant is more about the system or lack of one than anything else.</p>
<p>I agree with 47 somewhat. I don’t see where the problem lies. Yes he has a assignments that could pull his GPA down, but those are assignments he turned in. It’s his work. So he should take responsibility for it…?</p>
<p>Gator4ever-I think you have a legitimate beef. My daughter is a TA in UF grad school and is grading all of the professors papers (90) each week. She is not paid, but gets 3 credits for TAing. When we, the parents, pay the bills for our studen’ts education at UF, why are we continually told that it is none of our business? Most parents think that professors are doing the educating, but if the university is spreading resources too thin by overusing TAs(most w/out PHDs), we the parents feel ripped off in paying for said education by TAs. I hope that your son can make a good decision on this. If it is any comfort, my son went into several final exams with close to D grades and pulled out a B or C (Mech. Engineering major). I was really worried, but he just studied his head off for the finals and did OK. Whew…</p>
<p>“Most parents think that professors are doing the educating, but if the university is spreading resources too thin by overusing TAs(most w/out PHDs), we the parents feel ripped off in paying for said education by TAs.” </p>
<p>–Any parent that thinks that way is obviously a parent that has never attended college before. </p>
<p>The wide use of TA’s in primarily introductory undergraduate courses is in direct response to continuing budget cuts and “parent’s” demanding lower tuition, more scholarship money and resisting any cost / tax increases. As a graduating senior @ UFL, currently applying for graduate school, I am a strong proponent of tuition increases at UFL in order to avoid this same scenario. My friends attending school up north just laugh when they hear that each undergraduate credit hour @ UFL “ONLY” runs about $ 225.00 per hour.</p>
<p>This is not a matter of not wanting to take responsibility for the students work. The problem is not getting grades back from past exams, not KNOWING if your passing, and moving on through the class anyway. And this is NOT a introductory course…it’s a upper level math class that is most likely a must pass for the most demanding intended majors.
I really don’t like TA teaching a upper level class, but understand the reasons. What is unacceptable is that it is taking 3 or more WEEKS for exam grades.
I, as a parent, understand exactly what Gator4ever is saying!</p>
<p>He decided to drop the class. Being an Alum and remember UF when things got done on time. I am upset at the dont give a damn attitude.</p>
<p>So he will retake the class again next semester.</p>
<p>I had to drop accounting because I missing a few days due to a death in my family. Sure I lost some time, but in the scope of a lifetime this is a just a bump in the road. No big deal.</p>
<p>^ My son is a PhD candidate and is TAing a class this fall…I’ll ask him about this over the holiday. Did your son ever approach the prof directly about this issue?</p>
<p>Graduate students teaching a class are never solely responsible for a section. They have a faculty member responsible for them. In the future, it would be good to contact them and let them know the graduate assistant has fallen behind in grading.</p>
<p>I was in a math class over summer B and ended up dropping (along with most of my class). I had to drop because I’m a freshman and my 2011-2012 GPA would’ve been under a 3.0, which would have caused me to lose Bright Futures and I would’ve been kicked out of the honors program. It’s a really hard decision to make. But the previous poster is right when he/she said your son should know if he thinks he can keep his grade high enough. The only reason I’m responding is because I’m tired of everyone saying Summer B is so easy,and I’m tired of TAs. Yes, for some classes summer is easy (I had over 100% in my other class). But not math classes. The test average in my class was an F and my TA would not give us extra credit or curve anything. And the TAs I’ve had this fall all seem clueless. I’m not blaming it all on them, though. I know the professors are the ones who tell them what to do.</p>
<p>^^
Out of curiosity, you stated the average math grade was an “F”? Which math
classes are you referring to? I’m by no means a math whiz, but during my freshman year @ UFL, my MAC 2312 & MAC 2313 were A’s and there seemed to be many A’s & B’s earned.</p>
<p>He did speak with the prof he was told to speak with the TAs. When he explained to him what the TA had told him. He just gave him the sorry but line.</p>
<p>He bombed one exam that he took 2 days after he had a bike accident. Broke his nose and had a slight concusion. In everyother class he has taken so far he was able to drop 1exam. Nothing doing here.</p>
<p>So we look forward and just put this one in the experience bank.</p>
<p>I talked with son about this. He is a TA in the COE and said things may be different in the math department, but that they typically get tests back to the students in no more than a few days. Homework assignments can take a lot longer because they are not a big component of the final grade and students are often given credit for just handing them in. Further he said if someone was facing an add/drop decision, he would grade their exam ahead of the others, but the situation would have to be brought to his attention. He offered sympathy for the situation and said your son perhaps should have elevated his concern, but students generally have a strong idea how they did on an exam, and your son likely made the right call in dropping the course.</p>
<p>rogracer he did ask on many occasions to have the homeworks and quizzes graded. And yes they did count as part of his final grade. The professor just shrugged his shoulders saying it was up to the TA to get them graded. And the TA told him that the professor gave too many assignments that it was impossible for him to get them all graded.</p>
<p>He then asked the TA to please grade the assignments for the students on the bubble. He was told that it was not possible.</p>
<p>I think it is BS too. Do TAs answer to anyone? Do students write evaluations for them? Do they have any motivation to do the best they can? And I respectfully disagree with the poster that told you to cut the umbilical cord. How often do adults (speaking of the professor and TAs) take advantage of teenagers/college kids just because they can and they may not have any repercussions. Probably even more so in a big public school. And yes I did go to college, it was private and a long time ago. Maybe take advantage is not the right word, but maybe slack off a bit because they feel these college kids will not so easily complain. If the kid complains there is always the chance the TA may grade his paper or quiz more harshly. These kids/ young adults are probably having to deal with adults that know they won’t have to answer to parents for the first time in their lives. I don’t think that makes for a level playing field. The kids just don’t have the experience of how to deal with these situations and they are always at a disadvantage. This is not in the same catagory of learning to wash your clothes, making friends, paying bills, balancing a check book, or finding a part time job. This deals with GPA which at the end of your college career is a number that is etched in stone. And yes dropping a class is not the end of the world, but it is at the time it is happening.
So gator it is a rotten situation, and for me the worst thing would be knowing my hands are tied, cause I can’t and shouldn’t get involved, and knowing your kid is getting or got a raw deal.</p>
<p>If I am not mistaken I think Florida has one of the lowest instate tuitions in the Nation. Yes they raised it recently but they still are lower than most. So I am also all for raising tuition if need be to improve education. At least to a happy medium. This may not be a popular solution, but somethings gotta give.</p>
<p>Interestingly, my son indicates that the reduction in TAs doesn’t affect his workload, but rather the profs are feeling the burden as they must now do more of the work themselves. It may not be as bad in engineering, though, beacuse of the large amount of research dollars that are available compared to the math department.</p>
<p>MY son is an engineering major and the 3rd level calculus is primarily for engineering students. So no the engineering department does not have more money available.</p>
<p>What gets me is that my son was offered a partial ride to Ga Tech, a full ride to UCF and UM. But decided on UF because he was raised a Gator and wanted to continue the family tradition. OH well maybe next semester will be better??</p>