<p>Hey, this is Steve. I'm a CS major here at UIUC, and I'm facing a rough decision with one of my classes, Math 415 (linear algebra).</p>
<p>My teacher is Haboush, and as I've seen on RateMyProfessor (and in class, in person too) that he just doesn't fit well with the students.</p>
<p>Last week, we had a midterm, and there were problems on there that we hadn't even learned yet! Half the class didn't even have time to finish. I also think I got a couple others wrong, too.</p>
<p>Now, as I've heard, the drop deadline is coming up on Friday, and I don't know my exam score yet. Part of me says to stick it out, but I also don't want to risk getting a low grade on the exam and having to get perfect scores on everything else to get say, a low C.</p>
<p>Anyone here at UIUC have any advice? It would be very appreciated.</p>
<p>I have heard that once you drop a course-you can’t pick it up again in another semester (I may be wrong). But if that’s true, you’ll have to think ahead of alternative ways you would get credit for linear algebra and not hoping for a better professor another semester. My suggestion would be to talk to an adviser-or someone clear on course credits for cs. On the other hand, according to the information provided, maybe there will be a curve if everyone did badly (?)
Again, meeting with an adviser would probably be the best course of action before Friday.</p>
<p>Is he grading the exam on a curve then? How did you do relative to the mean/median? If you’re above it by an appreciable amount then you might be fine based on the curve. You don’t say what year you’re in (Junior? Senior?). Will dropping the course lengthen the amount of time needed to obtain a degree? How’s your GPA otherwise? Can the GPA absorb a hit without dropping too much? If you have enough time to take the class again, or another to meet the degree’s tech elective requirements, and aren’t increasing the time/cost of obtaining your degree, then drop. If your performance on the test is such that even though your score is low, but higher than most others in the course, then hang in there. In the end, its up to you. You ultimately are in charge of your own grade management strategies.</p>
<p>Well, I guess he curved, because I got an 81 
must’ve gotten lucky somewhere. Appreciate the replies though! I don’t have to drop after all</p>