<p>I've started off Calc AB quite badly. I am a senior, and have fulfilled all of my math requirements already, so calc is more like an elective. Technically, I only need Lit and history to graduate. I attend a fairly competitive public humanities magnet. I'm in the top 12% of my class and my gpa is 3.9. This is the only class I've ever done so poorly in. I seem to understand the concepts, but during exams I just freeze up and forget everything. I had a panic attack during the last test and threw up right after due to all of the pressure. I will start being tutored this week so I'm hoping my grade will go up. Even so, I still want to drop the class next semester. I want to be a journalist anyway, so will this one grade affect me a lot? I'm copy editor for my school paper, and have won 1st and 3rd in journalism write-offs, and I'm in a fair amount of extracurriculars. I'm applying to Welleley, NYU, Syracuse, UCLA, UCB, UCSB, CSUN and CSU Long Beach.</p>
<p>Semester grades are due in February, and I am very concerned. I'm hoping tutoring will raise my grade to at least a 'C'.</p>
<p>in addition to tutoring, get one of the Calculus Problem-Solver books. Its like having a tutor at your elbow. The book has thousands of problems with worked answers. You go to the section you’re studying, cover up the answers, and answer the 1st one. Check the answer, then keep going until you’re comfortably solving them correctly. They make these books for many math and science subjects, a lot of college students find them invaluable. </p>
<p>Also keep in mind that in college for math/science classes a rule of thumb is to expect to study 3 hours outside of class for every class hour. Calculus in college would meet 3x a week, so you should be putting in 9 hours a week outside of class studying the material, doing homework, and doing practice problems.</p>
<p>Get a book called “The College Lifesaver.” Especially if you’re getting it in conjunction with “The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems.” Also download a program called Derive 6. My grade didn’t recover in full, but I got an 87% and was highly satisfied.</p>
<p>Yeah it wouldn’t be good at all. Though gladly universities ( even with senior year as I understand) only look at semester grades, if your marking period grade isn’t too great you definately need to earn a A second marking period in order to get a good if not decent semester grade.</p>
<p>yeah failing in anything is not a good idea. Universities generally take into account the grades you get throughout your senior year.</p>
<p>i know stanford reserves the right to withdraw your offer of admission, if they find that You show a significant drop in academic performance or fail to graduate</p>
<p>oh my. i am also failing calculus. i have a’s in all of my other ap and non ap classes. =S</p>
<p>parent teacher conferences are tmw!! </p>
<p>does your school allow you to drop the course? because at my school, when quarter grades come out, you can transfer into regular calculus and get a ten percent grade boost! *which is what i plan on doing! </p>
<p>try suggesting this to your counselor if you feel that you will not be able to pull up your grade.</p>
<p>Dropping a level could be a good idea. How did you do in Pre-Calc? At my D’s hs, they allow you to retake a class and only the second grade, which should be higher, counts. If you got a C in Pre-Calc, and if your hs doesn’t have non-AP Calc, maybe they would let you switch back into Pre-Calc. I think a C in Calc would be fine, but try not to fail it. You do have time to pull your grade up to a C by the end of the semester. If you stay in the class, now could be the time to invest in some tutoring. Good luck.</p>
<p>^
All universities usually ignore senior year grades but eventually ask for a final transcript and may withdraw your application if they feel the need to do so. Smart thing would be whenever your semester ends, send the semester grades then ( instead of waiting until end of year) especially if it is a university you’ve already been accepted into. This will allow them to withdraw you while universities are still doing applications ( that is if they were going to withdraw you due to first semester grades). Who would want to get withdrawed from a university at the end of the school year.</p>
<p>But most schools (esp those with deadlines on Jan 1st) still request Midyear reports, which lists your grades from first semester. To the best of my knowledge, the UCs don’t even request the Midyear report except in special cases.</p>
<p>Midyear reports, is that semester 1 or marking period grades? Never heard of midyear reports, I only report out semester grades which is the only thing most universities I’ve known request.</p>
No, they matter. They will ask for your final transcript after you graduate. Furthermore in your conditions of acceptance (which you should read very carefully if they offer you admission because it differs from campus to campus) they will tell you about what GPA they expect and whether you’re allowed any grades below a C. If you fail to meet the conditions of acceptance they can rescind your admission which leaves you during the summer with a scramble to find a college to attend; usually its “hello CC”. They really do it, too; in 2007 UCLA rescinded almost 100 students (<a href=“No slack for student slackers”>http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun/22/local/me-revoke22?pg=2</a>)</p>
<p>Thanks everyone. I can not drop the class. I got a B in Pre-Calc. I didn’t want to take Calc in the first place, but my counselor made me. My tutoring has helped a lot so far, so fingers crossed.</p>
<p>Thanks again for all of the replies, I really appreciate it.</p>
<p>oh geez…im failing my calc class too! except its at a college nearby so its not on my transcript…and it totally sucks cuz i love math and calculus but i dont have time to do the hw which means i dont have time practice. im so effed…ugh. i got a 30/80 on my first midterm and theres like no way to even pass with a C unless i get 70/80 on tmws midterm…but screw that…cuz i dont think itll happen! : ] at least its not on my high school transcript but we’re like applyin to the same places! i did ED to NYU…so if i get in…then thats gonna suck if they ask for my college transcript lol and i was plannin on doing calc 3 and 4. but i just realized i can take a diff calc class at this other college here at night time so it might be easier…ahh i cant believe this. its like my first D! or F. lmao</p>
<p>SATs are done! woo! and i withdrew from my course…woo again! lol so im takin it next quarter…maybe next time thru ill have a better teacher who grades better or maybe ill know the material better or actually try…idk?</p>