Being alive was nice while it lasted...

[JML]

cause when my parents found out I failed math- I AM DEAD.

I took an early course, so its accelerated (all a semesters work in half a semester). I can't even figure out what I need on my next exam and final exam to even pass, so perhaps someone can help me figure out the syllabus (evidence in itself how bad I am at math).

Quizes = 20%
Exam 1 = 25%
Exam 2 = 25%
Final Exam = 30%

I got a 31 on my First Exam; I take Exam 2 this Thurs. Because I've missed so much school, I missed a ton of the quizes, so I don't even know my quize score (assume its very low). This sucks so much, and yes I know its my own fault. Hopefully the teacher will let me retake the first Exam (though I highly doubt it).

[KaHNZa]

Umm... Why not move to a class that isn't so accelerated? The accelerated classes aren't for everyone you know. :)

[Blueacid]

Erk, Parents are a touchy area :)

It's probably better that you tell them sooner rather than let them find out a couple of months from now - for your own personal health :D

I advise that you do as KaHNZa says, and ask the school / college what they think that you should do to rectify the situation, and abide to their advice.

Good luck!

[Cjwinnit]

Originally posted by JML
I took an early course, so its accelerated (all a semesters work in half a semester). I can't even figure out what I need on my next exam and final exam to even pass, so perhaps someone can help me figure out the syllabus (evidence in itself how bad I am at math)......

...I got a 31 on my First Exam; I take Exam 2 this Thurs. Because I've missed so much school, I missed a ton of the quizes, so I don't even know my quize score (assume its very low). This sucks so much, and yes I know its my own fault. Hopefully the teacher will let me retake the first Exam (though I highly doubt it).

Failing, whilst not pleasent, isn't the end of the world. Luckily for you being on a forum like this there is help around :)

If you ever need any specific help you can pester me via PM or IRC. Two other guys that could help are esau and Frodo Baggins, Frodo's at padouin learner stage but he's heading for trials soon :D

What is the pass/fail boundary?

[I.M.O.G.]

Professors can be REALLY understanding under some conditions.

First step in the right direction, you are going to have to bite the bullet here, go to office hours if your professor holds them... I hate going and I never do either, unless I am getting myself into trouble with the class. Professors usually have no one comeing in for office hours, so if you start to visit they can and likely will take a likeing to you. Start off by telling them your problem, why it has been a problem, and what you are already doing to help fix it. Ask for further advice, and keep going to office hours - try to get to know the professor a little more personally, professors often like to talk about themselves and will like you for listening.

If you have a good reason (or can make up a convincing reason) for missing a lot of class this will get you a LOT further. As far as retaking the first exam is concerned, this may be unlikely, but if you are "in" good enough with the prof, then there may be alternative extra work you can do to receive more credit towards your grade.

I've gotten myself out of so many holes I dug just by becomeing friends with my professors, hopefully this might be able to help you.

Alternative option:

It sounds like if you have only taken the first exam then you may still have a chance to withdraw from the course and get a "withdrawal" mark from the course instead of a grade that affects your GPA. If this is an option - TAKE IT. If an explanation is ever necessary, whether it's for application into your program or an interview of some sort, it is far easier to explain, in a positive light, why you withdrew from a course than why you got an "F" in one.

Statistical Breakdown of your grades and oppurtunity:

To calculate your grade in the course, you multiply the "weights" that you listed times the grade you earned.

I will assume your average will be 20% for all the quizzes through the course:

20 * .20 = 4

You will earn 4% out of a total possible 20% for the quizzes.

Your score on the first exam was a 31%:

25 * .31 = 7.75

You earned 7.75% out of a total possible 25%.

Of 45 possible percentage points so far, you have earned 11.75.

There are 55 possible points remaining.

Having faith in your intelligence, we will assume that you can earn every last one of these remaining possible points for a score in the class of 66.75 "D".



This leaves a few questions, the most important of which is: How hard do you want to work for this grade? (This is a serious question, not an inspirational challenge, but a deliberate question of how hard you really want to work. ;) )

The way I see it, you can work your ass off to pull something above a 60 and get a D for the course - this means you will need to earn 48.25 points out of the remaining 55 points possible. If you study and can earn all the points, it could be possible that you can convince your professor to give you extra work to bring that 66.75 up 3 points to a 69.75 which would be a "C", I assume. He would be impressed with your determination and the way you turned things around, and combine that with your regular visits to office hours - there's a chance at a "C".

Now, this is what I would do - I honestly wouldn't want to work that hard and I wouldn't ask anyone else to. I'm not gonna work my ass off to pull a "D", or have a moon shot at a "C"... unless I have left myself with no other option - I just wouldn't work that hard for that grade. I would withdraw, have more time to party this term, and be a real go-getter when I took the course the coming term. A withdrawal from a course followed up by an A or a B for the same material doesn't look bad at all - it looks like you were aware of your situation and did what was best to get the prime outcome.

Good luck and keep us posted.

EDIT: I'd also be happy to assist you in any mathwork you needed help with. I've been through 3 calc courses in college, and while a bit rusty, I still know a thing or two atleast.

[-=HN=- Wild9]

Originally posted by IMOG
Professors can be REALLY understanding under some conditions.

First step in the right direction, you are going to have to bite the bullet here, go to office hours if your professor holds them... I hate going and I never do either, unless I am getting myself into trouble with the class. Professors usually have no one comeing in for office hours, so if you start to visit they can and likely will take a likeing to you. Start off by telling them your problem, why it has been a problem, and what you are already doing to help fix it. Ask for further advice, and keep going to office hours - try to get to know the professor a little more personally, professors often like to talk about themselves and will like you for listening.

If you have a good reason (or can make up a convincing reason) for missing a lot of class this will get you a LOT further. As far as retaking the first exam is concerned, this may be unlikely, but if you are "in" good enough with the prof, then there may be alternative extra work you can do to receive more credit towards your grade.

I've gotten myself out of so many holes I dug just by becomeing friends with my professors, hopefully this might be able to help you.

Alternative option:

It sounds like if you have only taken the first exam then you may still have a chance to withdraw from the course and get a "withdrawal" mark from the course instead of a grade that affects your GPA. If this is an option - TAKE IT. If an explanation is ever necessary, whether it's for application into your program or an interview of some sort, it is far easier to explain, in a positive light, why you withdrew from a course than why you got an "F" in one.

Statistical Breakdown of your grades and oppurtunity:

To calculate your grade in the course, you multiply the "weights" that you listed times the grade you earned.

I will assume your average will be 20% for all the quizzes through the course:

20 * .20 = 4

You will earn 4% out of a total possible 20% for the quizzes.

Your score on the first exam was a 31%:

25 * .31 = 7.75

You earned 7.75% out of a total possible 25%.

Of 45 possible percentage points so far, you have earned 11.75.

There are 55 possible points remaining.

Having faith in your intelligence, we will assume that you can earn every last one of these remaining possible points for a score in the class of 66.75 "D".



This leaves a few questions, the most important of which is: How hard do you want to work for this grade? (This is a serious question, not an inspirational challenge, but a deliberate question of how hard you really want to work. ;) )

The way I see it, you can work your ass off to pull something above a 60 and get a D for the course - this means you will need to earn 48.25 points out of the remaining 55 points possible. If you study and can earn all the points, it could be possible that you can convince your professor to give you extra work to bring that 66.75 up 3 points to a 69.75 which would be a "C", I assume. He would be impressed with your determination and the way you turned things around, and combine that with your regular visits to office hours - there's a chance at a "C".

Now, this is what I would do - I honestly wouldn't want to work that hard and I wouldn't ask anyone else to. I'm not gonna work my ass off to pull a "D", or have a moon shot at a "C"... unless I have left myself with no other option - I just wouldn't work that hard for that grade. I would withdraw, have more time to party this term, and be a real go-getter when I took the course the coming term. A withdrawal from a course followed up by an A or a B for the same material doesn't look bad at all - it looks like you were aware of your situation and did what was best to get the prime outcome.

Good luck and keep us posted.

EDIT: I'd also be happy to assist you in any mathwork you needed help with. I've been through 3 calc courses in college, and while a bit rusty, I still know a thing or two atleast.


the part you said about office hours is very true, i had to do that for my calc 2 class because i was having some trouble with it, it might be a pain, but it is well worth it and go to the math lab when you are having trouble, this might sound really wierd but re write your notes when you get home. take time to go back and fill in spaces that you left out during class and make sure you understand what you actually wrote down. then you can easily figure out what you are having trouble with. Teachers hate it when a student says that they dont understand something but have not put forth any effort into trying to figure it out.

[JML]

I talked with my teacher today, she said I couldn't take anything over, but if I do well on my next two exams I'll pass. It'll hurt my gpa, but its one of my very first classes, I still have all of college left to raise it :/

[Lithan]

Have you tried sleeping with her? If porno has taught me anything it's that attractive female professors love sleeping with young virile students who need to improve their grades.

I mean... I read that in a book somewhere... porno...pshaw.

"Also, a cucumber in the pants never hurt, either"

[Captain Slug]

Or you could go straight to college and get a Liberal Arts or Art History degree. :D

(I'm just kidding BTW)

[JML]

Originally posted by Lithan
Have you tried sleeping with her? If porno has taught me anything it's that attractive female professors love sleeping with young virile students who need to improve their grades.

I mean... I read that in a book somewhere... porno...pshaw.

"Also, a cucumber in the pants never hurt, either"

My math teacher doesn't exactly look like a hot porn star ;)

[Frodo Baggins]

Originally posted by Cjwinnit


Failing, whilst not pleasent, isn't the end of the world. Luckily for you being on a forum like this there is help around :)

If you ever need any specific help you can pester me via PM or IRC. Two other guys that could help are esau and Frodo Baggins, Frodo's at padouin learner stage but he's heading for trials soon :D

What is the pass/fail boundary?

wassup wit dat foo. Soon enough, the student will become the master....

you just wait :argue: :cry: :argue:

[Cjwinnit]

Originally posted by Frodo Baggins
wassup wit dat foo. Soon enough, the student will become the master....

you just wait :argue: :cry: :argue:

Much anger in him I fear.

Patience my young Padouin learner, be wary of the dark side. Fear leads to hate, hate leads to suffering, suffering leads to the dark side of the force.



:D

[Blueacid]

Fear leads to hate, Hate leads to Anger, Anger leads to Stress, Stress leads to Doobies, and Doobies lead to Twinkies...


^^ NOT THE WAY TO GO lol :)

p.s. I'm not a drug addict, i've just been meaning to use that for a while now

[macklin01]

IMOG gave fantastic advice, and the analysis was true to the mark.

I'm glad you talked with the prof. Now, your next step is to check into your college's drop / add conditions. Is it too late to drop? You'll want to be sure of all your options.

Best of luck! -- Paul

[I.M.O.G.]

One thing I overlooked before was requirements... If you are pursueing a degree where you have to apply to the bachelor degree program around the end of your sophmore year, some programs require a "C" grade or higher in certain courses, and others require a certain GPA in a certain group of courses. This may be something else you want to look into.

I have 4 specific prerequisite classes I have to take before I can get into the CIS program here at KSU. I have to have a 3.0 GPA in these courses in order to be accepted into the program - I have only taken one so far and I earned a "C" in it. I am taking the other three this semester so at a minimum I have to get 2 B's and 1 A to average out to a 3.0.

[JML]

I took the second exam today. I was doing good until the last page, almost all the problems contained a rule I forgot, and the whole time it was like on the tip of my brain, but I couldn't think of it. I prob got like a 50 or 60 on it :(

I told my mom about the status in the class; she's gonna tell my dad for me prob while I'm at work (I'm not coming home tonight)

[Illah]

Don't stess too much about grades, focus on your personality and people skills. It sounds typical, but know-how nerds with 1337 skillz won't get jobs where personable semi-nerds will.

I got expelled from high school when I was 16, but having people skills and some tech know-how carried me through. Not that you should go my way or anything, it's just an example. You gotta know how to work people as well as code if you wanna succeed.

--Illah

[ThePerfectCore]

Having faith in your intelligence, we will assume that you can earn every last one of these remaining possible points for a score in the class of 66.75 "D".

I'd shoot myself in the face if I were sitting in that kind of situation.

[sandman001]

would you want to tell us how this happened?

Originally posted by Illah
Don't stess too much about grades, focus on your personality and people skills. It sounds typical, but know-how nerds with 1337 skillz won't get jobs where personable semi-nerds will.

I got expelled from high school when I was 16, but having people skills and some tech know-how carried me through. Not that you should go my way or anything, it's just an example. You gotta know how to work people as well as code if you wanna succeed.

--Illah

[Blueacid]

Originally posted by JML
I told my mom about the status in the class; she's gonna tell my dad for me prob while I'm at work (I'm not coming home tonight)

How did things go? :-/

[JML]

I actually went home after work that night; luckily by the time I got home my mom had calmed him down enough that he talked to me instead of ripping my head off with his bare hands. We've agreed to that any class I fail comes out of my pocket (in addition to my own student loan; I have a loan out for school as does my dad). So now I owe him about $1500 for the class. I'm not really depressed about that though, it bothers me much more that I feel that I let my parents down by failing a class, so I'm determined to do much better next semester.

[Frodo Baggins]

he talked to me instead of ripping my head off with his bare hands

Yea...that's always nice :D

[Caffinehog]

Just think about this: If he ripped your head off with his bare hands, you wouldn't owe him $1500!

JK
Man that sucks. Bust your arse, and if you're in trouble, withdraw. Do it soon enough, and you can get some (if not all) of the money back.

And what has been said about people skills is very true. Joining a student organization and climbing the ranks will help. And go to every "how to interview" session they have, and if they don't schedule one, go to the placement office and schedule a time to talk with them. And get a co-op. Experience is VERY important in landing a job... believe me, I just graduated without a co-op, and it took me a year to find a real job in my field.