first week of university - so hard

[ArJuN]

Which HS are you coming from?

 

[dr150]

B/c you're being thrown so much at you, I suggest you get involved with study groups/tutoring services and/or get linked with the engineering academic support programs available at your university. Talk to an academic advisor.

You're not the only one in that situation and getting involved in such academic support programs can make the difference between making it thru all 4 years with a highly valued engineering degree (with good grades) or some worthless "soft" major that few people value (aside of law school).

Get involved early. Be disciplined about it. Don't get lazy b/c if you fall behind too far, your life will become very "difficult" (be ready to study Friday/Saturday nights with colleagues until you get your mojo and don't emulate the certain geniuses in your dept. who never study and have a lot of free time--worry about yourself). It's good you reached this conclusion and can do something about it EARLY!

Get on it and you'll be fine!... :thumbsup:

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Most of you have it easier being on semesters... CalPoly was quarters and brutal.. no rest in 10 weeks. Two week drop then you took grade.

Quarters aren't that much worse. I know people say you hit the ground running and you hit finals in no time, but in most quarters classes you have 1 midterm.

In Berkeley, we were the only UC on semester system. Some people said that made things easier, but we had a minimum of 2 midterms for most classes. I can probably only name 1... maybe 2 classes total that had a single midterm only. Many classes had 2-3 midterms, and at least 1 or 2 had 4 midterms. With that schedule, you essentially have exams every month just like the quarter system. And when you take classes where they mix a 2 midterm class with a 3 midterm class, then you start getting spread. Not all classes will pick midterms on the same week. If you have all 2-midterm classes, they'll land in 2 blots on your calendar. Usually a 2 week struggle and then 2-3 weeks relaxation, and another 2 weeks grueling, and then a few weeks more til finals. Throw in a 3-midterm class or two and it all starts being a death calendar. Essentially exams don't end once they start.

So to say that quarter system just goes class, exam, midterm because of the short 12 week system fails to recognize that the semester system being longer can throw in multiple midterms over a term. In the end I want to say it all ends up similarly. The only disadvantage is that some 1-semester classes end up being 1-quarter classes, so material is condensed. On the other hand, my linear algebra + differential equation class is usually split into 2 quarters, but being squeezed into 1 semester, I felt like we got a truncated version of differential equations.

 

[AznAnarchy99]

Quarters aren't that much worse. I know people say you hit the ground running and you hit finals in no time, but in most quarters classes you have 1 midterm.

In Berkeley, we were the only UC on semester system. Some people said that made things easier, but we had a minimum of 2 midterms for most classes. I can probably only name 1... maybe 2 classes total that had a single midterm only. Many classes had 2-3 midterms, and at least 1 or 2 had 4 midterms. With that schedule, you essentially have exams every month just like the quarter system. And when you take classes where they mix a 2 midterm class with a 3 midterm class, then you start getting spread. Not all classes will pick midterms on the same week. If you have all 2-midterm classes, they'll land in 2 blots on your calendar. Usually a 2 week struggle and then 2-3 weeks relaxation, and another 2 weeks grueling, and then a few weeks more til finals. Throw in a 3-midterm class or two and it all starts being a death calendar. Essentially exams don't end once they start.

So to say that quarter system just goes class, exam, midterm because of the short 12 week system fails to recognize that the semester system being longer can throw in multiple midterms over a term. In the end I want to say it all ends up similarly. The only disadvantage is that some 1-semester classes end up being 1-quarter classes, so material is condensed. On the other hand, my linear algebra + differential equation class is usually split into 2 quarters, but being squeezed into 1 semester, I felt like we got a truncated version of differential equations.

Quarter is 10 week

 

[Capt Caveman]

Don't be afraid to go to your professor and/or TAs for help.

And a good opportunity to ask some cute girls in your class if they want to study together.

 

[Acanthus]

Quarters aren't that much worse. I know people say you hit the ground running and you hit finals in no time, but in most quarters classes you have 1 midterm.

In Berkeley, we were the only UC on semester system. Some people said that made things easier, but we had a minimum of 2 midterms for most classes. I can probably only name 1... maybe 2 classes total that had a single midterm only. Many classes had 2-3 midterms, and at least 1 or 2 had 4 midterms. With that schedule, you essentially have exams every month just like the quarter system. And when you take classes where they mix a 2 midterm class with a 3 midterm class, then you start getting spread. Not all classes will pick midterms on the same week. If you have all 2-midterm classes, they'll land in 2 blots on your calendar. Usually a 2 week struggle and then 2-3 weeks relaxation, and another 2 weeks grueling, and then a few weeks more til finals. Throw in a 3-midterm class or two and it all starts being a death calendar. Essentially exams don't end once they start.

So to say that quarter system just goes class, exam, midterm because of the short 12 week system fails to recognize that the semester system being longer can throw in multiple midterms over a term. In the end I want to say it all ends up similarly. The only disadvantage is that some 1-semester classes end up being 1-quarter classes, so material is condensed. On the other hand, my linear algebra + differential equation class is usually split into 2 quarters, but being squeezed into 1 semester, I felt like we got a truncated version of differential equations.

More midterms mean less material per midterm...

Having been in both systems i prefer semesters by far.

 

[meltdown75]

i have a feeling you will make it thru just fine.

 

[her209]

If you went to a decent high school, then the first year of college is a refresher.

 

[Gibson486]

If you went to a decent high school, then the first year of college is a refresher.

Yes, because every person in high school takes AP calc.

 

[Regs]

Big bag of weed.

 

[Gibson486]

Big bag of weed.

:awe:

That brings me back....

 

[brainhulk]

Yes, because every person in high school takes AP calc.

nope. There were only about 15 of us. The teacher made as come before everyone else in the morning and stay after school. What a PITA! got a 4 though. One test I didn't study for was AP government...got a 5! lol

 

[brainhulk]

:awe:

That brings me back....

...yeah and my roommates that kept trying to grow it in our little patio garden. lol

 

[Gibson486]

nope. There were only about 15 of us. The teacher made as come before everyone else in the morning and stay after school. What a PITA! got a 4 though. One test I didn't study for was AP government...got a 5! lol

LOL....I was being sarcastic.

 

[Demo24]

That's one reason I wouldn't take a full load for the first semester. Better to mix it up some(if you can) so you can get adjusted, and then buckle down. I ended up taking Pre-cal, English, Bio, and a history class my first semester. Unfortunately I got screwed in my english class, which knocked my grades down. Though I still didn't do wonderfully my first year, it did help some. However changing my major from Biology to something I preferred helped the most.

Two things: As long as you enjoy what you are studying and where you are, then you'll be able to make it through.

 

[halloucho]

ohhh
i hate returning to university !!!!!!!!

 

[meltdown75]

That's one reason I wouldn't take a full load for the first semester.

that's what she said

 

[brainhulk]

take classes in social sciences-see cute girls. I know you won't see them in egineering classes

 

[Demo24]

that's what she said

:awe:

 

[Gibson486]

take classes in social sciences-see cute girls. I know you won't see them in egineering classes

We had this one hot engineering chick. She was from Venezuela. Man, she was smoking hot and she was the type of chick that wore clothes that would make your mom shake her head. She always sat infront of me in my digital logic class. Her thong rose up 24/7. It was too bad that she was used more than a dirty rag though....

 

[Kirby]

We had this one hot engineering chick. She was from Venezuela. Man, she was smoking hot and she was the type of chick that wore clothes that would make your mom shake her head. She always sat infront of me in my digital logic class. Her thong rose up 24/7. It was too bad that she was used more than a dirty rag though....

I thought the girls in CS were ugly until I took ECE classes. uke:

 

[GTaudiophile]

Haha.

You mean you actually PUT FAITH in the American public school system that it would prepare you for an engineering program???

 

[GTaudiophile]

If you went to a decent high school, then the first year of college is a refresher.

I went to a top American private school, took AP classes, etc. and very little during my first year at GA TECH was a "refresher" you put it.