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Poll: Do I give up on this class?

E

Eeezee

Diamond Member
I just took an exam in one of my upper-division physics courses. I think I failed it just like the other two.

There are 3 exams worth 40% of the grade. The homework is worth 30%. The final is another 30%. I have an 80% average in homework, but I'm averaging a 35% on tests and probably got another 35 so that average won't change much.

I need a 57% overall (after final, tests, and homework are all calculated) or better to get a C. Anything less than a C is equivelant to failing. Should I even bother? At best I got a 65% on the exam today, but I probably got a 35%.

 
Is the teacher a dick? Do you participate fully? It will hinge on the teacher wanting to be a dick or your attitude/participation in class. If you get along good with the teacher, finish it. If not, your screwed.
 

Attend all classes, and do all homeworks and ask questions if you don't understand. Keeps the notes for the next round when you take it again.
 
My experience, especially in difficult upper level courses, is that if you're trying and doing horrible, chances are many others are having the same problem.

Enough people having trouble = very likely chance of a curve.

You'll feel dumb if you drop and there was a 20 point curve, and would have ended up with a C or better.

Just stick it through. It's in your best interest.
 
ask around and figure out where the class average is... if you're close, stick to it like i0wnj00 says....

i had a class where the class average was 20% or nearabouts in each of four tests, and the final was only slightly better... managed to scrape an A out of it thanks to the curve.
 
57% is a C? Are you serious? Used to be anything less than a 72 was a D at best, 57 was the cutoff for flunking (F). Hell, if you ever plan on showing your transcript to employers, having a C in there won't help you at all.
 
If you are going to fail, or get a grade that you don't want, why not accept a W and retake it next seminster? Sure you wasted the money on the class (not sure what you are paying per unit). On the bright side, you won't need to buy a new book.
 
dude i always loved that challenge when iw as in college....get backed in and pull yourself out. I say stick to it and show yourself you can do it.
 
Originally posted by: i0wnj00
My experience, especially in difficult upper level courses, is that if you're trying and doing horrible, chances are many others are having the same problem.

Enough people having trouble = very likely chance of a curve.

You'll feel dumb if you drop and there was a 20 point curve, and would have ended up with a C or better.

Just stick it through. It's in your best interest.
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It's very common for people to repeat this course (about 75% of students take it twice because they either dropped or failed it the first time). The professor fails you if your final grade is less than a 50. I'd rather not have to take it again, but I guess I'll hold on and see if I can get lucky
 
Originally posted by: Sphexi
57% is a C? Are you serious? Used to be anything less than a 72 was a D at best, 57 was the cutoff for flunking (F). Hell, if you ever plan on showing your transcript to employers, having a C in there won't help you at all.
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Have you ever taken an upper-division physics course? I've read one syllabus where the cutoff for a D was preset at 35% :laugh:
 
So if your HW is 80% and your exams are 30-35%, then you're hovering on the C/D level, which means if you do well on the Final, you will pass. So why not go for it?
 
whenever i was in dire straits in a course, i would usually discuss it with the prof and / or TA to either a) arrange times you can meet with them and see what, if any, tips you can get on what to concentrate on for the finals and b) just get a general idea from him / her if you stand a solid change at passing the course.

i did this on more than one occasion, and once a prof even sympathized with me (even though in person all he said was, "the chips will fall where they may" - i'll never forget that) and i got the grade i was looking for despite a VERY slight miscue on the final.
 
Originally posted by: Eeezee
Originally posted by: Sphexi
57% is a C? Are you serious? Used to be anything less than a 72 was a D at best, 57 was the cutoff for flunking (F). Hell, if you ever plan on showing your transcript to employers, having a C in there won't help you at all.
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Have you ever taken an upper-division physics course? I've read one syllabus where the cutoff for a D was preset at 35% :laugh:
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I had a physics course like that in college ...
I hated the class, and rarely showwed up and did minimal homework. I managed to get an average test score in the 20% range. My labs were in the 80% range. I would up with a score in the 30% range, and got a D. Cutoff for a C was around 40%.

To the OP .... if you do good on the final you will pass with flying colors, if you do as bad on the final as your other tests, you will fail, but you'll still be not too far from the 57% area. If I were in your shoes knowing what I know now (25), I'd bust my ass for it. When I was 19 or 20, I would have not studied, but still gone to the exam, and hoped for the best, but not really cared too much ...
 
Originally posted by: Sphexi
57% is a C? Are you serious? Used to be anything less than a 72 was a D at best, 57 was the cutoff for flunking (F). Hell, if you ever plan on showing your transcript to employers, having a C in there won't help you at all.
Click to expand...


In my physics classes, the average score was usually in the 50-60 range. They were pretty open ended questions, like:

Given a point charge of Q moving through a magnetic field of intensity F, derive Maxwell's equations.


????😕???
 
Good advice all around, I talked to the professor and he recommended studying hard for the final. The score I need on the final heavily depends on the score I got on tuesday's exam (I'll find out this coming up tuesday how well I did). The outlook is fairly hopeful, if I can score around a 60-70 on the final then I should get a C in the class. Not only would I not have to take the class again, but it'd be a real feat since only 25% of the class will pass with a C or better on the first attempt.

Thanks for the help all, I'm going to start studying for the final tonight. It's almost a month away, but I'm willing to work my arse off to get through this.
 
Originally posted by: Ryan
Damn - I wish I could pass a class with a failing grade.
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its not a failing grade if you can pass with it


my roommate used to get scared by this having premeds talking about how well they did when they got 60% on a test...lol

its not that the kids are "failing" they just make the tests really hard, a lot of times beyond what was taught is taught in class
 
i was in the same boat, and the right thing to do it finish it, even if you dont pass, itll make it much easier the next time around, and also, youll already have all the assignments done!!
 
upper division class is a bitch, I'm taking 2 of them right now, i'm not crying 🙂 i'm striving !!

And remember college is money, for me, I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars on failing a course 😕 !
 
Originally posted by: Powermoloch
upper division class is a bitch, I'm taking 2 of them right now, i'm not crying 🙂 i'm striving !!

And remember college is money, for me, I'm not going to spend thousands of dollars on failing a course 😕 !
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Hey man, I'm taking 3 upper division physics and an upper div math! This is the only class I'm doing poorly in this semester 😛
 
Originally posted by: Ryan
Damn - I wish I could pass a class with a failing grade.
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This is why classes have curves. Sometimes the professor's teaching styles are poor, or the tests are too difficult, or the material isn't necessarily easy, etc.

It doesn't surprise me at all that most difficult courses apply a large curve. Why should a 75% in a Quantum Physics course be the same grade as a 75% in an intro business course? There's an obvious difference in difficulty that must be taken into account.
 
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