posted
I'm so scared right now. I don't know what to do.
I walked into my math final this morning, and I didn't know anything. I didn't just fail the final, I flunked spectacularly. And the way I figure it, there's no way I won't get a F in the class.
I'm a freshman in college. I'm an engineering student. And I just flunked math.
I'm so screwed. I'm scared shitless. I don't know what to do. I don't know what's going to happen to me.
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
Miro, assuming you answered any of the problems, it's possible you did OK. I heard horror stories from engineers of math classes with means of 16 - the highest grade was a 27 or so.
You might have done better than you thought. If not, it's not the end of the world. Talk to your professor and talk to your advisor. They're not going to kick you out of college.
posted
Oh, and hey! When you take a course again after failing the first time around it's much easier. You find that you did learn something, anyway.
Miro, did this take you by surprise? Were you doing fairly well up to the final? Did you think you were ready for it? Had you studied the material and worked the homework problems and so on throughout the class? Cause if you did then you probably aren't the only one who found the final tough. So you really might not have done as badly as you think.
Or was the problem more of a test anxiety thing? Did you get to the test and then just freeze up in terror and forget everything that you thought you knew?
Don't be too upset about failing one class. Figure out what you're doing wrong and fix it. It takes most people time to work this stuff out. With math, the main thing is doing the homework. If you keep up and work the problems then math can be an easy A type course.
Posts: 6246 | Registered: Aug 2004
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posted
Assuming you did flunk, you'll need to do one of 2 things:
1) Figure out why you flunked (poor study habits, lack of studying, lack of attending class, insufficient math foundation, etc.) and fix it when you re-take this class 2) Start shopping for another major
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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1.) It's not the end of the world - you can still succeed, either in your major or in another.
2.) You picked the best time to learn that you have to study to do well. A failure now doesn't hurt you at all, really. You can always say you had a hard time adjusting and show how much you've improved.
Learn your lesson. Don't dwell on failure, think of the future.
posted
I agree with Dag. Repeating courses is no big deal, epecially at a freshman level. You have now learned that for you, not studying == fail. Remember that in the future.
Posts: 16551 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Most engineers I know flunked and retook *at least* one class! Better to get it over with as a freshman, and learn rather than as a Junior. This is why engineering is hard. I would retake the class, and if you still have major trouble with it the second time around, then re-evaluate your major. But not yet...
posted
Well, I didn't get an F. I got a D. Still really bad, but not as bad, I suppose.
I just got back to school, so now I need to figure out what to do. I assume I'm going to need to take the class over again. My parents took it well. Goodness bless them.
Posts: 2149 | Registered: Aug 2000
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posted
I'm glad you didn't totally flag it. Seriously the second time it's much easier. You probably do want to take it again, cause you will certainly need to know how to do Calculus I stuff for other classes like physics that engineers take.
This what I finally learned about how to make As in engineering. WARNING, NOT FOR THE FAINT OF HEART!!!!!!
1. Go to class. This actually matters. I know that you can teach yourself from the book but the thing is that I just never ended up really doing that. I would plan to and then not. Going to class every single day you aren't violently ill will keep the gap much smaller between all the stuff they've covered and the bit you've actually practiced and learned how to do.
Also if you've been to class every day and the professor starts doing stuff that you can't follow, then you can stop her and ask for clarification. If you've cut class a lot then you pretty much have to assume they already covered the part you're confused about.
2. Do the homework! Find a study partner and work together on doing the homework all the time. This way you can get your partner to provide the motivation.
The hard part for me was caring. Once I got started working on it, I usually could figure stuff out. So it worked out well when I could have a study partner saying, "hey, I'm coming over tonight to work on math." They provided the impetus and in return I would help them figure out how to work the problems.
3. Take an extra course each term and drop the one with the worst teacher. Some schools penalize you for this, but they shouldn't. Students ought to require that the teachers for each section be made public in advance, also that some system of rating or reviews from former students be available. They are the consumers, after all. Sucky teachers make the class unpleasant and boring. Good teachers can make any subject matter interesting. The best schools are those with the best teachers. Nothing is more important than good teachers. Do your utmost to take courses from the very best teachers you can.
4. The actual field of study you specialize in isn't as important as whether your school has a good program in that thing. For instance, I was very interested in computers, so I went into Computer Engineering. But the Computer Eng dept at my school was really bad, as it turned out. They made the whole experience so stupid and depressing that I nearly didn't finish. When I looked into Electrical Engineering, my school had a great program full of good teachers and interesting research. The counselors and advisors were better, the honor society was better, everything about the program was just happier and more fun. So I changed to EE and it was great.
Then within EE I wanted to specialize in Digital, but the professors and grad students in that particular area at that time were just not the best teachers. They didn't have their program well thought out. They sort of jerked us around. So I changed to Fields where I loved the professors and that was so much better.
So the lesson I learned from all of that is to guide your choices more by the quality of the programs you can find rather than the precise thing you want to study. No amount of interest in the subject matter can make up for a sucky program.
Anyway, take all that advice for what it's worth.... one person's way that worked for her. You will have to find the way that works for you. Best of luck!
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