Dealing with a Failed E&m Class: Next Steps and Considerations

[Gale]

So, I'm pretty sure i failed E&m this semester. I hated the class, so i was doing the minimum to get by. unfortunately, i didn't really account for the retarded way my professor grades, and so while i only wanted to just barely passed, i failed... i very very much failed. It isn't official or anything yet. but i redid the math... and ugh, I'm so disgusted. how could i be so dumb.

Anyway, i guess i can't change that now. I spose i oughtn't even bother with the final exam eh? (ugh, i can't believe i failed...) I'm pretty sure that there's no way i can pass, even if i got a perfect score. i feel like I'm giving up by not going to my final... but really... there's no point... quite literally... so if i went, what would i prove? nothing. i don't even know the material very well, so i'd probably do horrible on the final anyways.

ok, so i skip the final... *sigh*... do i retake the class? technically i need it for my astrophysics major. and i need to stay in the astronomy department so i can get 10k off every year. i could drop the physics though... eh... i could switch to space-science... its practically the same thing, but i could take the easier version of the E&m course i failed. maybe not a bad idea... or i could stick with astrophysics... and retake the same course with a better prof... i dunno.

frankly, i just want to be a math major... but aside from gen-eds, i really don't have many more requirements left. next semester i may be taking 500 level courses... i think i maybe have 2, probably 3 semesters left of required math courses, and this is only my first semester. So i picked up the astrophysics to slow me down and give me something to do when i have to take all the dumb gen eds. added bonus that i got free money for doing astro. i dunno... I'm so retarded. Do i stick with astrophysics? do i retake the course? ugh... I'm still not happy about skipping the final... but it would let me go home 3 days sooner... ugh... I'm soooo retarded

 

[Clausius2]

So, I'm pretty sure i failed E&m this semester. I hated the class, so i was doing the minimum to get by. unfortunately, i didn't really account for the retarded way my professor grades, and so while i only wanted to just barely passed, i failed... i very very much failed. It isn't official or anything yet. but i redid the math... and ugh, I'm so disgusted. how could i be so dumb.

Anyway, i guess i can't change that now. I spose i oughtn't even bother with the final exam eh? (ugh, i can't believe i failed...) I'm pretty sure that there's no way i can pass, even if i got a perfect score. i feel like I'm giving up by not going to my final... but really... there's no point... quite literally... so if i went, what would i prove? nothing. i don't even know the material very well, so i'd probably do horrible on the final anyways.

ok, so i skip the final... *sigh*... do i retake the class? technically i need it for my astrophysics major. and i need to stay in the astronomy department so i can get 10k off every year. i could drop the physics though... eh... i could switch to space-science... its practically the same thing, but i could take the easier version of the E&m course i failed. maybe not a bad idea... or i could stick with astrophysics... and retake the same course with a better prof... i dunno.

frankly, i just want to be a math major... but aside from gen-eds, i really don't have many more requirements left. next semester i may be taking 500 level courses... i think i maybe have 2, probably 3 semesters left of required math courses, and this is only my first semester. So i picked up the astrophysics to slow me down and give me something to do when i have to take all the dumb gen eds. added bonus that i got free money for doing astro. i dunno... I'm so retarded. Do i stick with astrophysics? do i retake the course? ugh... I'm still not happy about skipping the final... but it would let me go home 3 days sooner... ugh... I'm soooo retarded

Go Gale! you can!. My advice is to clear up your mind and decide if you like what you are doing. Maybe the first courses of a grad. are really little interesting but as you advance in it you'll find practical applications to what you have studied. But to say the truth I don't know at what year of your undergraduate program are you studying.

If you really like Astrophysics stuff be doubtless, counteract this failed exam and do your best in the next exam. You must fight for what you want in this life, if not it wouldn't have any sense (at least it is what I think).

 

[Gale]

Go Gale! you can!. My advice is to clear up your mind and decide if you like what you are doing. Maybe the first courses of a grad. are really little interesting but as you advance in it you'll find practical applications to what you have studied. But to say the truth I don't know at what year of your undergraduate program are you studying.

If you really like Astrophysics stuff be doubtless, counteract this failed exam and do your best in the next exam. You must fight for what you want in this life, if not it wouldn't have any sense (at least it is what I think).

i'm a first semester freshman... i just took tons of math in high school. Hell, i just graduated high school last semester... i went off to prove myself, and i was a dumb **** and failed my first semester of physics here. ugh... i failed a freshman physics course... and i'll be doing graduate level math next semester! what the hell is wrong with me! augh... i hate college... god, i suck so bad. GGRR... (more noises of venting frustration...) ugh... i hate myself right now... but i have to figure out what to do from here..

 

[cAm]

sounds like you should do a math major. you're obviously much better at math, and enjoy it much more.

 

[brewnog]

Ahoy Gale!

You always knew that this course wasn't going to be piss easy. While I don't understand your educational system, and almost certainly can't give you any technical advice, I am ordering you to stick at it. Retake baby! It's all about the retakes. If there's the smallest chance of success, you should find some way to push yourself for it, cos then you'll be "the daddy", so to speak. Don't settle for doing 'alright' on an easier course, try and at least scrape by on a tough one!

Chin up, head down. There's nothing like a bit of fear to put the pressure on.

 

[dextercioby]

Gale,why are u blaming everything on the teacher,AGAIN ...?I mean if this dude and the algebra one (see thread in the Algebra forum) are morons,what the heck are u doing in a school with retarded professors...?

Daniel.

 

[cepheid]

Hey Gale,

Retake the course if necesary. As others have said, slow down, take a step back, a breather, take stock of things etc. That way you can think about your future in a rational, calm state, not during exams when you're frustrated and angry at yourself. You've got all the time in the world, and nothing you have to prove, though it may not seem that way. If you're just out of high school, and are going on to tackle graduate level math, then I'm shocked and amazed. I'm not saying you can't do it. No one can know that for sure except you, of course. I'm just saying, why the rush? You've had a setback. But if you can't finish your program in whatever time you had thought you would, but still have the determination to do it, then just take longer. Out of your whole life, what's an extra semester? Or even a year? Engineering, math, physics, all are majors with a lot of work and sometimes you're not left with enough time to mull over what you've learned, gain insights, make connections between disjointed concepts. That's what frustrates me. I took E&M I and II last semester and the one before that, and they were hard. Especially at a rapid pace. So you need to just get through exams, and then really ask yourself: "did I hate this course because I had a poor professor (and I've had my fair share of those), and wasn't really up to the pace of learning, especially since it would have involved teaching much of it to myself? Or did I hate it because I hate it, and physics is not for me?" Hopefully, in a moment of clarity, when you're somewhat removed from the immediacy of it, you'll know the answer.

 

[Hurkyl]

And on a specific note...

You might as well take the exam. It can't hurt, can it? And it would point out what you do know, and what you need to focus on for next semester. (And give you an idea what the exam will be like next semester!)

And failing with a good grade on the final is better than failing without a grade on the final -- it supports the interpretation that you're smart and just weren't applying yourself, as opposed to the interpretation that you had no business being in the course in the first place!

In fact, if you plan on not taking the exam, you should check if that affects your eligibility to retake the course!


Now, there's always a remote chance that you might be able to talk to your professor, and get him to give you a minimum passing grade if you ace the exam. (Though I wouldn't unless you think you actually will ace the exam)

 

[Gale]

well, i am a math major... I'm double majoring right now, to slow me down... its not working too well though... i was thinking about dropping the second major, but everyone recomends i keep a second major, since i can't get my math degree till i do gen eds. i'd rather not though... i have to think about it more.

I'm not blaming my professor at all dex. He just has a weird style of grading, that i forgot about. he gave us a syllabus that had the formula for his grading... i just never looked at it. I'm the stupid one. i admit that. that's why I'm so frustrated with myself. seriously... I'm soooo dumb...

i guess maybe i should slow down a bit... i dunno... i like pushing myself really hard in math... but i also really like math. I'm not as good with science apparently... its odd. I'm not sure how to even things out. i go too fast with math, and too slow with science. I've never minded working hard for math classes either, but I've never had to work hard for science. eh...

perhaps i should take the exam... but quite honestly, i was only doing the bare minimum to pass... cept i was retarded... i got really discouraged halfway through the course. i worked really hard, and still only got a C on the exam, so i stopped working so hard, and still got a C on the next exam. The i decided the class was pointless since no matter how hard i worked, the result was the same... i was really dumb. i know.

i've been beating myself up about it, I've already told my parents, they're so dissapointed. my dad yelled at me a lot...

anyway, are my grad school prospects slim now? how do i make the best of things? I'm not sure if i should retake the same course, or take the easier version. if i think i can do it, i'll retake the exam, if only so i feel less horrible about myself.

i hope i don't come off as whiney... i know i was dumb, and i feel terrible about it... erm... well, thanks for any support...

 

[BicycleTree]

Isn't there something in the UMass system about being able to replace a failing grade--erase it from your record--by retaking the course? I think I heard something about that at UMD. If you're going to college very cheaply then since you're 17 you have a lot of time to do stuff like that.

 

[Dooga Blackrazor]

I hope you don't take offense, but it sounds like you have self-esteem issues. If you haven't already examined your mental health, I would suggest doing so.

I've recently been having trouble in school. I was always a good student, and I put a lot of work into my studies; however, I started slacking off. I justified my actions by saying, "I'm only lowering my average a little, and I can bring it up later. This class is so easy, so I won't have any trouble coasting by." My marks started to lower, and I ended up getting diagnosed with depression.

You must have been aware that your marks were slipping - you would've had assignments or quizzes, I assume? Furthermore, you would realize your knowledge of the material wasn't enough - your not stupid and you shouldn't say you are. It sounds like you just gave up and became melancholy.

Your insulting yourself way too much. Mistakes happen, but you can still ensure that you have a great future.

 

[BicycleTree]

Here's a quote from the Fall 2005 booklet:

Only the most recently earned course grade (whether higher or lower) shall enter into calculation of the cumulative grade point average. However, all courses attempted by a student will be part of the permanent record.

If UMA has the same policy then you should definitely take exactly the same course and not an easier one, to shed the bad grade from your GPA.

 

[jma2001]

When is your final exam? Is there enough time left to study and do well on it? You should definitely take the final if there is even the slightest chance you might pass it. The main thing most professors want to see in their students is improvement from the beginning of the semester to the end. That's why final exams are weighted so heavily, the professors want to give their students a chance to redeem themselves. You said you got Cs on your other exams, so if you got even a B on the final that might be enough to earn a B for the entire course.

 

[OptimusPrime]

What grade did you get, Gale?

 

[Zanket]

i hope i don't come off as whiney... i know i was dumb, and i feel terrible about it... erm... well, thanks for any support...

Are you sure you're pursuing what you want? It sounds a little like you're pursuing something else, like maybe what your dad wants for you.

 

[dextercioby]

What grade did you get, Gale?

She failed the course,as a whole,it's like she didn't take it (the course) in the first place.

Daniel.

 

[Gale]

Um... hi... update...

SO, I'm an even bigger retard now... i decided i was certain to fail, so i didn't study, i wasn't going to take the final. Then i decided, like you all said, i should figure out the retake policy, so i email my prof, and he's like... tell you what.. if you get a C on the final... you'll pass the course... now I'm like... awesome... too bad i haven't studied and i have no hope of getting a C... UGH! So... now i'll be studying, and anyone who cares to try and give me a crash course in E&M... it'd be welcome..

 

[OptimusPrime]

That sucks! When is the exam?

 

[dextercioby]

Tomorrow morning.Make that Friday,May 20-th.

Daniel.

 

[Gale]

mhmm, tomorrow morning at 8 am. I have one day to study my ass off... yay... I'm totally screwed... life sucks soooo bad right now.. .

 

[OptimusPrime]

Same thing happened to me last year, and I couldn't graduate College over one class. Had to come back and take it over. Doesn't seem so bad now, but it was very bad at the time.

 

[Math Is Hard]

You can do it, Gale. I have complete faith in you.

 

[OptimusPrime]

In one day, learn all the material?

 

[OptimusPrime]

You ever had one of those exams where you didn't study, and were completely lost, and all you did was stare at the other people breezing through the exam and get angry?

 

[Gale]

UGH, I'm totally overwhelmed... I'm not sure if i ought be reviewing the little material that i sort of know... or if i should be going over the stuff I've completely missed... i don't know which problems to do, if i should be doing problems... i wish i had my book... this is is horrible! easily the most stressful day ever... augh!

 

[cronxeh]

GALE

go watch those videos from MIT's website

 

[OptimusPrime]

That professor is incredibly hard to understand.

 

[Gale]

GALE

go watch those videos from MIT's website

i tried, i couldn't get any video to work... I'm just going though all my prof's lecture notes starting from the begining. Its awful, I'm struggling with the stuff I'm actually familiar with... I'm not going to be able to learn the new stuff...

 

[jma2001]

You ever had one of those exams where you didn't study, and were completely lost, and all you did was stare at the other people breezing through the exam and get angry?

Yes, I know that feeling ...

But Gale, is this not exactly what I predicted would happen? Your professor is not hard to understand at all, in fact I think he is being very reasonable: he is trying to give you a chance to redeem yourself. All of my professors had a similar policy (spoken or unspoken) -- pass the final, pass the course. Most professors are not out to get their students, and they do not take pleasure in handing out failing grades, despite what the students like to imagine sometimes.

Wild prediction: I believe you are going to pass the final, and the class. You probably know more E&M than you are giving yourself credit for, and your professor is probably rooting for you to pass, even though he cannot admit it openly.

 

[Gale]

But Gale, is this not exactly what I predicted would happen? Your professor is not hard to understand at all, in fact I think he is being very reasonable: he is trying to give you a chance to redeem yourself. All of my professors had a similar policy (spoken or unspoken) -- pass the final, pass the course. Most professors are not out to get their students, and they do not take pleasure in handing out failing grades, despite what the students like to imagine sometimes.

Wild prediction: I believe you are going to pass the final, and the class. You probably know more E&M than you are giving yourself credit for, and your professor is probably rooting for you to pass, even though he cannot admit it openly.

WOW... well... that's all encouraging... except the exam is almost 2/3 magnetism... and i missed every lecture on the subject... (in case you missed it, this thread is entitled, "i'm a retard" this is for good reason... I'm retarded) I've reviewed the electricity stuff, (not that I'm wicked well off with that either...) but I'm totally sucking at learning magnetism without my book. UGH. i wish it was tomorrow night already, and that i already failed so i could sleep and not care.

At any rate, if anyone feels like being my god... you can feel free to message me on any of my messengers, and spend the night attempting to teach me magnetism... that would be soooo totally allowed!

 

[dextercioby]

(...) in case you missed it, this thread is entitled, "i'm a retard" this is for good reason... I'm retarded (...)

I don't remember to be dealing with advanced and retarded potentials in this intro.course on Electromagnetism.

So why would you...?

Daniel.

 

[OptimusPrime]

So how did it go?

 

[Gale]

I'll let you know when he posts the grades... actually, he'll be posting grades in like an hour... but i didn't sleep last night... so hopefully i'll be sleeping then...

At any rate, thanks to some help, i learned a lot of stuff... unfortunately, i didn't have enough time, and i had to guess a ton... sucks... i did well on the open ended questions though. i really have no idea if i did enough to pass or not... i would doubt it... but never know i guess... well... you know eventually... well, not if i don't tell you... well, if you really wanted you could find out probably... i dunno... i haven't slept yet... i think I'm tired. ..

 

[OptimusPrime]

For the past 3 hours, I've been coming here waiting for a grade.

 

[jma2001]

For the past 3 hours, I've been coming here waiting for a grade.

Hopefully she has had a chance to relax and is taking a little nap right about now ... I'm sure we'll hear from Gale eventually.