Archivarium 2004

[FishAddict85]

I dunno...I have a calculus test at 10:30 today. I'm so nervous...I've been getting a C in the class so far. And it's on a 15 point scale! I don't get it...I do perfectly on the homework assignments, but when it comes down to the tests, I always do poorly. The teacher gives fairly difficult tests.

I have a java final tomorrow. I'm not looking forward to that final at all. And then a history final tomorrow evening. No matter how well I do in those finals...I will only get a B. There goes my 4.0!

[anonapersona]

IMO, the key to Calc is to do more than the required homework assignments. Do the problems that were not assigned, particularly if the answers are in the back of the book to check yourself.

So many teachers will throw you a curve, something that you have to stretch to apply what you were taught, in order to solve it. You have to have done enough problems that you can see the correct key to unlock it, and fast, in order to complete an exam and have time to check for dumb mistakes. It is the dumb mistakes that sink you. Yeah, right, 2 + 2 = 4, not 5!

Wth other subjects, if you can get the teacher to commit to the sorts of questions, say, 15 definitions, 15 true false, 3 essay questions or whatever, then you can write your own exam to study from. Write your own test that has 25 definitions, 25 true/false, and 6 essays. You will probably hit on a large number of the things the teacher picked out. Then a general read of the notes will have to do for the others.

[FishAddict85]

History he gave us a list of things to study. Right now I'm writing the essays. Yeah...I figure by actually writing them when it comes to the essay part of the exam I will know what I want to say. His pop quizzes are what killed my grade in the class.

As for java...yeah...the teacher said to study...EVERYTHING! Fun, huh? I reread the book, now for my notes.

BTW...my calculus test was hard! I did all the previous tests over again and I did the reviews (which do give us a good idea of what he has on the exams). Yeah...I think I made another C on the exam. He's going to grade the top 5 out of 8. I could only do 6 and so...all I need is a 55 and above to pass with a C. Well a little lower would be okay...I have a 65 average in the class. My teacher is one of the toughest for calculus. Here are the grades for the 3rd test of his:

A (100-85): 3
B (84-70): 8
C (69-55): 23
D (54-30): 40
F (30-0): 18

Sad, eh? The average was a 54 on that last test on his...

[Laskey]

I didn't have a natural ability for calculus, but I worked very hard. During class, we would ask questions. We weren't understanding our Romanian teacher very well, not really because of a language barrier but because he just went too fast sometimes. We'd ask a question and he'd get frustrated and say "I CANNOT MAKE IT ANY SIMPLER". (I laugh thinking about it although it was a little intimidating at the time.)

What I did was, I sucked it up and saw him during his office hours. It turned out that he was a TEDDY BEAR during those hours, and very honored to have someone come and ask for extra help and demonstrate that they wanted to do well. I found that this approach helped me out of many many tough situations where it didn't look like I was going to get an A. (I also had a 4.0 and clung to it like it would be the end of the world if I ever got a B ) Seriously, give it a try, talk to teachers after class where you're struggling. Sometimes with the relaxed atmosphere and a bit more time, things sink in when they otherwise wouldn't have. You'll have "Ah-Hah!" moments. And part of it is that you'll be overall much more relaxed with the subject, and more relaxed at test time (which is a double benefit because you might not make as many silly mistakes). Laskey

[FishAddict85]

Maybe for next semester...my finals are over tonight...PARTY!!! Um...just kidding.

[Laskey]

[Glitch]

As far as I'm concerned

[Pi]

Agreed. A D average usually either means (1)the class gets the material, but the tests themselves are too difficult or (2)the teacher isn't teaching the material in a way that works for his students. The trick is, those 3 insane kids who got an A, serve to prove to the teacher that it is possible if you really try...even if this is not actually the case. I've been one of those few before, though in other subjects(never math!), and I think it's unfair that bad teachers get to claim they are doing their jobs just because one or two of us manages to eek out what they are trying to teach-- usually after doing ridiculous amounts of extra reading. I have a lot of sympathy for teachers, I think anyone who has ever gone through high school has some idea of what they have to put up with and in college it isn't much better, but that doesn't excuse sloppy teaching.

Pi