FAILING Physics. Help.

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ZRCMed

ZRCMed

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I have been through Hell and back with this Physics class. With less than 50% averages for every exam and NO other homework or problem sets to factor into the final grade, the professor still says he won't curve or renormalize. What should I do? Fight for a last-minute Withdraw, or take a D or, worse - an F.


Edit: All this is assuming I get an A when I retake it. I feel like taking a W and retaking with an A is a better cover-up than having a D on my transcript which would ruin my GPA, be on my transcript, etc. Please help me with your advice as it is much appreciated.
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Is the 50% the class average, or your average? How has the rest of the class been doing -- well above your test grade? If yes, consider withdrawing. If no, re-talk to your professor, make sure he isn't curving since the entire class is doing poorly -- telling him you will try to withdraw if he isn't planning on curving. If he won't, petition for a late withdrawal [this will be easier to do if the entire class is doing bad and he won't curve -- it might not happen if you are the only one getting 50% or less on every exam]. If the petition won't pass, work your hardest on the final to secure a D and plan on retaking it [with another professor/ at another school] in the future.
 
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Also -- withdrawing is better than getting a D/F. A few withdraws won't be noticed by ADCOMs (even in pre-req classes). A D will f-up your GPA.

It's also OK to get a W and re-take and get a B. Adcoms won't comment on that either. Basically I'm just saying don't stress out too much when you re-take and find yourself struggling to get that A.
 
W>>C

Seriously. Withdraw.

Edit: Wait, it's December. You really should have acted on this sooner. I doubt they'll let you withdraw. Also, what the heck makes you think you'll get an A retaking it when you're about to fail it now?
 
Withdraw.

I had a similar situation in calc. The class average was horrible. I asked the prof if he planned to curve, and he said, "I don't like to but we'll see." I took that as a yes because surely he wouldn't fail the majority of the class. I ended up with an alright grade considering, C+, but most were not so lucky. It wasn't the end of the world, but I if the class were curved I would have had an A for sure.
 
Why did'nt you study when you needed to??
 
rHinO1 said:
^This is the stupidest advice I've seen in awhile :thumbdown:


W + retake >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> D > F
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Yea, W is better than a D or an F any day. There are many reasons why you may have had a W, but only a couple why you had a D or F.
 
Adaggiote said:
Why did'nt you study when you needed to??
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Seriously?

If the class average is 50% I doubt it is purely an issue of studying. And also, WTF is the point of asking that, even if that were the issue? Just need an ego boost or something? This kind of thing really gets to me.
 
TarHeelEMT said:
W>>C

Seriously. Withdraw.

Edit: Wait, it's December. You really should have acted on this sooner. I doubt they'll let you withdraw. Also, what the heck makes you think you'll get an A retaking it when you're about to fail it now?
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Thanks for your input. The reason that I know I can do well in the course is because I know the material and could demonstrate it on a REASONABLE exam. The class is very sloppy, and I know that not all the professors here are like that. Also, I have a solid A in the laboratory course (taught by someone else) - things just aren't matching up.
 
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chman said:
Seriously?

If the class average is 50% I doubt it is purely an issue of studying.
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You are so right. Let's get the professor because it is all his fault that the kids are 'phailing' physics.
 
Adaggiote said:
You are so right. Let's get the professor because it is all his fault that the kids are 'phailing' physics.
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While I agree most of the time it is the student's fault, I, unlike you apparently, can asses a situation independently and see when something doesn't add up. In this case, with the majority of the class failing, something doesn't add up and I doubt it is all due to the students.
 
chman said:
Yea, W is better than a D or an F any day. There are many reasons why you may have had a W, but only a couple why you had a D or F.
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This, and a D or an F will negatively impact your cGPA and sGPA. However, a W will not.

With a good cGPA and sGPA, nobody will even notice 1 (or a few) Ws.
 
Wait the class average is 50% and no curve at all whatsoever? Damn... is Mussolini teaching your class?

Unless the course is already curved. For example, my physics was 87% (or something like that) was an A-. Etc.
 
Adaggiote said:
You are so right. Let's get the professor because it is all his fault that the kids are 'phailing' physics.
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Everyone else is being constructive in offering me reasonable advice...except for you. Leave.

It is the professors fault to an extent because he is running a sloppy class (example: there are blatant errors on the exam sheets that we have to correct during our alloted 50min time - that is, if he finds them). Truth is, you don't know my story, and you are not in this class. Please stop making assumptions and blindly defending professors that you don't know.
 
rHinO1 said:
This, and a D or an F will negatively impact your cGPA and sGPA. However, a W will not.

With a good cGPA and sGPA, nobody will even notice 1 (or a few) Ws.
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Correct. Just how no one 'noticed' that the republicans took over the House.


That was a little joke for my amusement. I am sure things will be fine. By the way, what school do you attend?
 
Adaggiote said:
Correct. Just how no one 'noticed' that the republicans took over the House.


That was a little joke for my amusement. I am sure things will be fine. By the way, what school do you attend?
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So basically you are a troll...
 
chman said:
So basically you are a troll...
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No, he is just in high school. There will be enough moments over the next 4 years that will hopefully fix his attitude. No need for us to do that here... yet.
 
Adaggiote said:
Correct. Just how no one 'noticed' that the republicans took over the House.


That was a little joke for my amusement. I am sure things will be fine. By the way, what school do you attend?
Click to expand...


Status: High School
Opinion: Invalid
 
rHinO1 said:
No, he is just in high school. There will be enough moments over the next 4 years that will hopefully fix his attitude. No need for us to do that here... yet.
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I was only kidding around. I totally understand the way you feel.
 
Adaggiote said:
I was only kidding around. I totally understand the way you feel.
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FYI, tone doesn't show up well over the internets. There are enough trolls around here that people will just take you for one if you're not careful.
 
are you kidding me?? March/April of my freshman year, two of my uncles passed away and I was having a really hard time keeping up with school work. and ended up with a B+ in bio and a C- in gen chem II. Bio was (comparatively) easy to study for last minute because its all memorization (cell&molecular) but chem has always been my worst subject and I wasn't able to make up for the poor test grades with the final, and all my advisors told me a C- was better than a W. Esp because my school won't let you retake unless you got an F, and that was completely out of the question.
 
LadiiKay said:
are you kidding me?? March/April of my freshman year, two of my uncles passed away and I was having a really hard time keeping up with school work. and ended up with a B+ in bio and a C- in gen chem II. Bio was (comparatively) easy to study for last minute because its all memorization (cell&molecular) but chem has always been my worst subject and I wasn't able to make up for the poor test grades with the final, and all my advisors told me a C- was better than a W. Esp because my school won't let you retake unless you got an F, and that was completely out of the question.
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Not to add insult to injury but medical schools also prefer/require you have a C or higher in your pre-reqs. That C- needs to be retaken. I'm also sorry about your uncles.
 
LadiiKay said:
are you kidding me?? March/April of my freshman year, two of my uncles passed away and I was having a really hard time keeping up with school work. and ended up with a B+ in bio and a C- in gen chem II. Bio was (comparatively) easy to study for last minute because its all memorization (cell&molecular) but chem has always been my worst subject and I wasn't able to make up for the poor test grades with the final, and all my advisors told me a C- was better than a W. Esp because my school won't let you retake unless you got an F, and that was completely out of the question.
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It's not the end of the world that you got a C- so don't stress yourself out. What's done is done. I personal know a girl that got a C in a pre-req biology class and is now at a Top 20 school. You could have withdrew and took it somewhere else [nothing requiring you to take a course at your home university].

edit: Agree with serenade. You probably should retake a C-.
 
I've found that serenade is like that extra kick in the balls when your already down. He/she is right about the C- thing.
 
Avoidthetiger said:
It's not the end of the world that you got a C- so don't stress yourself out. What's done is done. I personal know a girl that got a C in a pre-req biology class and is now at a Top 20 school. You could have withdrew and took it somewhere else [nothing requiring you to take a course at your home university].

edit: Agree with serenade. You probably should retake a C-.
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f*** stupid undergrad schools!! I really want to yell at my advisor right now!! I should have taken the W when I had the chance. Only reason I'm even at this school is because I got a full ride. I should have known better.
Ok, enough whining.
Spring semester looks like this:
Physics II, Orgo II, Microbio, Intro to Philosophy, and History
I'm also working 2 jobs that I can't quit.
should I drop history and retake gen chem II at a different school? Or wait till the fall when I'm studying for the mcat, taking Pchem and genetics (and some other bs class)?

ps: sorry OP you got me scared, but if you can take the W, go for it. Try going to the department chair first. We had a similar situation in one of my labs, and the chair decided to curve the final grade for our lab class because he agreed that the professor was grading unfairly. Just make sure that you're not the only one complaining. Have some other people go complain as well.
 
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LadiiKay said:
f*** stupid undergrad schools!! I really want to yell at my advisor right now!! I should have taken the W when I had the chance. Only reason I'm even at this school is because I got a full ride. I should have known better.
Ok, enough whining.
Spring semester looks like this:
Physics II, Orgo II, Microbio, Intro to Philosophy, and History
I'm also working 2 jobs that I can't quit.
should I drop history and retake gen chem II at a different school? Or wait till the fall when I'm studying for the mcat, taking Pchem and genetics (and some other bs class)?
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If you can't retake it at your school then retaking it at another school is the only choice. I wouldn't take Pchem + Gchem as both are mathematical nightmares nor would I take orgo + Gchem as both are difficult, however its possible as they are relatively different. Consider doing it over the summer though.
 
serenade said:
If you can't retake it at your school then retaking it at another school is the only choice. I wouldn't take Pchem + Gchem as both are mathematical nightmares nor would I take orgo + Gchem as both are difficult, however its possible as they are relatively different. Consider doing it over the summer though.
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that's a big no-no. no classes that have labs over the summer! And while I had an A in lab and recitation, I think I'd have to retake both since they were included as one grade with gen chem.
 
LadiiKay said:
that's a big no-no. no classes that have labs over the summer! And while I had an A in lab and recitation, I think I'd have to retake both since they were included as one grade with gen chem.
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Why can't you do both over the summer? If you are just against a class/lab, maybe find a school that offers the genchem class for 6 weeks and the lab for a different 6 weeks over the summer. Or take them over 2 different semesters... no reason that they have to be taken together.
 
I have no problem taking them together, I just thought it was looked down on to take any pre-reqs over the summer....
 
LadiiKay said:
I have no problem taking them together, I just thought it was looked down on to take any pre-reqs over the summer....
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No.. It's not. You might miss out on a unit or 2 that aren't really important to the grand scheme, but overall you'll be fine.
 
LadiiKay said:
I have no problem taking them together, I just thought it was looked down on to take any pre-reqs over the summer....
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It is not looked down on at all
serenade said:
No.. It's not. You might miss out on a unit or 2 that aren't really important to the grand scheme, but overall you'll be fine.
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Maybe at your school, but nowhere else I have ever seen. Generally, classes in the summer are identical to classes offered during the fall/spring.
 
rHinO1 said:
It is not looked down on at all

Maybe at your school, but nowhere else I have ever seen. Generally, classes in the summer are identical to classes offered during the fall/spring.
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Depends on the subject and teacher I supposed. I know during the summer I took abnormal psychology and we skipped child psychopathology ( Not enough time).
 
W > getting a D or F.

F's looks like **** on your transcript and D's are useless as ****. They are not transferable to other schools, class prerequisite often require a C or above.

So honestly neither of the two are worth it. Getting either will still mean that you will have to take the class. Might as well just accept a W....and take over the class again as your would have to either way. However, W is "anonymous" unlike a D or an F, it could be a C that you were not happy about and you knew you could do better.

F or D = You basically failed.

W = Whatever you want it to be.
 
MeowMeowCAT said:
W > getting a D or F.

F's looks like **** on your transcript and D's are useless as ****. They are not transferable to other schools, class prerequisite often require a C or above.

So honestly neither of the two are worth it. Getting either will still mean that you will have to take the class. Might as well just accept a W....and take over the class again as your would have to either way. However, W is "anonymous" unlike a D or an F, it could be a C that you were not happy about and you knew you could do better.

F or D = You basically failed.

W = Whatever you want it to be.
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I like how this guy explains **** but if it was the first response, I wouldn't have even replied because basically this is reality OP
 
W over a D/F ANYDAY.
Getting a D in class is a giant red flag that shows you do not know your stuff. Getting a W... I mean, whatever. Not factored into the GPA and it could had been due to any reason. End of the day, you can explain away a W. "D" will factor into your grades, haunt you for the rest of your academic career, and whatever reasons you give will be perceived as excuses for not being smart enough to learn.

Did I make that clear enough?

--------------
ps I read MeowMeowCAT's post and I now realize I shouldn't had posted. Could not have said it any better. What that guy said.
 
My school has last minute withdrawals called "Hardship Withdrawals". Bellevue College in Washington. You could drop the day of the final.
 
withdraw no question. make sure you do better tho next time
 
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