Auditing a class

[Hethera]

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I am seriously considering changing to an audit in College Algebra. Normally I wouldn't need to do this, but my last math class was Algebra II my sophomore year of high school (in 1993). I tested out of college math and didn't use anything beyond the basics in my career field (journalism), so needless to say I am REALLY rusty after not touching an equation for 10 years. I don't feel like I'm absorbing everything in my class as well as I'd like, and since algebra is a building block of calculus, which in turn is a building block of physics, I really feel that auditing the class this semester and taking it in the spring would help me get a firmer grasp on the subject matter (which would ultimately be only a good thing for my future patients, IMO).

The only problem is, I keep hearing that adcoms don't like to see audits on your transcript. Would the fact that it's a lower-level course be a mitigating factor if I do well in calc and physics courses, or would it make me look even worse because algebra is so basic? Might they take into consideration the fact that I haven't cracked a math book in 10 years and that I need a semester to get my math brain back in gear? I really don't want to study JUST what I need for the tests without thoroughly understanding the material, but I don't want to be rejected from every medical school I apply to because of my audit, either.

If I do finish algebra without auditing, I am likely to get a C (or a B, if I'm lucky). If I take calc next semester, I plan on pre-studying it over winter break and getting a B or better. With a current GPA of 3.76, (3.67 science), no C's so far, how badly will a B or C affect my chances at getting into med school? (Let's say I was heavily involved in several ECs previously, took lots of humanities classes, currently work full-time in a white-collar job, have quite a bit of nonmedical volunteer experience, and am planning to get some clinical experience soon).

 

[DrMom]

If you have a single case of auditing, I seriously doubt that anyone will have a problem with it. If you test out each class by auditing it, then it could be seen as a red flag.

 

[SpiritiualDuck]

relax, a B won't kill you. If the average GPA for accepted students is a 3.4 or 3.5...then lots of B's are floating about amongst our peers.

Also, how will you be prepared for Calc next semester? You'll need trig functions, precalc to do calc. Is you college Algebra a comprehensive course to prepare you for calc?

Also, an audit is not a bad thing. I've taken classes as audits, not because I couldn't cut it, but because I was only interested in attending the lecteur. I took zoology as an audit because I'm not a biology major, but I thought the course might help for the MCAT. I was wrong. Last semester I had 5 classes, and 1 audit. I've done that before too. At my school though, you had to indicate that you wanted to take a course as an audit from the beginning. You couldn't change status if you were not doing well. The best you could do was just pull out with a "W."

 

[Hethera]

Thanks for the replies! Duck, my uni doesn't offer a precalc class. But my significant other says the material in my algebra book looks like some of what he studied in Calc I (and I'm only a few chapters in so far). So I am guessing that my algebra course covers a lot of the same stuff as a precalc class would. It is certainly more comprehensive than what I learned in high school!

I was thinking of taking trig, but my algebra professor advised against it, saying that as long as I remember SOH-CAH-TOA I should be just fine. I kind of suspected she may have been hitting the crack pipe before telling me that ... can anyone confirm? If it won't be all that helpful, I don't know that I'd want to take yet another math class when I could be taking fun bio electives instead.

 

[An Yong]

Originally posted by Hethera
Thanks for the replies! Duck, my uni doesn't offer a precalc class. But my significant other says the material in my algebra book looks like some of what he studied in Calc I (and I'm only a few chapters in so far). So I am guessing that my algebra course covers a lot of the same stuff as a precalc class would. It is certainly more comprehensive than what I learned in high school!

I was thinking of taking trig, but my algebra professor advised against it, saying that as long as I remember SOH-CAH-TOA I should be just fine. I kind of suspected she may have been hitting the crack pipe before telling me that ... can anyone confirm? If it won't be all that helpful, I don't know that I'd want to take yet another math class when I could be taking fun bio electives instead.

I wouldn't sweat it, I don't know of many math or physics professors that require you to memorize every trig identity in existance. You shouldn't need anything besides the basics, and you can probably pick that up in an afternoon or two. You do use some trig in wave equations during physics, but its really not that bad. For physics I (mostly when your dealing with force diagrams), your professor is right in saying all you need to know is SOH-CAH-TOA.

Trust me, I'm a math major and I don't even know or use anything besides the basics in trig. Btw, it sounds like you are really weak in math, it might be a good idea to take a few more extra math classes beyond Algebra (perhaps even up to Calc I) as it will only make physics and general chemistry easier. Most calculus courses even cover some physics anyways (In fact, around 60-70% of my physics topics were already covered in the calculus/diff eq sequence =P). Besides, the better your able to manipulate equations around, the easier it will be on you.

Good Luck!
An Yong

P.S. who knows, maybe you'll come to love math after awhile 😉 I know many people who first dreaded and was horrible at math initially, but later became math majors (myself included =P)