I really need some advice

[tennisplayer10]

Hi everyone,

So I'm a college freshman and I took pre-calc last semester. I got a D so I am retaking right now, problem is I'm currently failing again. I thought that because I took the class last semester I would not have to put in a lot of effort to pass this time (what was I thinking???) and I'm in the same boat I was in before. ';m wondering if it would look absolutely terrible to withdraw and try again (obviously putting in way more effort) or buckle down and do well on my last exam and the final to maybe pull a C+/B-, but I'm terrified to take this chance. I'm doing well in all my other classes right now, including science, it's just this one that has given me so much trouble. If it helps...my grades are as follows:

Gen Chem 1: B
Gen Chem 1 Lab: B+
Intermediate Spanish: B
Gen Ed: A
(Mosaic) English Gen Ed: C+
Pre-Calc: D

current semester (projected):
Gen Chem 2: A-
Gen Chem 2 Lab: A
Mosaic 2 (English): A
Spanish 2001: A
Intro to Biology: B+/A-
Pre-calc: very up in the air, right now have a D with one exam and quizzes

I have to decide by tomorrow so any help is greatly appreciated. I'm just really worried that the fact that this happened a second time is a huge red flag...

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[Clubmeh]

To what extent will your weak exam grade stick? Is there a 'drop lowest exam score' mechanism in the course? Is it math in general that you struggle with or is it the professor(s)? What resources do you use when deciding on which professor to take?

 

[Joshua Ang]

bump

 

[tennisplayer10]

I used rate my professor, but math at my school is difficult because the bulk of our grade comes from 2 exams worth 25% each and a final worth 33%, the rest is quizzes. My teacher did mention that if we do better on the second exam and the final they may be weighted higher but I'm not sure how much. I took precalc in high school and struggled a bit (also didn't try very hard) but then took AP calc and found it very straightforward, so I'm not really sure

 

[Clubmeh]

I'm somewhat confused - has your school shot down your AP credit? Why pre-calc if you've taken calculus? About how many hours per week do you spend studying pre-calc? Further, what is your study methodology? When it comes to studying, a 24 hour grind can yield weaker results than some fraction of that time spent intelligently.

 

[tennisplayer10]

I never took the AP exam and my school doesn't let you start with calculus without placing into it, which I did not. Also not going to lie, I did cram before the first exam and did not study at all prior to that.

 

[TheLionheart]

Math is more difficult in college, because college is more difficult than high school. Since you didn't take the AP calc exam, you have no way of knowing if you're actually good at calculus, since the way your high school teacher designed the class is almost assuredly different than iy will be in college.

If asking if withdrawing from a class looks bad, the answer is not really. You can search similar threads regarding this topic. Edit: Glossed over the fact you already got a D in the class in a prior semester. A W in the course probably won't kill you. A second consecutive poor grade in an identical course will raise eyebrows.

You know what you have to do. Put in the effort to get the grade you want. Study in advance, do practice problems, seek out different study sources, etc. The stuff you learn in pre-calc doesn't go away once tou get to calc. It just gets more convoluted.

 

[Clubmeh]

Throughout college, you should consistently be asking yourself: "Would I go to a doctor that had the kind of grades I have?" My advice is similar to that of Lionheart's: lower your shoulder and crush the remainder of the semester. The final's weight will also play into your hands.

Good luck.

 

[tennisplayer10]

Thank you everyone

 

[sedanggon]

I never took the AP exam and my school doesn't let you start with calculus without placing into it