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Fakesmile

Fakesmile

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I'm extremely mad at my calculus 3 prof.. He is a poor exam maker.. He makes it such that there are only five questions, no single multiple choice, no true/false, no fill-in-the-blank, but all written (free) response. Each of the five questions has subsections a, b, etc. usually up to c or d. What's ridiculous is that if you don't get the answer to the first subsection, then you're basically doomed for the whole question because the following questions need the answer from the previous subsection. What I do to minimize the damage is explaining the steps I would take to solve the problem even though I may not have the answer from previous subsections. But the part marks I get from doing this are very little. I'm just really mad because my previous calculus courses were all taught by profs who made fair exams that tested most, if not all, that's covered as well as including different types of questions (written, multiple choice, true/false, etc.) that truly tested your understanding. I seriously want to kill the prof....
 
Fakesmile said:
I'm extremely mad at my calculus 3 prof.. He is a poor exam maker.. He makes it such that there are only five questions, no single multiple choice, no true/false, no fill-in-the-blank, but all written (free) response. Each of the five questions has subsections a, b, etc. usually up to c or d. What's ridiculous is that if you don't get the answer to the first subsection, then you're basically doomed for the whole question because the following questions need the answer from the previous subsection. What I do to minimize the damage is explaining the steps I would take to solve the problem even though I may not have the answer from previous subsections. But the part marks I get from doing this are very little. I'm just really mad because my previous calculus courses were all taught by profs who made fair exams that tested most, if not all, that's covered as well as including different types of questions (written, multiple choice, true/false, etc.) that truly tested your understanding. I seriously want to kill the prof....
Click to expand...

I say pull a Virgina Tech and kill him...
 
WannaBePreMed said:
I say pull a Virgina Tech and kill him...
Click to expand...

I can only do that in my imagination. 😡 But seriously, considering how much he makes me (and other students) suffer, he should stop teaching. He always falls behind in lecture and posts lecture notes between 11:50pm and 1:00am when the lecture is at 8:30am.
 
Fakesmile said:
I'm extremely mad at my calculus 3 prof.. He is a poor exam maker.. He makes it such that there are only five questions, no single multiple choice, no true/false, no fill-in-the-blank, but all written (free) response. Each of the five questions has subsections a, b, etc. usually up to c or d.
Click to expand...

What the hell. Do you want mathematics handed to you? Who writes true/false calculus questions? Is df/dx = 6y?

Grow a pair. Don't expect multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions in real life.
"Hey Bill, how much rocket fuel do we need to put this satellite into LEO?"
"That's a good question, Terry, what are my choices? C is always good."
 
I have NEVER gotten a fill-in-the-blank or multiple choice exam on a math test.* I have almost always had questions with multiple parts to it. Some of the time I'd get a couple points off if part a was wrong which affected part b, but most of the time I got credit if part b was right using the wrong answer from a.

But seriously...you expect mc or fill in the blank? I don't even understand how you can have those types of questions on a math test.*

*except the AP/SAT test, which is by nature multiple choice.
 
Every single calculus test I have EVER taken (from intro to calc to differential equations) has been exactly like you described. Suck it up and study harder.
 
aleksxxx said:
How do you have a true/false question in calc???
Click to expand...

True or False: d/dx (6xy) = 6y

Lame as hell. (Before someone jumps on me, those d's are actually lower-case deltas.)
 
Trust me you have it easy. How about the same thing except in a HONOR class of 20 and only 1 person can get A?
 
starfishprime said:
What the hell. Do you want mathematics handed to you? Who writes true/false calculus questions? Is df/dx = 6y?

Grow a pair. Don't expect multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank questions in real life.
"Hey Bill, how much rocket fuel do we need to put this satellite into LEO?"
"That's a good question, Terry, what are my choices? C is always good."
Click to expand...

You may have never had a true/false question in calc, but I've had for calc 2 and linear algebra, and they were good questions (btw, no single point was awarded unless we gave appropriate explanations or provided necessary formulas or even proofs).
The true/false question of the type you described, "Is df/dx = 6y?" is certainly laughable. What I meant was something more like, "If the functions fxy and fyx are continuous on a disk D containing the point (a,b), then according to Clairaut's theorem, fxy(a,b) = fyx(a,b)." If it were true, then we'd need to provide an example where this theorem holds. If false, then we would say the right version of the theorem and possibly an example.


Spiker said:
Trust me you have it easy. How about the same thing except in a HONOR class of 20 and only 1 person can get A?
Click to expand...

That's cruel as hell.
 
Same, on my calculus exams it was all free response.

It's also like that in my cell biology class. We have like 10-15 short to long essay questions on every exam.
 
phospho said:
i hope there aren't too many numbers in medical school, because i definitely suck in math and physics...
Click to expand...

Same here, physics is the death of me 🙁
 
My Physics II class is the same way. In Physics I our tests were 60 pts worth of multiple choice questions and then usually two or three "short answer" questions worth 40 points. My prof was extremely generous with partial credit for the short answer portion. Now, in Physics II, our exams are 4 questions long, each with multiple subsets, and all short answer. I'm finding Physics II so much harder than Physics I but I'm not sure that it has to do with the test format so much as the content...
 
Fakesmile said:
You may have never had a true/false question in calc, but I've had for calc 2 and linear algebra, and they were good questions (btw, no single point was awarded unless we gave appropriate explanations or provided necessary formulas or even proofs).
The true/false question of the type you described, "Is df/dx = 6y?" is certainly laughable. What I meant was something more like, "If the functions fxy and fyx are continuous on a disk D containing the point (a,b), then according to Clairaut's theorem, fxy(a,b) = fyx(a,b)." If it were true, then we'd need to provide an example where this theorem holds. If false, then we would say the right version of the theorem and possibly an example.
Click to expand...

We definitely had tricky/complicated questions in my Calc. II class exams. They usually involved definitions and half the time would have some tiny mistake that you wouldn't catch unless you really understand the theorems involved. Other questions were of the form "Can ________ Rule be used to evaluate _______? If no, state why not. They were not the easiest questions on the exams.
 
Math is about the process, not the answer. The further you get in math, the fewer answers you can actually get.

If you can't handle this and are a premed, why are you taking calc 3?
 
WannaBePreMed said:
I say pull a Virgina Tech and kill him...
Click to expand...

Dude, thats not cool.

The following would have been appropriate:

Go all John Wilkes Boothe on him
Pull a Guiteau
Turn all jack the ripper
Lee Harvey Oswald or Jack Ruby him
Leon Czolgosz, Giuseppe Zangara, Gavrilo Princip, John Bellingham, or Sirhan Sirhan jokes.
 
Last edited:
BuffGold said:
Math is about the process, not the answer. The further you get in math, the fewer answers you can actually get.

If you can't handle this and are a premed, why are you taking calc 3?
Click to expand...

I was wondering the same thing..
 
BuffGold said:
Math is about the process, not the answer. The further you get in math, the fewer answers you can actually get.

If you can't handle this and are a premed, why are you taking calc 3?
Click to expand...

Simply because I did well in all the previous math courses and I thought I could do the same in calc3. I also thought that I liked math. (I still do, though to a lesser extent than before)
 
Fakesmile said:
I'm extremely mad at my calculus 3 prof.. He is a poor exam maker... I seriously want to kill the prof....
Click to expand...

since you have difficulty with the class/exams, i suggest you seek help from fellow students and tutors, or speak with the prof yourself. posting thoughts about killing someone over math class in a premed forum isn't really going to help.
 
Sorry bro, true/false and multiple choice do not belong on calc 3 tests. They don't even belong on a pre-calc test, an algebra test or a geometry test.

I do agree, though, that it's a bit ridiculous to have problems building off of each other. I always hated when teachers did that. I don't think it's fair to penalize someone on multiple problems because they don't know one.
 
Having problems build off each other is lame as hell. 1/2 or 3/4 credit should be given if you are doing the underlying math right on each subsequent problem even if you're using the wrong numbers from the previous problem.
 
Fakesmile said:
I'm extremely mad at my calculus 3 prof.. He is a poor exam maker.. He makes it such that there are only five questions, no single multiple choice, no true/false, no fill-in-the-blank, but all written (free) response. Each of the five questions has subsections a, b, etc. usually up to c or d. What's ridiculous is that if you don't get the answer to the first subsection, then you're basically doomed for the whole question because the following questions need the answer from the previous subsection. What I do to minimize the damage is explaining the steps I would take to solve the problem even though I may not have the answer from previous subsections. But the part marks I get from doing this are very little. I'm just really mad because my previous calculus courses were all taught by profs who made fair exams that tested most, if not all, that's covered as well as including different types of questions (written, multiple choice, true/false, etc.) that truly tested your understanding. I seriously want to kill the prof....
Click to expand...

This is how all my math classes since taking high school calc 1 have been. I don't think I've ever had a test thats not exactly as you described in the three calc based classes I've taken in college, although stats was like that... but thats stats...
 
Myuu said:
You can count me in as one of the offended.👎
Click to expand...

me too.

i have to say, OP, that this test sounds like every test i ever had in any math class (not just calc; i'm talking high school stuff).
 
Fakesmile said:
I'm extremely mad at my calculus 3 prof.. He is a poor exam maker.. He makes it such that there are only five questions, no single multiple choice, no true/false, no fill-in-the-blank, but all written (free) response. Each of the five questions has subsections a, b, etc. usually up to c or d. What's ridiculous is that if you don't get the answer to the first subsection, then you're basically doomed for the whole question because the following questions need the answer from the previous subsection. What I do to minimize the damage is explaining the steps I would take to solve the problem even though I may not have the answer from previous subsections. But the part marks I get from doing this are very little. I'm just really mad because my previous calculus courses were all taught by profs who made fair exams that tested most, if not all, that's covered as well as including different types of questions (written, multiple choice, true/false, etc.) that truly tested your understanding. I seriously want to kill the prof....
Click to expand...

WannaBePreMed said:
I say pull a Virgina Tech and kill him...
Click to expand...

Fakesmile said:
I can only do that in my imagination. 😡 But seriously, considering how much he makes me (and other students) suffer, he should stop teaching. He always falls behind in lecture and posts lecture notes between 11:50pm and 1:00am when the lecture is at 8:30am.
Click to expand...

I think both the first two posters here are pieces of ****.

As for the original question, you're there to learn MATH. You're not there to get a good grade to apply to medical school. How many situations can you think of out there where you need to calculate something and you'll have multiple choice questions to choose from?

Give me a break. Math courses with MC questions should be banned, the way you have it is the way I had it (exactly down to 5 questions, a-e or some other letter each). If you can't handle calc3, GTFO. Quit bitching

....and true/false does not "truly test your understanding", either. OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS TO SEE IF YOU ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DO THE MATH TESTS YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
 
As far as the post above that numerous people have reported - you can stop reporting it now, it has been addressed. It is not being deleted because numerous people have quoted it so deleting it would be worthless.
 
yaah said:
As far as the post above that numerous people have reported - you can stop reporting it now, it has been addressed. It is not being deleted because numerous people have quoted it so deleting it would be worthless.
Click to expand...


lol, people have too much time on their hands... i can't believe they actually went out of their way and "reported" it... haha

yes, it was a stupid comment by wannabe, and was definitely not funny... but COME OOOOOOOON...:laugh:
 
OP unfortunately you will have to deal with it. The format of every single one of my exams was like the format you just described. The only thing that varied is that some professors allowed you to get full credit for subsequent sections of a test question even when you got the preceding portions incorrect (provided you actually did what you were supposed to in that part)
phospho said:
lol, people have too much time on their hands... i can't believe they actually went out of their way and "reported" it... haha

yes, it was a stupid comment by wannabe, and was definitely not funny... but COME OOOOOOOON...:laugh:
Click to expand...
He should really watch what he says. This isn't the first time he's said something outrageous. Though I wouldn't go as far as to call him a troll, I think he often forgets to use his common sense and is rather impulsive when posting.
 
xanthomondo said:
I think both the first two posters here are pieces of ****.

As for the original question, you're there to learn MATH. You're not there to get a good grade to apply to medical school. How many situations can you think of out there where you need to calculate something and you'll have multiple choice questions to choose from?

Give me a break. Math courses with MC questions should be banned, the way you have it is the way I had it (exactly down to 5 questions, a-e or some other letter each). If you can't handle calc3, GTFO. Quit bitching

....and true/false does not "truly test your understanding", either. OPEN ENDED QUESTIONS TO SEE IF YOU ACTUALLY KNOW HOW TO DO THE MATH TESTS YOUR UNDERSTANDING.
Click to expand...

I should qualify my statement about T/F questions on my calc II exams by explaining that the tests are worth much less than homework and labs in determining the final grade. If anything, the 78% average on the last test probably improved most of our grades.
 
when i took calc III in high school, our tests were quite similar to yours. stop complaining, you are in college. i can't remember ever having a diff eq, physics or chem test that was anything other than what you describe. good luck in real life.
 
I think the real question here is why are you taking Calc 3?
 
yaah said:
As far as the post above that numerous people have reported - you can stop reporting it now, it has been addressed. It is not being deleted because numerous people have quoted it so deleting it would be worthless.
Click to expand...

your solution should have been to delete the post and delete every subsequent post or the part of every subsequent post that refers to it (including your post and my post). Wannabepremed should also either be banned or strictly reprimanded and you should consider locking this thread.
 
Fakesmile said:
I can only do that in my imagination. 😡 But seriously, considering how much he makes me (and other students) suffer, he should stop teaching. He always falls behind in lecture and posts lecture notes between 11:50pm and 1:00am when the lecture is at 8:30am.
Click to expand...

Never mind.....
 
Last edited:
I apologize for being insensitive. It wasn't meant to be hurtful.





















.
 
skinMD said:
your solution should have been to delete the post and delete every subsequent post or the part of every subsequent post that refers to it (including your post and my post). Wannabepremed should also either be banned or strictly reprimanded and you should consider locking this thread.
Click to expand...

now i didn't think Wannabepremed's post was in good taste, but this seems like a bit of an overreaction to me. he wasn't deliberately trying to hurt anyone.
 
skinMD said:
your solution should have been to delete the post and delete every subsequent post or the part of every subsequent post that refers to it (including your post and my post). Wannabepremed should also either be banned or strictly reprimanded and you should consider locking this thread.
Click to expand...

hahahahahaha:laugh:

i hope you're kidding (for your sake), but if you're not, i've heard lorazepam does wonders.

actually, if you're not kidding, you need something stronger...

xanax 1 mg, BID, PO (and get off SDN and go do something constructive with your time)...
 
phospho said:
hahahahahaha:laugh:

i hope you're kidding (for your sake), but if you're not, i've heard lorazepam does wonders.

actually, if you're not kidding, you need something stronger...

xanax 1 mg, BID, PO (and get off SDN and go do something constructive with your time)...
Click to expand...


i actually was serious 😳 ...but i guess that's why i would never be a mod....i have zero tolerance for huge a-holes like wannabepremed who say shocking insensitive things to try and get a laugh to get people to like them. i'm all for making jokes....if you look through my posts like half of them are....but there is a correct way to do it and a stupid way to do it


phospho said:
(and get off SDN and go do something constructive with your time)...
Click to expand...

...a bit of do as i say not as i do there? 🙄
 
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