small class + tough prof. vs. big class + decent prof.

[zeppelinpage4]

---

Members don't see this ad.

This is one of those questions without a clear answer but i'd love to get some input or opinions from you guys and see what you'd prefer in m situation.

To sum it up, I signed up for Bio focused Calc II course, it covered a bit of stats and applied calculus to biology etc...seemed really interesting on paper. However I quickly heard rumors that the class was a complete GPA killer with an unnecessarily hard professor.
My roommate took Calc III with him and managed a B.

Since all the regular Calc II classes are closed, i'm now trying to reach my old Calc I professor to see if she can somehow squeeze me into her Calc II class.

This is where it gets interesting, I looked at the registration page for the Biology focused Calc II course and it seems that only 9 students registered for the 27 spots (I guess i'm not the only one who heard it was tough).

Every other Calc II class now is full with 30 students in each. Looking at it now, even if the professor is known for having averages of 50 on his exams. Do you think a small class size of ~9 could actually make the class better?
I could be with 9 other students like myself and really get to know the professor well, which could help a bit. OTOH these could be 9 super competitive kids who I would have to do better than.

 

[DendWrite]

Calc III is pretty tough...unless your roommate is a super-genius, I wouldn't classify a B in Calc III as a "GPA-killer." I mean, like you said, you are interested in this class, so I say take it. Go for a 90+ raw on all the tests, and you won't need a curve.

I had a class like that once (it had an intimidating name and course description and very few people signed up) and it turned out to be awesome. But the professor was great. There's a lot of variables. I'd just go for it and then drop the class (don't know how your add-drop works) if it's not working out. You can always do Calc II next semester if your school offers it.

 

[ChiDO]

take an easier class. drop it and take painting 101.

 

[zeppelinpage4]

Calc III is pretty tough...unless your roommate is a super-genius, I wouldn't classify a B in Calc III as a "GPA-killer." I mean, like you said, you are interested in this class, so I say take it. Go for a 90+ raw on all the tests, and you won't need a curve.

I had a class like that once (it had an intimidating name and course description and very few people signed up) and it turned out to be awesome. But the professor was great. There's a lot of variables. I'd just go for it and then drop the class (don't know how your add-drop works) if it's not working out. You can always do Calc II next semester if your school offers it.

Yeah I hope I can do that.
My roommate happened to be a natural math wiz coming in with AP credits and all. So that might have played a factor in his better grade but I heard the professor gives a good curve on the exams.

90+ raw score might be hard but if I can pull 70s on his tests I could be okay. The biggest downfall I hear are the exams which really require a thorough understanding of material. Most questions are much harder than anything seen in HW or on a quiz, just sort of pulled out of thin air.

I'd still try and take the class because I am really curious to see if all the rumor is true and if I can do well in it. However if i ha to, dropping the class would leave me with 11 credits and only part-time student status. So I don't think i'll be able to drop it if I take the course.

Thanks for the input, I think you might be right in the class possibly being worth taking. Just wish I could take it for a week or two and have the option to drop if it didn't work out.

take an easier class. drop it and take painting 101.

I am looking for a 1 credit class like that right now. If I have to drop the Calc II for biology class I can still maintain 12 credits and stay on as a full time student. If I can't find one before registration week ends I might not have the option to drop.

Thank you. =]

 

[zinciest]

Bad prof, or tough prof? It sounds like an interesting class, and one that I would take unless I heard that the teacher was actually bad, not just a hard grader.