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I really should not be caring about studying for my Calc final. I am a senior with around 12 school days left before graduation. It just sucks that there’s a weighted grading system and somehow three quizzes (usually there’s many, many more per semester) manage to count for 25% of my grade because of that system. I have never gotten below a 91 on a test— and with a homework average of 99.3, my grade should not be sitting on the stupid 89.5 cliff. It is really a stupid situation to be in—I’ve never screwed up on a test, but a single 11/20 on a quiz that I neglected to study for brings my grade down 3.5% (brought my quiz average down from 90 to 76). To highlight how ridiculous a weighted grading system makes this situation, any grade higher than a 76 on quiz would bring my grade up significantly, but I would need higher than a 92 on the final to raise my grade since it goes in the test and not quiz category. To keep an 89.5 and hopefully be rounded, I would need an 88 on the final.
Part of the problem is a stereotype/pride thing—Asians are supposed to be good at math right? Engineering majors should be good at math right? I should get that A considering I’ve never gotten a B on a test this semester right?
There may be a few more small quizzes on multivariable stuff that we will do later, but there’s little hope of them actually having significant point value. The problem is that I’m not a good final taker. I’m more of an ace-the-tests-then-wing-the-final type of person. I don’t think I need this A to avoid getting rescinded, but this is really a stupid problem to have.
 
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United States4053 Posts
The toughest part of a calc problem is knowing where you're going, IMO. Review the various methods and when to use them, and you should have no problem whatsoever.
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Assuming you're a high school senior, does this exam even affect your high school GPA? I though most schools didn't count the last grading period in GPA calculation, if so don't stress it...
Actually you've already applied for colleges, probably accepted, why do you even care LOL.
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On May 25 2011 14:03 Megaliskuu wrote:
Assuming you're a high school senior, does this exam even affect your high school GPA? I though most schools didn't count the last grading period in GPA calculation, if so don't stress it...
I really shouldn't care, but like I said it's a pride/frustration issue.
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i don't think it even matters at this point if you're accepted....
once you enter college no one will ever care about your hs grades ever again
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Getting scholarships by doing well in high school is MUCH easier (in my experience) than doing well enough in university to get a scholarship. So try your best until the end! Good luck.
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It may be a stupid problem toi have, but test taking is a good skill toi have.
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On May 25 2011 14:20 LlamaNamedOsama wrote:
It may be a stupid problem toi have, but test taking is a good skill toi have.
I'm not really questioning my test taking [talent] at this point.
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Taiwan619 Posts
you're clearly overreacting
take deep breaths and go skating
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If I can do calculus without ever studying and I'm horrible at math, I'm sure you can pull through. Godspeed.
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intrigue
Washington, D.C9935 Posts
wow your life is so hard, what a dilemma
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On May 25 2011 16:15 intrigue wrote:
wow your life is so hard, what a dilemma
not a hard life, just a stupid problem
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You would think people go to school to actually learn and not just to get a number. You'll be an excellent employee.
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boo hoo a B, get ready for Fs in engineering school, better to break your pride now rather than on your first engineering final.
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On May 25 2011 16:27 whatever wrote:
You would think people go to school to actually learn and not just to get a number. You'll be an excellent employee.
Welcome to America, where admissions committees only see a number. I'm a few years off from working.
On May 25 2011 16:29 Endymion wrote:
boo hoo a B, get ready for Fs in engineering school, better to break your pride now rather than on your first engineering final.
If I were failing the class without a shot for a better grade, I really couldn't care less about the final. The difference is in being close for a stupid reason.
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Wait until college when your whole grade is almost 1 test.
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Lol. The title totally cracked me up man.
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I assume you've already been accepted to/decided on a college? My advice is don't worry about it. Your acceptance isn't gonna get pulled because you made an 89.5 instead of a 90. The summer between Sr. year of highschool and Fr. year of college is supposed to be the best of your life. Don't sweat the small stuff.
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Dude, great job title and I get where you are coming from. Personally, I completely fucked up my education but I can see that you have built an almost 'perfect' run in highschool and you want to turn it into flawless victory ofc. All I can say is take a breath, you got this dude, you nailed pretty much everything already, just let it flow and enjoy taking your A doing much better than many many TLers in the process, like a boss!
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If you think that's stupid wait until you get to discrete math/combinatorics/P.D.Es, you'll be happy if you get a 60% on the quit.
And the quiz is like 10% of your grade.
But none of it matters because grades don't matter.
On a side note, combinatorics sucks =(
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Full steam ahead I say, you've never gotten below A on a test; if you put in the effort you shouldn't get lower than A in the exam.
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Hyrule19222 Posts
I forgot most of the calc I learned! Also, everything you said about Engineering students supposedly being good at math is a crock...half of them play video games all day, half of them smoke weed, all of them party, and 3 of them are girls (who are usually the only ones who know what's going on anyway).
Study hard and good luck.
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On May 25 2011 14:03 Megaliskuu wrote:
Assuming you're a high school senior, does this exam even affect your high school GPA? I though most schools didn't count the last grading period in GPA calculation, if so don't stress it...
They get updates, since drastic swings in the last quarter wont go in your favor.
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it's not a stupid system. it's there to reward people who hard all year, not the ones who just cram for finals. i dont see how your decision to forgo studying makes it dumb
at any rate, that miniscule drop isnt going to impact anything for you going into college, so you're worrying over nothing
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My most hated thing of school... You do good on all exams, but one and you lose so many damn points because of that one grade -_-
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Hah, it could be worse, when I was in HS my grading system was 94 and up was an A, so you were stuck with a B anyways. Almost a C+ (88).
So there you go.
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EPT
