meh1292

I've started off Calc AB quite badly. I am a senior, and have fulfilled all of my math requirements already, so calc is more like an elective. Technically, I only need Lit and history to graduate. I attend a fairly competitive public humanities magnet. I'm in the top 12% of my class and my gpa is 3.9. This is the only class I've ever done so poorly in. I seem to understand the concepts, but during exams I just freeze up and forget everything. I had a panic attack during the last test and threw up right after due to all of the pressure. I will start being tutored this week so I'm hoping my grade will go up. Even so, I still want to drop the class next semester. I want to be a journalist anyway, so will this one grade affect me a lot? I'm copy editor for my school paper, and have won 1st and 3rd in journalism write-offs, and I'm in a fair amount of extracurriculars. I'm applying to Welleley, NYU, Syracuse, UCLA, UCB, UCSB, CSUN and CSU Long Beach.

Semester grades are due in February, and I am very concerned. I'm hoping tutoring will raise my grade to at least a 'C'.

PBush

If you actually fail it? Yeah. UCs don't take any Ds or lower.

meh1292

I figured as much. I'll just work harder.

Thanks.

mikemac

in addition to tutoring, get one of the Calculus Problem-Solver books. Its like having a tutor at your elbow. The book has thousands of problems with worked answers. You go to the section you're studying, cover up the answers, and answer the 1st one. Check the answer, then keep going until you're comfortably solving them correctly. They make these books for many math and science subjects, a lot of college students find them invaluable.

Also keep in mind that in college for math/science classes a rule of thumb is to expect to study 3 hours outside of class for every class hour. Calculus in college would meet 3x a week, so you should be putting in 9 hours a week outside of class studying the material, doing homework, and doing practice problems.

applicannot

Get a book called "The College Lifesaver." Especially if you're getting it in conjunction with "The Humongous Book of Calculus Problems." Also download a program called Derive 6. My grade didn't recover in full, but I got an 87% and was highly satisfied.

meh1292

I've got a couple of review books. I got a C on my last test, which is an improvement. Thank you everyone.

Coolbrezze

Yeah it wouldn't be good at all. Though gladly universities ( even with senior year as I understand) only look at semester grades, if your marking period grade isn't too great you definately need to earn a A second marking period in order to get a good if not decent semester grade.

4fingered

yeah failing in anything is not a good idea. Universities generally take into account the grades you get throughout your senior year.

i know stanford reserves the right to withdraw your offer of admission, if they find that You show a significant drop in academic performance or fail to graduate

bumble

oh my. i am also failing calculus. i have a's in all of my other ap and non ap classes. =S

parent teacher conferences are tmw!!

does your school allow you to drop the course? because at my school, when quarter grades come out, you can transfer into regular calculus and get a ten percent grade boost! *which is what i plan on doing!

try suggesting this to your counselor if you feel that you will not be able to pull up your grade.

califa

Dropping a level could be a good idea. How did you do in Pre-Calc? At my D's hs, they allow you to retake a class and only the second grade, which should be higher, counts. If you got a C in Pre-Calc, and if your hs doesn't have non-AP Calc, maybe they would let you switch back into Pre-Calc. I think a C in Calc would be fine, but try not to fail it. You do have time to pull your grade up to a C by the end of the semester. If you stay in the class, now could be the time to invest in some tutoring. Good luck.

gmitil10

I may be completely wrong on this, but don't the UCs ignore senior year grades? (esp. since apps are due on Nov 30th)

Coolbrezze

^
All universities usually ignore senior year grades but eventually ask for a final transcript and may withdraw your application if they feel the need to do so. Smart thing would be whenever your semester ends, send the semester grades then ( instead of waiting until end of year) especially if it is a university you've already been accepted into. This will allow them to withdraw you while universities are still doing applications ( that is if they were going to withdraw you due to first semester grades). Who would want to get withdrawed from a university at the end of the school year.

gmitil10

But most schools (esp those with deadlines on Jan 1st) still request Midyear reports, which lists your grades from first semester. To the best of my knowledge, the UCs don't even request the Midyear report except in special cases.

Coolbrezze

Midyear reports, is that semester 1 or marking period grades? Never heard of midyear reports, I only report out semester grades which is the only thing most universities I've known request.

mikemac

No, they matter. They will ask for your final transcript after you graduate. Furthermore in your conditions of acceptance (which you should read very carefully if they offer you admission because it differs from campus to campus) they will tell you about what GPA they expect and whether you're allowed any grades below a C. If you fail to meet the conditions of acceptance they can rescind your admission which leaves you during the summer with a scramble to find a college to attend; usually its "hello CC". They really do it, too; in 2007 UCLA rescinded almost 100 students (http://articles.latimes.com/2007/jun...-revoke22?pg=2)