geek_mom

Hmmm... Let's review...

* Joined in January, 2009.

* Supposedly had extreme misgivings during pre-frosh season about her son's chances of success, yet never posted a question here.

* Never posted a question here, in the Parents' Forum/Cafe, or elsewhere about supporting her sick son from afar.

* Began posting about a month ago. Eighteen posts total. All drive-by posts on this forum, making wild accusations at Mudd.

* No responses to posts from other members asking how we can help. No acknowledgement of specific advice and contact information offered by other members.

* General assertions in the drive-by posts do not match the experiences of any member who's responded here, including students, parents, and staff. Nor common sense, for that matter.

* Specific assertions in the drive-by posts do not square up with known facts (sorry I don't have permission yet to explain my statement about the lack of extension requests on the frosh physics midterm, will share if permission is given).

Yup, sounds like a troll to me.

Or it could be a genuinely distraught parent whose son has been selling her a bill of goods, who also refuses to take any personal responsibility or constructive action. Had she contacted the Academic Affairs folks at any time, I'm highly confident that she would have received a very prompt response.

But this individual has expressed no interest in potential solutions. The behavior has been sign in, post a handful of Mudd-bashing messages on several different threads, then sign out (e.g., "she" just spent a grand total of ten minutes on CC).

That is not the behavior of a mother who believes that her son is in danger of fatal illness due to overwork -- or even that her son is "merely" in danger of flunking out of college and having his life ruined. It is not the behavior of a mother who wants to know what sort of options are available for her failing son to salvage his first year at Mudd or his academic career.

It is the behavior of a troll.

IMHO the priority here is to identify and locate the student, if he exists and is genuinely struggling, in order to ensure that he receives the help he needs. That should not be done in this public forum (hello FERPA), but privately by the mother in contact with the Office of Academic Affairs. If the student is identified, he will be helped.

BicoastalMamma

My posts make perfect sense. Tiyusufaly's ad hominem attack does not. RocketDa -- being too sick to stand up should be an excuse to postpone or makeup an exam.

geek_mom

^ One more time. No student made a request to "postpone or makeup" the freshman Physics midterm. BCM, your posts are in fact making more and more sense to me.

BicoastalMamma

geek_mom-- Why is it your business if I want to warn other parents whose kids attend bad high schools. Maybe, the administration will help my son after midterm grades are in. Maybe, I will have to go out there and put him in a hospital. Maybe, the profs and administration are afraid of my son because he is so sick that they don't want to deal with him. I can understand that with H1N1 sitting over the world. I am here to warn parents who have bright children going to bad schools, that do not teach math, physics, computer science, english and chemistry well, that HMC may not be the right school. For that matter, I am warning bright students who do not have good teachers and classes.

BicoastalMamma

geek mom-- someone posted on another thread that student were allowed to reschedule tests or something do to illness. I just posted to warn how difficult this school is if you don't have excellent preparation. That is all. I thank all the people who sent me private posts that were useful. Adios. Let us pray that no students die from the flu this year.

geek_mom

It is my business because you are posting claims in a public forum which I know to be untrue and unfair to people whose intentions and behavior you are misrepresenting. You haven't just said that "HMC may not be the right school" for "bright children going to bad schools." You've leveled charges of racism, negligence, and endangerment. Those charges are unfounded, and at this time I intend to challenge every such post you make.

Not to mention your reasoning is ridiculously flawed. Here:
Don'tcha think that if they were afraid of his illness, they would have told him not to come into the great big lecture hall with all those other students and take the exam, which was on paper that they would then have to handle?

colorado_mom

I think Bicoastalmamma sounds stressed, with a lot of nervous energy being too far away to help in person. I believe she is trying to do the right thing to give heads up to other families. When you are stressed out over your kid, things often come out in a tone that is more offensive than intended.

Bicoastalmamma - Good luck following the various hints, especially specific email addresses that were added by others. I don't believe you are a troll... .but ha... I believed the "balloon boy" family... Ok, we did need some comic relief here

BicoastalMamma

I am very stressed and frantic. I am not a troll. geek_mom -- You are making accusations with no basis -- so just leave me alone. I know what my child tells me; you know what your child tells you. Everyone does not have the same experience. The warning is out there. It is very difficult school. It would really be helpful if you already know physics, calculus, essay writing (look up thesis), chemistry, and computer science before get there. Some of your classmates already will. Obviously, I have other things to do. I thank everyone who sent private message with real suggestions.

Seiken

BicoastalMamma

You have to understand that your particular syntax does make you a candidate for a troll. I thought the same thing when I read your posts. Warning people is one thing, but saying "stay away from Harvey Mudd" is completely different. Also, you seem to be extrapolating way too much based on what you have just heard from your son.

And on a related note, from what I gather there are really only 3 freshman who are in danger of failing out.
1) is high all of the time and doesnt go to class
2) goes to class, but just sleeps through them, and also does minimal effort on all homeworks
3) plays online video games too much.

If your son is one of these 3, then perhaps he isnt being honest with you as to why classes are difficult - mind you stuff you already said has been disproved (such as no extensions because of being sick). But more likely he is just panicking at the idea that he is no longer getting amazing grades like in high school, and is still adjusting to that. I went through similar issues when I first got at mudd, with fairly poor preparation, and I have turned out fine.

BicoastalMamma

Well Seiken, you cheered me up because I really don't think my son is one of these people. Though, why aren't these kids getting help. My son says that the profs keeping telling him, just do OK on the final. I don't know whether they are not worried or they just don't care. He is doing fine on classwork and homework, despite being sick. Have other freshman failed a test or an assignment this semester? My son never even received a grade lower than an A- before and those were very rare.

BicoastalMamma

Oh, what is wrong with syntax?

rocketDA

"Have other freshman failed a test or an assignment this semester? My son never even received a grade lower than an A- before and those were very rare."

I don't think you understand... nearly everyone fails tests at Mudd. They are very hard.

Perhaps your son is being far too critical of himself? Is he working himself sick because he thinks he can pull off HS grades at Mudd?

eg1

I failed tests at a tough eng/tech school, too. Not uncommon at all. Not unique to Mudd. These schools do take some adjusting to, and it can be distressing. I knew my HS math/physics was weak, so I didn't expect to get stellar grades from the start. By 2nd year, I felt I had made up for the deficiencies I had at the start. Still failed a few assignments, but could generally pull things together by the end of the term. Maybe your son's situation is not as bad as it seems.

Seiken

Though, why aren't these kids getting help.

'The three hardest things in the world are climbing a fence leaning toward you, kissing a girl who is leaning away from you, and helping someone who does not wanted to be helped.'

While it may not feel like it to you, students here are now adults and have to be responsible for themselves. If you ask for help, you will undoubtably get it here, but we won't force it upon you. Actually, if you are in trouble and a professor knows it, he will most likely offer to help. Nevertheless, this is an institution of blood and sweat, and you have to shed your own to get through.


My son says that the profs keeping telling him, just do OK on the final. I don't know whether they are not worried or they just don't care. He is doing fine on classwork and homework, despite being sick

The professor is clearly both trying to reassure your son that he is not lost and trying to motivate him to study for the final.


Have other freshman failed a test or an assignment this semester?

Holy Christ yes. Many students, but not necessarily a majority, fail at least one hum 1 paper, one section of chemistry, and dont get me started on individual assignments.


My son never even received a grade lower than an A- before and those were very rare.

Welcome to Mudd.

Oh, what is wrong with syntax*?

Here at Mudd we believe in the scientific method, and with regard to the claims you are making, you simply do not have enough data or research on the matter. You hadnt called the professors directly, which by the way I am sure you could and they would be fine with,** nor have you dealt with a large number of Mudders. Overall, such extrapolations are just unfounded and absurd sounding to us. No offense, and I mean that.

*Syntax was not the right word. I probably should have said 'tone' or 'methodology' or something.

**The physics chair is John Townsend. John S. Townsend (It was the physics test your son was concerned about, right?)

tiyusufaly

Just to add to the point that nearly everyone has some rough exams / assignments during their time at Mudd, here are some of my personal experiences:

1) Spacing out during my first ever physics midterm out of nerves and getting in the 50's, significantly below average.
2) Failing a hum 1 paper.
3) Scoring in the 50's and lowest quartiles on my first two chemistry midterms.
4) Getting a D on my first ever tech report in frosh physics lab (For what it's worth, I talked to the professor and he let me rewrite it and boosted my final grade because of my efforts).
5) Working my butt off in CS 60 and still not getting assignments done, having to drop the class eventually.
6) Getting 42% on an astrophysics final dropping my overall grade down one letter grade (granted though, this one was my fault because I was lazy and did not study).

...and guess what? In the end, I graduated summa cum laude (with highest distinction), with special departmental honors in physics. It was hard, but things got better with time. So indeed, EVERYONE at Mudd is going to have some tough times. The key to success is not avoiding failure or struggles with material, it is persistence and getting back up.