I think that you should not go back to the school that you’re currently at, with grades like that. Something needs to be attended to. Your best bet is to transfer to a community college near home, and address the issues that are causing you to not be able to achieve at the best level you can. So I’d recommend that you do your best to finish out your semester as strongly as you can (if it’s not already over), and transfer to community college. Finish your 2 year degree there while working on study habits, possibly addressing ADHD or learning disabilities, and then transfer to UCF to finish your degree.
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I went back and looked at your previous thread. One thing stood out to me in a big way. In particular it seems like you had B’s and a C in various math classes. I also did not see a consistent trend of taking math every semester, and it looks like you are an electrical engineering major. EE relies a lot on math, and a lot on calculus. Trigonometry for an EE major is sort of like tying your shoes for a marathon runner – it should be something that you do not even need to think about.
There is a thing about math: It builds on previous work. What you are taking in math this semester depends upon what you took last semester and last year and the year before. What you are going to take next semester and next year depends upon what you are taking now and what you took in the past. If you are shaky on the prerequisites, then math classes can be very difficult.
As one example, I have consistently heard that students who are weak on any of the prerequisites find calculus and differential equations to be very tough. However, students who are very strong on ALL of the prerequisites can find calculus and differential equations to be quite straightforward.
I am wondering if you need to retake some of your earlier math classes to get a stronger foundation in mathematics. This would be an argument for taking a few classes at a time in community college, and to take your time, and make sure that you are very solid on all of the early math classes (including high school algebra, and trigonometry, and precalculus, and then calculus and multi-variate calculus and differential equations) before you jump ahead to classes that depend upon these.
Life is not a race.
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OP- I don’t think your situation is “sticky” at all.
You aren’t ready to move ahead with more challenging course work- either at your current U or any other four year U. You need to demonstrate mastery which you have not.
So figure out the best path forward- take a semester off, get a job, figure out if your heart is really in college right now or somewhere else. Or take one or two classes at Community College (and a part time job or volunteer work) and focus on going to every class, handing in every assignment, and asking questions when something is unclear.
But you aren’t the first person to take their eye off the ball, and it’s not at all sticky. You aren’t ready to move forward.
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Ok, I really feel like I was the issue this semester. My cal 1, gen chem 1, and Digital electronics were initially good (Yes, I’m an EE major). But, from the start, I really didn’t put in that much effort because I was doing well. But when stuff started moving really fast and started getting more challenging, I couldn’t keep up with just scheming through. By the time I realized I needed to get myself together, it was mid-November. My roommate and I do most of the stuff together, and she thinks if I started off strong and put in more effort, I could have had better grades. The thing is, she is really right- I was standing only for 4 hours per day for 16 credits, and it was the biggest mistake.
I really can’t move to CC. While I don’t like spending that much money here, it’s my dad’s, and he doesn’t want me to go to a CC because he thinks it’s not as good (we are Asian). I told him UCF is a lot better, and he was like ok, cool, let’s go there, then. Going to CC isn’t an option.
I mentioned the money cause I feel shi*ty spending so much money only to get bad grades.
What I realized is that I can’t change too much stuff all at once- too much-complicated stuff. Next semester, I’m taking cal2, phy1/ lab, and computer design. I plan on starting strong. I do think you are really right about my math skills. I’m not the strongest in here. If they tweak in Ln, or e, or trig in unconventional places, I freak out, and my brain stops working. I plan on building my strength in math over the winter break and working on some physics. I also will be talking to my advisor about the retakes of cal1 and chem1 over the summer. And DE is not my fault. It was the IT department talking till mid-November to allow me access to do lab; my grade went up so much just by submitting the lab. My teacher was nice enough to accept that.
I just don’t know how to tell my dad that I probably won’t be transferring after next semester. He is going to be really sad. And my mum will think this is the end of the world.
You’re doing Calc 2 next semester with a D in Calc 1? Trying to understand your situation-- and if this is correct, trying to understand your logic.
I get that you feel bad about your grades. But “working harder” doesn’t seem to me to be a very specific plan for success. Of course you’ll work harder, you’ve learned a lesson. But how are you going to advance further in these disciplines with a weak foundation? The material moves just as quickly, the other students are even better prepared so the curve is tougher. And taking physics without really nailing calculus seems to be setting yourself up for a lot of frustration…
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I plan on working on Calculus 1 over the winter break. It’s not that I don’t understand Calculus 1. It’s just a big percentage of my grade. So far, I’ve only ever gotten 3 60s and 1 70 on the test. Over time, they cumulated to a D. I just start making mistakes when the problem gets too tough and complicated, so I mix up the steps.
Do you think more practice would fix that?
By working hard, I just mean I will try my best not to slack off. I procrastinated a lot and started only before tests. Now, when I was preparing for finals, I’m just seeing how if I hadn’t slaked off, I could have done so much better.
You can’t take Calc2 until you pass Calc 1 - preferably with a much higher grade than a C.
It’s not like History 101-102, where you can retake 101 after 102 because they focus on 2 different periods. Math is sequential - you need to master one level before you go to the next.
Check your course catalog: you’ll see you need a minimum of C in Calc 1 to enroll in Calc 2. But to be frank, you’d need a B/B- to do okay in Calc2.
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ok, my college does that D as a passing grade for undergrads.
But passing vs. being able to go on to even harder, faster paced material are not the same thing. You can pass Spanish 1 with a D, but nobody would recommend diving into Cervantes next semester, surrounded by students who all got A’s and B’s, right?
I’m not being mean- I’m trying to help set you up for success next semester. And if Calc 1 went too quickly, tackling Calc 2 AND Physics next semester seems like a recipe for frustration.
I think it’s great you are taking responsibility for needing to do more than cram at the last minute. The next step is to craft a schedule which allows you to fill in the blanks on your foundation and preparation, and then move ahead. If the material doesn’t come naturally to you-- or your brain freezes- all the more reason to pace yourself.
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But you are an electrical engineering major. EE makes use of calculus. Calculus is a very important foundation upon which quite a bit of electrical engineering and physics are built. High school algebra and trigonometry are also important building blocks for EE and physics.
I think that you need to use any Christmas break to reconsider how solidly you understand the prerequisites for calculus, and then next semester retake calculus 1. When you retake it, strive for at least B’s and preferably A’s if you can possibly get an A. Use a tutor if you need this to get high B’s or A’s. If you don’t like the first tutor, try a different tutor. Calculus is something that you will need to use in the future. It is worth putting in the effort to learn it well.
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Yes, that’s the standard so you’re not declared failing the course… but there are also standards for progressing to the next level in a sequence. Check the pre-reqs for Calc 2: I’d be very very surprised if it were D.
Same thing for transferring credit: only grades of C transfer credit (and you’ll need a certain number of credits to transfer).
In any case, you should set yourself up for success - that means reviewing precalculus materials to mastery (95%+) over Christmas break (Use Khan Academy) and retaking Calc 1 in the Spring.
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You need to understand why you are making these mistakes. Simply practicing could result in you practicing making the same mistakes.
Get a tutor…
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Please please make sure you understand your math. As an EE major you will be a tacit math minor whether you want to be…or not. And some of the courses are doozies!
EEs take calc 1, 2, 3, differential equations, advanced math which is differential equations 2 and boundary value problems…at a minimum.
These math courses are the basis for understanding multidimensional analog and digital functions.
Math is an area where you need a strong foundation…and that means everywhere along the way. Make sure you have a very solid understanding of algebra, geometry, trigonometry…understanding these we’ll could help you better understand calculus.
So…get the foundation built strongly.
ETA…much of this info is from my family member who was a career EE…
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