Failing a college class

[Koronin]

Melalvai, your daughter sounds so much like me with high school Physics. I took it my Jr year and truly enjoyed the class but got Cs in it. Never could figure out why I couldn't get a better grade out of it. Any lab project I aced, but just struggled with the quizzes and tests. What frustrated me was that typically if I liked a class I could pretty much get an A or a high B and not have to work at it or study much. Actually that went for both high school and college. Of course in college both my degrees are BA degrees so I didn't have to take any science lab or math classes. I mostly took geology classes that were lecture only classes and got A's in those.

[soprano]

I think a lot of the problems with physics is the combination of concepts that make sense with math that doesn't (yet).

I agree. Physics and calculus go hand-in-hand.

[winddance]

I passed the class!!! He gave me a C even though my test scores averaged a D.

As recommended I e-mailed the teacher and told him that I knew I was getting a failing grade, would still take the final and take my licks. I told him I planned on taking the class again.

I got 29 out of 30 on the final! The homework was never collected the entire class and lucky me the teacher collected it that night. He gave me points for the homework, (15 chapters each having 6-8 pages) I got points for perfect attendance and for participating in all the demonstrations.

He invited me to sit in on his classes next semester if I want to review with him.

Thanks for your advice. All your well wishes and advice pulled me through this.

Yay! Congratulations!

I had a professor throw me a lifeline once. It was my junior year Finance class, which was a required course for my major. I was sick for two weeks right before the midterm and ended up failing miserably. I had never failed a test that badly in my life, and it was worth a good chunk of my grade.

I also needed some extra time to complete an important project for the class. After I emailed the project in on a Friday, the professor sent it back with some "things I might want to look into." I found some calculation mistakes and sent it back the next day. He sent it back again with comments. I fixed it and sent it back, and ended up with a strong grade on the project as well as a better understanding of the math due to his helping me through my mistakes. It was so much more helpful than my just getting a grade back and never learning what it was I did incorrectly.

I locked myself in my room for days before the final in order to study, but I got an A on the final and left the course really feeling like I had accomplished something. It was the sweetest B I'd ever earned. Nearly 10 years later, I am still grateful for the patience this professor showed me.

[Biciclista]

congrats on your passing the class!! and a great instructor too.
It took me a long time to learn how to be a good student. When i went back to school for the 4th time a few years after my 50th birthday, I finally got it.. I guess I'm a late starter. (or late finisher?)