Advice for Desperate Situation: Failing Maths at University

[usahockey]

Those menial jobs will probably be the only kind he can get for any significant period of time, considering that most professional employers will give him the boot after he tests positive for THC.

 

[Gwilim]

Went for a walk, I think it did me some good. My head's spinning but my mind is clear. I'm going to write a cheat sheet now so I can read it over before the exam tomorrow, then shower, then go to bed. I'll post about how I think I did when I get home tomorrow. Sorry if this is turning into a bit of a blog.

The subtlety of addiction... I don't know enough maths yet to check your work and you may have forgotten more material than I will ever know, however, whatever happens to you, I hope you come back here in a year or more and read your thread again. You may not be ready for the lesson yet.

Five years of personal experience with weed has taught me far more about it and the effects it has on me than even the most well intentioned of posting could do, and I'm convinced some of the posters dispensing advice on the subject are less well informed about it than I am. I've watched my destiny slip away from me more than once, if the lesson doesn't stick this time then there's no force on Earth or heaven that can make it stick.

There are many, many people who can smoke and drink and do well. The fact that you are still bargaining tells me you will NEVER be one of those people. Always a sad revelation, indeed, to find that the "good times" are over. I am hopeful your sporadic performance is the bottom for you. Go to a meeting on campus, see how different they are from you. Good luck, jason

No, the good times haven't even begun yet. Even at the time I knew that sitting in my room on my own denying the importance of the world outside wasn't what I wanted. I know how to function now, I started to at the very end when it was already too late, and if I can make this third chance for myself you can be assured I won't slip up so easily. You may call my performance sporadic but in truth it was the complete and total absence of performance.

If there was a campus for me to go to, I wouldn't have had to make this thread. I'm an external candidate. I'm sorry if this post came across as contrarian, I do appreciate the concern and I thank you for wishing me luck.

 

[Gwilim]

Drop out of school and get a job. Since you have no skills or experience it will be menial (washing dishes, filling potholes, etc.). See if you like your life after a year or two. If so, no problems. More likely, you will develop a great appreciation for the value of education and return to school with perspective and keen motivation to excel.

Those menial jobs will probably be the only kind he can get for any significant period of time, considering that most professional employers will give him the boot after he tests positive for THC.

I've been trying to find a menial job for a year and failed even at that. I would be hopelessly bad at manual tasks thanks to my dyspraxia. This is my attempt to get back into education. And you know what, I'm going to do it.

 

[j450n]

No, the good times haven't even begun yet.

never give up. I understand the advice may feel over-the-top, but the thread topic is, after all, a "desperate situation." You are smart to seek advice. You are wise to follow it. good luck.

jason

 

[Gwilim]

warning: contains narrative.

I've just got home from differential equations. In spite of the short time I had spent learning the material I was confident I would not only pass, but also get a good mark. When I opened the paper however, I discovered to my dismay that the format was different from the papers of the previous three years. Questions 1 and 2 were asked using notation I hadn't seen before, and marks were given for all questions. Questions 3 and 4 however were very similar to the questions I had been practicing, and while I hadn't practiced any question similar to question 5, I at least understood what it was asking. I quickly answered questions 3, 4 and 5, (I'd like someone to check my answer to 5, I'll make another thread about it) and then tried to interpret questions 1 and 2. They were about equations involving x, t and x with one or two dots above it. I first tried solving them as if the x with a dot were x' but my answers didn't make sense. With about 5 minutes remaining in the exam it suddenly dawned on me that the x with a dot probably represented the integral of x, so working on this assumption I quickly differentiated each of the equations to form ones that I knew how to solve and hastily answered them without stopping to check that the answers made sense. Also, on the train home I realized to my horror that I had left question 4 incomplete, I had done all the necessary calculus and algebra involved but had forgotten to plug in the values to actually give an answer to the question.

So basically I don't know whether I not I passed this exam. I needed 50% to do so but any result in the region of 40-60% would not surprise me. My next exam is in a weeks time, and I have two more on the consecutive proceeding days. The three are Calculus 2, Algebra 2, and Divisibilty & Congruence, in that order. I've already spent a (relatively) decent amount of time on Divisibility & Congruence and I'm confident I can pass that module. I've spent around a day on Algebra 2, and algebra is one of the things I have a good intuitive grasp of, with a little more work I think I could be confident of passing that. Calculus 2 is the big problem now though, I have barely glanced at it, but what I have seen is enough to tell me that I am completely lacking in the knowledge required for the paper. Some of it isn't even stuff I used to know but have forgotten, there are questions there of which I've never seen the like before.

I'm going to spend the afternoon relaxing now and the evening trying to locate the information I'll need for the next round of exams, and get back to work in earnest tomorrow.

It seems this thread has turned into something of a blog, if this is inappropriate, let me know.

 

[TMFKAN64]

So, who is going to tell him that the dot is differentiation?

 

[lisab]

I'm sorry, but TMFKAN64 is right, an X with a dot on it is dX/dt, where t = time.

 

[Gwilim]

Hmm that doesn't make sense. Throughout the rest of the paper and on all the other papers the derivative was represented by x'. And some of the questions didn't make sense if x dot was the derivative. For example, 1 part i) was "xdot=2x^2". x can't be ke^t or ke^2t or a polynomial or a number of other things I tried.

 

[tiny-tim]

Hi Gwilim!

I'm sorry, but if x' = 2x² then dx/x² = 2dt, so -1/x = 2t + C.

Get some sleep!

 

[bravernix]

Sorry, it's a standard notation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_notation

 

[Gwilim]

Hi Gwilim!

I'm sorry, but if x' = 2x² then dx/x² = 2dt, so -1/x = 2t + C.

Get some sleep!

Sorry, it's a standard notation:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newton's_notation

Uurgh you're right. I at least tried them all assuming just that before deciding they must be integrals on the last page, so I might've picked up some marks, since I did get answer to a few (questions 1 and 2 had 7 subquestions between them). I guess it's going to be a mystery whether I passed until the results come up.

Get some sleep!

Yes sir!

:zzz:

 

[usahockey]

In light of your test performance (or lack thereof), maybe you should now reconsider this statement that you made earlier:

As far as weed goes responsible use is key, and were I to pass these exams and get back to university I'm sure I could get away with infrequent weekend/evening use.

Some more things to consider:

"The consumption of cannabis has been linked to impairments in human learning and memory, as well as aspects of executive functioning...Results of experiment 1 showed that cannabis users were significantly worse with respect to learning, short and long-term memory performance..."

Deficits in learning and memory: parahippocampal hyperactivity and frontocortical hypoactivity in cannabis users. Neuroimage. 2008 Apr 15;40(3):1328-39. Epub 2008 Jan 12.

"Relative to nonusers, cannabis users were found to be impaired in several aspects of real world memory functioning..."

Real-world memory and executive processes in cannabis users and non-users. J Psychopharmacol. 2008 Jan 21.

"RESULTS: The cannabis users, compared to both control groups, had deficits on verbal fluency, visual recognition, delayed visual recall, and short- and long-interval prospective memory."

Executive function deficits in short-term abstinent cannabis users. Hum Psychopharmacol. 2008 Apr 18.

"...results confirm that long-term heavy cannabis users show impairments in memory and attention that endure beyond the period of intoxication and worsen with increasing years of regular cannabis use."

Cognitive functioning of long-term heavy cannabis users seeking treatment. JAMA. 2002 Mar 6;287(9):1123-31.

 

[G01]

usahockey offers some good hard facts to back up our arguments to stop smoking completely. Take a good look at the facts Gwilim. I'll say it again. My advice is to stop smoking completely.

 

[Gwilim]

Right, well considering the fact that I spent about 3 days learning this whole module from scratch and probably picked up half the available marks anyway, calling my performance lacking is a bit harsh.

And guys, it's been ten days since I smoked now, like I said in my second post, weed isn't really an issue in the present, it's just something that has contributed to me being in this situation in the first place.

 

[usahockey]

If you "picked up half the available marks", that's still an F...would it be wrong to characterize that performance as lacking, or do you set your standards that low?

Sorry, but you are in denial about the whole pot smoking issue. Yes, the video games need to end as well; they are just as psychologically addicting as the pot. You opened yourself up to this "harsh" advice by starting the thread, and I am being honest.

There are a million and a half other stoners out there who also believe that "weed isn't really an issue". I used to be one of them, so I know from experience, and I'm not just trying to kill your buzz or something. It really did a number on my mind at that time, and I'm just glad that I figured it before too much time had passed. A lot of my friends have had those exact same excuses since the end of high school, and they are still doing the same thing they did then. Those new anti-pot commercials of the teenager just sitting on the couch while the world goes on around them seem to be quite an accurate portrayal of most of those people that I know, and of myself when I was in that situation.

 

[Gwilim]

I'm in denial about the pot issue? I'm not smoking anymore. And I'm not playing video games. I've got something both enjoyable and productive to do with my time, I don't think I could go back to those if I tried. My day so far has been a riot of rediscovering calculus.
The advice isn't harsh, like you say it's honest, but the way you worded your message - 'your test performance (or lack thereof)' I took exception to. You could have said 'your poor performance' and until the test results come back for all we know you could have been right, but lack implies I hadn't accomplished anything at all, which just isn't true. I should have known mentioning weed would be a red flag to many, I could have omitted it completely from my story and any relevant advice would have been the same. The advice I need for the short term consists of how to go about my revision for the current exams, and for the long term how best to salvage the situation if it turns out I just started with too little time left.

 

[LordofDirT]

It seems your major issue is procrastination. You waited until the last 3 days of class before you finally said "oh ****" and tried. I believe the best advice I can give you is to look into the future. If you take this class again, and any other class, give it your all from the begining. You can't learn calculus in three days.

 

[Gwilim]

It seems your major issue is procrastination. You waited until the last 3 days of class before you finally said "oh ****" and tried. I believe the best advice I can give you is to look into the future. If you take this class again, and any other class, give it your all from the begining. You can't learn calculus in three days.

Read the whole thread. I am extraordinarily aware of what I did wrong in the time leading up to this. And if I fail these exams there might be no future to look to.

 

[LordofDirT]

dude, i read the entire thread. Do you want me to give you advice about weed, like everyone else, or the real issue.

 

[Gwilim]

dude, i read the entire thread. Do you want me to give you advice about weed, like everyone else, or the real issue.

Alright sorry.. I was being reactionary. So you think I should look to the future, what options are there? Bearing in mind I've already received two years of student loan, and I believe I can only get four.

In the meantime I still think it would be madness not to try my hardest for these exams.

 

[usahockey]

It's interesting that you cited weed as being one reason for your problems up until now, and then you also ask about advice for your future in the long term, yet you vehemently defend the future prospect of smoking pot on occasion. Since the first post, you have not even conceded that the weed is a long-term issue, or written anything to indicate that you realize you should give it up.

Don't ask for advice if you can't accept it...and it seems that you can't even accept advice from yourself. In the short-term it is obvious what needs to be done, and you have started that already; study your ass off for exams in order to do the best you can. In the long-term, you know you need to quit using drugs and playing video games. Can you admit that to yourself and then follow through on it?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink...obviously nothing that myself or anyone else on here says is going to help you, and you already know what needs to be done. You are the only one now who can kick it into gear and realize what needs to happen.

Good luck, and I sincerely hope you can do it...

 

[LordofDirT]

Of course you should try your hardest on the exams. But if things don't work out its not the end. You have 2 years of student loans left, after that you can take a break for a few years and save money for college. Thats just one of many options.

 

[Gwilim]

It's interesting that you cited weed as being one reason for your problems up until now, and then you also ask about advice for your future in the long term, yet you vehemently defend the future prospect of smoking pot on occasion. Since the first post, you have not even conceded that the weed is a long-term issue, or written anything to indicate that you realize you should give it up.

Don't ask for advice if you can't accept it...and it seems that you can't even accept advice from yourself. In the short-term it is obvious what needs to be done, and you have started that already; study your ass off for exams in order to do the best you can. In the long-term, you know you need to quit using drugs and playing video games. Can you admit that to yourself and then follow through on it?

You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink...obviously nothing that myself or anyone else on here says is going to help you, and you already know what needs to be done. You are the only one now who can kick it into gear and realize what needs to happen.

Good luck, and I sincerely hope you can do it...

It was the particular wording of your reply that I took exception to, for reasons I have already explained. And while my course of action in the short term is obvious, I could still benefit from information about effective methods of study, for instance, it's not something I've ever had to do before. So far I've been looking at the exam questions, then trying to find and read through the relevant chapters in textbooks from the required reading list my friend took out of the library for me, then attempting the questions based on what I've read. I figure there are going to be some things I simply need to learn by rote though, like the derivatives of the various trig function and their inverses, and the tan(x/2) substitutions.

I'm sorry you feel unable to help, but I have found many of the posts in this thread to be helpful. And encouraging, including yours, which is not to be underestimated.

As for the long term, while you are absoloutely correct that I need to avoid the negative behaviour I used to cling to, this on its own is insufficient. Simply not smoking weed or playing video games will not make me a mathematician. I'd need a positive strategy for a way forward, because in the absence of one I will quickly fall back into nihilism.

Of course you should try your hardest on the exams. But if things don't work out its not the end. You have 2 years of student loans left, after that you can take a break for a few years and save money for college. Thats just one of many options.

I'm glad you see many options for me because I don't. I've spent a long time looking for unqualified jobs and completely failed to find one, and even if I did I can't see myself considering it a worthwhile existence. I could perhaps apply to another university even lower in the league tables while working a part time job to save up for the third year. But I'm kind of worried that nobody will give me a fourth chance.

 

[j450n]

I should have known mentioning weed would be a red flag to many, I could have omitted it completely from my story and any relevant advice would have been the same.

this will likely be my last post on the subject unless some opportunity to present something new emerges. If not, I feel I could not add anything to the thread without being repetitious.

With that said, you deserve credit for originally mentioning weed, even though you now doubt whether or not you should have mentioned it. Your first instinct was right. Admitting your problem was an immensely brave thing to do. Don't chicken out and turn back now. You know these words, "each problem that I solved became a rule which served afterwards to solve other problems." What makes you think just because you "know how to do the problem" in your head means you can do it when it counts? To succeed, you will need to demonstrate you can solve this problem every day - forever. This is the fundamental problem you need to continue solving before the solutions to the greater problem begin to reveal themselves.

This is knowing the algebra to be used in the calculus. Don't underestimate its importance.

Simply not smoking weed or playing video games will not make me a mathematician.

I don't intend to pick apart every quote and demonstrate you are incorrect. You are correct about a lot - including this statement above. You could quit forever and be a complete and utter failure as a mathematician. Is there anything in your mathematical background you can use to counter that statement? i.e. a logic term? I don't need to tell you right?

You are right that you need a strategy. You also need to execute the tactics. The strategy is the thing you start working on after you have a goal. Assuming your goal is to become, say, a professional mathematician, perhaps a good strategy would be this: make lifestyle choices that are in line with my long-term aspirations. Tactics could include:
n hours of study every day; attending a seminar or conference or audit a course once a semester; making monthly updates of my progress on a certain website or finding a peer to keep updated; never smoke weed again... etc.

No one can make these up for you, the only tool I have to help is advice. When I am stuck on a problem and none of my professors or live friends can help, I hope you will be able to offer advice to me.

You cannot control whether or not someone will give you a 2nd, 3rd, 4th, nth chance. "except our own thoughts, there is nothing absolutely in our power."

jason

 

[Gwilim]

No real request for new information in this post, I just wanted to share my progress.

Tomorrow I have the calculus 2 paper, algebra 2 the next day and divisibilty & congruence the day after that. Amazingly, I feel confident of passing all of them. I need 50% in each exam to pass. About 60% of the marks in the calculus paper are given for differentiating/integrating various functions in various ways, and another 40% seems to be about limits and convergence of series. The differentiation/integration I'm sure I'll be able to do perfectly, I can quote the formula for integration by parts, the chain rule and the product rule for derivatives, and the derivatives of all the inverse trig functions including the hyperbolics. Limits I am less well versed in, my understanding is more or less entirely intuitive, I could tell you the limit as n tends to infinity of any of the functions asked of me in the past papers, but I couldn't show you my workings, hopefully though this will be enough to get at least some of the marks for these questions. Limits of series again I'm a little shaky on but I think I understand the basic ideas behind the convergence tests I'm required to know and am hopeful of getting at least some of the marks for these questions. Algebra seems mostly to do with comparing coefficients and complex numbers, both things I am comfortable with, and I have already spent a week learning the ins and outs of divisibilty & congruence. I can't be absoloutely certain I'll do well enough, as I would have been had I spent a more reasonable amount of time studying, but I don't think that success is beyond my grasp. Results day will be interesting to say the least.

 

[maverick_starstrider]

Wow, I'm surprised how many people have such a sheltered view of marijuana. You do realize those 50's mental hygiene movies were a load of crap right? A young guy who smokes pot and plays video games instead of doing his hwk? Oh my god, alert the media, he's doomed unless he purges his life of the vile cannibus. And wow all these not so well informed opinions about marijuana use (even apparently infrequent, social marijuana use) dooming one's academic potential? Would this stuff still be coming out if he had said he likes to kick back and have a beer while playing video games instead of doing work? The problem here is clearly lack of motivation and a tendency to procrastinate which is a perfectly common problem in those with or without substance abuse problems.

P.S. I actually don't do drugs but I think you peoples understanding of the actual danger of a drug like marijuana is COMPLETELY at odds with anything resembling the actual dangers. I mean people do get through university just fine and get good marks despite going out drinking multiple times a week

 

[bravernix]

Would this stuff still be coming out if he had said he likes to kick back and have a beer while playing video games instead of doing work?

Not likely, if only for the obvious reason that smoking marijuana is illegal (at least in the US). If you are working towards a real job, i.e. you are in a PhD program and want to work in a government lab eventually, good luck getting hired if you get caught and have a criminal record for something so silly. Also, if you actually read the thread you would see that smoking pot has caused the OP a great deal of trouble (getting expelled from school, among other things). There was really no reason to bring up a week old thread just to post a poorly thought out reactionary response.

 

[TMFKAN64]

A young guy who smokes pot and plays video games instead of doing his hwk? Oh my god, alert the media, he's doomed unless he purges his life of the vile cannibus.

Well, he's doomed unless he gets off the couch and gets to work. And I don't mean for just a few weeks before finals.

There are many people who enjoy video games, beer, and even the occasional joint and manage to be productive when they need to be. Unfortunately, the OP doesn't seem to be one of them.

Not everyone needs to quit all of their vices. I think the OP does though.

 

[Vanadium 50]

The OP himself called it a "crippling addiction". Why are we the bad guys for taking him at his word?

 

[maze]

So, who is going to tell him that the dot is differentiation?

Ouch! That sucks.