Failed midsem EM exam, to drop or not to drop?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a student's dilemma regarding whether to drop an electromagnetic fields and waves course after performing poorly on a mid-semester exam. The conversation touches on study habits, the importance of the course for future studies, and the potential risks of continuing versus dropping the course.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster expresses concern about their performance (13/30) on the mid-semester exam and contemplates dropping the course due to fear of failing.
  • Some participants suggest that the original poster should not be surprised by their performance if they did not invest sufficient study time.
  • One participant questions the commitment of the original poster to their education, implying that dropping the course may reflect a lack of seriousness.
  • Another participant emphasizes the importance of owning the final exam and suggests that if the original poster doubts their ability to succeed, dropping may be the better option.
  • The original poster acknowledges the need to study harder for the final exam and expresses a desire to achieve a high grade, not just pass.
  • Concerns about balancing part-time work with academic responsibilities are raised, indicating the original poster's struggle with time management.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether the original poster should drop the course or continue. Some advocate for perseverance and increased study efforts, while others suggest that dropping may be a reasonable option if confidence in passing is low. No consensus is reached on the best course of action.

Contextual Notes

The discussion reflects varying perspectives on academic commitment and the implications of dropping a course, with no resolution on the original poster's decision. Factors such as study habits, personal circumstances, and future academic goals are considered but remain unresolved.

chebyshevF
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I'm doing an electromagnetic fields and waves course. The first part of the course was mainly about transmission line's, using the Smith chart and a host of equations that comes with transmission lines...we had a mid semester exam and i got 13/30, which i wasn't happy about but i didn't put in as much study time as i should have so i wasn't surprised. Now I'm wondering whether i should drop the course?

The second part is now focusing on Maxwell's equations, so we're getting into the actual electromagnetic fields and waves part of the course, which I'm finding kinda tricky but I'm able to grasp it if i put in extra time to study the material. However i know of one guy who did the course last year, he also failed the mid semester exam and ended up failing the course all together, I'm kinda worried that i'll end up in that position since I've also heard of other people who have failed the course. So this leads me to the whole point of my post, should i drop this subject? Better not to take the risk? Or get myself into it more vigorously and make sure i pass the final exam (which is out of 60% btw, and our tutes correspond to 10%, which i know i'll get).

I'd like to take an antenna related course after this one, so i kinda do need to stay in it but i still don't know if i should take the 'risk'. Plus the other thing is, is that I would have liked to get a high grade for this course..it's still possible i guess, so long as i study extra hard for the final exam..
 
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...but i didn't put in as much study time as i should have so i wasn't surprised.
If you didn't put as much study time in as you thought you needed, why are you concerned about the whole course? I assume you don't plan on repeating this again.

I'm not trying to be smart, I just think that if you knew that you could have used more studying, you will also know that for future exams. Just study well enough (like you should have for this exam) next time. And as for someone failing the midterm as well as the course, why are you surprised? That a very general occurrence for any class.

You sound like you know what you need to do to pass this course. Just do it and you'll be fine.
 
Dropping an essential course doesn't seem like a great idea. How can you give up so easily? Are you serious about your education or are you just going through the motions?
 
wclawson said:
If you didn't put as much study time in as you thought you needed, why are you concerned about the whole course? I assume you don't plan on repeating this again.

I'm not trying to be smart, I just think that if you knew that you could have used more studying, you will also know that for future exams. Just study well enough (like you should have for this exam) next time. And as for someone failing the midterm as well as the course, why are you surprised? That a very general occurrence for any class.

You sound like you know what you need to do to pass this course. Just do it and you'll be fine.
That's it though..I know I'll have to do extra work for the final exam for this course, yet I also want to make sure I get a high grade, not just a 'pass'.

Phyisab**** said:
Dropping an essential course doesn't seem like a great idea. How can you give up so easily? Are you serious about your education or are you just going through the motions?
It's not a matter of giving up easily, rather just either taking the 'risk' or not. I've got other things going on for me at the moment too (working part time being one of them), so I'm just trying to weigh it all out, whether I'm better off sticking to it now and (most likely) passing, or doing it another semester and most likely getting a higher grade. It's actually an elective though, but one I want to successfully complete.
 
Own the living hell out of the final, that's all you can do. If you don't think you can do that, then you should drop.
 
^^haha I like that response ;)
Thanks for the advice though people! I have til next wednesday to decide so i'll see how i go.
 

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