Help Needed: Struggling Engineering Student in Physics 1

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the challenges faced by a freshman engineering student struggling with Physics 1 during a summer session. Participants share their experiences and offer advice on how to cope with the difficulties of the course, including the implications of taking the class in a shorter timeframe.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Homework-related
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that summer classes are harder due to the condensed schedule, requiring the same amount of material to be learned in a shorter time.
  • Others encourage the original poster (OP) to seek help from peers and professors, emphasizing the importance of not giving up despite current struggles.
  • A participant notes that the OP has performed well in labs and homework, which could be beneficial if they need to explain their situation regarding sponsorship.
  • There is a suggestion that the OP should analyze their past performance to identify areas of difficulty, whether related to math, physics concepts, or careless mistakes.
  • One participant stresses the importance of seeking help early, indicating that waiting until the final exam is too late to address issues.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that summer courses can be more challenging due to their pace. However, there is no consensus on the best course of action for the OP moving forward, as opinions vary on how to approach the situation and the likelihood of passing the course.

Contextual Notes

Limitations in the discussion include the OP's uncertainty about their performance and the potential impact on their sponsorship, as well as the lack of detailed analysis of specific problems faced during the course.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for engineering students facing similar challenges in physics courses, particularly those in accelerated summer sessions or dealing with academic sponsorship issues.

joker2014
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I need your help everyone.

I'm an engineering student, freshman, I finished calc 1 & 2, and chemistry.
Im taking physics 1 this summer session 1, but I failed in it already.

I don't really know what to do. I don't know how if I would take it in Fall semester.
I mean summer courses are easier and I failed in it, so how would it be in fall! Everyone is doing great in this class except me struggling

please hep :(
 
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From my experience summer classes are much harder! The same amount of material must be learned in a much shorter period of time.
 
HeavyMetal said:
From my experience summer classes are much harder! The same amount of material must be learned in a much shorter period of time.

Yeah, doing the same amount of material in a shorter amount of time is definitely going to make it more difficult. I don't know what about it would be easier...

To the OP, if the class is still going on, you still have a chance to pass. Don't give up or get discouraged because you're going through a rough patch... You will set yourself back even farther. If you're having trouble, seek help from other students or go to your professor during office hours; this is precisely the sort of thing that they have office hours set aside for in the first place.

Good luck.

...

Oh, and if your class is over (which you kind of made it sound like, but I doubted since the summer has only been going on for a few weeks), I think that you should take it in the Fall. Don't give up until you HAVE to. Every time you fail, there's an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, so, find out what isn't working and change that.
 
Dr.Mobius said:
Yeah, doing the same amount of material in a shorter amount of time is definitely going to make it more difficult. I don't know what about it would be easier...

To the OP, if the class is still going on, you still have a chance to pass. Don't give up or get discouraged because you're going through a rough patch... You will set yourself back even farther. If you're having trouble, seek help from other students or go to your professor during office hours; this is precisely the sort of thing that they have office hours set aside for in the first place.

Good luck.

...

Oh, and if your class is over (which you kind of made it sound like, but I doubted since the summer has only been going on for a few weeks), I think that you should take it in the Fall. Don't give up until you HAVE to. Every time you fail, there's an opportunity to learn from your mistakes, so, find out what isn't working and change that.

Thank you.

Yes physics 1 was 6 weeks long, and after tomorrow is my Final.
I don't think there's a chance to pass, I'm not being pessimistic but this is tthe truth.
I failed both midterms and quizzes scores are horrible. Only thing I did good in was Lab and Homework which has small portion.

Ahhh this is terrible, especially I'm a sponsored student...
 
So how can we help?
 
joker2014 said:
Thank you.

Yes physics 1 was 6 weeks long, and after tomorrow is my Final.
I don't think there's a chance to pass, I'm not being pessimistic but this is tthe truth.
I failed both midterms and quizzes scores are horrible. Only thing I did good in was Lab and Homework which has small portion.

Ahhh this is terrible, especially I'm a sponsored student...
In the short term you'll need to be proactive and talk with your prof and maybe some other profs to get some support in case your sponsorship is questioned. Other sponsored students may be able to help here. Most likely you get another chance especially if your other grades are okay.

Next you need to understand why you did so poorly and then why you didn't seek out help earlier after the first quiz. As an example, were you having trouble with the math or the physics of a problem or were you making careless mistakes. Once explained were problems easier to understand and do.

Taking it a second time is good but you need to prepare by looking at your homework quizzes and tests to see where you went wrong. You could even develop a written assessment of it in case you need it to defend your sponsorship you could explain in detail what happened and how you can fix this if given another chance.

Keep talking to PF and we can provide help in the problems you had trouble with and where your thinking needs adjustment.

Good luck...
 
Last edited:
You definitely need to seek help out at the first sign of trouble. Waiting until the day before the final is way too late...
 

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