My Grades & Future: What to Do Now?

  • Thread starter Thread starter selig5560
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Future Grades
Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion centers around concerns regarding academic performance in mathematics courses and its implications for future graduate school applications. Participants share experiences and perspectives on how grades, particularly in lower-division courses, may affect long-term academic trajectories in STEM fields.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about how current mathematics grades may impact future graduate school applications, particularly after experiencing a missed exam and mistakes on assessments.
  • Another participant suggests that struggles with mathematics are common and that persistence can lead to improvement over time.
  • A different contributor shares personal experiences of fluctuating grades but emphasizes the importance of continuing to work hard and not giving up.
  • One participant argues that lower-division grades are less significant compared to performance in upper-division courses, suggesting that isolated poor grades are not as detrimental as a consistent pattern of low performance.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that persistence and improvement are important, but there is no consensus on the weight of lower-division grades versus upper-division performance in graduate school considerations.

Contextual Notes

Participants express varying opinions on the significance of individual grades and patterns of performance, indicating that the discussion is influenced by personal experiences and perspectives on academic evaluation.

Who May Find This Useful

Students in mathematics or related STEM fields who are concerned about their academic performance and its implications for future studies, particularly those considering graduate school.

selig5560
Messages
38
Reaction score
0
Hi,

I just finished my first semester of my sophomore year and I'm quite worried about my current mathematics grades (I am a math major), and a possible future in math.

Calculus III - B
Ordinary Differential Equations - AB
Linear Algebra C (Freshman, and really stupid)

Not to make excuses, but the reason I got a B is because I missed an exam (0%) which put me back despite my 95% on the final. With Differential Equations, I made some sloppy algebra mistakes on some of the exams. My question is, if I ever apply to graduate school, how harshly will I be judged even if I do well in my future classes. Right now, I am reviewing everything I did wrong.

~Selig
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Hey selig5560.

I don't know your background or reasons for the results but I will say that mathematics at some point does bring down the grades.

Later on all the stuff will seem easy and trivial if you keep working at it and this kind of thing happens to everyone in any kind of pursuit (not just mathematics).

Just keep the initiative to become the best you can at a high and the rest should follow.
 
Good advice Chiro, I totally agree. I have had quarters with straights A's, and quarters with A's B's and C's, but I keep on going and am now in the accelerated BS/MS program pursuing a Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering. Work hard and do not give up. Good luck!
 
Lower-division grades probably don't mean much in the bigger picture. It's how you do in the upper-division courses that matters more. Also, a bad grade here or there doesn't really matter. A pattern of doing poorly does.
 

Similar threads

My Grade 11 Math mark is eating me alive. What do I do?
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
129K
First time taking Calculus 1 and I only got a B
  • · Replies 45 ·
2
Replies
45
Views
9K
Courses Need help in choosing math classes for a HS student
  • · Replies 32 ·
2
Replies
32
Views
4K
Admissions Questions Regarding Returning to College After Layoff
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Other Questioning future plans & low grades this semester
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Studying Should I drop my dreams? (Daydreamer with underachieving abilities)
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
3K
Programs In need of advice: How do I become a mathematician?
  • · Replies 43 ·
2
Replies
43
Views
8K
Studying How can I improve my studying for better test grades?
  • · Replies 23 ·
Replies
23
Views
3K
Is this a good self-study program?
  • · Replies 16 ·
Replies
16
Views
3K
Schools Is it too late to turn around my grades (High School)?
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
5K