- #1
motai
- 365
- 2
I just got back from the University of Florida freshman preview, and I ended up with a schedule that I wasn't quite expecting. I found out that I failed the AP Calculus (got a 2 even though I made a valiant attempt at it and tried as hard as I could) and had the same effect on the University's Calculus Readiness Assessment (which mainly tested precalculus). Now I have to retake MAC 1147 (college precalculus).
I have to admit that my precalculus skills are rather sketchy. It wasn't exactly my fault though (but I frequently blame myself for it), because halfway through my junior year in high school our precalculus teacher left to Venezuela due to instabilities in their government and he had to fix a few things there. We were left with a substitute who didn't exactly know what to do, and I tried to learn on my own (with limited success).
Even though I tried as hard as I could, and worked extremely hard in my calculus class (and outside of it) and did well in the class (and in the countywide calculus competition), it still didn't cut it by the time the APs came. I'm one of the few people I know so far who gets excited about topics like calculus, to the point of staying afterschool just to learn more and learning calculus after the AP calculus exam, so this entire series of events came as sort of a crushing blow.
So now I am set back an entire semester, can't even get on track for a physics major in the first place because of this. Am I making a big deal out of this.. or is this a common thing? I find it difficult to digest because I have always known myself as being extremely dedicated towards my studies, and very enthusiastic about learning topics like math or physics (yet I never really got a decent chance in high school), taken a calc class in high school, only to take a giant step back in college and take precalc...
I don't know... perhaps the extra practice provided by that class will help build a better foundation so that I won't be struggling as much by the time I get to harder courses like Calc 3, along with some of the other physics classes I will be taking in the future.
It just feels very discouraging having to take steps backward just because my old high school didn't prepare me enough.
edit: Should I try to get into the Calculus 1 course, or will I be setting myself up for failure?
I have to admit that my precalculus skills are rather sketchy. It wasn't exactly my fault though (but I frequently blame myself for it), because halfway through my junior year in high school our precalculus teacher left to Venezuela due to instabilities in their government and he had to fix a few things there. We were left with a substitute who didn't exactly know what to do, and I tried to learn on my own (with limited success).
Even though I tried as hard as I could, and worked extremely hard in my calculus class (and outside of it) and did well in the class (and in the countywide calculus competition), it still didn't cut it by the time the APs came. I'm one of the few people I know so far who gets excited about topics like calculus, to the point of staying afterschool just to learn more and learning calculus after the AP calculus exam, so this entire series of events came as sort of a crushing blow.
So now I am set back an entire semester, can't even get on track for a physics major in the first place because of this. Am I making a big deal out of this.. or is this a common thing? I find it difficult to digest because I have always known myself as being extremely dedicated towards my studies, and very enthusiastic about learning topics like math or physics (yet I never really got a decent chance in high school), taken a calc class in high school, only to take a giant step back in college and take precalc...
I don't know... perhaps the extra practice provided by that class will help build a better foundation so that I won't be struggling as much by the time I get to harder courses like Calc 3, along with some of the other physics classes I will be taking in the future.
It just feels very discouraging having to take steps backward just because my old high school didn't prepare me enough.
edit: Should I try to get into the Calculus 1 course, or will I be setting myself up for failure?
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