Talking to professor about auditing course

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the process of auditing a university course, specifically a Quantum Mechanics course, and the concerns of a high school student preparing for a meeting with the professor. Participants share their experiences and advice regarding the expectations and norms associated with auditing courses.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • One participant expresses concern about whether the professor will test their knowledge during the meeting about auditing the course.
  • Several participants suggest that professors typically do not put students on the spot and will likely discuss the student's background and motivations for auditing.
  • A participant shares their reason for auditing, noting they are a high school junior who could not enroll due to time constraints with college applications.
  • Another participant praises the decision to audit an advanced course like Quantum Mechanics at a young age, emphasizing the value of exposure to challenging material.
  • There is a question about the norms of auditing courses in the US, with some participants discussing the implications of class size on the auditing process.
  • A later reply mentions the need for advanced math skills to understand Quantum Mechanics and suggests studying calculus and differential equations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree that professors are likely to be accommodating and that the student made a good choice in asking to audit the course. However, there is no consensus on the standard practices for auditing courses in different educational contexts.

Contextual Notes

Some participants note the importance of self-motivation and the small class size, which may influence the professor's willingness to allow auditing. There are also references to the advanced mathematical prerequisites for understanding Quantum Mechanics, but no specific consensus on the necessary level of preparation is reached.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be useful for high school students considering auditing college courses, educators interested in the auditing process, and individuals curious about the expectations surrounding advanced coursework in STEM fields.

romsofia
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Tomorrow I have to talk to the professor of the course to audit the course. Is there a possibility that he'll test me on my knowledge? I was planning on studying over my break on my weak points for the course, but now I'm thinking I should be studying tonight and a little before I talk to him tomorrow.

So mainly I am asking, Will he test me or will we just talk about why I am auditing?
 
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For the most part, professors don't put students on the spot like that. He'll probably talk to you about your background, ask why you're interested in the course, and why you're auditing instead of enrolling properly. In my experience, though, professors generally treat you like adults if you show some self-motivation, so you're unlikely to have problems.

Just curious, though, what is the course and why are you just auditing instead of actually taking the class?
 
For the most part, professors don't put students on the spot like that. He'll probably talk to you about your background, ask why you're interested in the course, and why you're auditing instead of enrolling properly. In my experience, though, professors generally treat you like adults if you show some self-motivation, so you're unlikely to have problems.

Just curious, though, what is the course and why are you just auditing instead of actually taking the class?
 
Chaostamer said:
For the most part, professors don't put students on the spot like that. He'll probably talk to you about your background, ask why you're interested in the course, and why you're auditing instead of enrolling properly. In my experience, though, professors generally treat you like adults if you show some self-motivation, so you're unlikely to have problems.

Just curious, though, what is the course and why are you just auditing instead of actually taking the class?

The reason I'm auditing is because I'm still in high school (Junior), and I needed to have applied to college with all these forms by a certain date and I didn't have enough time to get it signed by everyone it needed to be signed by.

I know this going to sound stupid given my age and all but the courses I'm auditing is Quantum Mechanics :x

Thanks for your reply, I think I can relax a bit now ^^.
 
Oh wow. I think that's awesome to expose yourself to that level of material so early. It can be pretty fulfilling to learn what advanced courses in your area of interest are like. Best of luck to you tomorrow. It'll probably go fine, but be sure to post an update when you're done.
 
Chaostamer said:
Oh wow. I think that's awesome to expose yourself to that level of material so early. It can be pretty fulfilling to learn what advanced courses in your area of interest are like. Best of luck to you tomorrow. It'll probably go fine, but be sure to post an update when you're done.

Yeah, I'll be sure to post an update. Hopefully it goes well ^^. Thanks for easing my mind a little.
 
Well here's the update, he is letting my audit the course :D.
 
romsofia, are you in the US? Is it normal you have to ask to audit a course at a university there? I mean, it kind of makes sense for really small classes, where the professor probably gets to know everyone attending at least to a point he'd recognize them if they met outside of the classroom setting.
 
Ryker said:
romsofia, are you in the US? Is it normal you have to ask to audit a course at a university there? I mean, it kind of makes sense for really small classes, where the professor probably gets to know everyone attending at least to a point he'd recognize them if they met outside of the classroom setting.

Yeah I'm in the US, and I don't know if it's normal :x but I do know that only 12 kids have signed up for the class so far.
 
  • #10
Then you definitely made the right choice in asking the professor, I'm sure this will leave a good impression. Good luck with the course.
 
  • #11
Ryker said:
Then you definitely made the right choice in asking the professor, I'm sure this will leave a good impression. Good luck with the course.

Thanks :D, good luck in your courses as well ^^.
 
  • #12
Congrats! I'm waiting on an email from a professor about auditing a Differential Equations course. I have actually had the professor before and he said he didn't mind but he needs to run it by some people first.

Just out of curiousity, where are you in your math studies? Quantum Mechanics requires a lot of advanced level math to understand properly. Might I recommend studying math (Calculus at least, possibly differential equations) for the rest of the break.
 

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