Why Did My Spring Term Grades Ruin My Chances for Grad School?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around a student's concerns regarding their spring term grades in relation to their aspirations for graduate school in engineering, particularly focusing on the impact of these grades on their future applications and the emotional response to perceived academic setbacks.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Meta-discussion

Main Points Raised

  • The original poster expresses shock at their grade drop, noting a significant decrease in their GPA after a term of challenging math courses.
  • Some participants suggest that the term's grades may not be as detrimental as perceived, arguing that a B average is not necessarily "ruinous" for graduate school applications.
  • One participant questions the meaning of "not transparent about the grades," suggesting that the student should seek informal discussions with professors to understand their performance better.
  • Another participant implies that the student may not be suited for higher-level mathematics, suggesting that a good performance is sufficient rather than an excellent one.
  • The original poster reflects on their aspirations for a Master of Financial Engineering (MFE) program and expresses frustration about how one term's performance could overshadow previous efforts.
  • The original poster indicates a willingness to reassess their academic interests in light of their experiences with abstract mathematics.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the severity of the impact of the grades on the student's future. Some believe the grades are not as damaging as the original poster fears, while others suggest a need for self-reflection on academic strengths and interests.

Contextual Notes

The discussion highlights the emotional weight of academic performance and the subjective nature of evaluating one's capabilities in challenging subjects. There are unresolved questions about the transparency of grading processes and the implications of grades on graduate school applications.

Who May Find This Useful

Students considering graduate school in STEM fields, particularly those facing academic challenges or contemplating their fit for advanced mathematics courses.

ych22
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Well...I am an engineering major who decided to take more math classes last spring term to prepare myself for the possibility of engineering grad school.

Just got back my spring term grades and it was an absolute shock. I used to average near an A- but my grade point average dove by 0.19!

Engineering Design Project: B
Compulsory human resource elective: B-
(Elective) Real Analysis I B-
(Elective) Linear Models B
(Elective) Discrete Maths A+

I am left with 2 terms of classes to fix my grades and I'm trying to figure out why I did so badly. It's troubling because I have no idea why I screwed up so bad this time. I cannot even ask my professors because the college is not transparent about the grades. Arghhhhh.
 
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Well, I'm not sure I would call that a "ruinous" term. You had a bad term in comparison to previous terms. It's not going to prevent you from getting into grad school.

I'm not sure what "not transparent about the grades" means. You have a right to know how you have been evaluated. But either way you have to figure out what the difference between previous terms and this term was. Sometimes the first year of university isn't all that different from high school in terms of material and so students do really well for the first while because most of the material is review. Then they see a drop in marks because in second year, the material is all new and they use the same study methods that worked the previous year.

Even if your school can't disclose certain details for whatever reason, you may still be able to speak with your professors unofficially, too. It's worth investigating.
 
You're kidding, right? That's not a bad term. Bad terms involve C's, D's, and F's. Sounds to me like you're just not that great at higher math. Don't sweat it. You don't have to be great at it, just good at it.
 
Sorry for not putting everything in context. I had been targeting to enter a good MFE program along with financial aid, but now that seems so far away!

I just felt the need to rant, because 5 previous terms of hard work had been wiped out by a single term arghhh.

Thanks for hearing me out anyway guys. I will try to get back to business from tomorrow onwards. Indeed, abstract math is not for me. I will try to re-evaluate my interests :)
 

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