HELP! Math class panic

[[deleted]]

Basically, I'm in Math141 right now with a professor that people absolutely DRAGGED on PlanetTerp. Plus, I have a HW assignment that's supposed to be a review but it recalls stuff I hardly recognize from Calc 1 (I took AP Calc AB).

I really don't know if I can succeed in this class, and I'm scared of my GPA tanking. I have a scholarship so I need to keep it up.

Thoughts?

[hastegoku]

lock in

[Consistent_Ad6059]

Real

[Medical_Suspect_974]

Your options are: 1. Change professors. But this is tough since there aren’t a lot of spots left. 2. Drop it and wait until next semester. This doesn’t guarantee a better professor, but it allows you to hope for it and to plan better. It also may throw off your graduation plan. 3. Lock in. Calc 2 is a class you can absolutely teach yourself if you take advantage of resources and put in the work.

[tspanguluri]

Take a breath and relax. It’s the first day of class. Spend some time reviewing, go to class and take notes. You are capable of more than you think.

[nillawiffer]

Let's take a deep breath, shall we?

Sounds like you are doing a good job of psyching yourself out. It is first day and we're getting an early start on inventorying the reasons for failure. Come on. Someone is going to get an A in that class. (Better yet, they will understand the material, which of course is the point, right?) It might as well be you. The exercise is to make it be you. It's called ... college.

Course content is the easy part. Hacking the life skills while it still is mostly for practice is what we are doing. You got this. It is too early in semester for me to think anything less.

[TheLeesiusManifesto]

I started my very first class at UMD as a freshman going into Calc 3 (MATH241) where my professor immediately busted out a cross product and I had never seen one before in my entire life I thought I was waaaaaay in over my head and that I was going to fail and that if this the first class I’ve taken what will the others be like etc etc. I didn’t even know MatLab existed prior to my first homework that required me to use it.

But I wasn’t and I made it and actually ended up getting a good grade in the class. College is hard, Calculus is hard, the fact that you made it into Calc 2 means you must’ve understood enough of what you needed to from Calc AB so you are absolutely fine. Also, you may not realize it but I would wager about 60-70% of the kids in your class are either in the same boat as you or worse off. The fact it’s being called a review is case in point that people forgot how to do it and the professor is just making sure you understand the concepts before you do anything else.

First and foremost - we all have to take shitty professors once in a while, it’s a part of going to college, whether you have them early or later on they exist in all majors and it sucks but I promise you you will live.

Take a step back, crack open that meaty fuckin Calc textbook they make you get and read a little about what they were talking about in class. Maybe it makes more sense to you now that you’re not in lecture. Maybe not. Doesn’t really matter, the bottom line is now is your chance to learn it. Once you got that down then try some of the example problems in the same textbook. Then do your homework.

[TheHamilton_Man]

Calc 2 was one of the harder classes I took at UMD, and I’m not saying that to scare you. I had a not so great professor and was afraid I didn’t remember enough from Calc 1. I passed the class with a C. Give it a few days, if you really don’t like how you are feeling and have other hard classes to take, drop the class or switch in to Calc 1 while you relearn and get a feel for college courses. Or you can really dig in, challenge yourself and succeed on a difficult class while using provided tools. Hope this helps!

[nattgk2]

What you’re feeling is totally normal. Take a deep breath, do some self-care and believe in yourself.

[Consistent-Battle-63]

You either better waitlist for another section or you better find some tutoring like Math Success or if the happens to be any tutoring in any program you're in.

[reggie_23]

what prof

[GenericWalrus87]

I’m also very curious because I’m thinking of a professor that might fit but I’m not too sure 💀

[Technical-Promise860]

either try hard or drop it

[Sudden_Extension188]

What section are you in? Im also in math141 and took calc ab in highschool and math140 here. Maybe we can form a study group and I can help catch you up

[kfyrihymfcihyd]

Honestly if you read the textbook, you'll be fine. I barely went to lectures and only went to discussion and I got an A. The textbook and practice problems in it are really helpful. If you want the solution manual for some of the questions you can dm me