Gooldylocks Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 A group of TEN of us just attempted to complete the 20 question, multiple choice extra credit assignment (which was only assigned because the average on the second midterm was so low, like below a 60%) and between all of us and 3 hours later, we only managed a 13.6/20. That is ten people, with all the lecture notes, all the previous homework assignments, the two previous midterms, and oh I don't know... THE INTERNET that can only manage a 68%. That tells me that the questions are just too damn difficult. The professor is likely the worst teacher/lecturer I have ever had. She is straight awful. And her powerpoint slides could be done better by a middle schooler. The midterms were both given in-class (50 minutes), and on both tests she was angry and irritable at us when THE ENTIRE CLASS was still there when class ended, because the exams are so incredibly long and difficult. The final will be twice the length, in twice the time (the same amount of time per question that no one was able to finish the midterms in), with questions surely as difficult as the extra credit, that we couldn't even answer with the power of ten brains and the internet at our disposal. FML Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KSwift Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Is your final grade on a curve or raw percentage? Just do better than the other nine and you should be ok. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted June 2, 2015 Author Share Posted June 2, 2015 She claims that she doesn't decide whether to curve until after the final grades are completed, and I don't think I will be doing any better than everyone else. It took everything we had to even get that much working together Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Youngeyes Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Get her drunk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lifeislarge Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Buy her flowers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
openclassterror Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 Go to U of O Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miranda Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 drop the class. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrumpyOne Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 drop the class. Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 drop the class.Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Unless that will make it count as an I or W which can affect the gpa the same as an F. If you're that deep into the class it will probably be a W and require permission from the teacher. Check with a counselor before taking that step. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pat Miles Posted June 2, 2015 Share Posted June 2, 2015 You need to gather up as many of your classmates as are willing and go visit the head of the department. Take the exams if you have them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gooldylocks Posted June 3, 2015 Author Share Posted June 3, 2015 You need to gather up as many of your classmates as are willing and go visit the head of the department. Take the exams if you have them. Trust me, we are already in contact with the head of the Biology department. drop the class.Winner, winner, chicken dinner. Unless that will make it count as an I or W which can affect the gpa the same as an F. If you're that deep into the class it will probably be a W and require permission from the teacher. Check with a counselor before taking that step. The stupidest part is that this class is not even required for my major, I am a microbiology major. I am/was considering switching to regular biology though, in which case it would be required so I decided to take it since it was offered. Worst elective ever. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beastly Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 BTDT. Very similar story. I remember a midterm where I had one of the highest grades at 56%. I drove home white hot pissed. Later I learned the class average was around 25%. Instructor will curve, 'be instructed' by department head or not be there next semester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Graham Smith Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Sounds like you are pretty well screwed. Odds are good that this is her normal way of doing things which means the management knows already. Just tough it out then start a campaign to ensure that future students know not to sign up for her classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BitchinCamaro Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 BCMB here. My genetics prof was OK but the exams were killer. It was the lowest grade I earned in undergrad. My old lab instructor sounds a lot like your prof- random quizzes, insane difficulty. The best students still scored 50s and 60s out of 100. Some of us and banded together and went to the head of the Bio department. It didn't do us any good that semester, but a year later we spotted her working the register at the Kmart 10 miles from campus. I studied for the final by treating genetics like a goddamn second language. I could do restriction maps in my head and had most of the codons categorized by acid in my head. I still got my ass kicked and scraped by. The curve saved me. It's clear that you're not dragging your heels through this class. Hopefully you'll pull through with some skills to crush next semester. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jkrispies Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 A suggestion, depending on whether or not you already have a good relationship with the department dean... 1. Finish the course and see what your grade is. She may curve it, and you'll end up with an acceptable grade. You never know till its done. 2. If the grade is poor, ask if you can take the same course with a different professor for a grade improvement. Specify if it will cover up the old grade so the old one doesn't remain on your transcript and affect your Gpa. It probably will, but that's info to know before moving forward with anything. Also be prepared that you'll have to pay for those new replacement units. 3. If the above is granted, ask if you can challenge the new course by going straight to taking the new professor's final. Being that you're going into the summer months, I think it's likely to be granted if there's a professor (such as the dean) without much else to do during the summer. This will do two things. First, it will give you a fast grade improvement. Second, if you score well on the second professor's final with no additional instruction, that provides tangible data to the dean showing that your current professor needs work on her assessment methods. Note that I specified "good relationship with the dean" before starting the conversation because education is all about politics (I'm entering my 20th year so I know) and you don't want to inadvertently piss off the wrong people. You may end up taking a future class with dean, your current professor, her married colleague that she's sleeping with and none of the students know about, etc, etc. If I had a B- or possibly even a C-, I'd accept that rather than upset the apple cart trying to improve my gpa by one tic. But that's just me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ima45dv8 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 This Hate rant has turned into a discussion, which is beyond the bounds of the rules for the Hate Forum. Thus, it must be closed. Please review the Hate Forum Rules: http://www.brianenos.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=8097 [note: this is a generic response] Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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