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A Sense of Doubt blog post #3535 - August 28th, 2015 Reprint - New Classes
Hi again, and welcome to another previous August 28th post, a day not all that special to me in the years since my Mom died but is now much more significant as the day my Dad died.
This post reprints the very first HEY MOM August 28th post, not quite two months after Mom's death on July 4th, 2015.
Two days after Mom died, I tried to start a SUMMER Calculus class. Not a good idea. Not only was not fully functional to work at my job and to study Calculus in a high pressure mode, Summer sessions are at double fast if not faster, but I was in over my head. I took a hardship withdrawal. What I learned from that experience is that I was not ready to take Calculus yet because I did not really learn the Pre-Calculus.
So, this post shows me about to start the Fall 2015 semester in Pre-Calculus for the second time and a class in Java programming.
Later, I would take Calculus twice as well because I didn't get a high enough grade the first time, and even the second time, I didn't get the A that I thought I could earn.
This is a lesson I impart to my students a lot. After twice through each course (pre and Calc), I knew about how many hours of study/prep I needed to ace the final = about 25 hours or more. Second time through Calculus, I started preparing for the final three week or more ahead of time, and with my job and family life and stuff, I just couldn't find all 25 of those hours. I fell a little short, and it showed in lack of preparation for optimization problems that are often story-problems.
I share this learning experience a lot with my students because being a student is about putting in the time to do the work as I am encountering once again as I am in grad. school for a brand new degree, not the math/computers one I attempted in the 2010s.
I share this learning experience a lot with my students because being a student is about putting in the time to do the work as I am encountering once again as I am in grad. school for a brand new degree, not the math/computers one I attempted in the 2010s.
Dad was proud of my scholastic pursuits. We talked about it a lot.
I miss talking to him.
I miss talking to him.
Thanks for tuning in.
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #54 - new class schedule
Hi Mom, The saga continues with school.
The point of the story will be that I am retaking one course this Fall term and, essentially, re-taking another.
Here's what happened: I had a phone call yesterday from my advisor, Katie Young, who had to explain to me the consequences of failing Calculus. I told her about my hardship withdrawal, but it doesn't matter since I will not have a passing grade in Calculus in time.
I was registered for 1310-Discrete Mathematics and 1120-Java II for Fall 2015. I cannot take 1310 without a passing grade in Calculus prior as it's a pre-requisite, and I cannot take 1120 without Calculus prior or concurrently.
Now, my experience with Calculus this summer showed me that I might not have passed it even without my hardship (your death, Mom), but thankfully, I had the hardship to qualify for the withdrawal. But my thinking prior to Katie's call yesterday was that I needed to really devote myself to a stronger foundation in PreCalculus and plenty of practice before I attempt Calculus again, which, given my course load and work schedule, I didn't think I would be able to handle until next summer, taking Calculus next Fall as I already learned that summer term Calculus is just TOO FAST.
But given what I learned, it made sense to Calculus this Fall so I could then move on to 1310 and 1120. However, to make this situation more difficult, all sections of Calculus were full. So I would have to call the Math department and beg my way into one of the sections, and then try to pass a course I just failed with little or no time to properly prepare, practice, and study. The alternative was taking no courses this Fall or just one, Calculus, but that would affect my financial aid status.
And then I had a brainstorm. What if I re-take PreCalculus? And then what if I take 1110, which is Java I, because I had the equivalent 1110, Java I, as C# at KVCC. This would mean I would have two courses that are review. I should be able to improve my grade from last Fall's PreCalculus with a second go-around. The schedule is better as both courses meet twice a week rather than four times a week like 1310. Though I pick up a Friday morning Java lab since none of the other times fit my schedule, I get an easier schedule, better foundation in the stuff I need to know, and a chance to improve my grade point. AND with two courses, I preserve my financial aid award status. Win win? Yes!
Also, I managed to convince the book store to let me return the formerly shrink-wrapped text that cost close to $300. Since I already have last year's PreCalculus text, I am in good shape and cut down my book costs by about $200. Hoping that I do not have to buy the new PreCalculus text, but I have the same professor as last year, and I seem to remember that the book did not drastically change year to year.
Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.
- Days ago = 55 days ago
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1508.28 - 20:25 and 1508.29 14:17
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2410.22 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3399 days ago & DAD = 055 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
COUNTDOWN!!!
link to the original post I am reprinting here:
Friday, August 28, 2015
Hey, Mom! Talking to My Mother #54 - new class schedule
Hi Mom, The saga continues with school.
The point of the story will be that I am retaking one course this Fall term and, essentially, re-taking another.
Here's what happened: I had a phone call yesterday from my advisor, Katie Young, who had to explain to me the consequences of failing Calculus. I told her about my hardship withdrawal, but it doesn't matter since I will not have a passing grade in Calculus in time.
I was registered for 1310-Discrete Mathematics and 1120-Java II for Fall 2015. I cannot take 1310 without a passing grade in Calculus prior as it's a pre-requisite, and I cannot take 1120 without Calculus prior or concurrently.
Now, my experience with Calculus this summer showed me that I might not have passed it even without my hardship (your death, Mom), but thankfully, I had the hardship to qualify for the withdrawal. But my thinking prior to Katie's call yesterday was that I needed to really devote myself to a stronger foundation in PreCalculus and plenty of practice before I attempt Calculus again, which, given my course load and work schedule, I didn't think I would be able to handle until next summer, taking Calculus next Fall as I already learned that summer term Calculus is just TOO FAST.
But given what I learned, it made sense to Calculus this Fall so I could then move on to 1310 and 1120. However, to make this situation more difficult, all sections of Calculus were full. So I would have to call the Math department and beg my way into one of the sections, and then try to pass a course I just failed with little or no time to properly prepare, practice, and study. The alternative was taking no courses this Fall or just one, Calculus, but that would affect my financial aid status.
And then I had a brainstorm. What if I re-take PreCalculus? And then what if I take 1110, which is Java I, because I had the equivalent 1110, Java I, as C# at KVCC. This would mean I would have two courses that are review. I should be able to improve my grade from last Fall's PreCalculus with a second go-around. The schedule is better as both courses meet twice a week rather than four times a week like 1310. Though I pick up a Friday morning Java lab since none of the other times fit my schedule, I get an easier schedule, better foundation in the stuff I need to know, and a chance to improve my grade point. AND with two courses, I preserve my financial aid award status. Win win? Yes!
Also, I managed to convince the book store to let me return the formerly shrink-wrapped text that cost close to $300. Since I already have last year's PreCalculus text, I am in good shape and cut down my book costs by about $200. Hoping that I do not have to buy the new PreCalculus text, but I have the same professor as last year, and I seem to remember that the book did not drastically change year to year.
Have someone give you a kiss, and tell you that I love you.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Talk to you tomorrow, Mom.
- Days ago = 55 days ago
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1508.28 - 20:25 and 1508.29 14:17
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2410.22 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3399 days ago & DAD = 055 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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