How'd you do this semester? [Grade thread - Fall Semester]

[Heavencloud]

/slight derail...since all you math/science people are in here...I'm an international relations major so I don't ever have room or get to take math now that I'm about to graduate...but I always was really good in math and lately I've wanted to take Calc just...for me. Worth it? Will it blue ball me and leave me wanting more? Unlock some info and give me a better understanding of the world? Guess I could just get a book and do it myself too...hmm

I found it pretty fascinating, just finished intro Calc, and my teacher was awesome. Never even really been good at math either, like in highschool I'd get like B's to A-'s... but in intro Calc I got an easy A with a 97% on the final. There are some cool things you learn and I'd recommend it IF you have a great teacher that enjoys teaching and wants to help you learn the stuff. The concepts are actually pretty simple for the introductory stuff (derivatives and integrals and their applications).

If you just want to learn some about it check out http://www.khanacademy.org/. The applications of calc are pretty interesting (like volumes of solids from a graph and such), but I guess it just depends what you wanna do!

[fren.]

I'm taking about 6 credits every semester. Gonna be tedious as fuck, but I gotta help out with the family business and shit which basically pays for this.

1) Persuasive Writing: Most likely an A. Cool as fuck professor (he wrote a book on Star Wars which we gave him shit for the entire semester) Our final paper was basically a topic of our choosing, I chose a baseball related subject and got an A. The second-to-last day before class we chatted up sports, afterward he tells me, "I'll give you a topic to pick on your final which I'm sure you'll like."

The topic wound up being baseball related and I'm fairly sure I aced the fucked out of it.

2) History of Journalism. Most likely an A. Again, professor was cool as fuck. Easy as hell, he was absent for about four classes and we spent three others watching movies (about half of the semester basically)

Taking both again next semester.

[Eliseos]

/slight derail...since all you math/science people are in here...I'm an international relations major so I don't ever have room or get to take math now that I'm about to graduate...but I always was really good in math and lately I've wanted to take Calc just...for me. Worth it? Will it blue ball me and leave me wanting more? Unlock some info and give me a better understanding of the world? Guess I could just get a book and do it myself too...hmm

Being biased here as I'm a physics major, but you won't really get a better understanding of the world through just an intro to calculus course. The real understanding of things comes with applying that math to physical systems (at least, for me it did/still does). If you take calc1/2/3 (3 is usually calculus in three dimensions, 1 is an intro to integrals and derivatives, 2 is usually special techniques and series), you'll probably want something to apply it to. If you want to take it just as an elective or something, and you enjoy math, you'll probably enjoy it, but you won't really get anything useful out of it unless you take it further.

[Ferion]

Being biased here as I'm a physics major, but you won't really get a better understanding of the world through just an intro to calculus course. The real understanding of things comes with applying that math to physical systems (at least, for me it did/still does). If you take calc1/2/3 (3 is usually calculus in three dimensions, 1 is an intro to integrals and derivatives, 2 is usually special techniques and series), you'll probably want something to apply it to. If you want to take it just as an elective or something, and you enjoy math, you'll probably enjoy it, but you won't really get anything useful out of it unless you take it further.

Pretty much this. Taking Calc will probably at least give you an idea of how powerful math actually is though. Honestly, if you're an International Relations major and you're interested in math I would highly suggest looking into game theory if you haven't already. It's pretty damn useful for your field, and you can get pretty far into it with just a decent understanding of algebra/probability.

[Woozie]

Oh gdi now I want that one Just when I was so happy with my 89

I've never used a TI-89, but I was under the impression that it was basically a TI Voyage 200 without a qwerty keyboard? The Voyage 200 was definitely worth the cost, and I'm not just saying that because mine was free.

Unlock some info and give me a better understanding of the world?

Calc will give you a better understanding of infinites than you have right now (since calc is the first class that deals with them). Other than that, you don't really learn anything huge (in my opinion) in calc (though learning how to deal with infinities is interesting enough in my opinion). You learn more about the world by studying things that depend on calc. Once you know calc, you can start a serious study of many things that you simply couldn't do without calc (analysis, physics, other sciences, probably economics and statistics, etc). I'd say go for it if either you really like math or you really like some subject that requires calculus.

[Zoolander]

Yea obviously theres more to understanding the world than any one class could ever offer lol, maybe that wasnt the perfect phrase to use. I just only got a taste of Calc taking Trig (and pre-calc a long ass time ago, yea odd order) and I realized I'm both good at it and it does interest me. Its also that class that is kind of held up...idk, just the idea of not knowing Calculus doesn't sit well with me. I can't know everything in this world, but I'd like to know the big stuff just for me.

Anyways, thanks for the insight.

[thestalkmore]

English H195A - A
English 161 - A
French 1 - A

Huzzah

[Natallon]

Anatomy and Physiology: B
Physics B+
Leadership A-
English A
Bio Writing Seminar A
Physics Lab A


not too bad

[Kelaiah]

Software Engineering - A
Database Design - A
Operating Systems - A
Human Ecosystems (lolwriting) - A
motherfucking Meteorology - C

bastard professor.

[Eggroll]

Organic chem major? I'm jealous, love that class (intro ochem), but not offered as a major at my university

How can anyone love organic chem?

[Reuniont]

How can anyone love organic chem?

^This

The last chapter of Gen. Chem II was an intro to O. Chem and I couldn't pay attention for more than 5 minutes to the subject. Shit was fucking dull.

I don't know. Maybe it gets better, but I'll never find out thankfully.

[Heavencloud]

How can anyone love organic chem?

I guess I had a good professor. He was laid back and brought a lot of application into the subject. My feelings may or may not change after next semester though haha.

[Scritch]

I am so not looking forward to taking Organic Chem next semester, I fear its going to be the death of me. But this semester was great.

Animal Behavior: A
Biological Evolution: A
Astrobiology: A
Physics Part 2: A
Physics Lab: A

[Talus]

I liked organic... if you can see things well in 3D in your head it's definitely easier, along with looking at the reactions mechanistically and not just memorizing reactions (maybe memorizing certain things, like the difference between thermodynamic and kinetic control, SN1/SN2/E1/E2 and what reagents/substrates/products are favored in each, etc).

[Woozie]

I guess I had a good professor. He was laid back and brought a lot of application into the subject.

I HATE this in ANY subject. Screw applications. I want to stab a kitten and crush the hopes and dreams of small children every time I have to learn about some application of the math or physics or anything else I'm doing.

[Antithesis]

Introduction to C++ Porgramming: A
Human Growth & Development: B
Pre-Calculus Algebra: B

[Isawa]

Human Growth and Development - C
Death and Dying - A

[Moss]

Human Growth and Development - C
Death and Dying - A

This does not bode well.

[Heavencloud]

Finally grades out today:
CHEM345 Organic Chemistry I: A
MATH140 Calculus for Life Scientists: A
PHYS101 General Physics: A

Med school looking hopeful :D

[Not Kuno]

A on my Thesis. Hurray, masters degree.