I did pretty badly my first semester.....

[ixi]

I took all my finals already and my grade for one class is a B and I have no idea what I got in the other 2 classes. Obviously a B is not good. I'm pretty sure I didn't get an A in the other 2....

This is first my semester and i really didn't think grad school would be this difficult. I got my BS in the sciences and I'm going for a MS in math, so it's a bit of a jump for me and I did struggle with the material. My background in math consists of calc 1 and 2.

Do you guys have any tips for ways I can do better next semester?

Edited December 16, 2009 by ixi

[frankdux]

I'm doing an MS in math as well. (I have another thread on this board about how I feel i'm not cutting it.)

If i'm lucky i'll have one A and two B's. I already have the A, but the other classes i'm really not doing very well in at all. I'm basically praying for B's at this point.

I dunno. I'll take it one semester at a time i suppose. Although I'm really not sure how I feel about even coming back after this school year if next semester gets me as stressed out as this first one has.

[cogneuroforfun]

Why are you doing an MS in math with so little math preparation? Why do/did you think you would enjoy or have a passion for math when you hadn't experienced anything like upper division math courses, let alone graduate math courses? I'm not trying to be hard on your or anything, I'm just really curious. I can't imagine ever thinking of doing an MS in math with my calc 1 and 2

[ixi]

Why are you doing an MS in math with so little math preparation? Why do/did you think you would enjoy or have a passion for math when you hadn't experienced anything like upper division math courses, let alone graduate math courses? I'm not trying to be hard on your or anything, I'm just really curious. I can't imagine ever thinking of doing an MS in math with my calc 1 and 2

I like math and I'm good at it...or at least I thought I was. I mean, I got prefect math scores on my SAT and GRE which probably doesn't say a lot. I guess most math majors got prefect scores. I easily got A's in my calc courses.

Looking back, this probably wasn't my best decision. It's really tough because no one goes over anything anymore so half the time I have to keep referencing and teaching myself things that a lot of my classmates already know.

At this point, I honestly don't know what to do. I definitely don't want to quit or take a break from school, but I also don't want to do so horribly anymore.

[frankdux]

Looking back, this probably wasn't my best decision. It's really tough because no one goes over anything anymore so half the time I have to keep referencing and teaching myself things that a lot of my classmates already know.

I know exactly what you mean.

I was a math major as an undergrad, but i've been out of school for a few years, so it's been tough getting back into it. And one thing i noticed so far this semester is how professors really only present about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the material we are expected to know. the rest of the material needs to be learned on our own. This makes things really, really tough. I find i just don't have enough time in the day to do it all and I'm falling behind.

To be perfectly honest, I'd like to know why it's done this way. I'd rather be on a trimester system with a longer school year and take everything at a more manageable pace where EVERYTHING is taught in class. Filling in the holes on my own doesn't always go as planned, especially when the only way i know if i've absorbed the "solo" material is whether or not I get destroyed on the exam.

Edited December 17, 2009 by frankdux

[alexis]

I like math and I'm good at it...or at least I thought I was. I mean, I got prefect math scores on my SAT and GRE which probably doesn't say a lot. I guess most math majors got prefect scores. I easily got A's in my calc courses.

Looking back, this probably wasn't my best decision. It's really tough because no one goes over anything anymore so half the time I have to keep referencing and teaching myself things that a lot of my classmates already know.

At this point, I honestly don't know what to do. I definitely don't want to quit or take a break from school, but I also don't want to do so horribly anymore.

I went to undergrad intending to be a math major, also felt it was something I was good at and enjoyed, but found it wasn't for me for many of the reasons you list. Primarily, I ran into the same thing you are: professors don't really go over the basics, and you end up teaching yourself. I find that many of them are just mathematical geniuses, NOT great teachers, and they expect us to be at the same level of them, or already be really comfortable with the material (um, how is that possible if I've never taken this class before??). In doing equations in my Calc III class, I realized (after reviewing my notes and the material) that the professor was skipping (crucial) steps in his examples. I guess he was assuming we would just fill in the gaps. I did great in Calc I & II, then just tripped up in Calc III with that bad prof, and unfortunately I gave up on my math pursuits after that.

I just wanted to let you know that I feel for you. You are definitely NOT alone. The fact that you're struggling at first doesn't make you bad at math or not cut out for it. Like you said, you are probably just playing catch up with your classmates--and dealing with less-than-stellar teachers (math is not exactly the most easily self-taught subject)--and it might take some extra work on your part early in the process, but things should get easier as each semester progresses (not the material, but just you as compared to peers & your ability to handle everything).

The only tip I can think of besides just trying to study/review the material as much as possible before class is to see if you can get someone to help/tutor you. Maybe a fellow student who is knowledgeable & GOOD at explaining and breaking things down. For me, once I got a concept, I was good--it clicked. I could then know how to work those problems, and while I still might run into some confusion with specific problems, getting a basic grasp on the concepts, from someone who could explain them to me and answer my questions, was the biggest factor in improving my abilities. (This person SHOULD be the teacher, IMO, but what can you do.)

And P.S. a "B" is really not bad...it depends on your program, but my grad school professor always says "nobody cares what you get in grad school" (as long as you meet standards & keep your funding, if applicable--or if you plan on later applying to PhD program).

Good luck!!

Edited December 17, 2009 by alexis

[ixi]

I know exactly what you mean.

I was a math major as an undergrad, but i've been out of school for a few years, so it's been tough getting back into it. And one thing i noticed so far this semester is how professors really only present about 1/2 to 2/3rds of the material we are expected to know. the rest of the material needs to be learned on our own. This makes things really, really tough. I find i just don't have enough time in the day to do it all and I'm falling behind.

To be perfectly honest, I'd like to know why it's done this way. I'd rather be on a trimester system with a longer school year and take everything at a more manageable pace where EVERYTHING is taught in class. Filling in the holes on my own doesn't always go as planned, especially when the only way i know if i've absorbed the "solo" material is whether or not I get destroyed on the exam.

Yeah, exactly. My professor basically copies examples and theorems word for work from the text, skipping the same steps the book does, which isn't very helpful. I went to his office hours once asking him if he could show me the proof but he said that it would be more helpful to me if I figured it out myself. I talked to one my friends who's a second year and she said that this was normal, that professors except us to know everything ourselves.

I know, I never know if I truly understand the material until I take the exam, but by that time, it's too late

[ixi]

I went to undergrad intending to be a math major, also felt it was something I was good at and enjoyed, but found it wasn't for me for many of the reasons you list. Primarily, I ran into the same thing you are: professors don't really go over the basics, and you end up teaching yourself. I find that many of them are just mathematical geniuses, NOT great teachers, and they expect us to be at the same level of them, or already be really comfortable with the material (um, how is that possible if I've never taken this class before??). In doing equations in my Calc III class, I realized (after reviewing my notes and the material) that the professor was skipping (crucial) steps in his examples. I guess he was assuming we would just fill in the gaps. I did great in Calc I & II, then just tripped up in Calc III with that bad prof, and unfortunately I gave up on my math pursuits after that.

I just wanted to let you know that I feel for you. You are definitely NOT alone. The fact that you're struggling at first doesn't make you bad at math or not cut out for it. Like you said, you are probably just playing catch up with your classmates--and dealing with less-than-stellar teachers (math is not exactly the most easily self-taught subject)--and it might take some extra work on your part early in the process, but things should get easier as each semester progresses (not the material, but just you as compared to peers & your ability to handle everything).

The only tip I can think of besides just trying to study/review the material as much as possible before class is to see if you can get someone to help/tutor you. Maybe a fellow student who is knowledgeable & GOOD at explaining and breaking things down. For me, once I got a concept, I was good--it clicked. I could then know how to work those problems, and while I still might run into some confusion with specific problems, getting a basic grasp on the concepts, from someone who could explain them to me and answer my questions, was the biggest factor in improving my abilities. (This person SHOULD be the teacher, IMO, but what can you do.)

And P.S. a "B" is really not bad...it depends on your program, but my grad school professor always says "nobody cares what you get in grad school" (as long as you meet standards & keep your funding, if applicable--or if you plan on later applying to PhD program).

Good luck!!

Thanks for the kind words

Believe me, I'm NOT applying to a PhD program, at least not anytime soon, I'm not ready.

That's what I'm hoping, that the material will be "easier" as I build a stronger foundation.

That's a good idea. I had a study group as an under but everyone seems so busy in grad school, I'm not sure who to ask to form a study group

[belowthree]

That's a good idea. I had a study group as an under but everyone seems so busy in grad school, I'm not sure who to ask to form a study group

You should remind yourself that a lot of people find study groups save time. Some people will be especially interested in forming a study group in grad school precisely because everyone is so busy.

You might just have to meet at times everyone will be free. I recommend 2am in someone's lab.

[mmblue88]

I took all my finals already and my grade for one class is a B and I have no idea what I got in the other 2 classes. Obviously a B is not good. I'm pretty sure I didn't get an A in the other 2....

This is first my semester and i really didn't think grad school would be this difficult. I got my BS in the sciences and I'm going for a MS in math, so it's a bit of a jump for me and I did struggle with the material. My background in math consists of calc 1 and 2.

Do you guys have any tips for ways I can do better next semester?

You can't be worst than me. I struggled this first semester and ended up with a B- average. I'm emailing my advisor to see what I can do. I don't want to be expelled.

[hartshorneBoy]

One thing I figured out about grad courses in math grad schools is that the level of work expected for a B or an A at different schools are COMPLETELY DIFFERENT. At my first uni where I got my MA, it was just about putting the work into the course and you'd get an A or A-. In my current program, work makes you get a B and stellar work gets you an A (there are many, many cases of students getting their first C's ever in their first year). Needless to say, my GPA is .4 lower now that I'm in my new graduate program, but hey, as previously stated

1. Grades don't matter.

But more importantly:

1a. What really matters is what your advisor thinks of you.

And I guarantee the chances of him/her looking at your transcript and saying "oh, he got a B in that class, he/she must suck as a human-being/researcher (since in grad school that's really the same thing)" are slim. He/she'll see your talents when you talk to him/her. That's what matters.

Even for a Masters, if you're applying to a PhD, what will matter is what your letters say about you, not what your transcript states. And plus, the math PhD admissions is so math subject GRE-centric, you just need to focus on that anyways.