Can't Get Myself to go to Class

[Reef]

I'm in my very last semester of undergrad classes. One class that I NEED to pass, but am HORRIBLY lost in seems almost impossible for me to attend. I feel a sense of hopelessness and so justify skipping it because attending won't help - although I'll have the class notes. There are only 3 tests total in the semester that make up our grade - each with an in class and take home part. I am actually retaking this class, and was fully prepared because I had my old tests. But they changed professors on me, and this one's style/organization just plain sucks.

Options:
1) Pay off professor $10K (not really)
2) Hire one of the genius kids as a tutor?
3) Just start going to all classes and put in an extra effort to read the text, study the given homework answers (ugh)

Advanced calc, FWIW, so 99% of the material is complicated proofs - which I both hate and suck at. This was kind of a ramble, but any advice / suggestions / comments appreciated.

[protoverus]

It's number three, of course. But you knew that.

Reminds me of my old real analysis class...brutal, torture, time-consuming, but at some point you have to suck it up and spend hours a night proving things or else you give it up.

A tutor isn't going to help with proofs, in my experience anyway. It's something you really have to spend countless fruitless hours on before it comes together.


Be well and good luck.

[BSman77]

ur gonna need to spend like 3hrs + a day. College math is brutal.

[goodgrief]

It's #2 and #3. You might only need the tutor a few times. Once the light goes on, calculus was actually easy, and these became my favorite classes. But I had poor high school preparation, so I did seek out a tutor to give me some extra help at first. Plus, the tutor will expect you to appear at regular times, and you can't let him down in a face-to-face situation, so that gets you out of your procrastination. That might be more valuable than anything he actually says to you. Whatever has to click over in your brain to make this easy for you hasn't happened yet, and it won't happen unless you give it the time and attention. You can't cram for this. You do something everything day, and then get enough sleep, so that new circuits can form in your brain. Go to class too, even if you're bored off your buns and think you'll get nothing out of it. Just getting in the environment where you hear people talking about the subject every day will help. You have to make a promise to yourself to work on a proof or two every day. Many if not most math professors are poorly organized human beings and poor communicators. It's just part of that whole nerd/Asperger's thing they have going on. However, sometimes they'll actually let slip a useful nugget of information that makes it easier to work it out for yourself later in the book. You can do it. Hmmm. My first two calculus classes met every day, but the more advanced classes met only 3x a week, and I'm thinking most classes at most colleges do only meet 3x a week. You have to set up some way, be it a tutor or study group, be it your own willpower, where you work on this subject every single day until the light snaps on. Even if, some days, you feel like you are just slogging through the mud. Put in the "butt in seat" time, and you'll eventually get there.

[Reef]

thanks for the input.

[begin rant] It just angers me that I'm NEVER going to use this stuff even though I'm getting a math degree. I just want to teach 7-12th grade math one day - not trying to work for NASA. And spending all those hours when I can be making $$$ playing poker, sleeping, or having fun. Plus no guarantee of comprehension afterwards. Argh.

[Kilillan]

Do you smoke weed?

If so, stop

[goodgrief]

Yeah, resentment is a bear. It makes it feel as if you are slogging uphill for no damn good reason, which makes the effort seem twice as hard. But, look -- I bet there are many other classes you have taken and passed with flying colors that you won't remember either. You just didn't notice because those subjects came more easily to you. College is a game, and part of the game is to prove you can jump through the hoops to get the reward at the end -- in your case, the terrific union job with the three months' vacation every year and the sabbatical every decade or so. Eyes on the prize. You can and will play this game to win. I'm friends with several teachers and it is well worth a little sacrifice now to have a most enviable future later.

[Bullet_Dodger]

College math blows. Avoid it at all costs.

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you smoke weed?



[/ QUOTE ]

never during the school year

[Reef]

[ QUOTE ]
College math blows. Avoid it at all costs.

[/ QUOTE ]

hard when you're a math major