Jump to content

Menu

summer de @ cc - is this odd?


Recommended Posts

My math resistant child has decided to take a necessary applied calculus class as de this summer so he can get it done and have my dh around for tutoring support rather than take it when he is away at college the following year. I went to sign him up and was surprised to find that it meets just 2.5 hours per week for what looks like 10 weeks. This is a 3 credit hour course. It is scheduled as a 1.5 hour lecture with a 1 hour math lab class each week.

 

I was expecting more class time because it would be condensed into a short session rather than a whole semester. Is this typical? Maybe more homework time is expected than a traditional class?

 

Just struck me odd and I wondered if this was a standard type schedule elsewhere or if my cc is really light on class time for this course.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Is the CC on quarters, rather than semesters?  If so, and an hour is really 50 minutes, but these time periods are full hours, then you have 150 minutes/50 = 3 hours.  That is a lot of assumptions, and the hybrid option sounds more reasonable.  I've just run into a couple of schools lately that are on the quarter system, though, so that is what popped into my head.

 

If the CC is on quarters and your son's college is on semesters, just be careful that 3 quarter hours is enough semester hours to do what you need it to do.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well, no BTDT, but that does not sound so great.  Will this be the last math class he needs to take?  if that is the case...well alright get it done.  If not, I'd be afraid it wouldn't be enough to ensure future success.

Yes it is the last math class he needs to take if he proceeds with intended degree but I do tend to agree with your thinking.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our local CC has three sessions in the summer.  One session runs 8 weeks.  Those are 5.5 hours per week in total (usually 2 days per week).  The 5 week sessions are 8 hours per week (2 hours per day for four days).

Those kind of hours are about what I was expecting. I was reading comments on ratemyprofessor.com and one mentioned that the lectures are online. The class isn't listed as hybrid but maybe that is the case.

 

This is a "get er done" situation I think. So I feel like it will be okay and there are worse things than an easy class. But there is always that part of me that nags that it isn't good enough and he is capable of more, what if he changes his major, yadda yadda.

 

The course is listed as a direct transfer to the university he plans to attend so it should work out.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he changes his major, he won't be using this class as a prerequisite for anything anyway. Applied calculus cannot substitute for calculus although calculus can substitute for applied calculus. So it would just count as a general elective. 

 

He needs to learn it well enough to use it in any major classes that require it. The most common majors that require applied calculus are in the business school, but the amount of use they actually see from it is quite variable and generally small unless in the more theoretical areas. It is more about understanding the concepts of calculus than being able to do the computations, so that you are able to intelligently read papers written in your field and understand what they mean when they say "average rate of change" and "area under the curve" type of thing. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Those kind of hours are about what I was expecting. I was reading comments on ratemyprofessor.com and one mentioned that the lectures are online. The class isn't listed as hybrid but maybe that is the case.

 

My guess is also that it's a hybrid course.  As others have said, the hours of class time (online and/or in-person) should add up to the same as for a semester course, and 1.5 hours a week for 10 weeks isn't enough.  It's probably mostly online with a weekly in-person class.

 
This is a "get er done" situation I think. So I feel like it will be okay and there are worse things than an easy class. But there is always that part of me that nags that it isn't good enough and he is capable of more, what if he changes his major, yadda yadda.

 

The course is listed as a direct transfer to the university he plans to attend so it should work out.

 

I'm doing a similar git 'er done for Calc for my dd this summer.  She's currently planning for a Business degree, for which Calc is the last math class you have to take.  She's actually quite good at math, but doesn't want to put effort in.  I'm planning on having her take a 15-week MOOC over the summer and CLEP Calc at the end.  I figure if she ends up changing her major to something that requires more math, I'll have her retake it at whatever school she's at - by then she'd need the refresher anyway.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

If he changes his major, he won't be using this class as a prerequisite for anything anyway. Applied calculus cannot substitute for calculus although calculus can substitute for applied calculus. So it would just count as a general elective.

 

He needs to learn it well enough to use it in any major classes that require it. The most common majors that require applied calculus are in the business school, but the amount of use they actually see from it is quite variable and generally small unless in the more theoretical areas. It is more about understanding the concepts of calculus than being able to do the computations, so that you are able to intelligently read papers written in your field and understand what they mean when they say "average rate of change" and "area under the curve" type of thing.

This is what I have been thinking about it too. Thanks!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My guess is also that it's a hybrid course. As others have said, the hours of class time (online and/or in-person) should add up to the same as for a semester course, and 1.5 hours a week for 10 weeks isn't enough. It's probably mostly online with a weekly in-person class.

 

 

I'm doing a similar git 'er done for Calc for my dd this summer. She's currently planning for a Business degree, for which Calc is the last math class you have to take. She's actually quite good at math, but doesn't want to put effort in. I'm planning on having her take a 15-week MOOC over the summer and CLEP Calc at the end. I figure if she ends up changing her major to something that requires more math, I'll have her retake it at whatever school she's at - by then she'd need the refresher anyway.

This sounds like my situation with ds. If he ends up needing something different or deeper at a later point he can regroup and take more math. I'm comfortable with that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Having thought more, the one thing I would caution is to make very sure he gets a good grade (at least B) in it if he is looking at a major with competitive admissions. Where I went to grad school, there was a minimum GPA requirement in a certain set of classes (including this one) for admission to most business majors. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Are the lecture and the lab scheduled on the same day? If that is the case, I would be concerned about too much time elapsing between classes (in addition to the contact hours)

I don't think so. Math lab times are not posted with the schedule. It just says that it is also required. I do need to find out how that works.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...