teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 Uh is this a hybrid class? Because 3 credit hours should require about 45 hours of contact time. But if they have a half-online-half-classroom class it sounds reasonable. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 It is not listed as a hybrid class but I think that must be the case somehow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plansrme Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SparklyUnicorn Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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). 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shawthorne44 Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 One idea would be to get the book now, and start independently studying the first few chapters. I think the beginning part of calculus needs to roll around in the brain for a bit to be fully grasped. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 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! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiana Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted April 24, 2017 Share Posted April 24, 2017 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) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
teachermom2834 Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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