The High School/College Thread (1 Viewer)

[Chris]

I always find the SAT talk interesting. Here in the midwest, almost no one even considers them. I wish they had (I don't know if they do now, they didn't when I applied around) I had a 1540 SAT, but a 27 ACT; so I couldn't get honors scholarships at any of the Big12 schools, everyone wanted ACT scores, not SAT scores. I've to this day not figured out the divide.. my wife went to UF, and of course did SAT.

*shrug*

Maybe they've bridged that gap since I went through; or maybe there still are schools that do one or the other... who knows I'll say this: where you wind up and your GPA there matters some. Who you meet, how you spend your time, your activities and your ability to stick-to-a-plan and learn basic life management skills as well as networking (not PC here) skills will serve you a lifetime

 

[Darren Davis]

Speaking of the SAT IIs, I took them Oct. 11 (Math IIC, Physics, and Writing) and so far they only have my math and physics scores on collegeboard.com. I called them up and they said they were still grading the writing test but it's been over a week. Has anyone else had this happen? I kind of need the scores ASAP :frowning: .

 

[Scott_J]

I have what I expect to be my toughest mid-term this semester (by far) at 4:15 Thursday afternoon. It's going to be a LONG, SLEEPLESS week of studying.

 

[Seth--L]

Don't most schools want to see scores from three SATII tests? I'm pretty sure this was a requirement (or at least strongly recommend) for all the schools I applied to (Penn, Cornell, Tufts, Haverford, Columbia).

 

[Seth--L]

FYI: You actually need about 8 hrs of sleep to move things from short term to long term memory. So despite your frantic study, without enough sleep a lot of what you studied you want remember for the test.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I'm applying to University of Rochester, and they only have SATs as a requirement.

 

[Seth--L]

Do they recommend that you have SATIIs though (not to make you feel nervous, I'm just curious)? Are you also applying for the School of Arts and Sciences?Like I said before, I remember that schools I looked at which didn't require them still strongly recommended having them (because students had taken them for other schools and were going to attach their scores to their applications regardless if the school required them - so the schools are trying to help you compete with other students) .

 

[Morgan Jolley]

AFAIK, they only require SAT scores. I checked on their website, and it says all required parts of my application went through.

I figure that being in the top 5% of my class, a 1430 on SATs, nearly straight As (a B here or there), and taking AP Calc and Physics should help me (add in a few extracurricular stuff).

 

[Dome Vongvises]

BTW, Morgan, how goes the egg drop?

I have an immuno test this Wednesday, wish me luck. It's on T-Cell mediated immunity and some humoral immunity. It's not too bad, but it's so detail oriented.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

The Egg Drop hasn't gone yet. I'm hoping to test the design today, tomorrow, and the day after. We're doing the lab on friday, so I have to be fully prepared by then.

I'm going with a cone design, and if that fails, then a container with loose cushion design.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Anybody else having the before-Thanksgiving blues? This semester is starting to wear me down to the bone. I've lost twenty pounds, gained some muscle, and feel dumber than ever.

One hurdle down, two more before turkey day.

 

[DaveGTP]

Catching up here a little guys, if you feel like reading it. I recognize a lot of folks in the thread here (Rob, Morgan, Dome, Holadem etc)

Background: 1 yr @ Michigan Tech - no women + blown car engine during 1st summer break = didn't go back.

About 2 yrs community college while working a workstudy and another part time job. (missed a semester)

About 2 yrs more comm. college at my current full-time I/S job (I work low-level VMS support) (missed a semester)

Now 1st year @ new local University (still working my fulltime job. At least I can do homework here). My transferred credits from Tech (quarters) look like hell - suddenly I am retaking required classes again (Ethics in Engineering, History, Art Appreciation, Fiction & Poetry). Sometimes I feel weird being 24 and in classes with so many Freshman/Sophomores.

Rob's talk about hating his CS degree sounds like me sometimes. I like science, I'm a logical person, and I'm good at math. Calculus isn't math, though. (working so much and going to school made me reatke each Calc class a lot). I always said I would be an English major, but I don't want to be a teacher. I read about 2-3 pages a minute, and like history alot, but I can't see taking a major in either - I'd have to be a teacher. But I do like technology a lot, and electronics. Thus, I'm an Electrical Engineering major that can write. I thought engineers weren't supposed to be able to write


We had emphasis on the ACTs too. SATs weren't considered real important around here. Got Ntnl Merit Commended on the PSAT - not that it did me any good.

Got a 28 on my ACT. Would have done better, but my 23 in Math sucked my grade down. I didn't learn any math from my incompetent math teachers in HS until really senior year. Too late for ACTs.
I had like a 33 reading, and 28-32 in everything else, but that 23 killed my average.


To the point:
My worst class should be the easiest. Doesn't it always work like that? I've got a 68 in my ART APPRECIATION class. And I like some art, and I know the history behind a lot of it. Keep getting sucky grades on the papers - I've always been an A paper writer. Not in this class.

Stupid art class.



Edit: Yeah, I'm with Dome on being down. I have school 5 days a week, followed by work 3pm-11pm 5 days a week. I catch extra sleep on M/W/F between about 12:30pm and 2:00 pm - then I got to work. I'm so frickin' burned out.

I scheduled less classes next semester - 2 4 credits, a 3 credit, and Tai Chi to get my my 12th credit. Whoo hoo!

 

[Scott_J]

I hear ya, Dome. This was a rough week, with 3 assignments due in 3 different classes tomorrow (including a paper). I actually had it all done last night, surprisingly. Next up: working on typing up my resume. Then 2 more exams on Tuesday. Forget Thanksgiving - I'm having the before-May blues. I don't know how many times in the last couple weeks, I have said "Is it May yet?" I'm done in May, but I don't know if I can take 6 more months of this. Senior-itis.

 

[Joseph S]

A UK Physics professor is sitting, with his foot on the brake pedal, in a stationary car of mass 1000 kg. Another car, of the same mass, goes into the back of his car at a speed of 10 m/s.

Nothing like those real world situations. I think he needs to up that by 100+ mph over the Carl Lewis model car. Add an intoxicated driver in the one behind and the professor without a seatbelt. Based on what I was seeing last month only then might he have an appropriate medical case for you. Feel free to add immovable cement barriers and wheater elements.

The general tests don't look so bad, but I am always one to check my work too much. The pratice final looks like one that would definitely frustrate me. Too much reading to get and pick the answer for a physics test.

Good Luck.


Morgan,
My cousin recently graduated from Rochester. The only thing I ever heard about was some restaurant that had cheeseburgers without the buns and tons of macaroni and cheese. He loved it, made me about ready to puke while hearing the descriptions. "Garbage" was mentioned somewhere in the item he ordered all the time.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

Joseph:

Thanks for the info. All I ever heard about from my brother's friend was the science department and how they had a ton of money.

But that burger sounds like it would have pushed me just as far over the edge and made me want to apply there...hmm...

 

[Rob Lutter]

Well... I signed up for next semester's classes (thus completing my GEP requirement)...
Chemistry I
Intro to Computer Science (LOL, should have an easy time with this one)
US History 1887->Present
History of Motion Pictures
I am also going to add Creative Writing 1, but I have to change my minor first (err, declare one at all). I am applying to both the film and theatre departments (must prepare 2 monologues, 3 recommendations to qualify for BFA). For film I am working on a short screenplay (has to be less than 10 pages) and maybe some filming if I can borrow a camera. I might also slip some of my photographic work in there.

School is killing me this semester. Really, I stay inside for long periods of time studying and only escape for the occasional anime meeting or to talk with the gf back home. I am stuck in this loop of wake up, eat, study, eat, sleep. Hopefully I can get into some classes next year that actually interest me.... I am not good at remembering so much as creating. All my classes are regurgitative with huge classes and I can't stand it... I really need to write a 10 page paper, I might just do it for fun if I don't get something soon... heheh.

must do good on finals... all work and no play makes Rob a dull boy all work and no play...

 

[Dome Vongvises]

What's sad is that I can remember my classes:

Freshman
CHE 105 - Above Basic chemistry, part I
ENG 101 - basic English
SPI 101 - basic Spanish
A&S 100 - Freshman Topics: The Atom Bomb and the issues surrounding Hiroshima and the Manhattan Project

Freshman II
CHE 107 - Above Basic Chemistry, part II
CHE 115 - Chem Lab
SPI 102 - Basic Spanish II
BIO 150 - Principles of Biology
BIO 151 - Biology Lab

Sophomore
CHE 230 - Organic Chemistry I (leaps and bounds beyond CHE)
CHE 231 - Organic Chemistry Lab
SPI 201 - Intermediate Spanish
BIO 152 - Principles of Biology II
BIO 153 - Biology Lab II

Sophomore II
CHE 232 - Organic Chemistry II
CHE 233 - Organic Chemistry Lab II
SPI 202 - Intermediate Spanish II
BIO ??? - Animal Physiology

Junior Year (Can't remember)
Physics I (I'm retaking right now)
Physics II
Cell biology
Microbiology
Ecology
Genetics

Senior Year
Virology
Biology Lab Research
Lab in Cellular and Molecular Genetics (first C in college)
Intro to Film
Analytical Chemistry (second C in college)

To be honest, I had no fucking business taking Lab in Cellular and Molecular Genetics (I hope I never see another Western Blot for as long as I live) and Analytical Chemistry (this was the first class I ever pulled an all nighter for).

Everybody asks why in the hell I'm retaking Physics. Well here's why:

1. I'm fucking nuts.
2. I won't accept a B.

Why won't I accept a B? Here's the story: come time for the finals, I had the second highest rated B in the class. If I got an A on the final, as the teacher says, I would've gotten an A. But I didn't. You know why?

1. Both my calculators weren't "working"
I left my backup at home, and my current one ran out of batteries. Try doing exponentials with a damn business calculator.
2. The test is strictly timed, and I had to have the fucking runs in the middle of the test!!! The Physics Gods were against me.

 

[Morgan Jolley]

I'm taking AP Physics and AP Calculus this year in HS, but I'm definitely taking the equivalent courses again in college.

Oh, that thing with the egg was delayed until next Tuesday. We have really strong winds right now, so we can't do the lab, and the next time we have class (we have a rotating block scheduling system) would be next Tuesday. Lucky me.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Hey Morgan, take the tests in the links I provided. See how well you do in fifty minutes. They're not hard. I just write slow.

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention there is no calculator use on this test. But if you know what you're doing, you shouldn't have to use a calculator.

 

[Mike Graham]

I'm taking a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering at University of New Brunswick (the province of Canada north of Maine). Right now I'm in the first term of my second year; my courses are:

- Numerical Methods and Analysis
- Digital Logic
- Linear Algebra/Differential Equations
- AC Circuits
- Software Engineering I

By far the most time consuming course is Software Engineering I, wherein each student has to design a game assigned. This term our class was assigned the task of coding, from the ground up, Connect 4, to be playable over the internet, topped off with a GUI aimed at people ages 13 and up.