This past month I took a four-week Statistics 325 course. I thought I'd like it but I really didn't. I actually kinda like math courses, as long as I understand the concepts and content. I do some stats for work so I thought even though everyone hates this course, maybe I'd get something out of it. I decided early on that a lot of the work in class was simple enough (later finding out that the work done in class wasn't ever graded but rather points were given for attendance and doing the class work). The homework was also easy. The quizzes really stunk even though they were short and fast and the exams were horrible.
Unfortunately, almost all the points for the course were based on the three large exams. For the exams we were allowed a piece of paper filled front and back with information, anything that we thought we'd need for the exam. The first exam I got an 83%. That upset me since I'd done so well on everything else (although I had one of the highest grades in my class). I quickly learned what I needed on my cheat sheet for the next two exams. The second exam, even though I'd stayed at the library and up late at home studying for a few nights, I received a 59%! For the third and final exam we could use two pieces of paper for cheat sheets, so I covered every little spot on the papers. After taking the exam I felt that I hadn't done much better than the second exam and wasn't sure what my class grade would be.
Almost two weeks later, due to some technical difficulties the instructor had with the class enrollment, I received an email with my final exam grade and class grade. I had somehow earned B's on both!!! I had no idea how I managed that, especially with such a low second exam. I had stayed at the library a couple nights in a row studying until very late (the library closes at midnight during the summer except for one room in the basement which is designated as a 24 hour study hall). I had also attended both review sessions offered.
When I had completed the exam I requested that the instructor send my exam to me by campus mail when the grades had been assigned for the class. I received my final exam in yesterday's mail and was very happy to see that the exams had been graded with leniency. I had gotten an 87%! I was ecstatic. I've never had a course that I felt was this hard (mainly because I thought the instructor wasn't teaching the material). Even though it's the first B I've received in 10 years I'm happy about it. I'd received a C in College Algebra a couple years ago, so combined with all my hard-earned A's, I now have a 3.70 GPA (down from 3.778 before the stats course). Good enough for me! I just had to share this good news! I really thought I'd get a C in this class as well.
Two more summer courses to complete (hopefully both with A's) and then a full nine hours again this fall...I'm slowly getting somewhere.
I should also mention that my family has somehow dealt well with my stress and a few missed baseball games during this month of statistics. Again, we couldn't do it without Betsy! She'll be sorely missed by all of us. She leaves in two days. :>(
