I just got accepted to my dream school. It is a really selective school, a really GOOD school, and I never expected to get in. But I am transferring from community college and I have to keep my grades up so my admission is not rescinded. At the beginning of february I had some kind of horrible stomach bug and could not stop puking for an entire week. My mom didn't take me to the hospital so I have no proof of this. I missed four sessions of my math class, and am now two chapters behind. While I tried to catch up on the four days I missed, they kept going and I got further and further behind. The test is on tuesday and I have no hope of ever catching up. I am going to fail and my admission is going to be rescinded. I've already talked about it to my professor, we have discussed dyscalculia at length because of the article I wrote for him for the math department. He's offered to meet me in his office, but the problem isn't understanding, it's being able to apply it. I understand the material, I get it in theory, but when a problem is put in front of me I can't figure out how to set up the numbers. I've made it through an entire weeks worth of homework without being able to figure out how to do any of it.
My whole family and everyone I know knows I am going to U of M. I am so, so excited. Finding out that I was really getting to go was life changing. And now I probably won't be able to go.
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
3/5/09
Dear TwistedxKiss,
I'm so so sorry about your math class. And please know that you are worth so very much more to all of us than the status of your admission (or even your graduation) from the U. of Michigan. Are you also taking other classes at the same time as this math class? I'm sure you are. And these other classes are also requiring your attention, so that, it hasn't been just the math class that you've been trying to catch up on, has it?
Sometimes the grading systen of a teacher is such that 'one' of the tests scores, the lowest, will be dropped outright, and not averaged in with the other test scores. If one of your other classes is graded in this way, perhaps you could ignore that other class to give yourself a few more hours to work on the math? Or perhaps this math class is being graded this way, with the lowest of the test scores 'dropped'?
If 'misery loves company', I got turned down at the University of Texas at Arlington yesterday. They won't accept my MLD. If they had accepted my MLD, I had automatic admission on the basis of my grades and also my tuition completely paid. I'm taking them some additional documentation today, but with little hope that this will change their minds. This would have been my most convenient four-year university, and I'd thought of beginning in September. I'll apply at a Woman's University next, as soon as I'm sure that there's no way to go to UTA.
What other universities interest you? There may be one that is more dyscalculia friendly that you'll love just as well. - jus'
Edited by justfoundout on March 05 2009 12:43 PM
Location: United States Posts: 1860 Joined: 2008-11-14
I am really sorry to hear about this math class giving you such a hard time... but bear in mind that colleges (especially large ones like U of M) very rarely rescind admitted students unless they have a MAJOR complication, like failing all of their classes or being charged with a felony, etc. I'll tell you a story that might help you feel better.
My senior year of high school I put in an application to my #1 school, a very large, highly competitive public university like Michigan. I was accepted, with that same little tag warning that my admission could be rescinded without warning if they felt I wasn't maintaining the level of work ethic and GPA they wanted out of me. This was in February, right at the end of the 3rd quarter of the year. I had one quarter left of my senior year... how badly could I do?
I got an F in U.S. Government for the quarter, as well as another unsavory grade in my Physics class. Basically I got terrible senioritis and just stopped going to school... and I almost didn't graduate high school because of it. I literally spent hours with my Government teacher begging her to let me turn in late assignments and make up tests I had done poorly on, in order to boost my grade up to a C for the semester so I could pass the class and graduate on time.
And you know, even despite my F in Government, my school did not rescind my admission. Plus you're in college, and colleges expect that you are going to have a hard time in a class every once in a while. If your overall grade record is good, I really don't think you're going to get your admission rescinded over one bad math grade, no matter how good the school is. This is going to sound bad, but with a school as big as U of M, they really don't have the time to care about one bad grade. As long as you aren't flunking out of college, you'll probably be alright, so don't jump off a bridge about it.
"The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings." - Eric Hoffer
I spoke to an admissions adviser and he told me that if I had 2 or more C's or worse, they would have questions. A failing grade is definitely worse-- and stats is a gen ed requirement, so failing it is going to be a big deal. My disability is not yet on file, it's in my admissions essays so they know about it, but it's not documented with their disabilities office yet. They told me people typically do that during their orientation but I'm thinking I'll do it now. I just have to make an appointment and bring in my documentation and hope to god it's enough, thank god I've filed everything with copies so I've got all that right here at home.
I'm not behind in any of my other courses because they are all two day a week instead of 4 day a week, and I am better at those subjects so there was little to no struggle there. It's just the math. I never thought I'd see the day I'd say Spanish is easy, but by comparison, it sure as hell is!
I got accepted to other universities but it's too late to accept my admissions offers, the deadlines have passed. If I can't go to UM I will have to take a semester or a year off and start over. And be in debt even though I didn't go to the school, because we have to take our loans out before we'll know whether or not I passed stats. >.< And ironically enough, UM has the lowest liberal arts math requirement. I could actually probably get away with not taking stats, I could take astronomy there instead to get my quantitative reasoning requirement and weasel my way out of any more math at all. Everywhere else requires at least stats or trig
My biggest problem is that I understand the math but not the problems, if that makes sense. They are all story problems and I can't FIND the math in them to do it, even though I understand how to do the math if just that is put in front of me-- it's just multiplication, I'm allowed to use a calculator, THAT part is easy. I am going to keep talking to my professor about my troubles, he really likes me and knows about my disability, so I might be able to get some bending room. If I can't catch up by the time my break is over (I'm on spring break right now until Monday) I'll see if I can take the test open book or get a cheat sheet or SOMETHING. In theory even if I bomb this test I can still pass, it's just a matter of whether or not I can understand the material following if I don't understand this by the time they begin. And how far my professors patience will extend. I haven't turned in the last like 6 weeks of homework because I was so far behind none of it got done, that would kill me all by itself if he held it against me. I don't want to put him in a position to feel like he's doing something unethical to help me.
I'm a little more hopeful now than I was yesterday because I realized part of what I missed is something I learned in high school, but reading the problems is still kicking me. I am hoping if I can show my professor my progress and where my hang ups are he'll take more pity on me. I'm just always afraid that I'll be asking too much. Having learning problems is so complicated sometimes.
Thank you for your responses, it's always comforting to have people who understand just what hitting that barrier in a math class feels like. My friends just keep saying they have faith in me, and that's nice and all, but when they don't understand what feels like the brick wall I have in front of me, it feels pretty meaningless. I really think I can learn how to do this, maybe not remember it 6 months from now, but I think I can learn it. It's just so hard to do it at the same pace as everyone else.
Edited by twistedxkiss on March 06 2009 12:45 AM
Location: United States Posts: 195 Joined: 2008-01-08
You will need to verify this with your college, but I've been told that if you fail a class and then take it over again, the failing grade is "replaced" by the passing one. I don't want to give you false hope, but you should ask and no matter what, DO NOT GIVE UP!!!!
If you fail the class, you still have options.
1. Retake the class at the community college and ask about getting the failing grade "replaced".
2. If it's not too late, drop the class with a W or ask about taking an incomplete due to extenuating circumstances (your illness and the dyscalculia). You can then take it again next semester.
3. Get letters from instructors who will "vouch for you".
4. Flood them with documentation. Get everything that you can think of and present the university with a nice little package.
5. Ask if they would consider accepting you, but placing you on academic probation until your GPA is acceptable again.
6. Obtain a letter from the diagnosing psychologist if at all possible that explains why missing a few weeks of classes resulted in you falling behind and remind them again of your diagnosis.
7. Contact your major's department at the university and if necessary, discuss and explain to them the ways of working around mathematics in your field. (Software, etc.)
8. Contact the office of disability services at both schools and try to find someone there who will help advocate for you.
9. Don't give up. This isn't the end of the world. You can transfer to another university until your grades recover and then attempt to transfer into your dream school.
You can do this!
Edited by saruna on March 10 2009 09:22 PM
This is my last semester, so failing any courses now puts me in an ugly situation. I can't transfer anymore, I can only transfer 60 credits into UM. If I retake the class it will replace it, but then I have to take a year off and then reapply having been rescinded.
I managed to make it to 6.3 in my book, the test was until 6.6. If I'm lucky I got a 68, but a 58 is more likely. There were only 6 questions on the test and each were worth like 25 points, it made it REALLY hard. That's a really stupid way to set up a test.
I think I can catch up now, but I won't have anything higher than a C at the end of the semester, so I HAVE to get at least a C on the final now. THAT is a scary prospect but I'll just have to do what I can do. I got sick AGAIN and missed philosophy today, so my grades are in serious trouble. I've woken up in the middle of the night puking 6 times this semester. I'm going to the doctor as soon as I'm well enough to take myself, and we'll see, I'm hoping I won't have to withdraw altogether. I'm getting my documentation together to send to the university and I am keeping admissions posted on what's going on with me.
On the plus side, I should get my report card in the beginning of May, and I found out I can stall on taking out my private loans until then! I just don't know what implications getting rescinded has on my stafford loans. I am hoping if I haven't even enrolled they'll just take the money back. >.<
If I do get rescinded I'll pretty much have to leave the state, so hopefully all this worry will be for nothing.
Location: Texas USA Posts: 6101 Joined: 2008-05-25
3/10/09
Dear TwistedxKiss,
The last time I checked, probably a couple of years ago, if a student didn't 'pick up' his student loans, the money just 'went back' where it came from.
What about taking a summer class if you fail? Or an online class?
For stomach upset, I take a level teaspoon of Turmeric powder, as is, with a few sips of water. And yes, your problem sounds serious, so please go to a doctor. - jus'
