#$&*
Phy 121
Your 'question form' report has been received. Scroll down through the document to see any comments I might have inserted, and my final comment at the end.
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Hi Professor Smith,
This may be a little long, but bear with me. My first issue involves some issues with what I received in my lab supply pack. I don't have the metal strip needed to complete one of the experiments for this week, so I suppose that one will go undone. I am also missing the bracket and rubber bands needed for next week, but those shouldn't be hard to find. I cast around for a replacement for the metal strip for several days, but was unsuccessful in finding one. Please advise.
My next point is that I am working full-time over the summer, don't have internet access at home (almost unbelievable in this day and age, I know), and I want to take this class to transfer to Virginia Tech. What this all boils down to is that I already have credit for the lab at Tech and really just need to make a C in the class so that it transfers. I don't want to disrespect you or the subject, but I DO want to make a C and keep my sanity while working around my other limitations. You said somewhere to alert you if I want to make something less than an A, so there you have it. Here again, please advise.
Thanks for your time.
@& It sounds like you have the initial materials package, but not the complete lab materials package. Have you ordered and paid for the lab materials package, sold through the bookstore? The price is a little under $40.
Unfortunately I can't give you credit for having passed the lab at Tech; if it was possible I certainly would.
It's pretty easy to get a passing average in the lab, and since the lab is only about 20% of the course grade a low pass there wouldn't hurt your chances of making a C. However the lab exercises are designed to correlate with the course, and you should do them. If you cut too many corners in the writeups I'll let you know. If you remind me with a short note like 'goal is C' at the beginning or end of at least a couple of assignments per week I can give you fairly regular feedback on how you stand with respect to that goal.
My recommendation is that in addition to doing at least a passable job on the experiments, you concentrate for the first part of the course (through the Major Quiz) on the Randomized Problems and quizzes, make sure you understand the Introductory Problem Set problems, and the do q_a_ assignments. The quality of your work has been very good, and this might be enough to prepare you for the Major Quiz.
After the Major Quiz, you could get by the remaining tests just knowing very well how to do the problems in the Introductory Problem Set.
When doing a q_a_ and/or a query assignment, you can leave blank anything you are sure you know how to do, and concentrate on the things you aren't sure of.
From this information I'll be able to gauge your progress and give you the feedback you need to be sure you're on track to pass the course.*@
@& Let me know if this sounds feasible to you. *@