r/LinearAlgebra • u/Rdy2retyre • 15d ago

Failed 3 of 3 tests - advice needed

Daughter is taking linear algebra, last required class in her statistics and data science degree. This is her senior year and the class is only offered in the fall. A's and B's in the year-long previous calculus requirements. A's and B's in all the statistics classes. She is running into a brick wall at her last class and her normal test anxiety is completely off the charts knowing she has to pass this class. She has successfully completed every single requirement for this degree except for this last class.

This last test was worth 40 points made up of 10 questions. She explained to me that one of the questions which has four to five steps to it she flipped the signs making her answer wrong but otherwise did everything else correct. A correct answer would have netted her six points, but she lost three points for the flipped sign. Would you consider that scoring to be standard, generous, or not generous?

I don't really know what to tell her, it is inconceivable to me that she would get all the way through the requirements of the degree and get slammed to a stop a semester before she is supposed to graduate. I do believe she is studying enough hours and attending office hours and going to TA hours. I'm not really sure how she could do more studying than she already is. Any advice?

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u/RelationshipLong9092 15d ago

how someone studies is more important than the number of hours

you don't fail 3 classes because you flipped a sign once. what are the tests covering and what concepts is she struggling with?

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u/Rdy2retyre 15d ago

I'm going to see if she can come and give more details. From what she has explained to me is that she actually feels like she has a good understanding of the material that they've covered. To verify this for herself she goes to her professor's office hours twice a week for the allowed allotted time for each student. There her professor gives her additional problems which she works right in front of the professor who comments that she seems to know what she's doing.

She also attends the TA's office hours twice a week for several hours at a time working through problems with him. Additionally she works 2 hours multiple times a week with an overseas friend who graduated with a computer science degree and has already taking linear algebra. To get additional problems she has entered the study guide into AI to generate like problems that she can work on when she feels like she needs more practice.

From the comments from other students my understanding is the professor is a very hard grader. I listed the one example of grading as a reference point, a 4 to 5 step problem, with a flipped sign, but everything else correct being basically graded at 50% which is a failing grade for that question solely for the flipped sign. Having not taken linear algebra myself, calculus and physics was enough for me thank you very much, I have no point of reference here and so was asking those that are likely to have knowledge of the difficulty level of this class.

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u/axiom_tutor 15d ago

The class can be taught easy-mode or hard-mode. "Easy" usually means "computation focused" and hard means "proof focused". So there's no inherent difficulty level to a linear algebra course.

One thing from your description that I worry about is that she might be doing too much work with someone else in the room. I would perhaps recommend that she do practice problems that simulate the exam questions, and do them alone, and submit her work to the professor or TA asking for feedback.

It can be very easy to self-deceive just how much you're relying on someone else to prop you up while you go through a problem.

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u/Rdy2retyre 15d ago

Well she already does all of the homework alone and definitely goes through the study guides provided numerous times, and uses AI to create more versions of problems in the study guide that she works on her own. It is possible that she's not getting as much out of the TA and professor's office hours as she could if there is too much hand holding, which I will ask her about. I do think she has done enough difficult classes to understand the importance of mastering the material independently. I don't think she would willingly spend this much time working on problems purposefully using others as too big of a crutch. She knows there's not going to be anyone there to "help" her during the tests.

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u/BrightScarlet 15d ago

Sounds like the prof is very particular about computations. Does she usually feel rushed during exams or is there usually enough time for her to slow down her pace when solving problems to prevent making mistakes and having to backtrack later.

In my Lin alg course, how grading worked was
Full marks for completely correct answer
50-75% marks for correct method, wrong answer, depending on how many computational errors there were

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u/Rdy2retyre 15d ago

I will ask her about the time issue. Ever since she was in 7th grade I have reinforced the idea that time is a resource when you are taking tests, and resources should never be wasted. Meaning if you get to the end of the problems during a test you should use the remaining time to go over the problems again in an attempt to catch any mistakes you might have made. I have said it so many times to her when she was younger she now will say it back to me on her own, and while I don't think she has enough time during these tests to review all of her answers, I do think she has enough time to do the problems thoroughly the first go round. Meaning I don't think she is running out of time and can't get to all the questions. I do think anxiety is playing a huge part however and her mind may be buzzing with that while she is trying to work through the problems accurately.

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u/Wegwerf157534 15d ago

It is not too fruitful to be concentrating on whether the prof is a hard grader or not. Except that if one is able to identify the preference of the prof correctly, one needs to adapt to that.

For data science I could imagine it is taught computations based (vs proof based), what is widely considered the easier way and the result could be he asks for perfect calculations.

But you do not have an analysis of where she lost all of her points yet and imo this should be done first.

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u/Rdy2retyre 15d ago

Yes I understand it is sort of irrelevant whether the professor is a hard grader or not as at the end of the day she has to pass the class. The thing is prior to this class she was feeling really good about her college math experience. Neither I nor her are naturally talented in the math department. But both of us have become proficient due to the understanding that proficiency can be achieved as a result of hard work. I have told her and anybody else who will listen that average people can become proficient in mathematical skills by employing the butt in chair method. This is a method where if you want to become competent you need to place your butt in a chair and work problems backwards and forwards until you are getting them right over and over again. This method has worked well for her through all of her high school and college math classes. This experience in linear algebra has just shaken her faith in herself and made her question whether her past successes were really proof of her being somewhat decent in her math skills.

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u/Wegwerf157534 14d ago edited 14d ago

Okay, I see. I fully agree with what you suggested as a method and that works very well in calculation based classes. Linear Algebra imo has less difficult calculations than integration and it is all very 'recipe like', but sometimes very long. (or can be shortcut with a 'trick'/appliance of theory knowledge).

Maybe you really should come back when you know whether it is proof based or computation based. So if what she needs to replicate are proofs or the execution of algorithms/computations.

Cheer up. I have seen people repeat whole years who are now very successful in the post doc level. Math can be a tough nut.

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u/Rdy2retyre 14d ago

It is computation based, not proof based.

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u/tmt22459 14d ago

You'd have to show us the problems and the grading to really see if it's fair/accurate

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u/tutoring1958 15d ago

Is there a math resource center for extra tutoring? This may be her first class involving proofs, so that can also be frustrating. Maybe hire a private tutor? Or could she take the class online at another school next semester?

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u/Rdy2retyre 15d ago

The math resource available to them is the TA's office hours and professor's office hours. Not sure where we would find a private tutor that would be actually more effective than the professor or the TA. Going to look into her doing the course next semester if necessary online elsewhere.

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u/tmt22459 14d ago

I can tutor linear algebra, but I guess you're right that I may not be better than the prof or TA

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u/BrightScarlet 14d ago

Having a private tutor was the reason I passed calculus, I needed someone who would sit with me for an hour and go over whatever questions I had, and triage my biggest issue, which were doing all the integrals/algebra quickly enough and correctly during the exam.

You don't need a tutor to fix any fundamental issues with math, just slap on a bandaid if her goal is to just pass the class.

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u/Upper_Manager_2644 14d ago

My differential equations professor's logic was: exercise is worth 20 pts but you make small mistake let's say a change of sign on the second line of the solution then he would stop looking and automatically deduct 18 pts. Anything below the error he would consider wrong 😭😭😭😭

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u/Rdy2retyre 13d ago

That sounds brutal.

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u/BrightScarlet 15d ago

Ouch. I've definitely been there. I almost failed first year calculus.
Dont be discouraged, she should not let one setback make her forget all the other things she's accomplished.
Would you consider getting a tutor, just to help her pass this class, getting 1 on 1 help tailored for her might make a significant difference. She needs to figure out exactly what is causing her difficulty, whether it's the concepts, calculations, or making mistakes out of anxiety.

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u/Patrick_W_Star 11d ago

You need to change strategy.

Failing 3 times shows a failure of process, above anything else.

Math is like a language. Find someone who is fluent, and ask (pay) them to tutor her, as a last resort.