Most dropped courses at ISU this semester

[BCClone]

One of the two easiest math classes I ever took, out of 23 at Iowa State. Finished the final before all 200ish tests were handed out. Still have no idea why that class is so feared in the EE/CprE circles.

I once finished an organic chem final so fast I had most of Gilman lecture hall staring at me. I had had 8 tests, finished a couple papers, along with a few quizzes in roughly 6 days. It was my last one and I was fried. I filled in what I knew, went back and put some crap in the ones I didn’t answer to try to grab a couple points here and there. Walked down the stairs from the second to top row. Professor asks what my question was, I replied, where do the finished ones go? She gasped and pointed.

I turned with a **** eating grin on my face and walked up the other flight of stairs with that side giving me the WTF looks. Changed majors the next semester I think.

 

[8bitnes]

I once finished an organic chem final so fast I had most of Gilman lecture hall staring at me. I had had 8 tests, finished a couple papers, along with a few quizzes in roughly 6 days. It was my last one and I was fried. I filled in what I knew, went back and put some crap in the ones I didn’t answer to try to grab a couple points here and there. Walked down the stairs from the second to top row. Professor asks what my question was, I replied, where do the finished ones go? She gasped and pointed.

I turned with a **** eating grin on my face and walked up the other flight of stairs with that side giving me the WTF looks. Changed majors the next semester I think.

It was definitely a powerflex moment when I turned that in. I always like to believe the whole lecture hall thought I turned in a blank final.

I did similar in physics 221 but I had studied hard with an old packet of practice tests my brother picked up at the MU library four years earlier. It contained something like 8 semesters of finals from 1993-1996. Low and behold all the questions were recycled and I made the top 12 list for highest score among the 600+ students that Dr laurent Hodges used to post

 

[isufbcurt]

Did you ever bother to email him and go 'CPA this jackass!'

I don't remember his name

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Math 165....showed up, took some notes, completed assignments, and took the tests. Never studied. Came out with a C+. Not too shabby.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Most intellectually stimulating class at Iowa State was GDCB 513: Plant Metabolism

Basically knew every step (inputs/outputs) of photosynthesis and respiration by heart by the end of the semester.

 

[CycloneErik]

Internet was barely a thing when I was in college.

Stone was barely a thing when you were in college.

 

[Didley]

Isn't library one of the most failed courses? Because if you miss one or something it's a fail. I remember something like that from when I was in school

I failed Library. I took it as a “2nd half of the semester” class and then just completely forgot/blew it off. I was a character back in those days man.

 

[cyfanbr]

If you have kids going to college now or soon. I recommend checking ratemyprofessor.com before enrolling on some of those classes. Probably saved me some headache back when I was at ISU.

 

[Entropy]

Most intellectually stimulating class at Iowa State was GDCB 513: Plant Metabolism

Basically knew every step (inputs/outputs) of photosynthesis and respiration by heart by the end of the semester.

BBMB 502 was the course that tripped me up. Only course I ever retook in all my college time.
Theres a 600 level protein course that was my favorite. Picking apart papers and realizing how certain journals published was incredibly insightful.

 

[clonechemist]

Would he have been there in ‘99? I think I may have had him for 165 if I’m thinking of the same guy.
Talking about vectors and always like what’s the vector to get to the keg of beer. What change in vector to get you some smokes…

I thought the name was familiar, and with your description I know this was definitely the guy…

Took diff eq with him over the summer and thought he was weird but the class was going ok….

Then we get to the first exam, and at the end of the period he has us go through our own exams and grade them ourselves as he explains the correct answer. I definitely remember looking around and wondering if I was high etc, but that was it - we graded our own work for that whole class.

 

[ZRF]

I've had students and parents over the years tell me "XX class (usually orgo chem, calc, physics) is too hard. It is just weed out classes for X major." I never bought that. If someone can't do basic physics or organic chemistry how the hell is engineering or medical school gonna work? The subject matter is hard but so are those professions. If the classes don't work for someone neither will the profession. In all honestly I never took a calculus or physics class in my life, but I recognized I would not have done well anyway. Besides, a history major is where it is at!

Not sure how old you are, but back in 2000-2001 I had to take history class as an elective. About the only thing that worked with my schedule was the history of electromagnetism, which was taught by the professor who had "SPECTACULAR" (if you ever had this guy you know what I mean) eyebrows. Ended up being the hardest class I took at Iowa State, considering I didn't slack. Basically everyone in my class said the same thing. Crazy technical for a history class.

 

[BCClone]

I thought the name was familiar, and with your description I know this was definitely the guy…

Took diff eq with him over the summer and thought he was weird but the class was going ok….

Then we get to the first exam, and at the end of the period he has us go through our own exams and grade them ourselves as he explains the correct answer. I definitely remember looking around and wondering if I was high etc, but that was it - we graded our own work for that whole class.

What type of grade did you give yourself and what should you have gotten?

 

[ZRF]

When I took 165 they were using a new textbook, one that was supposedly written by 2 ISU grads. My mantra was I didn't go to class unless attendance was required. I typically had zero problems learning from textbooks, but this particular one was terrible, often going from step 1 or 2 to step 5 while missing several important steps. Bombed the first test, followed by a D+, then formed a study group with two peeps from my floor. Helped tremendously and got my grade up to a C. After having some of the highest, if not the highest drop percentages for the class (along with several complaints about the textbook), they canned it after that year. Knew several who had to drop or failed, only to retake and get As with a much better book.

 

[NickTheGreat]

I thought the name was familiar, and with your description I know this was definitely the guy…

Took diff eq with him over the summer and thought he was weird but the class was going ok….

Then we get to the first exam, and at the end of the period he has us go through our own exams and grade them ourselves as he explains the correct answer. I definitely remember looking around and wondering if I was high etc, but that was it - we graded our own work for that whole class.

I remember him saying that a student review called him a pompous ass. He agreed and wore it as a badge of honor.

I had him 01 to 03.

 

[throwittoblythe]

I took Meteorology during one of the first years that the internet was a thing. One of our assignments consisted of looking at radar in a few locations and predicting the weather a couple days out.

....****, I think I just aged 10 years typing that.

This was still a thing when I took it in 2006-ish. You could go online and submit a forecast once a day for the whole semester for extra credit. You got a few points just for doing it and even more if you were actually right. All I ever did was go to the NWS forecast and copy that.

The final was worth 170 points. Walking into the final, I needed 3 points to keep my A.

 

[throwittoblythe]

I'm surprised Physics 221 isn't on there. That seemed to be the main engineering weed out course 10 years ago.

I had a terrible prof for that. The tests were next to impossible. Exam problems were always orders of magnitude harder than the homework.

I recall getting hammered after the mid-term for that class. The prof would let you write down your answers (multiple choice) and he would post the exam key like 2 hours after it was over so you at least knew your score. I checked my score after many, many drinks. I got 50%. Woke up the next day thinking I had to have screwed up because I was so drunk. Nope.

 

[CyclonesMoney]

Do they still teach COBOL? Lol Tomlinson and wife taught that class and they sucked at it. His wife especially, that lady was a sadist.

 

[dafarmer]

Heard Basketweaving 101 is Iowa's top class participation, except for athletes. They are all too clumsy to pass the exams.

 

[Macloney]

It's weird to see the lab section of Gen Chem 1, but not the lecture is in the top 10.
Labs were always the best part of the course.

I dropped the lab and retook it without the lecture.

Basically, I didn't need to go to class to come in and pass the tests for the lecture, but not being at the labs was a killer and you couldn't squeeze by if you missed class. The positive spin was that I was Junior in a lab with mostly Freshman and most of them were female. This turned out to be a completely new group of women who turned me down in college.

 

[BCClone]

This was still a thing when I took it in 2006-ish. You could go online and submit a forecast once a day for the whole semester for extra credit. You got a few points just for doing it and even more if you were actually right. All I ever did was go to the NWS forecast and copy that.

The final was worth 170 points. Walking into the final, I needed 3 points to keep my A.

For my 206, a friend of mine knew guys in AGR frat and found that the instructor had a rotation of exams. Once you took the first one, you knew what the other 3 would be and he got me copies of them.