Thu,17 Apr, 2025

    
    My students,

    I have gotten several emails this evening from students who are afraid they
    will fail 460N.  They have calculated their grade based on the percentages
    from my course descriptor and are worried.

    The purpose of my email is to let you know seriously that you are probably
    not in as bad chape as you think.  Certainly, if you understand nothing in
    the course, you will not pass.  But the numbers don't account for improvement
    which I weigh heavily.  Or the time pressure in the midterms which will not be
    the case in the final, or how you stack up against others in the course.  All
    these things can work to your advantage in my assessment of your final grade.
    Again, if you understand none of the material in the course, then there is
    little hope.  But most students I have found over the years really know more
    thatn they give themselves credit for, and that helps a lot.

    I should also point out that in hindsight, I think today's exam was harder than
    I thought it would be, so please do not judge your understanding on the basis
    of how you did on today's exam under today's time pressure.

    Good luck in your attempt to complete the course successfully.

    Yale Patt