Not Feeling It
Son's semester began on Monday. We had a study session together last evening, and I already feel doomed.
I think a big issues is that the one guy who is in charge of the Fisheries program is a hot-shit researcher with rather limited teaching skills who has completely lost track of the difference between an undergrad program and a graduate program. The list of classes he set up for the students majoring in fisheries includes a 400-level chem course and a 400-level geology course.
Should the kids have good general knowledge of chemistry and geology? Heck, yeah! But I cannot stress enough that trying to take a 400 level chem class when you are not, in fact, a chemistry major with all the underlying 200 and 300-level work is MADNESS.
Not just my son, but most of his fisheries cohort, failed out of the 400 Environmental Chem required for the major last spring. It will not be offered again until spring 2026. The whole group of them has been told (by Prof Dingbat himself) that 400 Organic chemistry, offered this spring, would be an acceptable substitute. However, the same problem applies. A whole group of kids whose only chemistry so far has been general chem 201 and 202 are being expected to hop into a 400 level class. No shade on the organic chem teacher - but I'm sure his teaching is (rightly!) geared toward chem majors! What is he going to do with a group of students who are already lost on week one?!
If experience has taught us anything with this school, it is that he will shrug and say "Not my problem." and fail them all. And this HAS to be an ongoing issue that the Fisheries advisor has seen play out over and over. Most chem requires really, really strong math skills, and not every person who chooses a biology field is going to be a mathelete. Just.
AAUUGGH!
(This is even more frustrating now that Son has confirmed with a fried at a different school that their requirements are MUCH more reasonable for the same degree.)
