Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

This is where you can find a lot of questions asked by my students in the past (hence, the appropriately titled “FAQ Page”). Please refer to this before you ask me a question - this may save you the time it would take for me to answer an email. If you have questions that are not listed below, contact me via email. I may post your question(s) (anonymously, of course) to help clarify a lot of potential concerns in the future.

  • What is your attendance policy?

    • I normally take attendance strictly for the reason of putting a face to the name and having a better connection with my students. With that being said, I do not grade on attendance, however, I think attendance is important especially for this class. This is not a standard “reading off the slides” form of class, since the material that ends up on the exams are not just terms to memorize. Refer back to my Class Overview tab.

  • How can I do well in your class? Do you round grades?

    • As much as I love to be thorough and honest, the answer to the “How can I do well in your class?” question is fairly simple: show up and study. EVERY topic we cover is covered for a reason. While we may dive deeper in certain subjects compared to others, everything we cover in class is fair game. The work and dedication you put into the class is the grade you earn. Therefore, I do not round grades. Rutgers has a strict policy when it comes to grading - and so do I. If you pay attention during the lectures and engage with the discussions and lessons, in addition to studying outside of class hours and submitting your assignments on time (fully completed with the correct answers, of course), then you can expect yourself to perform well and earn a good grade.

  • Is there extra credit?

    • Extra credit is only assigned at my discretion. You should not expect extra credit on any assignment or exam unless I say so explicitly.

  • How are groups assigned for projects?

    • At the beginning of the semester, I will randomly assign each of you to a group of 4-5 people in order to communicate with each other and become acclimated for each group project throughout the semester. It is not based on grade, race, or gender - everyone is I do this so that every one of you have at least a few people to contact and make friends with, so you do not feel like you are tackling the class alone. I know that feeling all too well!

  • (Cont.) What if my group members do not contribute to our projects?

    • This happens a lot more than you think. First, contact me personally if you think someone is looking to “ride the wave” and feed off members who actually complete the work. I can make sure that the group members who complete their assignments do not get punished with the group members who do not contribute. The more evidence you can document, the better (no response to group chats, not completing tasks delegated to them with dates/times, etc.). After all, despite how frustrating or upset a bad groupmate can make you, it is their grade at stake as much as yours. I need to be sure that whoever is accused of slacking off and not contributing to get a reduced grade. Therefore, the more evidence you have of people not contributing to their tasks, the better. Once again, the work you put in will reflect the grade you deserve in this class!