Have you ever taken a class that you know that you would fail?
Just so you could understand as much as possible?
I did in computer science. I gleaned what I could in first year Java. I failed horribly. (1/9).
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Actually, yeah. Several times. Many were free, online courses. I tried my best, knowing I’d likely not pass. Once I was rather disappointed failing out day one. Still, like you, I tried it more to try and get something out if it, not really wanting or needing to be an expert in said field. It’s all good.
College level – Not that I recall. I have signed up for many classes and dropped if I felt it was over my head or I needed more prep to get a better understanding. I don’t like wasting my money.
Computer based training like O’Reilly Learning , I have had this experience. I however don’t consider these as classes because they are only several hours of a training class.
Like your final point, I have self learned many things like UNIX, Java, Novell, Windows Server, Exchange, and many I have forgotten now by days, months of work with only the software/hardware and documentation.
I don’t consider it a fail as long as you learn something from it!!! I also don’t pay to take courses that I’m just “interested” in gleaning. I go either online or to the library to read as much as I can about the subject & learn as much as I can on my own. Many college kids are willing to answer any Q’s you might have for free. Some charge a nominal fee. My local library has a free coding course once or twice a year. Then the groups that have completed the course will meet about once a month for 6 months to a year to share ideas & assist in clearing up any misconception about how to do.
Physics.
I knew I was way over my head, but I was compelled to try.
Funny thing. My first day in class, I solved a problem that had been unsolved for 400 years, though I (and apparently the teacher) didn’t know that.
Had I realized that, my life would have probably been much worse.
In grad school, it was a reinforcement learning course. It was the first time I found myself behind the curve but I was learning so much I kept going, dropped it the last day but continued to follow along after I dropped it. I know most of the people who did well in that course are now working in that field.
No. But then again I never anticipate failing a class.
No. That’s why, for once in my life, I dropped a class. I did not understand the equation on p.1 of the text book, which was the basis for the rest of the equations in that course.
I asked the instructor to fail me because I wanted to repeat the class. Does that count?
(It was a P/NP swimming class.)
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