- Why did
I take a placement test?
We ask nearly all incoming students to take a
"calculus-readiness" placement test so that we can advise each
student as best as we can on which mathematics class to
take. The test consists of questions about basic algebra and
pre-calculus skills. We expect that you have mastered these
skills from your high school math classes. In your math
class(es) at UC Merced, you will do mathematics that is much
different from that in high school and on the placement
test. At UC Merced, we will teach you to study mathematics
more deeply.
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- What do I
need to do to succeed in my math class?
UC Merced mathematics classes are comprised of a number of
exams including a final exam, homework and participation in
discussion sections. To earn a good grade in a mathematics
class at UC Merced, you must perform well on exams, homework
assignments and participate actively in discussion
sections. There is no substitute.
To succeed in a mathematics class at UC Merced, you need to
learn (1) how to solve a mathematics problem and (2) why
mathematics works the way it does. To learn these two
things, you need to gain experience by solving lots of
problems.
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- What kind
of exams do you give?
On our exams, we ask students to solve a variety of problems
and some conceptual questions. We have posted all exams from
our lower division mathematics courses. We recommend that
you look them over so you can understand what to expect on
our exams.
Each instructor is responsible for writing their
exams. However, the instructors routinely have other faculty
and their teaching assistants look over the exams to help
ensure fairness. The applied mathematics faculty takes these
exams very seriously. We do all we can to ensure that you
have a fair exam and that they are graded fairly.
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- How can I
study for the exams?
The key to performing well on the exams is to practice
solving problems -- lots of them. Solving problems reveals
the depth of your understanding. It helps you identify your
struggles in the material. It helps you to frame questions
to your instructor, TA, tutor or peer in a way that helps
you most. Learning mathematics means doing mathematics. Just
as a violinist must practice scales and a basketball player
must practice free-throws, a mathematics student needs to
practice solving problems.
We ask students often after taking an exam, "In studying for
exams, did you work, in detail, old homework (and in-class)
problems? Did you attempt practice problems and consult
with the instructor, TA or tutor about your solutions?" We
typically find that students in math classes who had really
worked through those problems (not just read them over or
had them shown to you by someone else) were able to handle
most of the exam questions routinely. In fact, we often
select a homework problem word-for-word on our exams.
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- Do you
grade "on a curve"?
Technically, no. We determine your grade for the class by
looking over all of your exam scores, your homework scores
and class participation records. From that entire portfolio,
we determine your final grade. We determine your grade in
this way so that we can take into account better various
situations such as a student who has shown marked
improvement during the semester.
Moreover, we do not believe in pre-assigning how many
students will get A's, B's, C's and so on. If everyone does
exceptionally well in a math class, then everyone should get
good grades. We prefer that students work together to help
each other achieve the best grades they can rather than have
students compete against each other for limited spots on the
"curve."
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- What do you
provide to help me reach my goals?
There are several levels of support to help you reach your
academic goals in mathematics classes at UC Merced.
Your instructor delivers the main content of the class in
lecture. In lecture, your instructor will introduce each new
concept and reinforce this new concept through solving
example problems. Your instructor assigns you homework
problems so that you can practice solving problems and learn
where you are having difficulty.
In discussion sections, we have teaching assistants guide
you through worksheets where you work in groups with your
classmates to solve more problems to help you get practice
solving problems and working with the new
concepts. Discussion sections are also a good place to ask
your teaching assistant questions about homework. Your
teaching assistant may also administer a quiz to help assess
where you are having difficulty.
Both your instructor and your teaching assistant have office
hours. Office hours are set hours during the week where you
can meet with your instructor or teaching assistant
individually to ask questions. Very often, instructors and
teaching assistants hold extra office hours on exam weeks to
give you even more opportunity to help you with your
questions.
Office hours are probably the best-kept secret resource for
students, even though we try to advertise them all of the
time! Office hours are for all students. In addition, there
are other positive reasons to go to office hours. For
example, students who come to office hours get to know their
instructor well which can lead to a positive learning
experience. In addition, a student who comes to office hours
shows clearly to the instructor that they are really
involved in the class. For this reasons, going to office
hours can actually help you earn a better grade in the
class!
In addition, the Student Advising and Learning Center
provides free tutoring (see
http://learning.ucmerced.edu/). We recommend highly that you
take advantage of this valuable resource.
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- Why have you
chosen to do things the way you do?
The applied mathematics faculty at UC Merced have chosen to
teach our mathematics classes in this way to help you best
reach your academic goals. Mathematics is an important part of
many majors here at UC Merced. Mathematics classes are
fundamental to helping you succeed in learning advanced
material that you will encounter as you pursue your academic
goals. We know that many students find mathematics challenging
and frustrating. We have set up our mathematics classes to
help you overcome any challenges you may face in learning
mathematics. Everything that we do in our mathematics courses
is to help your learn mathematics, you need to take control,
ownership and responsibility for your academic career.
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- Whom
should I contact if I am frustrated with my instructor's
teaching style?
We suggest first that you have a discussion with your
instructor to see if you can resolve your issue
directly. However, if you do not feel comfortable discussing
this issue with your instructor, we suggest talking with your
teaching assistant about the problem. Very often you and your
teaching assistant can work to resolve the problem
together. If you find that discussion is not sufficient, we
suggest next contacting the Natural Sciences Mathematics
Coordinator. The Math Coordinator will bring up your issue
with the faculty in charge of the undergraduate mathematics
curriculum and anyone else for whom your issue is relevant
such as your academic advisor.
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- Whom should I
contact if I am frustrated with my teaching assistant's
teaching style?
We suggest first that you have a discussion with your teaching
assistant to see if you can resolve your issue
directly. However, if you do not feel comfortable discussing
this issue with your teaching assistant, we suggest talking
with your instructor. Very often you and your instructor can
work to resolve the problem together. If you find that this
discussion is not sufficient, we suggest next contacting the
Natural Sciences Mathematics Coordinator. The Math Coordinator
will bring up your issue with the faculty in charge of the
undergraduate mathematics curriculum and anyone else for whom
your issue is relevant such as your academic advisor.
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- Do you have
any other advice for me?
At some point in college, most students discover that their
study habits from high school don't work well anymore. You may
find that to be true for your mathematics class(es) at UC
Merced. Even those students who have taken Calculus in high
school are likely to be surprised by the amount of work that
we require. Don't be discouraged! This is an encouraging sign
that you are growing intellectually. Try to figure out what
does work for you. Some helpful hints include
- Manage your time wisely! Plan to spend at least two hours
outside of each lecture and discussion section working with
the material.
- Utilize your instructor's and teaching assistant's
office hours regularly (see Question 6).
- Be mindful of the time it takes to complete a
problem. Speed is not the most important factor in your
success in this course. However, there is a time limit to
every homework assignment and exam. So, to some extent,
you are graded based on your ability to solve problems in
a timely manner. Practice through solving lots of problems
is the key.
- Be engaged in the class and discussion sections. Attend
all lectures and discussion sections, and ask questions
when you have them - don't wait until later.
- As you practice solving problems, always try to
understand the "why" behind the methods you use. Exams
will be written to test your understanding of the methods,
not your ability to follow a "recipe" for solving a
particular problem.
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