First Midterm, Friday, October 21, 2011

The midterm will cover all of Chapter 15. There will probably be four or five problems. Some problems will be of similar difficulty to quiz problems (in particular, there will be one like the second quiz); but some will be longer or harder.

Please read the "Information for all tests" on the quizzes and tests info page.

Study Recommendations.
Be sure you can do all the homework problems and all the quiz problems.
You might want to review the sample quiz questions, too.
Sample midterm.
Chapter review problems #31-40, p. 1023, are all good practice, and the odd numbered ones have answers in the back of the book.
There's a "MT1 extra practice" assignment (will not be scored or counted) on WebAssign.
Solutions for sample midterm. Note: pictures referred to in solutions are on a green handout from class on 10/19; extra copies outside my office, PDL C338.

Office hours before the midterm. Besides the usual office hours, I'll have extra office hours
Thursday, 10/20: 1-2 PM and by appointment* in my office PDL C338; and
4:30-6:30 in CMU B006 (usual late afternoon office hour location).
* I'll be around much of the day for drop-in appointments, but to be sure to find me in, especially early in the morning, confirm a time by email.

Next homework after the midterm will be due Nov. 2. It might be a bit longer than usual because it will cover a week and a half of material.

Midterm Results. Two perfect scores (WOW!), 3/4 of class in range 41 to 54, seven scores in the 30's, and three in the lower 20's. I do not set a grading scale on each test; see the Grading scheme for how I'll set grades at the end of the quarter. If I had to set a scale for just this test, the cut-off for 4.0 would be at about 50 and the 2.0 line would be in the mid-thirties. I am most concerned about the people with scores below 35. Solutions will be posted after the deadline for Midterm Makeups (see below).

Midterm Makeups. To learn more from the test (and help your grade), you may submit solutions for any (or all) of the problems on this makeup test, and get back up to 1/3 of the points you missed. This is optional, but if you want to do this, here are the ground rules.

• Do not write anything on your test paper.
• Do not discuss the makeup with anyone except me. This means do not work with friends or a tutor, or get help on the internet. You may ask me questions; in fact I encourage you to do so if you don't understand how to do a problem. You may of course use your book, classnotes, etc. Do not use any other books.
• If you want to earn points on a problem, you must redo the entire problem (all parts).
• Do the makeup problems on clean sheets of paper. Don't write on your original exam paper.
• Write your solutions up neatly, and check your work. You must explain your reasoning clearly by computations, pictures, and/or words. Your solution should look like a solution an instructor would write up to explain the problem to students. I will grade more strictly on the makeups than on the exam (after all, the exam was timed and the makeup is not).
• The procedure for turning in your makeup is as follows. Email me to make an appointment to discuss your original test and your finished makeup. At the appointment, we will discuss your errors on the midterm (if we haven't before), and I will ask you to explain one or two things on your makeup. Then I will keep your paper to grade it. This appointment must occur no later than Monday, October 31. Note that if everyone waits until Monday, there will not be enough time for all the appointments.
• Be sure to bring your original exam paper as well as your makeup to your appointment with me.

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Most recently updated on October 24, 2011