A Note to Math 120 Students
from the Department of Mathematics
Welcome to Math 120. This is a course in precalculus.
What makes this course interesting?
The use of precalculus and its
consequences cuts across many disciplines, ranging from biology
to business to engineering to the social sciences.
We hope that seeing how precalculus can be used to solve
real world problems will be interesting.
What makes this course difficult?
The hardest
thing about precalculus is algebra.
You all know from previous math classes how one course will build upon
the next, and precalculus is no exception. Math 120
will introduce a basic toolkit of examples and then focus on
multi-step problems and
applications. Some of these problems are lengthy and algebra
mistakes can lead to hours of frustration. We will not be reviewing
algebra, since that is a
prerequisite for this course.
However, there are
a number of algebra/skill problems scattered throughout the book
to help you review.
Very few of you will go on to major in mathematics or computer science,
but most of you will eventually see how precalculus is applied in your
chosen field of study. For this reason,
we aim for ability to solve application problems using precalculus.
We will work through
a large number of "word problems" ("story
problems") or "multi-step problems". This is one key place
Math 120 will differ from a typical high school
course. It is also important to note that the ability
to apply precalculus requires more than computational skill; it requires
conceptual understanding.
As you work through the homework, you will find two general
types of problems: calculation/skill problems and multi-step/word problems. A good rule of thumb is to work enough of the
skill problems to become proficient, then spend the bulk of your
time working on the longer multi-step problems.
Five common
misconceptions
Misconception #1: Theory is irrelevant and
the lectures should be aimed just at showing you how to do the problems.
The issue here is that we want you to be able to do ALL problems--not
just particular kinds of problems--to which the methods of the course apply.
For that level of command, the student must attain some conceptual
understanding and develop judgment. Thus, a certain amount of theory is
very relevant,
indeed essential. A student who has been trained only to do certain
kinds of problems has acquired very limited
expertise.
Misconception #2: The purpose of the classes and assignments is to
prepare
the student for the exams.
The real purpose of the classes and homework is to guide you in
achieving the
aspiration of the course: command of the material.
If you have command of the material, you should do well on the
exams.
Misconception #3: It is the teacher's job to cover the material.
As covering the material is the role of the textbook, and the
textbook is to be read by the student, the instructor should be doing
something else, something that helps the student grasp the
material. The instructor's role is to guide the students in their
learning: to reinforce the essential conceptual
points of the subject, and to show their relation to
the solving of problems.
Misconception #4: Since you are supposed to be learning from the book,
there's no need to go to the lectures.
The lectures, the reading, and the homework should combine
to produce true comprehension of the material. For most students,
reading a math text won't be easy. The lectures should serve to orient
the student in learning the material.
Misconception #5:
Since I did well in math, even precalculus, in a good high school, I'll have no trouble with math at UW.
There is a different standard at the college level. Students
will have to put in more effort in order to get a good grade
than in high school (or equivalently, to learn the material sufficiently well by college
standards).
How do I succeed?
Most people learn mathematics by doing mathematics.
That is, you learn it by active participation; it is very unusual for someone to learn precalculus
by simply watching the instructor and TA perform.
For this reason, the homework is THE heart of the course and more
than anything else, study time is the key to success in Math 120.
How much time will I need to spend on this course to succeed?
This course is intended for students who will need calculus in their subsequent courses and in their careers. It is intended to be a much more challenging and in-depth course than most high school calculus courses. You should allocate a lot of time for homework and studying for exams. The University policy in the case of a 5-credit course is 10 hours per week.
The ten hour requirement is an average for all students who have
fully mastered the prerequisite materials. Some students may need
more than 10 hours outside class if, for example they need to review
the prerequisite material or if they learn at a slower pace than
others.
It is much better to spread your studying as evenly
as possible across the week; cramming 15 hours of homework
into the day before an assignment is due does not work. You will find
this course moves at a much faster pace than a high school course and
you should be careful not to fall behind. Pacing yourself,
using a time schedule throughout the week, is a good way to
insure success; this applies to any course at the UW, not just math.
(Textbook Author Note: Over the last 10 years of teaching this course,
the
single biggest problem encountered by students in this course is
poor management of study time.)
What resources are available to help me succeed?
Math 120 is a challenging university level course and
the math department would like to see every one of you pass through
with a positive experience. To help, a number of resources are available.
Your instructor and TA will be accessible to help you during
office hours, which will be announced early the first week of the
term. If you are new to the university, you might have the false impression
that professors are aloof and hard to approach. Our faculty and TA's
make themselves
very accessible to help their students and you should not be afraid to
ask for advice or help.
The math department operates a Math Study Center (MSC),
located in B-14 of Communications. This facility is devoted to
help students in our freshman math courses only. The center has
extensive hours of operation that will be announced the
first week of class. The MSC is staffed by advanced undergraduate and graduate
students who can help you with difficulties as you work through
the course. In addition, many faculty hold office hours there as well. One
useful piece of advice: The MSC is often overcrowded
the day before homework is due; this is another good reason to spread your
study time out over the week.
Some students use the MSC as a place to
meet a small group of fellow students and work through
problems together. Explaining solutions to one another is often
the best way to learn.
A large amount of
material is available on line (including old quizzes, midterms and
finals) at