- Teaching Assistants:
- Text:
Math 125 (1998-1999), by Neal Koblitz.
Available at Professional Copy 'n' Print,
4200 University Ave. N.E., Seattle, WA 98105.
- Prerequisite:
2.0 in MATH 124, score of 3 on the AB advanced
placement test, or score of 3 on the BC advanced placement test.
-
Grading:
Your final grade will be based on your total score for the course,
which is computed as follows:
- Midterm 1 = 50 points
- Midterm 2 = 50 points
- Quizzes = 80 points
- Homework = 20 points
- Final Exam = 100 points
Note: that the total points you can receive is 300.
I cannot say at this point what score will correspond to what grade, since
this will depend on the spread of scores, as well as our class
performance (relative to other sections) on the common final exam.
-
Homework:
You will notice that homework is not a large part of
your grade. However, it is very important to do all the homework in order
to do well on the weekly quizzes, which do count for a lot. Homework
will be collected in quiz section each Tuesday.
The homework graders do not correct all problems. They will choose
one or two problems to correct, and your score will be based on these.
To find out whether you got the correct answers
on the remaining problems, you can check the answers given in the
text.
It is important to keep up with the homework. If
you have done most of the homework but are unable to finish all of it in
time, it is best to hand in what you can, and finish it as soon as possible
afterwards. In particular, Late homework will NOT be collected.
The homework will play a key role in your learning the material.
- Quizzes:
There will be a weekly quiz, given each Tuesday in quiz section,
which will be similar to the homework that is due that day.
The first of these quizzes will be given on Tuesday, October 6.
Make-up quizzes will not be given, but the
lowest two quiz scores will be dropped
(to account for a bad week or emergency
absence) and your quiz total will be based on the remaining scores.
Note: Preliminary Quiz.
There will be a preliminary quiz given on Tuesday, September 29
in quiz section, covering
Math 124 material which you are expected to already be familiar with. This
quiz will be graded and returned but it will not count
towards your final grade. The purpose of the
preliminary quiz is to give you some feedback as to your readiness to take
Math 125. If you do poorly on the preliminary quiz you should consider
not taking 125. One option might be to take Math 124 instead if you have
not already done that.
Note: Drop policy
A new UW drop policy began Winter Quarter, 1998. You may drop courses
without any penalty through October 11. This means that you need to
make any such decisions within the first two weeks of the quarter.
- Midterms:
Midterms will be held in class on Friday, October 23
and Friday, November 20. If
for any reason you cannot attend a midterm,
you must let me know at least 2 weeks in advance.
We will arrange a time for you to take the exam
before the rest of the class takes
it (provided of course that you have a valid excuse for missing the exam).
To be fair to all, a midterm cannot be taken late.
Make-up midterms will not be given.
If you have any questions (or complaints)
about the grading on a midterm,
you should contact me with your exam and a written statement
as to what your question is. This must be done as soon as possible
after the exam is returned to you (and no more than a week after, in any case).
- Bad Day Rule (Poor midterm performance or missed midterm):
If one of your two midterm scores is less than 70% of the average of the
other midterm score and the final exam score (with the final exam grade
weighted twice as heavily as the midterm) then at the end of the quarter
this low score will be replaced by 70% of that average. For example, if
your exam scores are 20 (first midterm), 30 (second midterm) and 80
(final), then, since 20 < 25.7 = 0.7 (30+80)/3
the 20 will be replaced by 25.7.
In this way, if you have a "bad day" on a midterm
or if you miss a midterm without making previous arrangements,
you automatically get 70\% of your average scores on the other
exams (provided, of course, that you take both of the other exams.)
This does not apply to the final exam. Please note that this only
helps you out if one of your midterm scores is significantly below
the other midterm score and half of your final score. It is of course
in your best interest to strive to do well on each of the two midterms.
- Final Exam:
All sections of Math 125 will have a common final exam. This exam
will be given on Saturday, December 12, 1:30 - 4:20 pm.
The final exam is comprehensive and covers
all of the material in the course notes.
If you
cannot take the exam on that day for religious reasons or because of a
conflict with another final exam, you will have to petition
the Math Advising Office in Padelford C-36. Please bring
a picture ID with you to the final exam. Further
information about the final exam will be provided
as the quarter progresses.
-
Incompletes:
A grade of Incomplete will be given only if a student is doing satisfactory
work up until the end of the quarter, and then misses the final exam due to
a documented medical or family emergency.
-
Overloads:
The only way to enroll in this class is through STAR.
I do not hand out entry codes and do not sign overloads.
Please see the Mathematics Student Services Office: Padelford C-36
(543-6830) if you have any question.
-
Important Dates:
- Holidays:
Veterans Day, Wednesday, November 11. Thanksgiving Holiday, November 26 and 27.
- Midterm Exams:
Friday, October 23 and Friday, November 20.
- Final Exam:
Saturday, December 12, 1:30--4:30pm.
- Studying:
I anticipate that in order to do well in this course
you will need to spend at least 15 hours a week studying
in addition to the time spent in class.
Keep in mind this is an average based past student experience with this course.
Some of you will have to put in more than 15 hours per week in order to
keep up with the class.
In this regard, it is advised that you become familiar with the
services of the MATHEMATICS STUDY CENTER at your earliest convenience.
In addition, it is advised that you form study groups
as soon as possible. Study groups have several advantages:
(i) you can practice
and learn how to solve more problems in less time
(doing as many problems as possible
is the key to success),
(ii) the best way to really learn something
is to explain it to someone else
(misunderstandings that you never knew you had
come to light under someone else's questioning),
(iii) no two people solve the same
problem the same way,
in a group you may discover new and more efficient ways to
solve the same problem,
(iv) seeing that others also struggle with this material
helps to put your own level of understanding in a better
perspective and will hopefully
reduce some of your anxiety,
(v) the course is designed with the assumption that
you will be working in groups.
-
Mathematics Study Center:
The MSC will be providing services for students in
Math 120 and 124/5/6 ONLY. Fall hours are
| Mon. -- Thurs.: |
9:30am -- 9:30pm |
| Fridays: |
9:30am -- 1:30pm |
| Sundays: |
2:00pm -- 6:00pm |
The MSC is located in B14 Comm, directly below A&S advising.
The MSC is not a tutoring center in the traditional sense. The MSC
provides a comfortable place for students to come together and study,
in groups or individually. There are a number of tutors (both graduate
student TA's and advanced undergraduates) on staff who will sit down with
students to help them get unstuck or to answer questions. The MSC
does not provide long blocks of uninterrupted one-on-one tutoring.
Textbooks, calculators and other study materials are available to be
checked out for in-room use.