Math 300: Course Schedule

1. What is your favorite mathematical topic and why? favorite class and why?

2. What are your best and worst experiences with math?

3. Why do you like math? more than other subjects?

4. Why did you become a math major?

5. Has anyone influenced you to become a math major?

6. How do you plan to use math in the future?

7. How has math benefitted you?

8. What was your first memorable experience with mathematics?

9. Why do you think math is important to the world?

1) What are your short term goals (1-3 years) immediately after you graduate (next May)?

2) What are your long term goals (3-10 years) after graduation?

3) What areas of mathematics do you find the most interesting or are comfortable enough with that you would want to build your career around these topics?

4) What plans or strategies do you have for finding a job or career when you graduate?

5) Should career planning be a part of the math major colloquia?

6) How should the Comps Requirement for Math majors be different?

Math 300 Spring 2016	Students / Syllabus	Ron Buckmire: Contact / Home / Schedule
Course Schedule	Requirements / Comps Preparation	Ron Buckmire: Contact / Home / Schedule

Jan 26	Welcome. Go through the syllabus and rationale for Junior Colloquium (Prepare for Comps Part 1, fulfill Junior Writing Requirement, "math major finishing school"). Comps Part 1 Exam date is Tuesday March 15, 2016 Take 35-minute test in Calculus 1 and then discuss the main ideas of the course. Read this cool article from the Wall Street Journal about how being a Mathematician is the best job in the U.S.! DUE FEBRUARY 2 *Be Prepared For Mini-Test On Calculus 2*
Feb 2	Take 35-minute test in Calculus 1 and then discuss the main ideas of the course. Solutions to the Calculus 1 questions are available. DUE FEB 9 *Prepare for Practice Comps Exam in Calculus 2*
Feb 9	Take 35-minute test in Calculus 2 and then discuss the main ideas of the course. Solutions to the Calculus 2 questions are available. Here are the list of questions your Automathography should address (your paper does not need to address EVERY question on this list!): NOTE: Your automathography should include the description of some mathematical topic in depth (i.e. there should be mathematical symbols and equations in your paper) 1. What is your favorite mathematical topic and why? favorite class and why? 2. What are your best and worst experiences with math? 3. Why do you like math? more than other subjects? 4. Why did you become a math major? 5. Has anyone influenced you to become a math major? 6. How do you plan to use math in the future? 7. How has math benefitted you? 8. What was your first memorable experience with mathematics? 9. Why do you think math is important to the world? DUE FEB 16 *Prepare for Practice Comps Exam in Multivariable Calculus*
Feb 16	Take 35-minute test in Multivariable Calculus and then discuss the main ideas of the course. DUE FEB 23 *Prepare for Practice Comps Exam in Linear Algebra* *E-mail* *a 3-page digital copy of your* *Automathography* *to "ron at oxy.edu" [if you want feedback on your draft]*
Feb 23	Take 35-minute test in Linear Algebra and then discuss the main ideas of the course. Solutions to the Calculus 3 questions are available. DUE MAR 1 *Hand in a 3-5 paged final draft of your Automathography in hard copy form.* *Prepare for Practice Comps Exam in Discrete Mathematics*
Mar 1	Take 35-minute test in Discrete Mathematics and then discuss the main ideas of the course. Solutions to the Linear Algebra questions are available. DUE MAR 15 Study for actual Comps Part 1 Exam! Solutions to the Discrete Math questions are available.
Mar 8	*SPRING BREAK!*
Mar 15	The solutions for the 2016 Calc 1, Calc 2, Multi, Linear and Discrete practice exams are available. The 2016 Comps Part 1 Exam is scheduled for this date! (10am-1pm in Weingart 117.)
Mar 22	Begin discussion of TeX (meet in Brown Lab). You should go to sharelatex.com or overleaf.com and create an account before class for use in creating TeX projects. Math 300 TeX documents are on Google Drive. DUE MAR 29 Write up an annotated solution of a practice Comps Exam problem in LaTeX. (Due April 12th) Reproduce the following LaTeX document
Mar 29	Continue discussion of TeX (meet in Brown Lab). Martin Chi '09, a Mathematics major who is now an alum who is actuarial consultant working in downtown Los Angeles will be talking with us from 10:30am-11:30am on Tuesday March 29. Complete the following survey by Friday April 1st at 5pm 1) What are your short term goals (1-3 years) immediately after you graduate (next May)? 2) What are your long term goals (3-10 years) after graduation? 3) What areas of mathematics do you find the most interesting or are comfortable enough with that you would want to build your career around these topics? 4) What plans or strategies do you have for finding a job or career when you graduate? 5) Should career planning be a part of the math major colloquia? 6) How should the Comps Requirement for Math majors be different? DUE APR 5 Hand in the revised version of your Automathography (written in LaTeX) (Due in class on April 5th). It can be up to 5 pages long.
Apr 5	Job Employment Prospects for Math Majors and Beginning to Select a Topic to begin researching for Senior Comps. Using your responses to the Junior Graduation Plans survey we will spend the class time at the Career Resources Center with Valerie Savior and Dominic Alletto. Career Resoources • LinkedIn Specific Resources I recommend checking out the two videos on Student Overview, Top 5 Profile To Do's, and using the Alumni Tool. • Check out http://www.bls.gov/ooh/ to learn more about career duties and the outlook of specific occupations. • Resource Guides for developing a resume, cover letter, Informational Interviews and more. DUE APR 12 Formal Prompt for Writing Assignment #2. Write up (in LaTeX a solution to ONE of the problems from one of the 5 sections of the 2016 practice Comps Exam. Your solution should be around three pages long. The idea is to show that you can write mathematical explanations in a formal (i.e. type-written) problem in a clear and understandable manner.
Apr 12	We will discuss the features of an effective oral presentation in mathematics and the Senior Comps process. DUE APR 19 Prompt for Comps Part 2 Proposal Include a 100 word abstract with a 1-2 page description of a potential Comps Part 2 topic. The choice of topic is completely up to you. The goal of the Senior Comps is for students to demonstrate their understanding of a topic in advanced mathematics. The hope is that accomplishing the task will involve synthesizing (bringing together) material from more than one 300-level class. All students in Math 400 will give a presentation. SOME will also give a paper. The Department is still discussing how to change Comps requirements for the 2016-17 academic year.
Apr 19	Students will give 1-2 minute oral presentations on their Comps Part 2 proposals. DUE APR 26 Nothing!!
Apr 26	Evaluating Math 300. Did we meet our goals? Are you ready for Math 400? How could Junior Colloquium be improved? PARTY!!