5/6 Office Mon 5/8 11-1pm (some of those 15min intervals have been already booked). Overall, it is safer to arrange via e-mail rather than to just come to my office (otherwise there is no garantee that you'll be able to meet me). 5/5 Hope students forgive me for being very brief responding dozens of messages. Now many of you are trying to figure out which option to choose. This is how (under the "after final" option) your attendance will be converted into a BU numerical grade G (which then will be entered as one of 14 units from which the lowest two will be dropped). Each non-excused absence (of eather disc or lecture) takes 0.2 off 4.0. NO APPEALS regarding already missed meetings will be considered. (Hopefully, each case of excused absence has been already reported to me or to the TF). Test 1 grade is determined as if it were for the "no final" option.
5/2. Spring 2000 students (those who have ONLY missed one of 1a, 1b, AT MOST) have an option of getting their current grade as their grade for the class. You have to let me know (electronically) if you choose that option (but no later than 2 days before the Final). You have to send the following information to me: (SAMPLE) t1a=2.7, t1b=2.1, t2=3, t3=2.8, t4=2.2; grade=(2.7*2+3*2+2.8*2+2.2)/7=2.74=B-.
From the above sample it is clear that the four tests count 2 units each. The lowest one unit is dropped (in the sample it was the t4 score). If you attended both of 1a, 1b then your t1 score is the max of the two. Otherwise, t1 is 1a or 1b (if you missed one of those). Those who missed one of tests 2,3,4 (or both of tests 1a, 1b) are not eligible, they have to take the final. Within a day of receiving your info, I'll CONFIRM your grade. Anyway, be ready to take the final if there is NO CONFIRMATION from me.
Scale: C-: [1.5,1.8], C: [1.9,2.1], C+: [2.2,2.45], B-: [2.55,2.8], B: [2.9,3.1], B+: [3.2,3.45], A-: [3.55,3.8], A: [3.87,4]. Cases which are not determined by the above scale, I will decide myself about. Hope the above is self-explanatory, and I won't be receiving requests to clarify the above policy.
It is clear from the above, that IF under of "no final" option the grade IS determined by the score alone (which means your score does belong to one of the above closed intervals) then the attendance is ignored. However, when your score is "in between", then I'll be taking your attendance into consideration.
There is no such thing as a SAMPLE of the FINAL TEST. Each of the problems on the final will be similar to one of the tests 1-4 problems, or/and to one of the HW problems, or/and to one of the examples from the text. All sections are divided into 3-4 different disjoint sets depending on their importance (check in your class web file which I continue to up-date). I advise you first study sections from set I, etc. On the Final you'll be allowed to use our textbook, your notes, a calculator. However, you won't be getting points for, say, a mere reference to a calculator. Overall, it'll be testing of your ANALYTICAL skills.
2/13
From time to time I receive messages like:
1)"...I don't know what it is, but I knew all the concepts and can do the math. I have been at almost every class and discussion and really do like calculus. Unfortunately my grades do not express this...It makes me sad that on the tests I frequently can not fully express and utilize the concepts."
2) "...I don't always see how to begin the solution. Is there one set way to begin according to the theorem that it is related to ?
A.L.(on both ## 1,2): There is always the stress of the test (and only 45-50 min at hand). Such things did influence my grades negatively. I was lucky to be able to launch a career of a mathematician despite of that. I did encounter people ( who made decisions like letting me in for graduate studies) who did believe in potential of a student rather then in one's GPA. What is one's goal in life ? To be happy, isn't it ? For many of us that would be impossible without a future job which you'll love.... To my mind, problems are frequently individual with numerous ways of doing them. How to be better prepaired for a test. In general, please, check with "focus on problem solving" (throughout the text). Working in small groups (at dormitories ?) was very common with us in Russia. You learnt much from those discussions. Try even problems, as well. For my Calc-I, III classes, there is Calculus by Berkey (later editions: with Blanchard) on reserve in the Sci Library. At home, I have the 1st edition by Berkey alone. Welcome to try problems from out there. Thorough reading of the main text is always an important necessity.
MA 225: ... students complaining of the #2 on Test 1b. They used the same letter as parameters for L and M to obtain the 3 equations at the intersection. They are claiming that "t" used in L and M equations are confusing. They also pointed the similar question in the book where the different letters are used in the two equations of lines.
A.L.: I do believe that # 2 (especially when it's an open book test !), it was a nice testing (by the standard problem !). If one boldly sets up the equality of position vectors "r_L = r_M " without realizing that the numerical values of parameters might be different, that means one doesn't grasp that part of the subject. At one of the lectures I did emphasize the necessity of two different letters (t, t~, say) when solving an "intersection problem".