Due Monday, November 20
MAT 2680 students’ instructions
MAT 2680 students, the instructions here are not for you! Do not comment on this post! See the post with your instructions over on the MAT 1275 site here (link coming soon).
MAT 1275 students’ instructions
MAT 1275 students, welcome to the MAT 2680 site! The students in MAT 2680 are learning to solve differential equations. A differential equation is an equation that involves derivatives of some mystery function (you’ll learn about derivatives in your calculus class). A solution of a differential equation is just the mystery function that satisfies the equation. The concept of an equation and a solution are not too different from the analogous concepts in your class!
MAT 2680 has MAT 1575 (Calculus II) as a prerequisite, which has MAT 1475 (Calculus I) as a prerequisite, which has MAT 1375 (Precalculus) as a prerequisite, which has MAT 1275 (your class) as a prerequisite!
So the MAT 2680 students are like future versions of you, who have already passed MAT 1575. Even if you are not going to take MAT 2680 yourself, you probably have questions that the MAT 2680 students could answer.
- Maybe you’d like to ask them what skills or material they think is most important from MAT 1275?
- Maybe you’d like to ask them what they wish they’d learned better from MAT 1275 or from any of their other math courses?
- Maybe you’d just like to ask them how they succeeded in MAT 1275 or in any of their other math courses?
- Maybe you have a more personal question for them like what their major is, what they like about differential equations, what they liked about Calculus or Algebra, or what other math classes they have to take?
Now’s your chance to get some advice from students who are a bit ahead of where you currently are on their math journeys!
So, your instructions for this assignment are simple: in the comments below, ask the MAT 2680 students any questions you like.
Since you have not commented in this group before, your comments will not appear right away. They have to be approved by the administrator first, but the administrator is me and I’ll approve any questions as long as they are not too inappropriate. Anyone who asks a question will earn participation credit.
What have you learned in math MAT 2680 ?
What is your experience in MAT 2680 ?
Hey there Pavlo!
MAT2680 has been a busy, but pleasant experience. There are many concepts that are explored in the course, so there are quite a wide variety of topics. It almost feels like you see new and completely different or unrelated topics every other week. It’s all in bite-sized chunks though, so it isn’t all bad. It’s fairly manageable as long as you practice the work!
Speaking of practice, I’d also recommend getting used to studying for exams. Everyone has their own ways to do so, but I would say a great way is to always look over previous homework problems. Writing down some notes for yourself is also a great way to check if you’re comfortable with the content of the exam. It might take a bit, but I guarantee that it will help in the long run! I’ve actually made notes for Calculus 2 exams that I still look back on today.
Dealing with all the exams and classwork can definitely get pretty stressful, especially at this time of the semester. Keep in mind that you’re almost at the end and push through!
Best of luck,
Jonathan Lee
We learn differential equations in 2680, that’s not the thing that can be explained in a few word.
The way I learn and prepare for a college math exam(not only in 2680 but all)
1.Never miss a class and write down all the notes on board.(I hate learning form textbooks, that’s confusing)
2.Organize your notes and eliminate the useless parts(for me I eliminate almost all the theorem and only keep a few key steps on how to solve the problem, because I don’t wants to review a bunch of stuffs before exam)
3.Practice your notes in homework and eventually apply them in exam.
How to achieve a high score in a math test:
1. **Take thorough notes during class:**
Actively engage in class discussions and jot down key concepts, formulas, and explanations. Organize your notes for easy review.
2. **Practice with a variety of example problems:**
Work through a diverse range of example problems to reinforce your understanding of different problem-solving approaches. This helps build a strong foundation for tackling test questions.
3. **Ask questions promptly when confused:**
Don’t hesitate to seek clarification during class or immediately after encountering a challenging concept. Addressing confusion promptly prevents misconceptions from lingering.
4. **Regularly attend office hours:**
Attend office hours to discuss any lingering questions, seek additional explanations, or get guidance on problem-solving strategies. Utilize this time to deepen your understanding of the material.
5. **Attend classes punctually:**
Be consistently present and on time for all classes. Missing any part of the lecture may result in gaps in your understanding, so prioritize punctuality to maximize your learning.
Next semester I’m MAT 1375.It’ll be my first time taking pre-Calc.When you guys took Pre-Calculus was it hard?
As the name kind off implies, the class will be start building the foundation for the upcoming Calculus knowledge. I believe it is implied that it is an important class. Some of the subjects will look weird (You will start doing math with infinity) but you will figure it out. Math only gets as hard as you are willing to devote to learning it. Review notes, do the homework, go over test and try to understand where you are failing, and lastly never give up.
I wouldn’t say that it was hard but challenging. I would say that it’s all about preparation and studying early. doing homework and going to tutoring often can really help you build confidence for taking an exam and understanding the material. I wish you the best of luck.
I wouldn’t say that it was hard but challenging. I would say that it’s all about preparation and studying early. doing homework and going to tutoring often can really help you build confidence for taking an exam and understanding the material. Good luck taking pre-calc and enjoy it.
Out of all my high school math classes, pre-calculus felt the easiest, thanks to a great teacher. Even though it’s not the most complicated, it’s still a tricky subject. Pre-calculus is super important because it gets you ready for calculus 1 and 2. The stuff you learn here is used a lot in those later classes, so paying attention and studying hard is key. Make sure you really get what you’re doing in pre-calculus because it sets you up for success in the next levels of calculus!
Hey Melissa!
MAT 1375 can be a tricky course if you do not keep up with the lessons. The best advice I can give you is to really pay attention in class, take notes (even if they may seem repetitive) and go to your professor’s office hours for more help! Also, if you create a Whatsapp or Discord groupchat with other students in your class, you get to have another resource to find help when it comes to homework and lessons you may struggle with!
Best of luck to you!
Hey Melissa, to answer your question, Pre-Calc wasnt as bad as it though it would be. Its a class that is going to prepare you for Calculus. I would say theres a fair amount of Algebra involved in Pre-Calc so if youre doing good in Algebra, then you should have no problems next semester!
Do you feel this class has been helpful this semester?
Are you afraid of finals?
Hi Amanda, I think that Differential Equations is very helpful in engineering and in the future. For example, a friend of mine uses Differential Equations to model the weather in his programming career. It opens up great career options.
As for finals, I find that it’s usually pretty clear what will be on the final – mostly content from previous tests! If you re-do some test problems from earlier in the semester, you’ll be prepared for the final, and nothing will be a surprise. That will help with being afraid of finals.
Hey Amanda, hope you’re doing well, I think Differential Equations this semester has been very helpful because I will definitely be using it for my other engineering class. As for finals, im terrified if im being completely honest but the more I study, and practice for my finals the more prepared I feel. My advice to you is study study study and don’t be afraid to ask for help, Trust me is better to ask for help then be lost.
Good luck
Hey Amanda, I think Differential Equations is helpful because it can actually be applied to the real world. It also has connections to physics and engineering, so if you don’t want to be a math major you can still use this class to build your knowledge in other fields as well. As far as finals, I have never not been afraid of finals. It’s an inevitable thing. Something that does make me feel less afraid is being prepared, so study!
Hey Amanda, yes I do feel that this class is helpful as I am already utilizing some of the concepts that I learned in this class in my major (Computer Engineering Technology – CET) mainly 2nd order differential equations and Laplace’s transforms.
As for the finals, there will only be one new topic/problem, other than that, I would have to review my past exams to see what my shortcomings are and practice the correct way to solve them as to not make the same mistake.
My major is mechanical engineering, which topics out of MAT 1275 will be your biggest takeaway?
Should I value the trigonometry part of this course more than the algebraic ?