Attendance at lectures is very strongly encouraged. You should attend all lectures and quiz sections, and attend them with a positive, enthusiastic attitude: doing so will go a long way toward helping you do well in the course. You are responsible for knowing everything that happens in lecture and in quiz section, whether you attend or not.
You should ask another student in the course what was covered. Ask to borrow their notes, and copy them by hand (perhaps first photocopy them, so you can return them promptly). If you have any questions about the material, ask your TA or instructor.
No, but you can turn it in early, or have another student turn it in for you. Also, you are allowed to miss one homework assignment and one activity with no penalty to your grade, so as long as you turn in everything else, missing one assignment will have no effect on your grade.
No. You are allowed one missed assignment, so as long as you turn all the others in, a missed one will not effect your grade at all.
That is up to you. Just be sure your work is as near as possible. If your work is too hard to read, we may refuse to grade it.
Yes. Please staple your homework before coming to lecture to turn it in; you cannot expect there will be a stapler in lecture (I never have one). If your work is not stapled, we may refuse to grade it.
You work on group activities every Tuesday during quiz section, except during exam weeks.
If you are in class and working on the activity during the entire quiz section and still don't finish, you may finish the activity at home and turn it in during the next quiz section (but no later than that).
Yes. Part of learning how to do mathematics is learning how to communicate mathematical ideas. Group activities offer students the opportunity to articulate mathematical ideas and processes to their peers. We want to hear you having conversations about the material.
Yes. I've found that often students underestimate their abilities relative to the rest of the class. You may be surprised at what you know and what others don't know. Further, remember the point is to have conversations about the material. Asking your colleagues how they arrived at an answer or why something is true may start valuable conversations. In addition, in answering your questions, other group members may realize that they've made a mistake and your group can work to correct them.
No. You can work with whomever you like. If this person is a real nuisance and you can't avoid him or her, speak to your TA or instructor.
No. You may miss one activity without penalty.
Exam dates are listed on the course website.
You are allowed to use a ruler, a calculator, and one 8.5-by-11-inch sheet of hand-written notes.
No. Note sheets must be hand-written. To construct a hand-written note sheet, start with a blank (both sides) sheet of paper and write on it.
Yes.
Anything you want as long as it's hand-written.
No. A photo-copied note sheet is not hand-written.
Using a typed note sheet is an instance of academic misconduct. If you use any source on the exam other than what is described above, I will give you a zero on the exam (and offer you a hearing before the Committee on Academic Conduct).
Try one of the Student Counseling Center's Study Skills Workshops. They are offered periodically throughout the quarter.
During exams, you have to demonstrate your ability to solve problems, not simply your understanding of the material. (I've watched tennis for years and I understand how to play. That doesn't mean that I am able to play tennis. If I wanted to do well on a tennis test, I'd have to practice actually playing tennis, not just watch other people playing.) You MUST practice solving problems BEFORE you get to the exam.
Yes. If you already have a graphing calculator and you know how to use it, feel free to continue doing so.
No. Graphing calculators are not necessary in this course, they tend to be very expensive (around $100), and can be difficult to use (depending on the model). You can get a good scientific calculator for around $15 or less and that will work just fine for this class.
A scientific calculator does computations a bit beyond the basic four operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. You'll need a calculator that can compute powers, square roots, and natural logs (look for a button with an "ln" on it).
Folks in the School of Business tell me that the HP 10bII (about $40) is a good choice for business students. If you don't plan on applying to the business school, then the HP 9s is a cheaper option (around $10) that will work just as well in this class. The TI-30X IIS and the TI-30X IIB (around $15) also work well. As long as the calculator can compute powers, square roots and ln's, you've got the right kind.
All work is expected to be your own. Submitting another person's work as your own or copying work from another student on an activity, homework, or exam constitutes cheating. (This includes copying answers from the back of the book and submitting those as your homework.) Further, allowing someone to copy your work is also considered cheating. The consequences for allowing another student to copy your work on an activity, homework, or exam are the same as for the student doing the copying.
If you are accused of cheating, you have the right to a hearing before the university's Committee on Academic Conduct. Information on the hearing process and possible university sanctions can be found here. If you are found guilty of academic misconduct, then in addition to any sanctions imposed by the Committee, you will receive a 0 on the assignment in question.
No.
The Math 111/112 Study Center is in the basement of the Communications building: CMU B-006.
Math 111 students come to the MSC and work on their homework or study for exams. Some students work alone, some in groups. TAs and instructors for the course are in the room, available to answer questions. If you need help and the tutors are all busy, put your name on the waiting list on the board at the front of the room.
There may be times when the wait for help at the MSC is long, especially the day before a homework assignment is due or around exam time. We suggest that you start your studying early and go to the MSC early in the week when the wait will be shorter.
Not really. There will only be one or two tutors in the MSC at any given time. Most of the time, this means that the tutors will only be able to help each student or group of students for a few minutes at a time. If you need a personal tutor, you may want to try the tutor list available here or outside the Math Student Services Office (PDL C-036).
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