Section Specific Information

For any general information regarding the course, please consult http://www.math.ubc.ca/~shawn/Math104-184/, this page is for information specific to section 108.

Instructors name: Avner Segal

e-mail: avners@math.ubc.ca

Office hours:

Following are a list of advice and guidelines  that you should know:

Getting information:

In case that you need further information on the course, its policy and material you should:

  • Come and see me after class.
  • Look at the common webpage http://www.math.ubc.ca/~shawn/Math104-184/.
  • Look around this webpage.
  • You can ask your friends and the instructors on Piazza, further information in the common page.
  • e-mail me.
  • Come to office hours!!!

Grading scheme:

  • 30%  – Midterms, the dates are in the common page. Put them in the calendar! In case of a valid time conflict, contact me and the IIC right away.
  • 10% – WebWork assignments (more on this later).
  • 10% – Section specific (More on this later).
  • 50% – Final exam in December, the date is not known yet so see that you are in UBC until the end of the exam period.

Note that your final exam might be subject to “scaling”. This is done in order to ensure fairness and uniformity across sections.

WeBWork:

  • Each week there will be an online homework set. The lowest score will be dropped.
  • Use your CWL to login, a link can be found in the common webpage. An exemplary assignment should be online, log in and try it out tonight!
  • All homework is due Monday at 11:00pm unless stated otherwise.
  • Doing your homework is crucial in the process of studying math. The aim of the WeBWork assignments is to help you learn the material and not to test you.
  • Kepp a WeBWork Journal with all your scrap work.
  • Post content questions on Piazza.

 

Section specific Grade:

  • 1% for coming to office hours at least once and introducing yourself.
  • 9% quizzes, worksheets and occasional written homework.
  • Tentatively, quizzes will be held in the following dates: Sept. 23, Oct. 7 & 21, Nov. 4 & 25.
  • You are not allowed to use calculators or any other electronic devices during quizzes (and the same goes for the midterms and finals).
  • There are NO make-up quizzes and you cannot write a quiz in another section.
  • Follow the section website for updates.

Workshops:

  • These will not affect your grade and the attendance is optional but they might prove very useful so use them well!
  • These are problem solving sessions facilitated by the head TA.
  • The schedule and location will be posted on the common website.

Academic Misconduct:

UBC takes cheating incidents very seriously. Any suspicion of cheating will be investigated thoroughly and punishments can be severe.

In particular, you can (and should!) discuss homework between you but your submitted work should be yours! (In particular, variables in the problems are chosen randomly, so copying the answers of your friends will not be very helpful).

i<Clickers:

I wish to use i<Clickers in class, so if you’ve got them, please bring them.

Other Tips and Advices:

  • Keep in mind that due to cultural differences, my signs for +, 1 and 9 might be different from what you’re used to. I will make a conscious effort to write them in the “north American style” but might absent-mindedly write them differently. Don’t be afraid to ask me if anything on the board is unclear.
  • The same goes for not hearing me.
  • Don’t be shy!
  • Review your notes before class. I would suggest making a summary of the material at the end of your notebook and updating it weekly (if not more than that). This will help you study to quizzes, midterms and the finals.
  • Study in groups and use Piazza, Go to the MLC.
  • Ask questions. Ask me, ask your friends, ask the TAs.
  • Download the course book (http://www.math.ubc.ca/~shawn/Math104-184/files/APEXCalculus_version3.pdf, 80MB so do it in campus) and use it.
  • Try to read ahead and come to class with some idea of what we are going to discuss.
  • Don’t be ashamed to use the internet: Wikipedia, WolframAlpha, desmos, Google(use carefully)
  • Use office hours! Regularly!
  • Do your homework!!!
  • Do an effort to participate in active learning.
  • Try to keep up, don’t let this course get out of your grip. It’s way easier to stay ahead than catch-up!
  • Other resources: Sander school of business tutors, Alumni society, Access&Diversity.
  • TAKE CARE: Get enough sleep, eat healthy, drink enough water, exercise regularly and believe in yourself.
  • If you fail in one the above, the campus has a large variety of clinics and counselors.

 

Last remark about food, laptops and cellphones:

Please avoid, as much as possible, the use of laptops and cellphones in class. If you know that you have to, please sit in the back of the class. The idea is that you and your friends won’t get distracted. Anyway, bring a notebook to class.

I don’t mind if students eat in class, however I do not know the building policy about that. In any case, avoid noisy and aromatic foods and leave the place clean.