Learning calculus has become a central skill in many scientific and professional careers, perhaps the most important skill. Whether calculus proves to be a barrier or a gateway for you depends on how well you learn it. We want you to do as well as you possibly can. It is for this reason that so much structure is provided:
Lecture and Recitations, Office Hours, Homework, Newsgroups and the WWW, Residence-Based Support, The Math & Maple Centers, Review Sessions
There are also the Tutoring and Learning Resources offered by Academic Support Programs, which provides tutoring and reviews. The purpose of this document is to explain what is available.
Lectures and Recitations: Three of your four class hours each
week are spent in lecture, where the professor explains the concepts and
methods of calculus. At lecture, you should try to get a sense of what is the
most important for you to fully understand so that you can study efficiently.
Your recitation hour will have a Teaching Assistant (TA) and a smaller group of
students. In recitation, attention will focus on the solution of specific
calculus problems and kinds of problems. To get the most out of recitation, it
is crucial that you have seriously
attempted the assigned homework in advance. The TA will try to focus on the
areas where students are having difficulty; this is clearly impossible if you
do not attempt the assignment ahead of time.
The Math Department Web page is another good source of information about
math. It can be found at: http://www.math.upenn.edu.
This site contains information about the math program at
The methods which have been
outlined so far are intended for students whose difficulties are more or less
manageable. However, if your difficulties are more serious, what should you do?
The most important thing is to Get Advice. There are a number
of options. It is very important that you are directed to the most appropriate
one for your situation.
Getting Advice:
You can come to see the Undergraduate Chairman of the Math Department or the
Associate Undergraduate Chairman. You can contact the Math Department office
(215-898-8178) DRL 4W1 for their hours and locations. You may also contact them
by email, at UGradChair@math.upenn.edu.
Getting Your Act Together:
Successful students do a number of things which greatly increase the
effectiveness of the time they spend studying. They tend to use study groups.
They take advantage of the various means of help, particularly residential
math help, the Math
and Maple Centers and review
sessions. Unsuccessful students are seldom able to organize their work
satisfactorily and often misjudge their situation until it is almost too late.
If you find yourself getting into these difficulties, you will need to do some
reorganizing. A good way to start is by finding out about the math help
available in your residence or in other places on campus. Another source of
help is the Penn Tutoring
and Learning Resource Center, located in
Getting a Tutor:
There are two options for getting a tutor:
1.
If you feel that
your problem is not just math and that more general counseling is in order, you
should go for an interview at the Tutoring
Center in
2.
The Mathematics
Department maintains a list of recommended private tutors. For
students with special needs, we also have a small amount of money to help in
making these tutors available. See the Undergraduate Secretary or the Math Web
for the list of tutors, and see Undergraduate Chair if you have a special need.
Changing Calculus Courses:
The Math Department usually permits students who are enrolled in a Calculus
class to drop the one they are in and add the previous course in the same
sequence until the end of the drop period. This is several weeks after the end
of the add period, but it is still permitted. In the way,
students who find themselves with "too much advanced placement
credit" can drop back into the previous course without losing a semester.
Taking Math 101 or Math 103:
Math 103 is the for-credit Calculus course for students who have had no or
little Calculus in high school. Some students take Math 103 before attempting
Math 104. It is offered every semester, both during the day and in the evening.
Math 101 is a non-credit calculus preparatory course for students who need
additional work on their algebra and trigonometry skills before being able to
take calculus successfully. It is only offered in the evening. The goal of this
course is to get you ready to take Math 103.
Dropping Mathematics This Term:
This is the last resort. Before
the end of the drop period, any student may drop any course for any reason, and
no indication appears on the transcript. For five weeks after this drop date, a
student may withdraw, provided that permission is obtained from an Assistant
Dean. A grade of W will appear on the transcript. Thereafter, withdrawal must
be applied for via petition and is granted only for special reasons. Part of
the petition must be filled out by your professor. You can get a petition from
your school office.