- Who should take Introduction to Chaos and Fractals?
- What's the deal with The Physics and Math of Sustainable Energy?
- Should I take Calculus? Am I ready for Calculus? Do I need to take Calculus?
- I've taken Calculus before. Can I start in Calc II?
- Am I ready for Calc III?
- I've taken Physics before. Should I take Physics I? What about other physics classes?
- What's the deal with Physics III?
- What's the deal with the different statistics classes?
- What advanced math courses are there?
- Is computer programming offered?
- I think I need a precalc class, but I don't see pre-calculus listed. What should I do?
- I'm really bad at math, I'm intimidated by it, or I just plain dislike it. What should I do?
- I really like math and physics. I want to get a strong background in these subjects. What should I do?
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What math is needed for graduate school?
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Who should take Introduction to Chaos and Fractals?
This course is designed for students who are not ready for or don't want to take Calculus or Physics, but who need a QR and/or an ES course, and/or want to learn some interesting and fun math. It is not a systematic review of algebra and is not specifically designed to prepare students for further study in the sciences or mathematics. This class is highly interdisciplinary and emphasizes connections among chaos, fractals, and many different fields of study. Students who need a more thorough or systematic review of algebra are encouraged to take Physics I or Chemistry II. Intro to Chaos and Fractals is probably the least traditional QR class regularly offered at COA.
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What's the deal with The Physics and Math of Sustainable Energy?
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What advanced math courses are there?
There are a number of options, including Differential Equations, Linear Algebra, and Calculus III.
I also offer tutorials to small groups of motivated students in intermediate and advanced topics. If you think you might be interested in a tutorial, let me know. From time to time I also do independent studies or small research projects with advanced students.
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Is computer programming offered?
I incorporate python programming in Differential Equations, which I expect to next teach in Winter 2019.
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I think I need a precalc class, but I don't see a pre-calculus class listed. What should I do?
Are you sure you need a pre-calc class? You don't need to have taken a class called pre-calc to take calculus. If you haven't had enough algebra to take calculus, I think the best thing to do is to take Physics I. This is probably the best class for solidifying algebra and learning some basic trigonometry.
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I'm really bad at math, I'm intimidated by it, or I just plain dislike it. What should I do?
My experience has been that almost all COA students who fit this description are able to find a QR class that works for them. Introduction to Chaos and Fractals is probably the most basic math class at COA, in that it relies the least on a prior knowledge of algebra. If you're looking for something more concrete, a physics or chemistry class might be for you. There are lots of different courses that meet the QR requirement. Talk to me or drop me an email and we'll figure something out
The exams in math and physics classes at COA are untimed and open notes. So you don't need to race to finish problems, and you can consult your notes or the textbook. I've found that this usually significantly lessens students' math anxiety. Almost all math, physics, and chemistry classes have a least one student teaching assistant, so there will be plenty of opportunity to get help.
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I really like math and physics. I want to get a strong background in these subjects. What should I do?
I really like math and physics, too. And I also really enjoy computer programming. There are a good number of intermediate to advanced classes at COA, especially in mathematics. I also am usually able to offer tutorials if there is an intermediate or advanced topic that a few students want to learn about.
There are also opportunities off campus. Students can also take a term or two at another college as a visiting student. In the not-too-distant past, COA students have gone to the University of Washington and Smith College to take some advanced math classes that aren't offered at COA. Also, there are lots of opportunities to do research internships in the summer.
The bottom line is that I've found that COA students are able to get an excellent background in math and quantitative analysis.
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