Academic Expectations
The purpose of this statement is to make you aware of the expectations
of your mathematics instructors at UH. You will also find some
suggestions as to how to meet those expectations. If you follow the
suggestions you should understand the course better and obtain the
grade you are capable of earning.
- IN THE CLASSROOM
Expect to have material covered at a much faster pace than in
high school. We expect you to come prepared to class as detailed
below.
- OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM
Lecture time is at a premium, so it must be used efficiently. You
cannot be taught everything in the classroom.
Much of your learning must take
place outside the classroom. At a minimum
you should plan on studying two or
more hours outside the classroom for each hour in class.
You should attempt all the homework that is assigned and try
additional problems in areas where you feel weak.
- THE TEXTBOOK
You are expected to read the textbook for comprehension. It gives a
detailed account of the material of the course. It also contains many
examples of problems worked out, and these should be used to supplement
those you see in the lecture.
Use pencil and
paper to work through the material and to fill in omitted steps.
Read the appropriate section(s) of the book before the material is
presented in lecture. Then
the faster-pace lecture will make more sense.
After the lecture carefully reread the textbook along with your
lecture notes to cement your understanding of the material.
- EXAMS
Our intent is to determine how well you understand the basic
principles underlying the methods and if you are able to apply these
principles to novel as well as routine situations.
Some problems on an exam may seem new, but all will be
solvable using principles from the material on which you are being tested.
- SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS
It is your responsibility to communicate clearly in writing up
solutions for homework, quizzes, and exams.
Your results must
display your understanding well and be written in a
correct, complete, coherent, and well organized fashion.
The rules of language still apply in mathematics, and apply even when
symbols are used in formulas, equations, etc.
Neatness counts!
In Conclusion:
It is your
responsibility to learn the material. Most of this learning
must take place outside the classroom.
The instructor's job is primarily to provide a framework, with some
of the particulars, to guide you in doing your learning of the concepts
and methods that comprise the course. It is not to
``program" you with isolated facts and problem types.
The instructor stands ready to help you learn, but the
responsibility is yours. If you are experiencing difficulty, go to
your instructor's office hours for extra help.
If you don't do your part, then there is
very little the instructor can do to make up for it.
Based on: Zucker, Steven, Teaching at the University Level,
AMS Notices (43), 1996, pp 863-865.