One of the topics that is at the top of my list to gain a better understanding of is Linear Programming. Before my mother's death last year derailed my studies, I was working through my Operations Research class, and honestly treading water more than anything. I could understand the material, and doing alright with problem sets, but I felt like I needed something more at a basic level.
In hoping to continue my official studies this coming Spring, I've decided to do some independent studies of topics related to Operations Research. I'm beginning with Linear Programming, and have compiled a short list of resources I've discovered online. I hope that you'll find this list of free texts helpful in your own studies. They all come vetted from various sites, including MathExchange and its related domains.
Monday, September 29, 2014
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Another Semester? Looks Like It!
I happened to take a look this afternoon at my financial aid package for the coming academic year. Since I got married and we had our first child in 2012, which included my wife quitting her job to raise our son, this coming academic year will be the first time that I get Pell grants (and the last, it appears, as any further academic endeavors will be at the graduate level).
The basic setup is that I've been awarded roughly $3000 in grants for the coming year, divided across the fall and spring semesters. That means my previous plan of completing all four required classes for my degree in the fall would effectively cost me almost $1500 in grants (aka that becomes an out-of-pocket expense). If I divide my classes across the two semesters and graduate five months later, I've effectively saved $1500.
The choice to me is obvious, especially considering there's no guarantee that I could find a higher-paying job to increase my income in those five months compared to my current employment. I'm choosing to take the safe bet instead of wagering on an extra five months of having my B.A.
To add another advantage to the list, delaying my graduation will allow me to take Mathematical Statistics II and complete the Applied Math focus of my degree (I'll have already completed the Pure Math focus either way).
Beyond that? Still undecided! :)
The basic setup is that I've been awarded roughly $3000 in grants for the coming year, divided across the fall and spring semesters. That means my previous plan of completing all four required classes for my degree in the fall would effectively cost me almost $1500 in grants (aka that becomes an out-of-pocket expense). If I divide my classes across the two semesters and graduate five months later, I've effectively saved $1500.
The choice to me is obvious, especially considering there's no guarantee that I could find a higher-paying job to increase my income in those five months compared to my current employment. I'm choosing to take the safe bet instead of wagering on an extra five months of having my B.A.
To add another advantage to the list, delaying my graduation will allow me to take Mathematical Statistics II and complete the Applied Math focus of my degree (I'll have already completed the Pure Math focus either way).
Beyond that? Still undecided! :)
Monday, May 6, 2013
In Coursework, Don't Lose Focus on the "Easy Stuff"
I'm sure we've all been there, either in our youth or upon returning to school: the end of a semester approaches and an overall grade is hovering within a few percentage points of going up or down by a letter (or a plus/minus). It can be agonizing to go into a final exam or assignment knowing that your final grade for the course can swing either way depending on your performance. When the last few pieces of graded work are some of the most difficult topics you've faced all semester... well, that just piles on the stress.
It's at times like this that I ask myself: how did I get here? I enjoy keeping a running tally of my grades throughout each semester, updating them and recalculating them as more graded assignments are returned. This not only keeps me grounded as far as my expectations, but it also allows me to dynamically and expediently notice if my grades are falling below levels I'm comfortable with.
This all brings me to my point for this post: don't underestimate the early and/or simple graded work in any course. When you look at a syllabus and see "20% of your grade will be homework" or "10% of your grade will be in-class participation," make a mental note of those easier contributions to your final marks. Homework is usually something you can just put more effort into in order to do well upon (since you have plenty of hours to work on it outside of class), and class participation is almost always the easiest way to boost your grade. In online courses, class participation is even more akin to homework, as it usually involves forum posts or similar tasks.
Those "easy" points quickly add up, and give you some wiggle room for the later weeks where coursework becomes more complicated. An added bonus is that by putting in the time during the first portion of a semester, you're more likely to commit those lessons to memory and be ready to use that knowledge in the later weeks that are built upon it. If you're like me, and find your commitment to coursework to decrease as the semester drags on, you'll be thankful later for the energy you spend in the first weeks of a semester.
It's at times like this that I ask myself: how did I get here? I enjoy keeping a running tally of my grades throughout each semester, updating them and recalculating them as more graded assignments are returned. This not only keeps me grounded as far as my expectations, but it also allows me to dynamically and expediently notice if my grades are falling below levels I'm comfortable with.
This all brings me to my point for this post: don't underestimate the early and/or simple graded work in any course. When you look at a syllabus and see "20% of your grade will be homework" or "10% of your grade will be in-class participation," make a mental note of those easier contributions to your final marks. Homework is usually something you can just put more effort into in order to do well upon (since you have plenty of hours to work on it outside of class), and class participation is almost always the easiest way to boost your grade. In online courses, class participation is even more akin to homework, as it usually involves forum posts or similar tasks.
Those "easy" points quickly add up, and give you some wiggle room for the later weeks where coursework becomes more complicated. An added bonus is that by putting in the time during the first portion of a semester, you're more likely to commit those lessons to memory and be ready to use that knowledge in the later weeks that are built upon it. If you're like me, and find your commitment to coursework to decrease as the semester drags on, you'll be thankful later for the energy you spend in the first weeks of a semester.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Updates and Thoughts on Accredited Classes, MOOC's, and General Education Requirements
It's certainly been an interesting academic year from August 2012 to May 2013. I've been quite engrossed in my final two semesters of simultaneously pursuing both my A.S. in Math/Physics and my B.A. in Mathematical Sciences. Now as I approach the end of my fourth full semester of returning to the academic world (in addition to the Summer 2012 eight-week term), there are decisions to be made, schedules to be planned, and milestones to celebrate.
Since I haven't been actively blogging lately, let's begin by recapping my classes over the past nine months:
Since I haven't been actively blogging lately, let's begin by recapping my classes over the past nine months:
- Fall 2012
- Calculus III
- Physics II
- Linear Algebra
- Mathematical Statistics I
- Spring 2013
- Discrete Mathematics
- Differential Equations
- Abstract Algebra
- Advanced Calculus
With the completion of the Spring 2013 semester this coming month, I will graduate with my A.S. in Math/Physics from the local community college. That's the first major academic milestone in my life since "deciding to go back and finish my degree" in the autumn of 2011. It's certainly something I'm very proud of, but it's also a step towards my larger goals.
The next step in the process is completing my B.A. in Mathematical Sciences, which I should complete in exactly one more year (the upcoming Summer 2013 semester, followed by two full term semesters). In order to do this, I need to be sure that all of the requirements beyond the math courses are fulfilled. There are currently four general education requirements that I need to complete, which luckily can all be plugged up by community college courses over this coming summer (and with one CLEP test).
I had hoped to pursue a couple of Coursera MOOC courses in May/June, but sadly it looks like they will need to fall by the wayside as I pursue accredited coursework instead. It's no doubt the wise decision to make, so my interest in both Biostatistics and Machine Learning will have to wait at least a while longer.
While I will be taking 17 credits this summer, I'll be able to dial back to 8-12 credits in each of the two following semesters. Here's what my rough schedule looks like for the next 12 months:
While I will be taking 17 credits this summer, I'll be able to dial back to 8-12 credits in each of the two following semesters. Here's what my rough schedule looks like for the next 12 months:
- Summer 2013
- Contemporary Biology
- Microeconomics
- Art History
- Topics in Number Theory
- Statistical Methods
- Fall 2013
- Geometry
- Operations Research Methods
- Electives (3-8 credits) *
- Spring 2014
- Mathematical Statistics II *
- Elective (3-4 credits) *
Note: * denotes where I have some freedom to choose when I want to take courses. I will need another 8 or so credits between Fall and Spring, and could feasibly complete my degree in the Fall if I forego Mathematical Statistics II in favor of another non-math course.
So, that's a summary of pretty much everything I know right now as far as my education goes. Before long, I'm going to have to make a decision on at least the general path I want to tread after my B.A. is complete. Should I continue on with my dream to pursue a PhD and teach math at the university level, or should I pursue an applied career such as Actuarial Science, Machine Learning, Biostatistics, etc.? Time will tell!
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Coursera announces new math courses via California Irvine
One of the obvious gaps in free online math courses was for subjects that are generally taught at the high school or early university levels. While subjects such as Calculus were "on the schedule" at Coursera and available at developed resources such as OCW, the elementary subjects leading up to it were sorely missing.
Coursera is changing that today with a pair of offerings in conjunction with the University of California, Irvine. Beginning in January, 2013, Algebra and Pre-calculus will be offered for free in the 10-week class format.
This is certainly an important step towards making free online education a complete package. While Khan Academy offers a complete set of videos for these subjects, the ability to receive feedback via grades and follow a stricter syllabus is important for many learners. I look forward to hearing reviews of these new classes when they go live.
Coursera is changing that today with a pair of offerings in conjunction with the University of California, Irvine. Beginning in January, 2013, Algebra and Pre-calculus will be offered for free in the 10-week class format.
This is certainly an important step towards making free online education a complete package. While Khan Academy offers a complete set of videos for these subjects, the ability to receive feedback via grades and follow a stricter syllabus is important for many learners. I look forward to hearing reviews of these new classes when they go live.
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
What I'm Reading - Sept. 12, 2012
Just a quick update on the books I'm currently reading/studying/etc. Both of the books that I'm currently reading (other than my class-centric texts) are from Dover Books, which offers low-priced texts on a variety of topics.
- Linear Algebra by Georgi E. Shilov
- I picked up this book since it's about $10 and was recommended to me. I'm using it as another angle on Linear Algebra while I work through the UIS class on the topic. It approaches determinants early and often, which is very different from the other ways that I've learned Linear Algebra.
- Introduction to Analysis by Maxwell Rosenlicht
- This text was something I wanted to read in my leisure time in order to understand more of the theory behind analysis. I will need to take Real Analysis and Advanced Calculus in the coming semesters, and this text seemed like a cheap one to pick up just to get a preview.
Of course, I'm also reading class texts on Calculus III, Physics II (calculus-based), Mathematical Statistics, and Linear Algebra. Not much time to enjoy much beyond those!
Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Udacity and Coursera Math Courses for September 2012
Both Udacity and Coursera have officially opened up a few courses this week. Although I'm not planning to devote much if any serious time to them right now (my for-credit course load sits at 17 credits of math and physics), I'm certainly planning to spend a few minutes here and there studying what they have to offer. Here's a quick rundown of the new math-related courses that I'm following:
Udacity CS222 - Differential Equations in Action (officially open)
Coursera / Princeton - Statistics I (officially open)
Coursera / Stanford - Intro to Mathematical Thinking (not open until Sept 17)
Udacity CS222 - Differential Equations in Action (officially open)
Coursera / Princeton - Statistics I (officially open)
Coursera / Stanford - Intro to Mathematical Thinking (not open until Sept 17)
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