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I don't know how I feel about this. Many of the students probably took Linear Algebra because they believed it would be a way to satisfy their electives withou

I don't know how I feel about this. Many of the students probably took Linear Algebra because they believed it would be a way to satisfy their electives without messing up their grades and thus their future. They were thinking about other things than your class. Also, you don't really know anything about your students and what path they might be on. For example, I'm taking an elementary level class right now because it's easy and I have one more requirement left and I am graduating this semester and have a startup on my mind. University is incredibly valuable but the idea that it's the only thing in a student's life is just not true anymore (if it ever was). Even with amazing grades you will lose out to those with experience. I'm not saying these classes are worthless, and I value highly the things I've learned that I wouldn't have otherwise. I just don't know what the solution is. I feel like society has destroyed our students' ability to make university their life. Trying to force the students to dedicate their lives to your elective class is just not realistic and you are focusing on the wrong group.

yummyfajitas 17y ago
If you want a certification without knowledge, go to the University of Phoenix. It's completely unreasonable to expect one of the most fundamental math courses (taught at a top 5 applied math school) to be an easy A. Particularly when the students are business, econ, CS and physical science majors, some of whom plan to work on a trading desk. A specific complaint: I showed how to use linear algebra to construct synthetic derivatives (e.g., build a bull spread or iron condor from puts and calls). One of the business majors complained to me that it wasn't in the book and was too hard.
- yesimahuman 17y ago
  I think you're missing my point. While many kids in your math class might need linear algebra in the future, there are many classes that don't adequately prepare you for study in that field yet expect that you are, in fact, on a major path in that field. This just isn't true for many cases and you can't expect students to not be turned off by this. At the same time, learning that you don't know anything about a certain field is incredibly enlightening and makes you realize you aren't an expert in that field, it's just unreasonable to expect students to risk messing up their future in their field of study over a class that isn't relevant. In hindsight, Linear Algebra was a bad example of irrelevance.

yummyfajitas 17y ago

If you want a certification without knowledge, go to the University of Phoenix. It's completely unreasonable to expect one of the most fundamental math courses (taught at a top 5 applied math school) to be an easy A. Particularly when the students are business, econ, CS and physical science majors, some of whom plan to work on a trading desk. A specific complaint: I showed how to use linear algebra to construct synthetic derivatives (e.g., build a bull spread or iron condor from puts and calls). One of the business majors complained to me that it wasn't in the book and was too hard.

yesimahuman 17y ago
I think you're missing my point. While many kids in your math class might need linear algebra in the future, there are many classes that don't adequately prepare you for study in that field yet expect that you are, in fact, on a major path in that field. This just isn't true for many cases and you can't expect students to not be turned off by this. At the same time, learning that you don't know anything about a certain field is incredibly enlightening and makes you realize you aren't an expert in that field, it's just unreasonable to expect students to risk messing up their future in their field of study over a class that isn't relevant. In hindsight, Linear Algebra was a bad example of irrelevance.