The City College of New YorkCCNY
Department of Mathematics
Division of Science

Math 212-GH Spring 2020

Course Syllabus and CLO

  • Math 212 Spring 2020 Syllabus - Course syllabus. Contains grading policy, requirements, assignments and other important info.

  • CLO - The course learning outcomes for the course.

Office Hours

Video Recordings of Lectures

Click here for video recordings of the lectures posted on YouTube.

The class Spirit Animal

You can find his page here.

Homework

The first set of HW is due on Feb 7th, so get on this!

Read this section in its entirety.

By following the instructions here, you will be given digital access to the homework system for $80. That instructions document also includes the class code that you will need to register for my section specifically.

Recommended upgrade:

If you also want a printed loose-leaf version of our text here is a super-cheap paper textbook option just for City College students, only $35 on top of the $80 for MML. (Personally, I highly recommend this option. It is only $35 more expensive than just getting digital access and to me it's worth it. Following the instructions below is also cheaper than going through the publisher's website directly.)

  1. Click Here (you may right click and open in another window or tab).

  2. Enter the following username/password: -Username: CCNY -Password: Math201

  3. Click on the title link "Thomas' Calculus: Early Transcendentals Package for City College of New York." This package includes the paper copy of Thomas Calculus: Early Transcendentals along with a MyMathLab access card. You will use this card to obtain full access to MyMathLab.

  4. Click on the Add to Cart button to complete the purchase.

You will receive your copy of the book together with the MML card in the mail.

(Optional) Khan Academy Resources

Khan Academy videos and practice problems compiled by prof. Matt Auth.

Quiz and Quiz Answer Keys

Be careful using the answers. It is often the case that students view the answers prematurely and in the end it doesn't help. Blank versions are provided here as well. If you did poorly on a quiz, do not look at the answers right away. Print out THE VERSION YOU TOOK, go over this version slowly. No help at first. If you still do poorly after going over it slowly, then use your text/notes to help. If that still doesn't go well, go see a tutor. Only after this point should you look at the answers--after you've made several attempts on your own and then got human help. At the end of this cycle, print out the OTHER version, the one you didn't take, and then go through that, no help, under timed conditions. The grade you get then will more accurately represent what you understand.

Quiz 1

Quiz 2

Quiz 3

Quiz 4

Quiz 5

Reviews for Tests

Test 1 Review

  • FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!

Step 0:

Do NOT access the past final exams on the main Math 212 webpage. We will use selected problems from these in the future in reviewing. Again: Do NOT access the past final exams on the main Math 212 webpage. Some problems are outdated, and we will use others in the future.

Here is the review guide for the first exam. It comes to you in the form of tests. The first of which is already linked below.

Step 1:

Go over the items you will be expected to be able to do on the test. These are:

  • Be able to evaluate various integrals using the techniques we've done in class. You should be able to do both definite and indefinite integrals.

  • Be able to use numerical integration techniques, like: Simpson's rule and the Trapezoid rule. Know how to find their errors.

  • Know how to evaluate improper integrals, and how to determine their convergence via comparison.

  • Know how to determine if a given series converges absolutely, conditionaly, or diverges.

  • Know how to find the radius and interval of convergence of a power series, including determining if the end points of the interval will work.

  • Know how to use Taylor/Maclaurin series to compute definite integrals, also know how to approximate your results.

  • Know how to find the Taylor/Maclaurin series for a function from scratch, or using a known power series.

WARNING: Don’t spend too much time reviewing the above! A couple hours tops. You already put in the time and effort into these topics by doing homework and studying for quizzes, you just want to hone your skills a bit, brush up and refine your summary/formula sheet (Do NOT use a summary sheet or any aids while taking a mock test!). Anything more is wasting time. You want to assess how you will do on a long form test as soon as possible, so don’t wait too long to start step 2.

Step 2:

After doing your quick brush-up of the topics, complete Mock Test 1 linked below (finish reading these instructions first!). Very Important: Do it under test conditions, time yourself and do not get help from your notes or anything or anyone. When the time is up, STOP WRITING, no matter where you are. Give yourself 90 minutes.

Step 3:

After doing the test, take a break. Then come back and assess for yourself how you did. You may also consult your classmates or someone else, like a (virtual) tutor to go over items you feel sketchy on. I highly recommend that you do this step with other people-–either a small group of your classmates or one experienced tutor–-it is not very efficient otherwise.

It is very important that you know the only way to assess yourself as to what you understand is what you can do on your own. If you get something wrong, but when you read someone's solutions they seem "obvious", it is important that you realize it is actually not obvious to you, because if it was, you would not have gotten the problem wrong in the first place. Make sure you review WHY that had to be the solution and make sure you understand by testing yourself with UNFAMILIAR problems.

Step 4:

Brush up again on the topics that you assessed gave you trouble in step 3. Use unfamiliar problems to do this. The textbook will be a great resource.

Step 5:

More reviews will follow. Do them under test conditions. We'll also be testing out an online platform when testing the others.

Step 6:

After each test, review with other people again. And fill in all your gaps once more. Rinse and repeat.

Check your solutions with others. By now you should be getting closer to the grade you want. If not, you need to keep redoing this process, along with the required follow up. You also need to find new problems to do this with. Have someone else look through the problems in the syllabus or text, and pick out new problems of similar difficulty for you do do, and write them in the form of one of the review test. Just print a review test, scratch out the problems and write new problems in. Have someone do this for you, if you do it yourself, it's not a fair test. A test will surprise you with questions, you won't be surprised if YOU pick the questions.

There's a difference between understanding and remembering, so always try new problems when testing your skill. Going over old problems that you recently practiced will only boost your ego, not your understanding.

Step 7:

Ask Jhevon for advice at any point after step 2.

Step 9:

When you feel like you’re absolutely ready and you’ve completed step 1 above and studied until you’ve passed out. Access the review test(s) below and complete them according to the instructions above.

Test 2 Review

  • FOLLOW THE INSTRUCTIONS!!!!

Step 0:

Do NOT access the past final exams on the main Math 212 webpage. We will use selected problems from these in the future in reviewing. Again: Do NOT access the past final exams on the main Math 212 webpage. Some problems are outdated, and we will use others in the future.

Here is the review guide for the second exam. It will be given on Top Hat just as the first exam was.

Step 1:

Go over the items you will be expected to be able to do on the test. These are:

  • Know how to switch between polar coordinates and rectangular coordinates.

  • Know how to describe a region in 2-space using polar inequalities.

  • Know what parametric curves are and how to perform calculus with them, including finding derivatives, tangent lines and arc length.

  • Know how to sketch surfaces, including but not limited to: planes, cylinders, and quadric surfaces.

  • Know how to find the equation of a line and the equation of a plane. You will be given a variety of situations and asked to find a line or plane described by the situation.

  • Know how to describe distances between points and planes and lines and planes. Be able to find these distances as well as locations which are the shortest distance away.

  • Know how to evaluate multivariable limits, including showing they do not exist and proving it when they do exist.

  • Be able to compute partial derivatives in a variety of situations.

  • Bonus problems will vary with my mood, but they will be form topics done in the second have of the course. You may expect, as examples, various problems regarding vectors, sketching problems, domains of multivariable functions, sketching level curves and contour maps, sketching surfaces, finding areas and angles, etc.

WARNING: Don’t spend too much time reviewing the above! A couple hours tops. You already put in the time and effort into these topics by doing homework and studying for quizzes, you just want to hone your skills a bit, brush up and refine your summary/formula sheet (Do NOT use a summary sheet or any aids while taking a mock test!). Anything more is wasting time. You want to assess how you will do on a long form test as soon as possible, so don’t wait too long to start step 2.

Step 2:

After doing your quick brush-up of the topics, complete Mock Test 2 on Top Hat. The mock test will be open until Wednesday May 13 at noon. Very Important: Do it under test conditions, time yourself and do not get help from your notes or anything or anyone. When the time is up, STOP WRITING, no matter where you are. Give yourself 90 minutes.

Step 3:

After doing the test, take a break. Then come back and assess for yourself how you did. You may also consult your classmates or someone else, like a (virtual) tutor to go over items you feel sketchy on. I highly recommend that you do this step with other people-–either a small group of your classmates or one experienced tutor–-it is not very efficient otherwise.

It is very important that you know the only way to assess yourself as to what you understand is what you can do on your own. If you get something wrong, but when you read someone's solutions they seem "obvious", it is important that you realize it is actually not obvious to you, because if it was, you would not have gotten the problem wrong in the first place. Make sure you review WHY that had to be the solution and make sure you understand by testing yourself with UNFAMILIAR problems.

Step 4:

Brush up again on the topics that you assessed gave you trouble in step 3. Use unfamiliar problems to do this. The textbook will be a great resource.

Step 5:

Ask Jhevon for advice at any point after step 2.

Step 6:

When you feel like you’re absolutely ready and you’ve completed step 1 above and studied until you’ve passed out. Access the test on Top Hat. Good luck!

IF YOU'RE IN MY CLASS YOU SHOULD TAKE THIS ON TOP HAT. A copy of Mock Test 2 is posted here for the reference of other students that follow my content.

Mock Test 2

Final Review

This semester we will be having a multiple choice final and we will be practicing multiple choice problems during our review classes the week of the 18th. However, there is still value to practicing long form exams. Computational problems will arise from time to time, and you need to understand the process of solving various problem types.

To that end, do the following within the given time constraints (goal is to do them much quicker than the given time constraints).

Go here access the indicated files and practice the problems mentioned.

  • Sample final A: 1,2,4,5,6,7,8,9 (1 hour 30 mins)

  • Sample final B: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7(a),7(b),8,9,10(a) (1 hour 45 mins)

Go here access the indicated files and practice the problems mentioned.

  • Fall 2014: 1, 2, 3, 5, 9, 10, 11(b)* (1 hour 15 mins)

  • Fall 2013: 1(b), 1(c), 2, 3, 8, 9(a), 9(b)*, 10 (1 hour 15 mins)

  • Spring 2013: 1,2,3,7(b),8,10(a),10(b)*,11(a) (1 hour)

  • Fall 2012: 1,2,3,8,9,10(b) (1 hour)

  • Spring 2011: 1,2,3,7,8(b) (45 mins)

  • Fall 2010: 1,2,3,8 (45 mins)

  • Spring 2009: 1,2,3,4*,9,10 (1 hour)

  • Fall 2008: 1,2,3,7(b),9(b),10 (1 hour)

  • Spring 2008: 1,2,3,8(b),10 (45 mins)

Go here access the indicated files and practice the problems mentioned.

  • Fall 2005: 1(b),6,7,11,12 (45 mins)

  • Fall 2006: 1(a),6,7,11,12 (45 mins)

  • Fall 2007: 1,5(a),6,7,10,11,12(only sketch) (1 hour 15 mins)

  • Fall 2008: 1,4,5,8,9,12 (1 hour 15 mins)

  • Fall 2009: 1,6,7,8,9(c) (45 mins)

  • Fall 2010: 1,6,7,8(b),10 (only sketch),12 (1 hour)

  • Fall 2011: 1,6,7,8(a) (only sketch the solid),8(b),10(b),12 (1 hour 15 mins)

  • Fall 2017: 1,5(a) (only sketch the region),6,7,8(b),10(a) (45 mins)

  • Spring 2005: 1(a),2,6,7,8(a),12 (1 hour)

  • Spring 2006: 1,3,4 (only sketch),5,8(a),9(b) (only sketch),10(b) (only sketch),11(b),12(b) (1 hour 30 mins)

  • Spring 2007: 1,7,8,11 (sketch region only),12 (45 mins)

  • Spring 2008: 6,7,9,10(a) (only sketch R),11,12(b) (1 hour)

  • Spring 2009: 1,6,7,9,11 (1 hour)

  • Spring 2010: 1,6,7,8,10 (only sketch the region),13 (1 hour)

  • Spring 2011: 1,6,7,8(b),10(b),12 (1 hour)

  • Spring 2017: 1,6,7,8(b),10(a), 10(b) (sketch region only) (1 hour)

  • Spring 2018: 1,6,7,8(b),10(a) (45 mins)

Blank Tests and Solutions

How to use these tests and solutions

Remember, there is no substitute for your own work. If you just go straight to looking at the solutions, it will not be as helpful to you. Especially if you're not doing so well, and you feel like you didn't do so well on the test. Print out the blank versions first. Work through the version that you took and try to fill in the gaps on your own. First, work through it with no help, then you may use your notes to help you. If you still have gaps or insecurities, you can get help from a tutor. At this point, when seeing the tutor, you can print out the solutions and take them with you and have the tutor review them and help you understand them. Once you're confident your gaps are filled in, try the OTHER version under test conditions (with slightly less time), and you can check your work with the solutions then. Be sure to distinguish what you do on your own vs what you do with notes vs what you do with a tutor. Your metric of understanding is ALWAYS what you can do on your own.

Test 1

Unfortunately, because of the crazy turn of events this semester (really, 2020?!) I may not be able to post the solutions any time soon.

Test 2

Unfortunately, because of the crazy turn of events this semester (really, 2020?!) I may not be able to post the solutions any time soon.

Documents and Handouts

Announcements

  • Remember to let me know if the email I have for you is not the best one.
  • Test 1 is on Mar 25
  • Test 2 is on May 13
  • The date/time/location of the final is TBA. Keep checking for updates here
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