Q. I am e-mailing you because it recently came to my attention that during my transfer Orientation the person who helped me make my schedule for this semester placed me in both Accounting 100 & your 2:35 Calc class. Your class along with my accounting 100 course are scheduled to have final exams at the same exact time. I have already spoken with my T.A. for accounting who informed me that there is no way they would be willing to let me take my final exam at a different time. Although it is very difficult, I would like to keep the current schedule I have but can only do that if there is a possibility of changing the time which I would be taking my Calc Final Exam. A. I am sorry but I do not allow the final exam at a different time. Q. I will be leaving town early Friday morning due to a family emergency. Also, in the future, I will be missing one or two Friday lectures for a UW sports team that I am on. Is there any way to gain missed information? A. You could ask one of the students in class if you can copy their lecture notes. Many students find it helpful to go over homework problems with one or more of their fellow students in a study group. In my experience more learning takes place when the students work problems. So you might try working extra problems in the sections you miss (as well as the ones you don't miss). Q. The answer solution in the textbook contains answers to odd problems only. Hence students are not sure if their answer to the even numbered solutions are correct or incorrect. As a result of which they do not solve even numbered problems. What should we do? A. Mostly I assign odd problems. Some teachers assign even number problems in hopes that it will force students to develop strategies for verifying whether their answer is correct or not. Since on the exam there will be no answers, this would be an important skill to have. In my experience, instead the students ask you what the solution to every even problem is. One of my colleagues forced the publishing company of a well-known calculus book to issue an edition just for us that had the answers to all the problems in back. One of my other colleagues threw a fit because someone else teaching the same course put the Instructors Manual on reserve in the math library. The manual has worked out solutions to all the evens. Q. If it is possible, I need to reschedule my mid-term exam. On Thursday, Oct. 12, I also have a zoology exam at 7:30 pm, and that professor has asked that I try to reschedule my calculus exam because there are nearly 900 students taking the zoology mid-term. Would it be possible for my T.A. to give me the exam sometime on Friday, Oct. 13? A. I never give early exams or the same exam at a different time. With 900 students it is nearly impossible not to give an alternative exam. If you cannot reschedule your zoology exam contact your TA to get permission to take a makeup exam. The makeup will be a completely different exam to be made up and given by your TA at a time and place mutually agreed upon. Q. The first midterm is scheduled for Thursday, October 12 at 7:15 PM. I am also enrolled in Zoology 101, and the first midterm for that class is also October 12 at 7:30 PM. I was wondering if there is any way I could schedule to take the exam at another time? A. It may be that your Zoology class has an alternative exam time. Otherwise contact your TA to get permission to take a makeup exam. The makeup will be a completely different exam to be made up and given by your TA at a time and place mutually agreed upon. I never give early exams or the same exam at a different time. Q. On the midterm day, I also have a Zoology 101 midterm which starts at 7p.m. So, I would like to take a makeup test for math. I would like to know whether I can take a makeup test math or I should try to move the zoology midterm. A. You should to take an alternative exam in the zoology class. Q. I am sending this email to Prof Miller and Prof Thoma. My name is *****, and I am both of your courses. On Thursday, October 12th, I have a zoology midterm at 7:30pm and a Calculus exam at 7:15pm. Unfortunately I cannot make both at that time. I was hoping to come up with a compromise time . . . A. (from Dr. Thoma) We have an alternate exam in Zoology 101 at 5 pm on October 12. Thank you Dr. Thoma. Q. I was just looking on the website for past exams to study off of for the upcoming exam and I couldn't find them. If you could point me in the right direction that would be greatly appreciated! A. I have only taught m211 once before but m221 and m272 are similar. See www.math.wisc.edu/~miller/old/ Q. Of the practice exams that you have posted for us to look at, are there any that you would particularly suggest studying? A. I am not sure what you are talking about. My old exams are on the web at www.math.wisc.edu/~miller/old I posted the 211 exams in 1999 and have not looked at them since. M221 and M272 are also first semester calculus courses. I recommend that you study your homework exercises and do the practice exams at the end of chapter 1 and chapter 2. Q. I have had an unexpected family obligation arise in where I really have to leave that Thursday night of the exam...is there ANY possible way I can take the test ahead of time? A. No. I am sorry you have family problems. You need to get permission from your TA to take a makeup exam the week after. Q. i was wondering if there were any alternate times to take the exam. i am scheduled to have an interview during the time of the exam and was wondering if there were any other times (earlier or later) that i could take the exam? A. I am sorry you will need to reschedule your interview. Q. I'm curious to know how the grading for the exams works. Is it on a curve, and what is the average score? A. Yes, I grade on a curve. I will tell you the average score after the exam has been graded. Q. Will we need to know the equations like the half-life, marginal cost, marginal profit, Richter scale, etc. for the exam? Or will you give us that equation if we need to use it? A. I will give you the equation for Richter scale if I ask such a question. Q. Here are the formulas i wondering if we need to use: -Compound Interest Formula -Population Growth -Exponential Decay -Continuously Compounded -Richter Value -Decibel Scale -Half Life -Sum Rule -Product Rule -Quotient Rule -Definition of Derivative (not the slide rule) -The Chain Rule A. If I ask you a question on the exam on Richter Value or Decibel Scale I will supply you with the formulas. Everything else I would expect you to know. By the way -Compound Interest Formula -Population Growth -Exponential Decay are mathematically given by the same formula kx y=Ce only the names of variables are changed. Q. Will sections 3.5 and 3.6 be included on the exam? A. Yes. Also 3.7 Q. Will the problems be clearly from one section, or will the problems be cumulative from many chapters? A. Some problems might involve multiple sections and chapters. Q. I'm in your 211 lecture and I realized that I'm having a lot of trouble with the word problems from the practice exams and i was wondering if you know of any questions from the book that could help me practice. A. My guess is that your TA has made up a practice exam - I did not. You should probably ask your TA. Q. What I've been doing over the past week is going through all my homework problems, as well as completing the reviews at the end of each section for Chapters 1, 2, and 3. Do you think that this is adequate preparation for Thursday's exam? A. Doesn't this depend on the student? I think it is the minimum to do for the average student. Why don't you try working all odd numbered problems from the book? Q. I know that you mentioned that the exam would be similar to our homework problems, with the exception of the last problem that you will be grading. In addition, I printed off the 1999 practice exam tonight to work on. Do you think that this is a pretty good indicator of types of problems we will see on the test? In going through it, I found myself unfamiliar with some things, so I was wondering if the whole test is a good example A. It is not a practice exam. It is the exam I gave in 1999 and posted in 1999. I have not read it since and I am not going to. If you read the web page you will find the textbook and homework assignments that the exam depended on. Q. For our midterm on Thursday. I really would like to make sure that I am prepared in every way possible for this test. Because we only have 2 midterms in this class, I would really like to be successful on this one to start the semester off right. If you have any suggestions you could share with me on topics to pay extra attention to, or just other study methods (are the homework problems the best way to prepare for this test?) or things to do that will prepare me really well for the exam, I would truly, truly appreciate it. A. I suggest that if you have worked all homework problems, that you work all the other odd numbered problems in the book.