Sophomore Mathematics Advising

1. Sophomore Mathematics Advising Spring 2013 Natural Sciences II, Room 1201

2. Agenda • I. Welcome • II. Selecting a Math Trajectory • III. Selecting your Math Courses • IV. Tips for Success in Math Courses • V. Finding Extra Math Opportunities • VI. Timeline • VII. Questions ???

3. The World of Mathematics

4. Overview of the Mathematics Department • Department Statistics • ~ 40 professors (asst., assoc., prof.) • ~ 20 lecturers, postdocs, visiting professors • ~ 350 undergraduate students • ~ 100 graduate students • 5 major concentrations and specializations • ∞ mathematical possibilities http://www.math.uci.edu

5. “He who fails to plan is planning to fail” – Winston Churchill

6. Selecting a Math Trajectory HS Teacher ? Actuary Lower Division Math Courses Quantitative Analyst Math Professor NSA Cryptographer Bio-Math Researcher

7. Careers in Mathematics • High School Math Teacher • Community College Math Professor • College Math Professor • Actuary • Software Designer • Biostatistician • Government Lab Researcher • Financial Analyst • Industry Analyst/Engineer • Education Materials Developer • Industry Consultant

8. Companies Employing Mathematicians • High Schools, Colleges, Universities • NSA • Government Labs • Microsoft • IBM • Hoffman LaRoche Laboratories • Raytheon • Kodiak Group • Eastman Kodak • NASA • Aerospace Corporation • Northrup Grumman • Proctor and Gamble • Theta Engineering • Texas Instruments • LL Bean • Allstate Insurance • Goldman Sachs

9. Mathematics Major Requirements Lower division 2A,2B – Single Variable Calculus 2D,2E – Multivariable Calculus 3A – Linear Algebra 3D – Differential Equations 13 – Intro to Abstract Math 1 year Physics or Chemistry 1 quarter Computer Science

10. Upper division - Depends on specialization chosen - Breadth and Depth requirements - Electives

11. Specialization / Concentration Options - Mathematics Major (pure) - Concentration in Mathematics for Economics - Specialization in Applied and Computational Mathematics - Specialization in Mathematics for Education - Concentration in Mathematics for Education with Teaching Credential (CalTeach) - Specialization in Mathematical Biology

12. Honors Program Earn distinction upon graduation by… - completing special course requirements, - earning a high GPA, - attending an honors math seminar, and - completing an honor thesis or taking graduate mathematics courses. ** Ideal for students interested in graduate school **

13. Selecting your Math Courses • Try to lay out your entire upper division course plan now • The Math dept. website has a schedule of course offerings • Pay attention to prerequisites • Be ready to change if there are class time conflicts • About 75% of classes are offered the same time they were the year before • Be flexible to change course selection as you find your mathematics passion!

14. General Advice… • Take 120A, 121A and 140A asap! • Try to take sequences back-to-back. • If you did super well in Math 13 and 3A, consider taking 205 or 206 in place of 140 or 120. • Grad school bound students should take many classes from 120-129 and 140-149. • If interested in undergraduate research, select elective courses in those fields you find interesting

15. Tips for Success in Math Courses • Do lots of problems • Learn to read mathematics books • Never “cram” for math exams, you should be learning the material throughout the quarter • Seek help early if you are confused • Learn to read, understand, and create proofs • Save everything (old texts and notes!) • Try to figure out how different course’s material are related to each other • Pay attention to definitions • Do lots of problems

16. Help for Math Courses • Instructor Office Hours • TA Office Hours • Private Tutors • www.math.uci.edu/tutoring/private.php • Independent Study Groups • Undergraduate Math Study Lounge in Rowland Hall 420

17. Finding Extra Math Opportunities • Undergraduate Research Opportunities • iCAMP, MCBU, UROP, SURP, REUs, etc. • Mathematics Problem Solving and Competitions • Math 194, Putnam, Mathematical Contest in Modeling • Anteater Mathematics Club • Undergraduate Lunch Seminar Series • Internships • Volunteer Opportunities

18. Undergraduate Research Opportunities - There are many opportunities for undergraduates to get involved in research projects. - Every Winter there is a Workshop on Applying for Undergraduate Research Opportunities. Look out for email announcements about this event. - Check the math department website (www.math.uci.edu) for resources on undergraduate research programs

19. Math Problem Solving and Competitions - Math 194 – Problem Solving Seminar Open to all!!! Pass/No Pass grading. 2 units credit. - Putnam Exam Look out for an email in the Fall about how to sign up. - Math 191 – Mathematical Modeling Seminar & the Mathematical Contest in Modeling (MCM) The MCM is a contest for teams of up to 3 students and takes place over a weekend in the Winter. The Math 191 class provides instruction in formulating and working with math models and provides training for the MCM contest.

20. Anteaters Mathematics Club Club for undergraduate math enthusiasts – All are welcome! Club activities include math talks, game nights, movies, conference attendance, volunteer opportunities, math problem sessions, study groups, advising sessions, etc. • Math Book Club New Math Book Clubs formed each quarter. Students read a fun, accessible mathematics book and chat about the book with fellow students. This is a great opportunity to read about some fascinating mathematics outside of class.

21. Internships • Start looking for internship opportunities in the Winter of your Junior year for the summer between Junior and Senior year • The department offers a Workshop on Finding and Applying for Mathematics Internships in the Fall • Check out the UCI Mathematics Department website and the UCI Career Center Website for information about internships and preparing application materials

22. Timeline Career Bound

23. Math Grad School Bound

24. Teaching Bound

25. Questions ????