4 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Took a 400-Level Math Class
By: Antonia Le ‘22
Every time I tell somebody that I am taking a 400-level Math class as a freshman, their eyes go wide. I don’t know if they think that I’m smart or insane, or some combination of both. I’m not even sure what I am.
What I do know is that my particular class, Math 430 - Theory of Numbers, has challenged me in ways that no other math class has before. I spend twice the amount of time on my Math 430 homework that I do on my calculus homework, and at this point, I’ve begun arranging my schedule around Math 430. Taking a 400-level math class as a freshman, and one as difficult as Math 430 at that, is like diving into the deep end of a swimming pool with no swim experience. If you’re planning on taking a 400-level math class next semester, here are some things I wish I knew before taking the plunge into upper-division math:
1. The harder the material, the less immediately helpful your professor will be.
It goes without saying, of course, that not all professors are the same, and your experiences with a professor in a difficult class may be different from mine. My professor was great, but I found that because he had been exposed to this difficult material for years, everything seemed easy and logical for him. In contrast, it wasn’t easy and logical for his students, and his degree of knowledge created a sense of disconnect between teacher and student. As a result, it took me longer to understand what he was trying to say in class.
This sense of disconnect affected the way that I asked my questions. In my previous math classes, I would ask a question, and the answer I received would always unlock something in my brain that allowed me to fully understand everything that I had been taught. However, asking questions in my Math 430 class often caused me to have even more questions. Because of this, I had to change the way I asked the questions and thought about the material. Only after spending the time to change my way of thinking and line of questioning was I able to bridge the disconnect between professor and student and ask questions that got me clear, helpful answers.
2. Studying outside of homework and quizzes is necessary
Before taking Math 430, I couldn’t fathom studying for math outside of doing the required homework and cramming in the nights before a quiz or an exam. However, the material was so difficult that I couldn’t do that anymore. Instead, I had to make time in my schedule to go over the material outside of homework deadlines and test dates.
I hadn’t anticipated this need, so my first few weeks in the class were rough. However, right now, I spend a few extra hours each week copying down notes from the textbook to supplement the notes I take in lecture. I believe that this helps me fully understand the material, and I don’t think I would have been able to pass my midterms without spending the extra time throughout the semester going over the content.
3. Slader is more of a frenemy than a friend
I wouldn’t have to check websites like Slader if textbooks just put the answers to every question in the back of the textbook. How am I supposed to understand what I do wrong if there is no way to know if I got a question right or wrong? Sure, I could always just submit my work as it is and see what I did wrong after it’s already been graded. However, by that point, I’ve already forgotten the mental process I went through to get the answer to a question, and I’m not able to fully learn from the corrections made on my homework by the grader.
As a result, I have to use Slader in order to most effectively and efficiently learn the material. However, Slader should be used with extreme caution, especially with harder material. The harder the material, the less likely anyone has taken a class for it and can help you with it. Looking up Calc I problems online is a safe bet, but problems regarding number theory? Not so much.
Because of this, answers posted on Slader and any other website might be completely wrong, or they might use a line of thinking that your professor may never expect you to know. When you’re using websites such as Slader to check your answers or give you a push in the right direction for a problem, be careful. Take everything you see with a grain of salt. More importantly, don’t doubt yourself when you’re doing a problem. Learn from all the sources you can find, but ultimately trust your gut. You probably know more than you think you do.
4. You’re not alone
I have more difficulty following along in my Math 430 lectures than I do in my other classes, and for a while, I thought that there was something wrong with me because of that. However, after talking with the other students, I realized that many of them were in the same boat as me.
When you’re sitting in a classroom, completely clueless about some really difficult material, it might be easy to assume that everyone there is smarter than you and completely gets the material. However, chances are, if you’re lost, there’s probably someone else who is just as lost as you.
Instead of beating yourself up because you think you’re the only person in the class who doesn’t understand the material, try reaching out to the other students. If they understand what’s going on, they can help you. If they don’t, you two can spend some time venting and complaining to each other about the class. The only feeling better than solving a difficult problem is letting all your frustrations out with somebody who understands.
Taking a 400-level class doesn’t need to be scary. Indeed, I was scared at first, but now I’m confident that I’m not making a huge mistake by becoming a math major. If you want to take a 400-level math class in the future, just know that you got this, and I believe in you.
Want more from Trojans 360?
Visit Trojans 360 on Facebook & Twitter to stay up to date with more student content!
You can also Ask A Trojan an anonymous question, and we’ll try to answer it in a future post!
And don’t forget to follow us on Instagram!
Trojans 360 is USC’s official student-run blog. Content created by students, for students.
