Mathematics 115 -- Precalculus

David Arnold

Introduction

In general, we assume that students enrolling in Math 115 (Precalculus) are preparing to take some sort of calculus class the following semester. The class will be taught on the basis of this assumption. There are some individual cases where students enrolled in Math 115 will not go on to take a calculus course, but these are rare exceptions. If you enroll in Math 115, you should understand up front that the content is constructed and taught in such a manner as to prepare the student for calculus.

Secondly, Math 115 does NOT satisfy the general education requirement.

It is important to decide early whether or not Math 115 is the correct choice for your career and major objectives. Here are some points to consider:

Your major doesn't require Math 115

In this case, you definitely want to take a different math class. Why take Math 115 if it isn't a major requirement and it doesn't satisfy a GE requirement?

You are not prepared to take Math 115

After the first class or two, you realize you are in over your head. It is important to speak with your instructor and get assistance enrolling in the appropriate class. You must do this early in the game. After the first week, it becomes much more difficult to make a move to a different class.

You are over-prepared.

You look at the table of contents in the text and you realize you already know everything you see there. Maybe you should already be in a calculus class. Go to the testing center, pay a fee, and take Part III of the math placement test.

Jeopardy

The "Jeopardy" icons are links to the daily Jeopardy quiz. Underneath each icon is a separate link that will take you to the "Jeopardy" archives, a collection of daily "Jeopardy" quizzes for that particular class. The Acrobat Reader 4.0 is required to read the Jeopardy files. Click the Acrobat Reader icon to go to Adobe's site and download the free Acrobat Reader.

Play the Jeopardy game by clicking the Jeopardy icon.

WebBoard

There is a marvelous piece of software on our webserver that enables you to interact with your instructor and classmates online. The software is called WebBoard. On my home page, you will find an icon that looks like this:

Clicking on this icon will take you to the login screen for the WebBoard software. Select New User. You will be presented with with a form containing a number of fields. Fill in the appropriate information. Some fields, like a return email address, are mandatory (Note: Free email addresses are available from Yahoo and Hotmail). Other fields are optional. Write down your login name and password and keep it in a safe place. Once you've completed the information, click the "Create" button to build your profile.

Return to my home page, click the WebBoard icon, enter your new login name and password, then click the "Enter" button to log onto the system.

Once inside the WebBoard system, you'll want to complete some introductory tasks.

Click the "More" button, then select the link "Edit your profile." Take some time to fill in information you wish to share.
If you wish, change your password at this point. Remember to write down your login name and password. Save them in a safe place.
When you are finished making changes to your User Profile, click the "Save" button at the bottom of the page to save your changes.
Take some time to explore some of the features of the WebBoard. Note that there is a "Help" button with information on the inner workings of the WebBoard.
Select your class list and post a "Hello" message.
Finally, there is one very important thing you have to do when a session is finished. You have to log off. There is a "Log Off" button provided for logging off. If you don't do this, and simply close up your browser, your connection stays open on the server. You won't notice any difference at your end, but if our server becomes overcrowded with open connections of people who failed to log off properly, server performance could degrade, or worse yet, crash the server. So, always log off at the end of a session. If you log off properly, you will be returned to the division web page in your browser.

Whenever you have a question, either during the day or late at night, post it to the WebBoard. Hopefully, someone will be watching and provide a solution to your question.

Always be polite with your questions and responses. The WebBoard is a privilege, not a right. User that abuse this privilege, making jokes or being rude, will be denied further access to the WebBoard.

Important Links

Syllabus
Homework Assignments
Examinations
Activities