Can anyone discuss the math department at Richmond … my kid is a strong student and hard worker, but math is not my kid’s strong suit.
- How competitive are the students?
- How difficult is the grading?
- How helpful are the professors?
Thanks!
Like for a math major, not just minimum requirements.
For example, at my college, physics was brutal as an engineer, but it was just as bad as a physics major only for more classes. The curves were awful and the instructors weren’t supportive of the students.
I’m a math and CS major at UR.
Students at UR are not competitive with one another, but supportive of one another. It is not in anyway cut throat. The math and CS department is small with a relatively small number of students majoring the subjects. Class sizes are also small. My biggest math course has been around 25 and my biggest CS course has been around 30. We also openly help each other when someone isn’t getting something. I remember explaining line integrals to one of the girls in my CS class last fall because she was struggling in Calc 3 and that was something I understood from when I took it in high school.
The grading difficulty depends greatly on the course and the professor. However, professors give partial credit for answers. Homework is also graded, but that again depends on the professor. Some are harsher than others. For the lower level classes, there are student graders (paid position in the department that you have to be recruited for; only top students become graders for the department) who grade the homework assignments. I’m a student grader for the lower level CS courses and I think I grade rather fairly, along with the other student graders. Classes are generally not graded on a curve, but the professors sometimes will curve grades at the end of the semester to adjust the grade distribution if they don’t think its fair. They will curve up, but never down. I know in courses like real analysis, the tests are scaled so that around a 60% is a C, and I believe an 85% is an A because the course is difficult. Curves for individual tests depend on how the students did on the test. Attendance is also considered as part of our grades, along with participation, depending on the professor.
The instructors are extremely supportive. This being a small LAC, it is a close-knit community. Professors care about you on a personal level and want to know what’s going on outside of class. They welcome questions in class and student discussion on the topics presented in class. They encourage students to come talk to them during office hours or email them with questions and concerns. My linear algebra professor, who I have again for number theory this fall is particularly phenomenal. Last fall, my alarm didn’t ring one day and I missed linear algebra. I emailed her and told her I was sorry and asked if I could I meet with her to discuss the homework for that day. I had to literally run to make my CS lab that day since I woke up so late and after my lab went straight to her office. She was really nice, told me that everything was fine, and calmed me down because I was really freaked out. She asked if I had made it to my lab on time (if we were 5 mins late, we got a zero for that lab) and was relieved when I told her I had. We went over the homework, talked about the test for the next class, and talked some more about stuff I can’t even remember. When I told her I had to leave to get to my dance class across campus, she asked if I had eaten anything and when I said no, she gave me a cereal bar from her desk to eat. Many other students in the department have stories like these of things professors have done for them. Many students also do research with the professors and they’re always open to students discussing opportunities with them.