<p>I'm coming into UVa this fall and plan to double major in math and economics, or at least major in math with an econ minor. I have AP credit for calc 2 and dual enrollment for calc 3. I also took Elementary Linear Algebra (MATH 3351 at UVa) as a high school class and we used the same book as the community college. I had A's on every test, but I wasn't able to get actual college credit because, again, it was a high school class taught online. Also, I'm an Echols Scholar, so I have a bit more room for math classes.</p>
<p>Is it realistic at all to want to take Advanced Linear Algebra (MAth 5651, with Ershov) my first semester? With the grad prep concentration I see that actual credit for 3351 is not required and I would really rather not waste my time retaking a class that I am extremely comfortable with. That being said, would it be too much to be taking a 500-level class freshman year, even with the prerequisite knowledge? I fear that taking it later will allow me to forget a lot of the 3351 material. Also, Ershov comes extremely highly recommended as a professor and the professors for other classes being offered this semester (Intro to Probability, Basic Real) have quite poor reviews.</p>
<p>If it helps, I am self studying ODE on MIT OpenCourseware this summer while I have so much free time and will certainly go back over Linear Algebra if I choose to take the class. I plan on taking ODE first semester as well, with Herbst, regardless of my other math classes.</p>
<p>Will Professor Ershov be open to a freshman taking his class who does not technically have credit for 3351, but who knows the material well? Also, will the advisers at orientation bar me from doing so? I don't see how it can be much more harmful to take a 300-level class with a poor professor than to take a 500-level class for which I'm well prepared with a much better professor.</p>
<p>Any insight would be much appreciated. I apologize for the length of this post.</p>
<p>Don’t do it
sorry it posted early on me and removed my caps, what.
Anyways, I too came in with Calc 2, 3, diff eq, and my diff eq class was really diff eq with linear algebra. I took 551 my 2nd semester and was completely unprepared for it. I ended up taking Linear here with my advisor, K Parshall (she’s not teaching any classes for a while though) and it is completely proof based and theoretical which is why I was unprepared for 551. I did plenty of proofs in high school and my 1st semester 310/354 classes, but the jump was incredibly too much without at least something like discrete math (404) or basic real (331). So I would really recommend taking one of those your first semester if you are in the market for a class. I, too, thought I would forget what I had learned, but math here at UVA is more “here is a theorem and now prove it” than skills you would forget. Even if you know the theorem can you prove all of linear algebra? If not it is worth taking here. I ended up waiting until my 3rd year to take linear here because of your same situation, I did not want to be annoyed in a class I already knew, so I just hung around until my advisor taught it and took it then. Really I knew all of the operations, but I had never proved that any two bases of the same vector space have the same cardinality, for example. It might make sense, but can you prove it? Etc. You might also like number theory, it is a 500 level class that I took and did well in my 2nd year. HTH!</p>
<p>Try taking Math 3310 - Basic Real Analysis or Math 3554 - Survey of Algebra and see if you have any further interest in math. Also might be a good idea to get CS 1110 out of the way early on.</p>
<p>Yes if you are going to take cs then take it in a fall semester. It was 550 people last spring while it is only 200 in the fall.</p>
<p>Thanks for the replies. The main reason I was avoiding those other classes was because of the professors, but I can see what you’re saying about proofs, even if we did a few on homeworks for the class. I was planning on taking computer science my first semester regardless, so I’m glad for confirmation on that decision as well. Survey of algebra has gone to the waitlist even before I’ve had orientation, but basic real is only about half full (again, maybe the professor?) I’ll think about taking that. I still think I’ll end up taking advanced linear algebra and not basic, because only advanced is required for the grad prep concentration, but I’ll wait and let myself become more adjusted to college before rushing into it.</p>
<p>Thanks again.</p>
<p>just a note - your advisor will not be helping you pick out classes. At least not at orientation</p>
<p>Don Ramirez is probably your best bet of the math classes you can take this semester. Go for it!</p>
<p>Try sitting in 3310 for a few classes and see how you like the professor. Also do the same for 3354. I would take 3354 if you manage to get in instead of 5651. If you don’t well give it a shot. I’m also planning to take 5651 next semester but this is my 3rd semester. I haven’t had much experience with proofs either so we’ll see how it goes.</p>