<p>anyone know what math 8 is? is it bad to be placed in it? my friend who got in just got an email about the class.</p>
<p>It's some class that goes over problem solving for calculus. I guess that means he didn't do fantastic on his placement exams. It's not necessarily a bad thing, although I suppose most people would view it as such.</p>
<p>Several things:
1: Ma 8 is a supplementary class to Ma 1a (single variable calc). Getting placed in it is no big insult; if, on the math placement exam you have less than perfect single-variable calculus, you will be put in Ma 8. I'd done fine in AB, BC, and multi-variable calc, but since by the time I took the placement exam I hadn't done any actual integrating or deriving or anything for a long long time, I ended up getting placed in Math 8 (figuring that I didn't need to study for the placement exam didn't help).<br>
2: No one has to take that class if they don't want to. Although you are automatically signed up for it if it's recommended for you, you may drop it at your earliest convenience with a drop card, which will at most require a signature from your advisor and <em>maybe</em> the Math 8 instructor.<br>
3: In the past, lots of people have found Math 8 to be well taught and quite useful, as Math 1a in particular is a tough course. Often people who were not initially recommended to take Math 8 decide to drop in. </p>
<p>So in short, Math 8 supplements Math 1 (meets 1-3 hours a week, I forget. No homework, you just have to show up to pass the class). Anyone who makes a mistake on the math placement exam could be placed in it, I think.</p>
<p>Yeah, my year (the class that just graduated), like 2/3rds of my class placed into it. It was horribly taught and at 8:30 in the morning, so I think only 20% of those of us who were in it kept with it. The successive years have been much better, and I've heard great things about it the last two years. Sure, it's a shot to the ego (I was thinking of being a Math major, and then placed into remedial math...), it's not the end of the world. And there will be many more grevieous insults to your ego before you graduate ;) </p>
<p>Galen</p>
<p>Math 8 was very useful my year, especially since the Math 1a teacher was pretty bad. Even if you weren't placed in Math 8, it may still be helpful to drop in once in a while if you get stuck. If Mihai is still teaching it, you(r friend) should definitely take it.</p>
<p>What is math 8?</p>
<p>EDIT: Okay, nevermind</p>
<p>Wow, so many recs for Ma8. I dropped it without ever showing up for the class nor discussing it with anyone (I just did it from regis and no one bothered me about it). From what people say, it sounds like it could be a useful class. Just remember that Ma1a is much harder than either Ma1b or Ma1c (but you're only on pass/fail first term, whereas you'll get shadow grades second term and real grades third term).</p>