<p>Looking to get into a pure mathematics major at Berkeley, UChicago, Stanford, UCLA, or Harvard. My best and most likely option being Berk.</p>
<p>Awesome! Good luck!</p>
<p>@jetlogic what is your gpa at mtsac and in high school?</p>
<p>how many hours does an average student stay im school per day?</p>
<p>is it like 7:45am - 3:00pm?</p>
<p>@Cyse - My high school GPA was okay, my Mt. SAC GPA is cuddled next to a 4.0</p>
<p>@vtlord - I’m not sure about average, but I’m usually there from 8:30 am to 10:00 pm</p>
<p>Are you just a naturally inclined to Math? Or an average Joe shmoe whoworked hard?</p>
<p>does anyone know how the class schedules are?</p>
<p>@jetlogic, what was the highest math you took in high school? what was your gpa in high school?</p>
<p>I wasn’t really interested in math in high school, I was planning on doing econ. Did almost every AP test my school had to offer. Once I started math in college though I realized just how easily and naturally it comes to me and just how beautiful the subject can be in the right hands. I’ve yet to really hit a math wall that I struggle with, but I suppose we’ll see as I start to get into topology, which I never really favored that much in my readings.</p>
<p>Do you think that someone who struggles in math can be a math major?</p>
<p>I mean you could very well declare it, but I’m hesitant to say someone who struggles in early math will fare well in upper division. Most of what engineers, bio, chem, and other non-math majors see during their first two years isn’t really mathematics as much as computation. Early calculus and differential equations introduce you to methods and basics without really strong foundations. This is because to prove these systems correct, you need analysis. This is where math majors start taking a different path. We stop doing the computational side and start working on the fundamentals, proving that math adheres to its axioms in different ways shapes and forms. We construct the real numbers as a set made from the rational numbers. We create algebraic structures from rings to disks and topological shapes which don’t exist in normal space. A mathematician needs to be able to look at a number as more than just representative of quantity; a number is an object all on its own. A mathematician needs to be able to recognize structures and patterns amongst chaos and then come up with irrefutable logic that proves his/her pattern fits correctly. A mathematician’s logic must be perfect, and this is where we differ from most others. There are no approximations to proofs, there is only absolute truth or failure.</p>
<p>It is incredibly rewarding, but I would call it a stretch to say someone who struggles will ever be rewarded by doing something they don’t take to on an intuitive level. I would tell you to try and read a book from an upper division math class and see if that’s something you can see yourself doing.</p>
<p>@jetlogic i was hoping for a number. Ok, I understand that you didn’t find math interesting, but you still didn’t answer the question, you could have been in stats as a junior and still say that you weren’t interested in math.</p>
<p>Well said! I personally don’t want to major in math. I’m pursuing engineering which is quite heavy on the ”computational” math. My problem is that math doesn’t come naturally to me. The way you talk about math though is pretty awesome.</p>
<p>@jetlogic did u have any ECs at mt sac?</p>
<p>Seeing as the Spring semester starts tomorrow, I’d just like to wish everyone luck on their studies. Let’s do this people :)</p>
<p>@vt - I have a ton of EC’s at Mt. SAC. I’m an associated students officer serving as a justice on the student court. I’m a student representative on the President’s Advisory Council and previously on the Transfer Advisory Committee. I serve frequently as a student rep. on grievance hearings and disciplinary hearings. I’m a member of the Society of Physics Students and soon to be a member of the math club. I’m a member of Honors and Phi Theta Kappa. My biggest EC is probably the fact that I’m a math tutor, this semester I’ll be tutoring solely in the T-MARC, while last semester I tutored in the T-MARC, MARC, and LAC.</p>
<p>@cyse - Well the thing with engineering is that outside of school, doing math by hand would be considered rather silly. You’ll probably work a lot more with things like mathematica, C++, and other computer oriented math systems that take care of the tedious work. What you need is more an ability to program than an ability to do math, though I would think being solid with differential equations probably helps as an engineer. And math IS awesome!</p>
<p>Edit: And good luck everyone in Spring! Looks to be a fun semester.</p>
<p>@jet logic can you please tell me what gpa you had and what the highest math you took in high school? (please dont ignore this)</p>
<p>does being apart of the rotc air force at mt sac count as EC?</p>
<p>did you have any bad habits in high school?</p>
<p>Lol… Vltord is persistent.</p>
<p>alright vtlord haha…lets keep this towards mtsac related questions.
not everyone may feel comfortable posting that kind of stuff.
if you have more personal questions, feel free to PM the person :)</p>
<p>and if they dont answer you, dont feel hurt. not everyone is here to help haha.</p>
<p>thanks!</p>
<p>and i believe ROTC at mtsac is more than an EC. id assuming if you are dong ROTC at mtsac, ud be doing ROTC at your transfer school…so i think they would compare you to other ROTC applicants in the same pool.</p>
<p>edit: jetlogic already answered one of your questions
“My high school GPA was okay, my Mt. SAC GPA is cuddled next to a 4.0”
im just gonna guess an “okay” was a 2.9-3.2</p>
<p>id assume his highest math was precalc/calc. but just wait for an answer i guess! :D</p>
<p>Jetlogic is a math genius. Just all I have to say lol</p>
<p>i totally understand, i didnt mean to strike a nerve. i wanted to compare his stats with my stats to see if we have something similar because i plan on studying aerospace which is very math based. its my own way to evaluate how i may do in the future courses at mt sac.</p>