UCLA Math 115A - For Math Majors

Transfer Students UC Transfers
1

<p>I transfered as a Math/Applied Science (soon to be Math/Econ) major in Fall 09. This quarter I took Math 115A and Math 131A, (+ Econ 148 and Stat 100B) two of the hardest undegraduate math courses at UCLA. I wanted to share the grade distribution for my Math 115A class.</p>

<p>Directly from my teacher's email</p>

<p>"All in all we have had, out of 71: 2 A+, 2 A, 6 A-, 11 B+, 8 B, 3 B-, 8C+, 10 C 4 C- 11 D, 6 F"</p>

<p>You'll notice this means less than 6% of the class got an A or higher. This is definitely not the norm. (As an aside, these classes are capped at 35 students however my teacher taught two back-to-back sections this quarter and graded the two sections together, that's we have 71 students) My teacher was a visiting professor and he was HARD. Not only was the material insane but this guy's grading is harsh! Many people say Math 131A (Real Analysis) is the most difficult course. However, my 131A class was a cake walk in comparison to this. Our average for the final was a 58, but he did not curve. You had to get a 95%+ overall in the class to get an A. </p>

<p>The point of this is to show that difficulty doesn't solely depend on the material but it also depends on the professor. The other two professors teaching 115A this quarter handed out around 20%+ A or higher. Going out of the final I thought I had secured an A or an A+. I was shocked when I saw I got an A- (I scored 2nd out of 37 in my section, but 3-4 students scored higher than me in the other section). However, after seeing this grading distribution, I realize things could have been so much worse.</p>

2

<p>95%? Thats not a typical grading boundary? Thats really weird.</p>

3

<p>linear algebra?</p>

4

<p>Excellent post. What was the name of your professor? Future Math/Econ looking to avoid your professor. :)</p>

5

<p>glad i went to berkeley. Average for our abstract algebra midterm was 44/80 and i managed to get a 60/80 ( cutoff for an A is 52-55) but then there were some math freaks that got 79. Have u managed to take any classes with Tao?</p>

6

<p>Our average was 58/100. My 84 didn’t cut it :frowning: Oh well, he worked the hell out of us so at least I know I’ll be prepared for future classes.</p>

<p>Tao is only teaching the graduate topics in analysis (highest level) courses this winter and spring so no :(</p>

<p>He’s taught undergrad classes before, highly doubtful he will teach any next year though. However, If I do departmental scholars, I might have a chance to take something with him in one of my grad courses.</p>

7

<p>supa_ramga: do you have any recommendations on first quarter classes for a math/econ major?</p>

8

<p>Uhm…</p>

<p>You’re telling me that your Linear Algebra course made your REAL ANALYSIS course seem like a WALK IN THE PARK?!?!?!</p>

<p>Whaaaattt?!</p>

<p>That is definitely not right. That’s not harsh grading… That’s strange grading.</p>

9

<p>people always think that real analysis is the hardest undergraduate courses but it really depends on your professor. Abstract algebra or linear algebra can be just as difficult if not more difficult depending on the professor.</p>

10

<p>Linear Algebra is easy.</p>

11

<p>First @thebigsh0w</p>

<p>This is not the same watered-down easy-peazy computational linear algebra class with light proofs that you took at your CC. In fact, this isn’t anywhere near the lower division linear algebra class offered by UCs in general! This is the full-blown upper division proof class taught by a professor who has never actually done an undergraduate course and as such held his students to mostly a graduate-near graduate level. And he didn’t even curve, despite a 36% average on the midterm and a 58% on the final. </p>

<p>@srjcstud</p>

<p>My first recommendation would be to do a summer session, both if possible. You will be WAY ahead of the game and you will have a good feel for the school once Fall comes around. Take two classes in each summer session. The ideal schedule would look like this</p>

<p>Summer Session A:
Econ 11 - Professor Mcdevitt
Stat 100A - Professor Christou</p>

<p>Summer Session C:
Econ 101 - Professor Mcdevitt
Stat 100B - Professor Sanchez</p>

<p>Fall:
Econ 102 - Professor Mcdevitt (He always does it in the Fall)
Econ 141A/142 - This will count as one of your Math/Econ course (you have to take three)
Math 61 or 115A</p>

<p>Explanation:</p>

<p>Summer Session A: Both of these classes count towards your major and both of these professors are AWESOME. I’ve had them both, and will have them both again next quarter. Very intelligent, extremely caring, and effective lecturers. You don’t have to buy a textbook for either prof as they have their own handouts and notes! Great first experience at UCLA.</p>

<p>Summer Session C: Again, both these classes count towards your major. I personally have never had a class with Professor Sanchez, but I hear she’s okay, definitely not as hard my Stat 100A instructor.</p>

<p>Fall: Now you will have 4 courses done and in good shape to do something like departmental scholars (get your bachelors AND masters)! If you’ve already taken discrete math or some other class with direct proofs, induction, or contradiction, you can go ahead and take Math 115A. However, if you haven’t, take math 115A in the winter and take Math 61 (Discrete) in the Fall. It will prepare you very well for proofs (definitely did for me). I would recommend the following for the fall</p>

<p>Conclusion: If you do all of this you will have completed 6-7/13 of the upper division classes required for math-econ. The fact that you’re gonna be way ahead and have all these classes under your belt will mean your future courseload will be lighter. Furthermore, Professor Mcdevitt is an important administrator in the Econ department. He can help you find research and internships. So if you’re planning on grad school, this is a big plus. At the same time, if you’re looking for internships, you’ll have a lot to boast about come winter quarter (when most of the recruiting is done).</p>

<p>What I did: I personally was only able to do Summer Session C. As a result, I ended up taking Econ 11 and Stat 100A with professors who were okay but not as stellar as Mcdevitt and Christou. Furthermore, I ended up taking 4 classes during both Fall and Winter to catch up to this ideal plan. I kinda bended the rules a bit as well by taking Econ 101, 102, and 142 at the same time (where 102 and 142 have 101 as a pre-req) I also hadn’t done discrete, so I took Math 61 as well during the Fall. Although I managed to get a 4.0, I would have preferred to do the plan I wrote above. Summer classes are generally considered easier and you will want to make sure your Fall schedule isn’t too grueling so you have enough time to meet and hang out with new people. I also HIGHLY recommend dorming; you meet tons of people and you’ll have a great time.</p>

<p>Hope that helps!</p>

12

<p>Also, if you can’t do any summer sessions then I would recommend the following plan for the first year. This plan assumes you have completed all your lower div requirements with the possible exception of Discrete Math (Math 61). If you’ve already completed the equivalent of Math 61, take 115A in the fall, 131A in the winter, and your elective course in the spring.</p>

<p>Fall:
Econ 11
Math 61 or 115A
Math 170A or Stat 100A</p>

<p>Winter:
Econ 101
Math 115A or Math 131A
Math 170B or Stat 100B</p>

<p>Spring:
Econ 102
Econ 103 or Econ 140s Elective
Math 131A or Math 164/167/Elective</p>

<p>Thus you will have completed 8-9/13 of the required upper division courses. On a final note, I highly recommend doing at least one summer session. It’s SO HELPFUL! You get a head start on your major requirements, get a feel for the school, and it’s a fun time! There are a lot of international students during the summer so you get a ton of diversity. One of my roommates, for example, was from Milan, Italy!</p>

<p>EDIT: I would like to mention that if you complete Econ 11, 101, 102, 103, Math 115A, and 131A by the end of spring quarter you are eligible to apply for Departmental Scholars (you get a bachelors+masters) for Economics.</p>

13

<p>Pardon the triple post, can no longer edit.</p>

<p>I should also mention that the above schedule is a bit ambitious. Although you are only taking 3 classes a quarter, most of them are challenging/weeder courses. Math 115A and 131A will take a lot of time (probably more than your other two classes combined) Your probability and elective courses will most likely be easier, but depending on your professors, they could be taxing. Econ 11, 101, and 102 will probably be your easiest courses. But beware, they can be ultra competitive! Don’t fall underneath the average. All in all, this is very manageable and these classes will definitely keep you busy. At the same time, it’s three classes, which is the normal course load. So you should still have plenty of time for kicking back and having fun.</p>

<p><a href=“Undergraduate Program | UCLA Department of Mathematics”>Undergraduate Program | UCLA Department of Mathematics;

14

<p>This is related to my interests…</p>

<p>I applied to UCLA as an econ/math major. At first, I was going to do economics, but I did some research and think that the joint program is superior in terms of rigor and interest. I like math and economics. I also heard the program is a lot harder (and better if you want a PhD), which is fine. And I am quite worried about my linear algebra class; there was little theory, except towards the end. I wonder if I will be prepared. </p>

<p>What careers are you hoping to get into? </p>

<p>I hope I can get a 3.5-3.8 gpa at UCLA, if I get in.</p>

15

<p>And dude, I have had classes were only a couple people had A’s. It is not uncommon. But UCLA is different: many bright and motivated individuals. </p>

<p>It really ****es me off that this one teacher at my CC is too easy. I feel like it is hurting me. And it sucks because the teacher teaches at the highest level. Luckily, I have a strong background.</p>

16

<p>And how is the joint program?</p>

17

<p>For summer session a, what are those classes? Will you graduate sooner if you take summer courses (I don’t want a masters-yet)? I want to minimize my costs. Second, will taking two classes be overwhelming?</p>

18

<p>Actually, I will be saving this for my records :slight_smile: Thanks!</p>

19

<p>What’s the difference between stat 100a and math 170a? Both have Math 32b as a req and the stat page doesn’t share that much information about the course. Is one more math oriented? Another more oriented towards social sciences?</p>

20

<p>@thebigsh0w</p>

<p>Don’t worry to much about your CC classes being too easy. I remember my first week @ UCLA; I was scared. I thought, “oh man, everyone here is a probably a genius in comparison to me, I’m just a CC transfer whose classes probably didn’t prepare me at all.” But I quickly learned that this isn’t entirely true. Although the classes at CC are a joke in comparison to UCLA, that doesn’t mean one is actually dumber than anyone else. I quickly adjusted to the new environment and started dominating. I got a 100% on my first UCLA exam (Econ 11 midterm). </p>

<p>As long as you adjust to the new workload, you should be fine. Don’t worry about your linear algebra class at CC, if you work hard, you’ll do well in 115A. I know if I had taken that class with any other teacher, I would have gotten an A or A+. It kinda sucks my teacher was so harsh, but I was also taking Real Analysis and two quant heavy classes at the same time. It could have been much worse, an A- isn’t so bad and I did learn a lot. </p>

<p>The joint program itself is awesome. It’s only 13 classes (you will have to take more than 13 classes total however to meet the minimum 180 unit req to graduate), most of which are important core classes necessary for graduate studies in math, econ, or business. At the same time, if you want, you can take classes like Math 174 (Financial Mathematics), Econ 141AB (Mathematical Finance), and Stat C183 (Statistical Models in Finance) as your electives and get a solid finance background. Because the program is so closely tied with the Econ department, you get all the perks of an econ major. Tons of honors and departmental Scholar students are math/econ majors because their required classes just automatically line up with the requirements, so no extra classes are needed. Recruiters also like you just as much, (if not more for some positions) as biz econ majors. I’ve already had quite a few interviews and will be having another this Monday. Overall, I think it’s the most flexible and versatile econ degree offered at UCLA.</p>

<p>The courses I listed for summer session C are indeed required for your major. If you really want to, you can graduate early. But I think once you start at UCLA you’ll want to stay. It really is an awesome place. Here’s the list of the Math/Econ requirements
[UCLA</a> Department of Mathematics](<a href=“Undergraduate Program | UCLA Department of Mathematics”>Undergraduate Program | UCLA Department of Mathematics)</p>

<p>@whatasunnyday
It’s not a large difference, but Math 170A is more focused on the theoretical, proof-side of probability, whereas Stat 100A is mostly computational (there will be some proofs and deriving) and about the science of data. Personally I’d say Stat 100A is easier and more applicable if you plan on doing actuarial work (it alone prepares you for the 1/P exam) or going into grad school for something Econ/Econometrics related. On the other hand, Math 170A will definitely be better if you plan on going into grad school for mathematics. There is a lot of work being done in probability theory especially at UCLA. Professor Liggett has made tons of contributions to the field, and if you did well in 170AB, you could probably take his graduate class. Honestly though, I would pick the one that better fits my schedule and final exam schedule. The difference isn’t that monumental.</p>